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The objective of the present meta-analysis was to evaluate the association between TaqI (rs731236), ApaI (rs7975232) and BsmI (rs1544410) polymorphisms of the VDR gene and lumbar spine pathologies such as lumbar disc herniation and lumbar disc degeneration. VDR gene polymorphisms have been reported to be associated with an increased risk of lumbar spine pathologies. A systematic search was performed up to February 2020 using PubMed, EBSCO and Web of Science databases. We used the keywords and combinations “lumbar disc degeneration,” “lumbar disc herniation,” “lumbar spine pathologies” and “VDR polymorphism.” Subsequently, we performed a meta-analysis with the results of the included studies. We found that the TaqI polymorphism was associated with an increased risk of developing lumbar spine pathologies (recessive model OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.01–1.54) and lumbar disc degeneration (allelic model OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.07–1.48; recessive model OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.06–1.69), but not with lumbar disc herniation. Additionally, ApaI was associated with an increased risk of developing lumbar spine pathologies (heterozygous model OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.06–1.98), but not with lumbar disc herniation or lumbar disc degeneration. Our findings indicate that TaqI and ApaI polymorphisms of the VDR gene are important risk factors for developing lumbar spine pathologies. Moreover, the TaqI polymorphism is a risk factor for lumbar disc degeneration.

Objective: Individuals with schizophrenia and substance use disorders have a poor prognosis and increased psychiatric symptoms. The present study aimed to explore the association of 106 genes in individuals with schizophrenia and comorbid substance use through a next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis and different in silico algorithms. Methods: We included 105 individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia and a family history of schizophrenia, of whom 49 (46.67%) presented comorbid substance use. Using NGS, we sequenced 106 genes previously associated with schizophrenia. Logistic regression models were used to assess differences in allele frequencies, and a generalized gene-set analysis was performed at the gene level. Functional annotations were performed using different algorithms and databases. Results: We identified a total of 3,109 variants, of which 25 were associated with schizophrenia and comorbid substance use and were located in regulatory and coding regions. We found low-frequency variants in COMT p.Ala72Ser, independently of p.Val158Met, that were associated with substance use. The endocannabinoid functional variant FAAH p.Pro129Thr was also associated with substance use. Conclusions: Genetic variants of genes related to dopaminergic and cannabinoid neurotransmitter systems were associated with comorbid substance use in schizophrenia. Nevertheless, more studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm our findings.

BACKGROUND: Up to now there is not enough evidence that supports the use of electrotherapy in the treatment of Bell’s palsy. OBJECTIVE: Through a systematic review, we aimed to verify whether the use of electrotherapy is effective for treating Bell’s palsy or peripheral paralysis. METHODS: Publications were searched in PubMed, EBSCO and Web of Science. The present systematic review included studies that analyzed the electrotherapy as a therapeutic method for treating individuals with Bell’s palsy, in order to recover the function of facial muscles. RESULTS: Seven studies involving a total of 131 cases and 113 controls were included in this systematic review. In the studies analyzed, patients received electrotherapy combined with other treatments such as hot-wet facial napkins, massages and muscle reeducation. Although the effect of electrotherapy alone was not evaluated, the use of electrotherapy combined with other treatments produced a significant improvement in the individuals evaluated. CONCLUSIONS: Due to the diverse methodologies used and the small number of individuals included in the studies, we could not fully prove the efficacy of electrotherapy for treating Bell’s Palsy. Future studies with larger samples and homogenous populations should be performed to obtain conclusive results.

OBJECTIVE The aim of the present meta-analysis was to explore the association between FokI polymorphism of the vitamin D receptor gene and lumbar spine disc degeneration. DESIGN The search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases up to January 2020. The authors selected nine studies comprising a total of 1549 cases and 1672 controls. The association analysis included the allelic, dominant, recessive, homozygous, and heterozygous genetic models. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were used to evaluate the association. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to measure the quality of the studies included in the analyses; a cut-off of 6 stars was applied. RESULTS This meta-analysis indicated that FokI polymorphism is significantly associated with lumbar degenerative disc disorder and disc herniation in the homozygous (odds ratio, 1.77; 95% confidence interval, 1.23-2.54; Z test P = 0.002, Q test P = 0.416) and recessive (odds ratio, 1.53; 95% confidence interval, 1.23-1.90; Z test P < 0.000, Q test P = 0.224) models. CONCLUSIONS This study indicates that the vitamin D receptor gene FokI polymorphism may be correlated with the risk of developing a lumbar degenerative disc disorder and disc herniation. However, the small sample population studied and the lack of an evaluation of environmental factors must be taken as limitations in the present meta-analysis.

Suicidal behavior is result of the interaction of several contributors, including genetic and environmental factors. The integration of approaches considering the polygenic component of suicidal behavior, such as polygenic risk scores (PRS) and DNA methylation is promising for improving our understanding of the complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors in this behavior. The aim of this study was the evaluation of DNA methylation differences between individuals with high and low genetic burden for suicidality. The present study was divided into two phases. In the first phase, genotyping with the Psycharray chip was performed in a discovery sample of 568 Mexican individuals, of which 149 had suicidal behavior (64 individuals with suicidal ideation, 50 with suicide attempt and 35 with completed suicide). Then, a PRS analysis based on summary statistics from the Psychiatric Genomic Consortium was performed in the discovery sample. In a second phase, we evaluated DNA methylation differences between individuals with high and low genetic burden for suicidality in a sub-sample of the discovery sample (target sample) of 94 subjects. We identified 153 differentially methylated sites between individuals with low and high-PRS. Among genes mapped to differentially methylated sites, we found genes involved in neurodevelopment (CHD7, RFX4, KCNA1, PLCB1, PITX1, NUMBL) and ATP binding (KIF7, NUBP2, KIF6, ATP8B1, ATP11A, CLCN7, MYLK, MAP2K5). Our results suggest that genetic variants might increase the predisposition to epigenetic variations in genes involved in neurodevelopment. This study highlights the possible implication of polygenic burden in the alteration of epigenetic changes in suicidal behavior.

The aim of this study was to explore the knowledge, emotions and perceived stressors by healthcare workers who were in contact with infected patients during the COVID-19 outbreak. An online cross-sectional survey was applied. Data were collected from N = 263 healthcare workers in Tabasco State, Mexico. We developed and administered a questionnaire, which consisted of sociodemographic characteristics, plus four sections. The sections evaluated were (1) knowledge of COVID-19, (2) feelings/emotions during the COVID-19 outbreak, (3) factors that caused stress and (4) factors that helped to reduce stress. Surveyed individuals were divided into three groups: physicians, nurses and other healthcare workers. When we evaluated their knowledge of COVID-19 we observed that the majority of healthcare workers in the three groups reported that they knew about COVID-19. Physicians indicated that they felt insecure about practicing their profession (62.5%) due to the high risk of being in contact with SARS-CoV-2. With regards to stressor factors, the risk of transmitting COVID-19 to their families was the main factor causing moderate to high stress (95.4%). Finally, we found that “your profession puts your life at risk” was the only factor associated with feeling nervous and scared (PR: 3.15, 95% CI: 1.54–6.43). We recommended health education campaigns, introductory courses on COVID-19 and other infectious diseases, management protocols and the provision of protection equipment to health workers in order to reduce personal and professional fears of contagion and to improve the health system in Mexico when facing epidemics.

The aim of this study was to determine the risk of having significant depressive symptoms in subjects with obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus through a meta-analysis. Our results showed that individuals with obesity and diabetes have an increased risk of having significant symptoms of depression. In subgroup analyses, we observed that Caucasian populations have an increased risk of having these symptoms. Our meta-analysis suggests that obesity is associated with an increased risk of having significant depressive symptoms in patients with type 2 diabetes, and they could be even higher in Caucasian populations.

Background/objective It has been suggested that patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) often present depression and anxiety. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms in Mexican patients with RA and to determine associated factors of depression and anxiety in this population. Methods This was a cross-sectional study. We evaluated demographic characteristics, medical comorbidities, substance use, and disease characteristics in 103 patients with RA. Patients were enrolled from March 2016 to August 2017 The prevalence of depression and anxiety was estimated using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. We calculated the proportion of depression and anxiety symptoms and compared characteristics between groups. Finally, logistic regression model was used to determine the factors associated with depression and anxiety. Results Depression symptoms were present in 26.2% of patients, whereas anxiety symptoms were present in 16.5% of patients. Presence of hypertension was an associated factor with depression (odds ratio [OR], 3.13; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06-9.23; p = 0.03). Low socioeconomic (OR, 3.78; 95% CI, 1.39-10.28; p = 0.009) and high scores of 28-joint Disease Activity Score were associated with anxiety (OR, 3.19; 95% CI, 1.20-8.45; p = 0.02). Conclusions Factor related to socioeconomic conditions, comorbid medical conditions, and disease activity were related to the presence of clinical depression and anxiety in Mexican patients with RA, which may have a negative impact in the course and outcome of the disease. We suggest an early identification of depression and anxiety in these patients through an early psychiatric evaluation.

Background Circulating cell-free mitochondrial DNA (cf-mtDNA) fragments in blood plasma have been reported in patients with schizophrenia (SZ). Although the relationship of cf-mtDNA to the cognitive status of patients with SZ has not yet been explored, it is known that cognitive impairment in SZ compromises the functional and social capacity of these patients and diminishes their quality of life. In this sense, the assessment of the severity of cognitive impairment in a Mexican population with SZ and its association with cf-mtDNA levels in blood plasma may provide the possibility of using cf-mtDNA as a biomarker to determine the status of the disease and the possible ensuing changes over time. Methods Subjects for a case-control study will be recruited. cf-mtDNA obtained from blood plasma will be quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction, using melting curve technology with SYBR green as amplification marker. Patients with SZ will be grouped into those with severe, mild, and no cognitive impairment according to Montreal Cognitive Assessment scale scores, to determine differences between cognitive performance and cf-mtDNA levels in blood plasma. Ethics and communication This study has been approved by the ethics and investigation committees of the High Specialty Regional Hospital of Mental Health (Hospital Regional de Alta Especialidad de Salud Mental); project No. HRAESM/DG/RP/1128/2018. We plan to communicate our research findings in scientific conferences and in peer-reviewed journals. Conclusion It is known that cognitive dysfunction provokes negative effects in an SZ patient´s life. This project aims to provide better knowledge about the role of cf-mtDNA in the pathogenesis of cognitive impairment in SZ, as an attempt to achieve improvements to the existing treatments, thereby helping to prevent major cognitive deterioration.

BACKGROUND Ozone therapy has been used widely to decrease pain related to osteoarthritis, but the effectiveness of this treatment has not been evaluated. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effectiveness of ozone therapy in the reduction of pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis, according to the type of intervention and duration of the effect. TYPE: Meta-analysis. LITERATURE SURVEY We performed an online search using PUBMED, DIALNET, SCIELO, MEDIGRAPHIC, and ISCO3 databases. We searched for articles published up to January 2018. PARTICIPANTS We selected eight studies including a total of 355 patients and 363 controls. METHODOLOGY Only randomized-controlled trials that assessed the efficacy of intraarticular or periarticular infiltrations with ozone to treat knee osteoarthritis in humans were included in the analysis. The results are expressed as standardized mean difference and 95% confidence intervals. The meta-analysis was performed in accordance with the statement of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. SYNTHESIS We observed that ozone treatment had a therapeutic effect when compared with placebo (d = -0.81, 95% CI -1.06 to -0.55, I2 = 34.79, P(Q) = .47) or other noninvasive treatments. No significant effects were found in favor of the ozone treatment when compared with the use of hyaluronic acid or platelet-rich plasma. However, the use of ozone had a significant short-term benefit reducing knee pain (d = -2.26, 95% CI -2.26 to -3.72, I2 = 97, P(Q)

Introduction Public perception of the not guilty by reason of insanity verdict is influenced the stigma of violence surrounding schizophrenia. Anti-stigma programmes in adolescents can improve attitudes towards patients. Material and methods A total of 515 adolescents completed the Public Concept of Aggressiveness Questionnaire (CAQ), which is made up of a brief clinical vignette and specific questions that assess subjective perceptions about aggressiveness and dangerousness as well as the perception of the subject having a mental illness and behaving unpredictably. Results More than 50.0% of the sample considered that the patient with schizophrenia was guilty. The unpredictable behaviour was the most important variable associated with not guilty by reason of insanity, followed by the perception of aggressiveness and mental illness. Conclusions Fortunately, most adolescents associated not guilty by reason of insanity with the presence of a mental illness. Health promotion programmes in schools might be appropriate to reduce stigma.

Resumen Introduccion La percepcion publica de inimputabilidad esta influida por el estigma de la violencia que rodea a la esquizofrenia. Los programas antiestigma en adolescentes pueden mejorar las actitudes hacia los pacientes. Material y metodos Un total de 515 adolescentes completaron el Cuestionario de Concepcion Publica de Agresividad (CPA) compuesto por una vineta clinica de un paciente con esquizofrenia y preguntas especificas para evaluar la percepcion de inimputabilidad, agresividad, peligrosidad, enfermedad mental y comportamiento impredecible. Resultados Mas del 50% de la muestra considero que el paciente con esquizofrenia era culpable. El comportamiento impredecible fue la principal variable asociada a la valoracion de inimputabilidad, seguida por la percepcion de agresividad y enfermedad mental. Conclusiones Afortunadamente, la mayoria de los adolescentes asociaron la inimputabilidad con la presencia de una enfermedad mental. Los programas de promocion de la salud en las escuelas podrian ser apropiados para reducir el estigma.

A genetic component is accepted in the etiology of the glioma. Evidence from candidate genes studies and GWAS reveal that CCDC26 gene could increase the risk of glioma. We performed a systematic review and up-to-date meta-analysis to explore if polymorphisms of CCDC26 gene (rs891835, rs6470745, and rs55705857) may be a susceptibility factor in developing glioma. An online search in PubMed, Web of Science, and SCOPUS up to September 2018 was performed. The pooled odds ratios were evaluated by fixed effects model and random effects model. Analyses of the overall sample and ethnic sub-groups were performed. In all the analyses, the allelic, additive, dominant, and recessive models were used. We found an association between all polymorphisms evaluated and an increased risk for glioma in the overall population in all the models studied. In sub-group analysis, we found that rs891835 and rs6470745 increased the risk of glioma in Europeans and Caucasians. On the other hand, the rs891835 polymorphism did not reveal any statistical association in Chinese population. Taken into consideration the limitations of this study, the present findings suggest a possible participation of rs891835, rs6470745, and rs55705857 as risk factors to develop glioma. Furthermore, it is possible that the involvement of CCDC26 variants depends on ethnicity. However, we recommend to perform further studies to have conclusive outcomes.

Psychiatric disorders are complex polygenic diseases that show common genetic vulnerability. Several studies have investigated the association of polymorphisms of FK506 binding protein 51 (FKBP5) gene and depressive disorders or suicidal behavior, however, the results have been controversial and ambiguous. The aim of our study was to explore the role of the FKBP5 gene variants (rs1360780, rs3800373 and rs4713916), in depressive disorders or suicidal behavior through a systematic review and a meta-analysis. The protocol number of the study is PROSPERO CRD42018089295. The meta-analysis included 12 studies. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were used to evaluate the association and the publication bias was tested by Egger's test and funnel plot; heterogeneity was assessed by the Cochran's chi-square-based Q statistic test and the inconsistency index. Our results showed that the rs3800373 and rs4713916 were associated with an increased risk of depressive disorders when using the heterozygous and dominant models. In the stratified analysis by ethnicity, a significantly increased risk of depressive disorders was also observed for rs3800373 and rs4713916 in Caucasians. When we analyzed suicidal behavior, we found a significant association with the rs1360780 of FKBP5 and suicidal behavior risk in the overall population and rs3800373 in completed suicide subgroup. Existing evidence indicates that the polymorphisms of FKBP5 gene are associated with risk of depressive disorders and suicidal behavior. Future studies with larger sample sizes will be necessary to confirm the present results.

The combination of substance use and psychiatric disorders is one of the most common comorbidities. The objective of this study was to perform a genome-wide association study of this comorbidity (Com), substance use alone (Subs), and psychiatric symptomatology alone (Psych) in the Mexican population. The study included 3914 individuals of Mexican descent. Genotyping was carried out using the PsychArray microarray and genome-wide correlations were calculated. Genome-wide associations were analyzed using multiple logistic models, polygenic risk scores (PRSs) were evaluated using multinomial models, and vertical pleiotropy was evaluated by generalized summary-data-based Mendelian randomization. Brain DNA methylation quantitative loci (brain meQTL) were also evaluated in the prefrontal cortex. Genome-wide correlation and vertical pleiotropy were found between all traits. No genome-wide association signals were found, but 64 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) reached nominal associations (p Subs-PRS, Com-PRS, and Psych-PRS) were associated with all of the traits. Brain meQTL of the Subs-associated SNPs had an effect on the genes enriched in insulin signaling pathway, and that of the Psych-associated SNPs had an effect on the Fc gamma receptor phagocytosis pathway.

The prevalence of comorbid psychiatric disorders among patients with eating disorders (ED) is higher than the general population. Individuals diagnosed with eating disorders have changes in their body mass index which could promote severe metabolic disruptions. This study aimed (1) to report the prevalence of comorbid psychiatric disorders among a Mexican adolescent sample diagnosed with eating disorders, (2) to compare our results with the prevalence of psychiatric disorders reported from a national survey of mental health of adolescents, (3) to compare the presence of psychiatric comorbidities between ED diagnoses, and (4) to explore the relationship of these comorbidities with the body mass index. In the study, we included 187 Mexican adolescents diagnosed with eating disorders. The psychiatric comorbidities were evaluated using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview for children/adolescents, and a revised questionnaire on eating and weight patterns. We found that 89% of the Mexican adolescents diagnosed with ED had another psychiatric comorbidity. Major depressive disorder (52.40%) and suicide risk (40%) were the most prevalent comorbidities. Attention and deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) prevalence was different between ED diagnosis, and adolescents with binge-eating disorder and ADHD had the higher body mass index. Our results showed that in this sample of Mexican adolescents, the presence of comorbidities could impact body mass index. This emphasizes the importance that clinicians take into consideration the presence of psychiatric comorbidities to achieve an integrative treatment for adolescents diagnosed with ED.

Introduction Alexithymia is the difficulty in identifying and describing feelings. Several studies have suggested that chronic pain can be linked to alexithymia. The aims of this study were to determine the presence of alexithymia in a sample of Mexican individuals who attended public health services, to assess if alexithymia is higher in medically ill individuals with pain than in those without pain, and to determine which alexithymia dimensions are more affected by the presence of pain. Methods Demographic and clinical features were evaluated in 250 Mexican outpatients of the General Hospital of Comalcalco, Tabasco. Pain was evaluated using the Visual Analogue Scale for Pain Assessment (VAS-P) and alexithymia was evaluated using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). Results 38.8% of the sample was identified with probable/definite alexithymia and up to 61.2% of individuals were currently experiencing pain. Individuals with pain exhibited higher scores in the TAS-20 dimensions: difficulty describing feelings (p = 0.02), difficulty identifying feelings (p Conclusions Our results show that a large proportion of individuals who attend public health services in a Mexican population present pain. We also identified that pain could be associated with alexithymia, in particular with a difficulty in describing and identifying feelings. An early identification and treatment of alexithymia could help in reducing the clinical burden of chronic pain in Mexican outpatients.

Five polymorphisms (rs4713916, rs4713902, rs1360780, rs9296158 and rs3800373) of FKBP5 gene were analyzed in a case–control study comprising 423 Mexican individuals (146 individuals with suicide attempt and 277 controls). The SNP’s were genotyped using the TaqMan-allelic assay. Genotype and allele frequencies were compared between the two groups, then the association between FKBP5 gene polymorphisms and suicide attempt was analyzed. We found a significant association of rs1360780 T minor allele (All, OR = 1.80, 95 % CI = 1.35–2.41, P = 0.0005; Males, OR = 2.25, 95 % CI = 1.44–3.50, P = 0.0002) as a suicide behavior risk factor. Conversely, rs3800373 C minor allele (All, OR = 0.61, 95 % CI = 0.46–0.83; P = 0.0013; Females, OR = 0.33, 95 % CI = 0.22–0.50; P = 0.0001) and the A-C-T-A-C haplotype (OR = 0.06, 95 % CI = 0.01−0.36; P = 0.002) were significantly associated as protective factors. No association was observed with the other SNP’s. Our study suggests that SNP’s in FKBP5 gene contribute to suicide behavior pathogenesis.

In terms of the physiological characteristics of suicidal behavior (SB) disorder, an increase inflammation response has been reported in these individuals. Therefore, the pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory activities of interleukins are adequate markers to research in order to understand the pathogenesis of SB. For that reason, the aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the role of interleukins in individuals with suicidal behavior disorder. A systematic search was performed in PubMed, Scopus and EBSCO databases up to July 2019. We used the words “interleukin” AND “suicide”, “interleukin” AND “suicidal”, and “IL-”. Articles where interleukins concentrations were measured in individuals with SB and/or genetic studies addressing interleukins genes variants as possible markers to SB were included. A total of 54 articles were included. Articles that measured interleukin levels comprised 1111 cases and 1588 controls; whereas the genetic studies comprised 3082 cases and 5148 controls. These studies evaluated the concentrations of IL-1β, IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, sIL-2R in serum, plasma. The pro-inflammatory interleukins concentrations were higher in cases than in controls; however, we observed heterogeneity in the measurements and sample sources. Whereas, 9 polymorphisms of IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-1β-8 genes were analyzed in association with suicide behavior disorder, though no conclusive outcomes were attained. Our results suggest that individuals with suicide risk undergo continuous stress that could trigger the release and circulation of pro-inflammatory interleukins and therefore their concentration in plasma. However, more studies are necessary in order to reach conclusively outcomes.

Objective: Early-psychosis researchers have documented that duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) is an important predictor of outcomes in first-episode psychosis. Very few cross-national studies have been conducted, and none have been carried out involving patients from both Mexico and the U.S. We collaborated to answer three questions: (1)Are DUP estimates similar in two very different settings and samples? (2)Are demographic variables, premorbid adjustment, and symptom severity similarly related to DUP in the two different settings? (3)Does the same set of variables account for a similar proportion of variance in DUP in the two settings? Methods: Data on sociodemographic characteristics, premorbid adjustment, symptom severity, and DUP were available for 145 Mexican and 247 U.S. first-episode psychosis patients. DUP was compared, and bivariate analyses and multiple linear regressions were carried out in each sample. Results: DUP estimates were similar (medians of 35 weeks in Mexico and 38 weeks in the U.S.). In the Mexican sample, DUP was associated with gender, employment status, premorbid social adjustment, and positive symptom severity (explaining 18% of variance). In the U.S. sample, DUP was associated with age, employment status, premorbid social adjustment, and positive symptom severity (but in the opposite direction of that observed in the Mexican sample), accounting for 25% of variance. Conclusions: Additional cross-national collaborations examining key facets of early-course psychotic disorders, including DUP, will clarify the extent of generalizability of findings, strengthen partnerships for more internationally relevant studies, and support the global movement to help young people struggling with first-episode psychosis and their families.

Objective: We conducted a meta-analysis of case-control studies to determine whether leptin levels in serum contribute to the pathogenesis of suicide behavior.Methods: PubMed, EBSCO and Science Dir...

Eating disorders (ED) are characterized by disruption of eating behaviour and alteration of food intake. Leptin, is one of the main hormones that modulate food intake and are altered in individuals diagnosed with ED. Genetic risk variants for obesity, like those reported inFTO and ABCA1, have also been associated to ED disorders. The present study aimed to analysed leptin circulating levels and the interaction between obesity-risk variants in FTO and ABCA1, in adolescents diagnosed with ED. A total of 99 individuals diagnosed with ED were genotype using Taqman probes for FTO (rs9939609) and ABCA1 (p.Arg230Cys, rs9282541). Commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were utilized to determined circulating leptin. Differences in leptin concentration were analysed by t-Student or ANOVA test. Gene-gene interaction were analysed using general estimation equations. Circulating leptin levels differed between the three diagnostic groups, lead by individuals diagnosed with binge eating-disorder. In individuals with more than 3 of episodes of binge-eating per week having the highest leptin levels. Also, we found that carriers of both risk alleles had the highest leptin levels. Our observations found an interaction between FTO rs9969609 and the native American-origin ABCA1 p.Arg230Cys to modulate circulating leptin levels in Mexican adolescents diagnosed with eating-disorders.

Objectives: Several studies indicate that limb amputations have a negative influence in the quality of life of those individuals who underwent amputation surgery. The aims of this study were to evaluate the quality of life in Mexican individuals with limb amputations compared with a control group, to identify demographic and clinical differences related to the etiology of the amputation, and to determine if they are associated with the quality of life observed in these patients. Methods: All participants were recruited from the Hospital "Dr Gustavo A. Rovirosa Perez". The quality of life of all participants was evaluated using SF-36. Results: Individuals with amputations of vascular or trauma etiology, showed a diminished health-related quality of life when compared with the control group (p < .001). We observed that individuals with amputations due to trauma were younger, mostly single, with more upper limb amputations and with a shorter period since amputation at the current assessment in comparison to individuals with amputations. Conclusions: Although limb amputation represents a surgical procedure necessary to preserve the life of a person, our results support that it negatively impacts the health-related quality of life of these individuals. Regardless of the etiology of the amputation, rehabilitation programs are primarily focused on reintegrating individuals to their everyday life. However, these programs may have poor results when patients have a poor quality of life. Therefore, quality of life assessment and early inclusion in programs that aim to improve the quality of life of individuals with amputations should be always taken into consideration.

Introduction. The main attitudes towards people with schizophrenia are fear and rejection, which derive from the idea that patients have no control over their behavior and that they are aggressive, violent, and/or dangerous. Several studies have shown that mental health professionals show negative attitudes towards patients with schizophrenia from the start of their professional training. Objective. To compare the stigmatizing attitudes and perception of aggression of female undergraduate students of medicine and psychology towards people with schizophrenia. Method. Fifty-seven (49.6%) undergraduate medical students and 58 (50.4%) psychology students in the early semesters of their professional training were included. Both groups answered the Opinion Scale on Mental Illness and the Public Concept of Aggressiveness Questionnaire (PCA). Results. Over 60% of the students from both degree courses considered that the individual with schizophrenia described in the vignette could be aggressive, with a higher percentage corresponding to female students enrolled in the medical degree program. In this group, more negative attitudes towards the disease were observed in terms of separatism, restriction, and stigmatization. Discussion and conclusion. It is essential to promote clear, objective information with a biopsychosocial approach to the disease in the syllabus in order to reduce or eliminate stigmatizing beliefs and attitudes regarding schizophrenia acquired prior to professional training.

Background It is accepted that there is a genetic factor that influences the risk of suicidal behavior. The catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene, especially the Val108/158Met polymorphism, has been associated with suicide; however, no conclusive outcome has been attained. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to assess the role of COMT Val108/158Met in suicidal behavior throughout an updated meta-analysis. Methods We performed an online search using PubMed and Web of Science (up to March 2017). Our systematic review included case-control studies of individuals who attempted suicide and completed suicide. We tested allelic, homozygous, heterozygous, dominant, and recessive inheritance models. The meta-analysis was performed in accordance with the statement of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. Results The meta-analysis comprised 17 studies, which included 3,282 cases and 3,774 controls, and showed that when evaluating the overall population, the Val108/158Met polymorphism of COMT was not associated with suicidal behavior in any of the inheritance models; however, the subanalyses showed that this polymorphism exhibits a risk factor in males and a protective effect in females. Additionally, it conveyed a risk factor in Asian populations when using the allelic (OR 1.25; CI: 1.04-1.51) and recessive models (OR 1.32; CI: 1.03-1.68). Conclusion Our updated meta-analysis suggests a possible association between COMT Val108/158Met and suicidal behavior in Asian populations. However, in view of the small number of studies, these results should be considered exploratory. We recommend that more studies be performed with larger samples.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the attitude toward suicide prevention in medicine and nursing students attending University in south Mexico, considering their family and personal history of suicide. Demographic features and self-reported personal and family history of suicide were evaluated in 355 Mexican students at the Health Sciences School. Their views toward suicide prevention was assessed using the Attitude Toward Suicide Prevention scale. Comparisons between medicine and nursing students were performed, as well as between had or had-not previous personal or family history of suicide. Our results support that nursing students showed the most negative attitude toward suicide prevention. Therefore, training programs and strategies encouraging a better attitude in suicide prevention are necessary to be implemented. It is also necessary to consider cultural, ethnic and family backgrounds of the students/of the population when developing new strategies.

The important functions of dopamine (DA) in emotional behavior, control of voluntary movements, memory, and attention have been recognized. To date, the 939 C/T (rs6275) polymorphism of this gene has been implicated in association with alcohol and drug abuse and also with schizophrenia. We examined the allele frequencies of 939CT (rs6275) polymorphism of the DRD2 gene and those of the respective genotypes in a Mexican population (n = 166) with mental deviations and a history of suicide attempts and psychiatric diagnoses (101 suicidal individuals from Mexico City and 65 patients recruited from psychiatry outpatients of Tabasco, Mexico). The most common allele found in both subpopulations was the T allele (about 60% and 69%, respectively). In addition to the Mexican population, the frequencies were compared with those in some Asian and American populations. Thus, a noticeable difference of the distribution of the 939 C/T (rs6275) was observed in patients with the above-mentioned mental deviations, as well as in the Asian population with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Future studies are necessary to evaluate mentally unhealthy populations to observe the role of the above polymorphism in the susceptibility to psychiatric diseases.

Primary osteoarthritis (OA) is a complex entity in which several loci related to different molecular pathways or classes of molecules are associated with its development as demonstrated through genetic association studies. Genes involved in bone formation and mineralization, such as osteopontin (OPN) and Matrix Gla protein (MGP), could also be related with OA. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between the genetic variants of OPN and MGP with primary knee osteoarthritis in a Mexican population. A case-control study was conducted in 296 patients with primary knee osteoarthritis and in 354 control subjects. Study groups were assessed radiologically. The rs11730582 of OPN and rs1800802, rs1800801, and rs4236 of MGP were determined by TaqMan allele discrimination assays. The haplotypes of the polymorphisms of MGP were constructed. The association was tested through univariate and multivariate non-conditional logistic regression analyses. The polymorphisms of MGP complied with Hardy-Weinberg (HW) equilibrium. The polymorphisms of OPN and MGP were not significantly associated with primary knee osteoarthritis in the codominant, dominant, and recessive models (p > 0.05). Our study suggests that there are no associations between OPN and MGP polymorphisms with primary knee osteoarthritis in Mexican population.

In this study, we evaluated the expression profile changes of genes that intervene in the calcium signaling pathway, in young and adult Wistar rats, using the animal model of neonatal lesion in ventral hippocampus (NLVH) (a recognized animal model for schizophrenia) and compared to the group of control animals (Sham). Through microarray technology, gene expression profiles were obtained from the three brain areas (nucleus accumbens, prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus) of young male Wistar rats (45 days) and adults (90 days) whether or not subjected to NLVH. The calcium signaling pathway reported a greater number of differentially expressed genes with z-score two values, > 2 (over-expression) and

Suicide is a serious worldwide health problem of critical consequences. Nowadays genetic factors are considered to be an important cause of suicide. The association between Val66Met (rs6265) polymorphism of the BDNF gene and suicide behavior has been increasingly studied. The aim of this study was to perform a meta-analysis in order to unravel the possible association between BDNF gene Val66Met polymorphism and suicide behavior. These meta-analysis and systematic review were performed using 23 articles that searched for a genetic association between Val66Met and suicide behavior, including 4532 cases and 5364 control subjects. The association was analyzed following the models: allelic, homozygous, heterozygous, dominant and recessive. Also, analyses by ethnicity (Caucasian and Asian populations) were done following the same four models. When the overall population was evaluated, we found no evidence of association between the polymorphism Val66Met of BDNF (rs6265) and suicide behavior (Met vs. Val: OR: 1.01; 95% CI = 0.92–1.10). However, a significant increased risk was found in the subgroup analysis by ethnicity in Caucasian populations (Met-Met vs. Met-Val + Val-Val: OR: 1.96; 95% CI = 1.58–2.43) and Asian populations (Val-Val vs. Val-Met + Met: OR: 1.36; 95% CI = 1.04–1.78). Our results suggest there is no association between the BDNF gene Val66Met (rs6265) and suicide behavior in the overall population. However, ethnic differences can be observed and the BDNF Val66Met might increase the risk for suicide behavior in Asian and Caucasian populations. Further studies with larger samples are necessary in order to have conclusive outcomes.

Background/Aim: Obesity in adolescents is increasing, as such, the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of obesity in Mexican adolescents and examine its possible association with hours of sleep. Methods: A school-based cross-sectional study was carried out. This study included 863 adolescents aged between 11 and 16 years. The prevalence of obesity was estimated using the body mass index (BMI). The duration of sleep (and other information) was assessed by a self-reported questionnaire. The Cochran–Mantel–Hansel test for categorical variables and a general linear model for continuous variables were used to evaluate the interaction effect of BMI and sex with respect to sleeping and assessed activity conditions. Results: It was found that 47.6% of the adolescents were overweight/obese. Men were more frequently overweight/obese than women (52.6% vs. 41.8%, p = 0.002). Moreover, overweight/obese adolescents were younger and spent fewer daily hours watching television (p &lt, 0.05). Men practiced sports more hours per week than women (p = 0.04). However, women spent more daily time on the internet (p = 0.05), and overweight/obese adolescent women slept fewer hours than overweight/obese men and adolescents with normal weight (p = 0.008). Conclusions: The development of strategies for the prevention of overweight/obesity and the improvement of sleep duration should include a gender perspective to improve health habits in Mexican adolescents.

// Isidro Aleman-Avila 1, 2 , Mayra Jimenez-Morales 1 , Olga Beltran-Ramirez 1 , Rosa Elda Barbosa-Cobos 3 , Silvia Jimenez-Morales 4 , Fausto Sanchez-Munoz 5 , Guillermo Valencia-Pacheco 6 , Luis M. Amezcua-Guerra 5 , Yaneli Juarez-Vicuna 5 , Dulce Milagro Razo-Blanco Hernandez 7 , Maria Concepcion Aguilera-Cartas 8 , Ricardo F. Lopez-Villanueva 9 , Oscar Peralta-Zaragoza 10 , Carlos Tovilla-Zarate 11 and Julian Ramirez-Bello 1 1 Endocrine and Metabolic Disease Unit Research, Hospital Juarez of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico 2 Superior School of Medicine Postgraduate Program, National Polytechnic Institute, Mexico City, Mexico 3 Rheumatology Department, Hospital Juarez of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico 4 Laboratory of Cancer Genomics, National Institute of Genomic Medicine, Mexico City, Mexico 5 Immunology Department, National Institute of Cardiology, Mexico City, Mexico 6 Hematology Laboratory, Regional Research Center, Autonomous University of Yucatan, Yucatan, Mexico 7 Research Direction, Hospital Juarez of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico 8 Endocrinology Department, Hospital Juarez of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico 9 Rheumatology Department, Regional Hospital General (ISSSTE), Health Service Yucatan, Yucatan, Mexico 10 Direction of Chronic Infections and Cancer, Research Center in Infection Diseases, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Mexico 11 Multidisciplinary Academic Division of Comalcalco, Juarez Autonomous University of Tabasco, Comalcalco, Mexico Correspondence to: Julian Ramirez-Bello, email: dr.julian.ramirez.hjm@gmail.com Keywords: systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, Graves’ disease, microRNA gene, susceptibility Received: December 21, 2016 Accepted: June 30, 2017 Published: July 27, 2017 ABSTRACT Recently, different microRNA (miRNA) gene polymorphisms have been evaluated in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and Graves’ disease (GD). In the present study, we examined three single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located in the pre-miR-146a (rs2910164G/C), pre-miR-196a-2 (rs11614913C/T), and pre-miR-499 (rs3746444A/G) genes. Our study population included 900 Mexican patients with RA, SLE, or GD, as well as 486 healthy control individuals with no family history of inflammatory or autoimmune diseases. Genotyping was performed using TaqMan probes and a 5′ exonuclease assay. None of the investigated SNPs were associated with RA or GD susceptibility under any genetic model (co-dominant, recessive, or dominant). Genotype and allele frequencies of the miR-196a-2 rs11614913C/T polymorphism were similar between SLE cases and controls. In contrast, the miR-146a rs2910164G/C and miR-499 rs3746444A/G polymorphisms were associated with SLE susceptibility. These SNPs were not associated with lupus nephritis (LN). Our results suggest that polymorphisms in miR-146a, miR-196a-2 , and miR-499 are not associated with RA or GD susceptibility. This is the first report documenting that the miR-146a rs2910164G/C and miR-499 rs3746444 polymorphisms are associated with SLE susceptibility but not with LN.

Preclinical Research The aim of the present study was to analyze the antihyperalgesic and antiallodynic interaction between the non-selective cholecystokinin (CCK) antagonist receptor, proglumide, and the selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor, celecoxib in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Hyperalgesia was evaluated in the formalin test and tactile allodynia using von Frey filaments. Isobolographic analyses were employed to define the nature of the compound interactions, using a fixed dose ratio (0.5:0.5). Proglumide (20-160 mg/kg) and celecoxib (0.3-30 mg/kg) in these fixed dose ratio combinations induced dose-dependent antihyperalgesia and an antiallodynic effect in diabetic rats. ED40 values were calculated for the treatments and an isobologram was constructed. Theoretical ED40 values for combination proglumide-celecoxib estimated from the isobolograms for antihyperalgesic and antiallodynic activity (30.50 ± 1.90 mg/kg and 45.81 ± 4.55 mg/kg, respectively) were obtained, while experimental ED40 values for this antihyperalgesic and antiallodynic combined effect (13.83 ± 0.65 mg/kg and 17.74 ± 3.57 mg/kg; respectively) were significantly different. Coadministration of proglumide-celecoxib showed an interaction index value of 0.45 ± 0.03 for the antihyperalgesic effect and 0.39 ± 0.08 for the antiallodynic activity, indicating a synergistic interaction. These data suggest that proglumide and celecoxib can interact synergistically to reduce hyperalgesic and allodynic behaviors in diabetic neuropathy. This combination could be useful to treat neuropathic pain in diabetic patients. Drug Dev Res 78 : 116-123, 2017. ©2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Background The aim of this case–control study was to explore the association by gender between the HTR2C gene variants and suicidal behavior in a Mexican population. Subjects and methods A total of 183 suicide attempters and 208 healthy volunteers were included in this study. We genotyped five polymorphisms of HTR2C (rs547536, rs2192372, rs4272555, rs6318, and rs2428707), then measured the association by genotype, allele, and haplotype. Results In the female group, we found an association between two polymorphisms of the HTR2C (rs4272555 and rs2428707) and suicide attempts. The C allele of the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs4272555 was associated with a decreased risk of suicide attempt (P=0.01, odds ratio =0.26, 95% confidence interval: 0.09–0.79), whereas the G allele of the SNP rs2428707 was associated with an increased risk of suicide attempt (P=0.01, odds ratio =3.68, 95% confidence interval: 1.24–10.90). No significant association was observed between the other polymorphisms studied (rs547536, rs2192372, rs6318) or haplotypes with suicide attempts. Conclusion These findings suggest a possible risk factor of the HTR2C gene in the pathology of suicidal behavior in Mexican population. More studies are necessary to confirm this association.

espanolAntecedentes: la concurrencia de trastornos por uso de sustancias (TUS) es alta en personas con enfermedades psiquiatricas; Mas importante aun, las personas con ambos trastornos (diagnostico dual) tienen sintomas mas graves. Se han propuesto trastornos psiquiatricos para compartir una susceptibilidad genetica con los TUS. Para explorar esta susceptibilidad genetica compartida, analizamos si alguna de las puntuaciones de riesgo poligenico (PRS) para los trastornos psiquiatricos podria estar asociada al diagnostico dual en pacientes con esquizofrenia (SCZ) o trastorno bipolar (BD). Metodos: Se incluyeron 192 individuos de ascendencia mexicana: 72 con SCZ, 53 con BD y 67 controles no relacionados sin trastornos psiquiatricos. Derivamos calculos de PRS para trastornos del espectro autista, trastorno de deficit de atencion / hiperactivo, BD, depresion mayor y SCZ utilizando estadisticas resumidas de asociacion de genoma previamente publicadas. Resultados: Encontramos que el diagnostico dual tenia una susceptibilidad genetica compartida con el trastorno depresivo mayor (MDD) y SCZ; Ademas, en individuos con BD, PRS podria predecir el diagnostico dual para MDD. Conclusiones: Nuestros resultados refuerzan la nocion de que las personas con diagnostico dual tienen una mayor susceptibilidad genetica a desarrollar ambos trastornos. Sin embargo, se requieren analisis de muestras de mayor tamano para aclarar aun mas como predecir riesgos a traves de PRS dentro de diferentes poblaciones. EnglishBackground: Concurrence of substance use disorders (SUDs) is high in individuals with psychiatric illnesses; more importantly, individuals with both disorders (dual diagnosis) have more severe symptoms. Psychiatric disorders have been proposed to share a genetic susceptibility with SUDs. To explore this shared genetic susceptibility, we analyzed whether any of the polygenic risk scores (PRSs) for psychiatric disorders could be associated to dual diagnosis in patients with schizophrenia (SCZ) or bipolar disorder (BD). Methods: We included 192 individuals of Mexican ancestry: 72 with SCZ, 53 with BD, and 67 unrelated controls without psychiatric disorders. We derived calculations of PRS for autism spectrum disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactive disorder, BD, major depression, and SCZ using summary genome-wide association statistics previously published. Results: We found that dual diagnosis had a shared genetic susceptibility with major depressive disorder (MDD) and SCZ; furthermore, in individuals with BD, dual diagnosis could be predicted by PRS for MDD. Conclusions: Our results reinforce the notion that individuals with dual diagnosis have a higher genetic susceptibility to develop both disorders. However, analyses of larger sample sizes are required to further clarify how to predict risks through PRS within different populations. (REV INVEST CLIN. 2019;71:321-9)

Background Evidence suggests that liability for suicide behavior is heritable; additionally, suicide has been partly related to other psychiatric disorders. Nevertheless, most of the information reported so far address Caucasian and Asian individuals. Hence, our aim was to conduct a gene‐level association study in Mexican psychiatric individuals diagnosed with suicide attempt. Methods We recruited 192 individuals from two clinical centers in Mexico. All participants were born in Mexico and had Mexican parents and grandparents. Direct genotyping was performed using the commercial platform Infinium PsychArray BeadChip. A p‐value lower than 1e‐05 was considered as gene‐level significant and a p‐value lower than 1e‐04 was considered as gene‐level nominal significant. Results Our analyses showed that SCARA5 was associated to suicide intent at a gene‐level with statistical significance (p‐value = 1.12e‐6). Other genes were nominally associated with suicide attempt: GHSR (p‐value = 0.0004), RGS10 (p‐value = 5.13e‐5), and STK33 (p‐value = 3.62e‐5). Regarding gene variant analyses, the SNPs with a statistical association (p > .05) were rs561361616, rs1537577, rs11198999 for RGS10, and rs11041981, rs11041993, rs11041994, rs11041995, rs11041997, rs10840083, rs10769918 for STK33. For these genes, previous studies have associated SCARA5 with depression, GHSR with alcohol dependence and depression, and RGS10 with schizophrenia and depression. To date, STK33 has not been associated with any psychiatric disorder. Conclusion Our outcomes revealed that SCARA5, GHSR, RGS10 and STK33 could be considered as risk biomarkers for suicide attempt behavior in our Mexican psychiatric sample. We recommend to perform larger scale analyses to have conclusive results., One hundred and ninety‐two individuals were recruited from two clinical centers in Mexico. Our analyses showed that SCARA5, GHSR, RSG10, and STK33 were associated to suicide intent at a gene‐level. We recommend to perform larger scale analyses to have conclusive results.

Reports surrounding the role of resistant starch (RS) on postprandial lipemia in humans are scarce. The aim of the present study is to examine the effects of resistant starch on the postprandial lipemic response, subjective measures of appetite, and energy intake in overweight and obese subjects. In a randomized, single-blind, crossover study, 14 overweight/obese participants ate a high-fat breakfast (679 kcal, 58% from fat) and a supplement with native banana starch (NBS), high-amylose maize starch (HMS), or digestible maize starch (DMS) on three separate occasions. All supplements provided were matched by the available carbohydrate content, and the RS quantity in NBS and HMS supplements was identical. Appetite was estimated using visual analogue scale (VAS) and an ad libitum test meal. Postprandial glycemia, triglycerides, cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and insulin excursions did not differ between treatments. Subjective appetite measures of satiety were significantly increased after HMS, however, no effects on energy intake were observed during the ad libitum test meal. These findings suggest that a single acute dose of RS cannot be expected to improve postprandial lipemia in subjects with overweight or obesity on a high-fat meal. However, the potential benefits of long-term supplementation should not be ruled out based on these results.

Background Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is a glycoprotein that plays an important role in lipid homeostasis at both cerebral and systemic levels. Moreover, the differential distribution of APOE gene alleles among different populations, means that ApoE isoforms could have different effects on lipids metabolism. The present study aims to evaluate the relationship between APOE gene alleles and the lipid profile in a Mexican Amerindian (MA) population. Methods This study included 1997 MA individuals of different ethnicities distributed throughout different states of Mexico. All individuals underwent anthropometric measurements as well as laboratory tests including fasting glucose (FG), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides, low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C), and high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C). TaqMan® probe genotyping assays were used to genotype APOE. The Kruskal–Wallis test was performed to determine the correlation between APOE gene alleles and genotypes and the biochemical variables measured. Results Among the biochemical variables analyzed, only the HDL‐C and LDL‐C levels showed statistical differences (p‐value E3 > E4). This relationship was inversed for LDL‐C levels (E2

Introduction Several studies indicate that polygenic obesity is linked to fat‐mass and obesity‐associated (FTO) genetic variants. Nevertheless, the link between variants in FTO and mental disorders has been barely explored. The present work aims to determine whether FTO genetic variants are associated with bipolar disorder and obesity, and to perform an in silico prediction of variant‐dependent functional impact on the developing brain transcriptome. Methods Four hundred and forty‐six Mexican mestizos were included in a genetic association analysis. SNP‐sequence kernel association test and linear mixed models were implemented for genetic association assessment. For functional impact prediction, we analyzed the mapping of regulatory elements, the modification of binding sites of transcription factors and the expression of transcription factors in the brain developing transcriptome, searching on different databases. Results In the set‐based analysis, we found different associated regions to BD (bipolar disorder) and obesity. The promoter flanking region of FTO intron 1 was associated with differential effects on BMI, while intron 2 of RPGRIP1L and FTO upstream regions were associated with BD. The prediction analysis showed that FTO BD‐associated variants disturb binding sites of SP1 and SP2; obesity‐associated variants, on the other hand, disturb binding sites of FOXP1, which are transcription factors highly expressed during prenatal development stages of the brain. Conclusion Our results suggest a possible effect of FTO variants on neurodevelopment in obesity and bipolar disorder, which gives new insights into the molecular mechanism underlying this association.

IntroductionSuicidality is a complex behaviour and a major health problem; the specific features that could predispose to suicidal behaviour have been extensively investigated, most frequently in European and Asian populations. Therefore, our aim is to present a protocol that will explore suicide attempt in Mexican individuals diagnosed with psychiatric disorders, through a genome-wide association study (GWAS).Method and analysisWe will perform a GWAS by comparing 700 individuals who have suicide attempt history, with control subjects without suicide attempt history (n=500). The genotyping will be conducted using the Infinium PsychArray BeadChip and quality controls will be applied to single nucleotides (SNPs) genotyped. After that, we will perform the imputation using reference panels provided by the Haplotype Reference Consortium. We will perform two different workflows: (A) the classic GWAS analysis applying the same weight to all the variants and (B) an algorithm with prediction of deleteriousness of variants.Ethics and disseminationThis study was approved by the ethics and investigation committees of the National Institute of Genomic Medicine on 22 July 2015, No CEI 215/13. We plan to disseminate research findings in scientific conferences and as a manuscript in peer-reviewed journals.Trial registration numberCEI 215/13.

Introduction The 5‐HTR2A gene has been implicated as candidate gene for eating disorders. The aim of the present study was to analyze the association of rs6311 and rs6313 polymorphisms of 5‐HTR2A gene with eating disorders in Mexican population, and to evaluate if the polymorphisms of 5‐HTR2A gene were associated with comorbidities in eating behavior. Methods We conducted a case–control analysis with 460 subjects. We included 168 patients with eating disorders and 292 controls; two polymorphisms of 5‐HTR2A gene were genotyped. We assessed the association by allele, genotype, and inheritance models. Psychiatric comorbidities were analyzed by genotype in patients with eating disorders. Results We found an association between rs6311 and eating disorders in a Mexican population by allele (OR = 8.09; 95% CI = 5.99–11.03; p = 2.2e‐16) and genotype (OR = 76.14; 95% CI = 35.61–177.18; p = 2.2e‐16). Individuals who carried GG genotype showed increased risk for suicide attempted (OR = 2.14; CI = 1.10–4.26; p = 0.035) as comorbidity associated with eating disorders. No positive associations were observed for rs6313 polymorphism. Conclusion Our results showed an association of rs6311 (A1438G) polymorphism of 5‐HTR2A gene with eating disorders, and these polymorphic variants could increase the risk of psychiatric comorbidities. However, more studies are required to replicate the results and to reach to a conclusive association between eating disorders and rs6311.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS) consumption on energy intake, body weight and postprandial glycemia in healthy and with altered glycemic response rats. Animals on normal diet (ND) or high-fat diet (HFD) were divided to receive NNS (sucralose, aspartame, stevia, rebaudioside A) or nutritive sweeteners (glucose, sucrose) for 8 weeks. The NNS were administered at doses equivalent to the human acceptable daily intake (ADI). A test using rapidly digestible starch was performed before and after treatments to estimate glycemic response. No effects of NNS consumption were observed on energy intake or body weight. Sucrose provoked an increased fluid consumption, however, energy intake, and weight gain were not altered. In ND, no effects of NNS on glycemic response were observed. In HFD, the glycemic response was increased after sucralose and stevia when only the final tolerance test was considered, however, after including the baseline test, these results were no longer significant compared to glucose. These findings provide further evidence suggesting that at the recommended doses, NNS do not alter feeding behavior, body weight or glycemic tolerance in healthy and with altered glycemic rats.

Binge-eating disorder, recently accepted as a diagnostic category, is differentiated from bulimia nervosa in that the former shows the presence of binge-eating episodes and the absence of compensatory behavior. Epigenetics is a conjunct of mechanisms (like DNA methylation) that regulate gene expression, which are dependent on environmental changes. Analysis of DNA methylation in eating disorders shows that it is reduced. The present study aimed to analyze the genome-wide DNA methylation differences between individuals diagnosed with BED and BN. A total of 46 individuals were analyzed using the Infinium Methylation EPIC array. We found 11 differentially methylated sites between BED- and BN-diagnosed individuals, with genome-wide significance. Most of the associations were found in genes related to metabolic processes (ST3GAL4, PRKAG2, and FRK), which are hypomethylated genes in BED. Cg04781532, located in the body of the PRKAG2 gene (protein kinase AMP-activated non-catalytic subunit gamma 2), was hypomethylated in individuals with BED. Agonists of PRKAG2, which is the subunit of AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase), are proposed to treat obesity, BED, and BN. The present study contributes important insights into the effect that BED could have on PRKAG2 activation.

Cortisol can be considered as one biomarker for diagnosis of suicide; nevertheless, several studies have shown conflicting results. This study aimed to evaluate the levels of cortisol in individuals with suicide behavior and controls (healthy or with other psychiatric disorders). Published articles were searched on online databases (PubMed, Scopus and EBSCO). Standardized mean differences (SMD), heterogeneity, publication bias and sensitivity were assessed using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) statistical software. The meta-analysis comprised 30 studies that provided 1775 cases, and 2162 controls (696 healthy individuals and 1465 individuals with other psychiatric diagnoses). The pooled results revealed that cortisol levels were higher in individuals with suicide behavior (SMD = 0.92, 95%CI = 0.26; 1.57, P = 0.006; I2 = 88%, Q

Background and Aims It is widely acknowledged that coronary heart disease (CHD) has a genetic influence. One of the most promising candidate genes is tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). Although there have been several positive studies associating the TNF-α gene and CHD, the evidence is not entirely consistent. The aim of the study was to evaluate the role of the TNF-α gene in CHD using combined evidence by generating a meta-analysis and a systematic review of all published data. Methods Meta-analysis and systematic review were conducted using 27 articles of genetic association studies of the TNF-α gene variants (G308A and G238A) and CHD. To analyze the association we used allelic, additive, dominant and recessive models. Moreover, we conducted a subanalysis by populations using the same four models. Results TNF-α variant G308A showed a significant association with CHD but only when the analysis comprised the whole population. In addition, the variant G238A yielded the same outcome in the Asian population. Conclusions Genetic polymorphisms at positions −308 and −238 in the promoter region of the TNF-α gene may be useful as predictive factors for CHD.

The aim of this study was to observe potential drug-drug interactions in the medication of Mexican schizophrenic patients.We performed a retrospective and cross-sectional study that was carried out in a psychiatric clinic. Only the prescriptions of patients with schizophrenia whose diagnoses were based on the DSM-IV instrument were included in this study. The Drug Interactions Checker software ( http://www.drugs.com/drug_interactions.html ) was used in this study to analyse potential drug-drug interactions.In total, 86 of 126 patients were at risk of potential drug-drug interactions. Haloperidol and biperiden was the most common drug pair of 232 pairs evaluated. In our study, 13.8% of drug-drug interaction showed a major level of severity, whereas in 83.2%, the interaction was moderate. Finally, central nervous system (CNS) depression and anticholinergic effect were the main possible effects of drug-drug interaction.Our results revealed a high number of patients with schizophrenia receiving two or more drugs. The potential drug-drug interactions observed in the Mexican population are consistent with the concomitant use of antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, and antidepressants prescribed in schizophrenia that could cause central nervous system (CNS) depression and anticholinergic effect. Drug-drug interaction must be considered when the patient with schizophrenia is medicated.

Mirna Edith Morales-Marín,1 Alma Delia Genis-Mendoza,1,2 Carlos Alfonso Tovilla-Zarate,3 Nuria Lanzagorta,4 Michael Escamilla,5 Humberto Nicolini1,4 1Genomics of Psychiatric and Neurodegenerative Diseases Laboratory, National Institute of Genomic Medicine (INMEGEN), CDMX, Mexico; 2Psychiatric Care Services, Child Psychiatric Hospital Dr Juan N Navarro, CDMX, Mexico; 3Genomics Research Center, Juarez Autonomous University of Tabasco, Comalcalco, Mexico; 4Carracci Medical Group, CDMX, Mexico; 5Department of Psychiatry, Paul L Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Science Center, El Paso TX, USA Background: The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been considered as an important candidate gene in bipolar disorder (BD); this association has been derived from several genetic and genome-wide studies. A polymorphic variant of the BDNF (Val66Met) confers some differences in the clinical presentation of affective disorders. In this study, we evaluated a sample population from Mexico City to determine whether the BDNF (rs6265) Val66Met polymorphism is associated with the body mass index (BMI) of patients with BD.Methods: This association study included a sample population of 357 individuals recruited in Mexico City. A total of 139 participants were diagnosed with BD and 137 were classified as psychiatrically healthy controls (all individuals were interviewed and evaluated by the Diagnostic Interview for Genetic Studies). Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes. The quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay was performed in 96-well plates using the TaqMan Universal Thermal Cycling Protocol. After the PCR end point was reached, fluorescence intensity was measured in a 7,500 real-time PCR system and evaluated using the SDS v2.1 software, results were analyzed with Finetti and SPSS software. Concerning BMI stratification, random groups were defined as follows: normal 30 kg/m2.Results: In the present work, we report the association of a particular BMI phenotype with the presence of the Val66Met allele in patients with BD (P=0.0033 and odds ratio [95% confidence interval] =0.332 [157–0.703]), and correlated the risk for valine allele carriers with Ow and Ob in patients with BD.Conclusion: We found that the methionine allele confers a lower risk of developing Ow and Ob in patients with BD. We also confirmed that the G polymorphism represents a risk of developing Ow and Ob in patients with BD. In future studies, the haplotype analysis should provide additional evidence that BDNF may be associated with BD and BMI within the Mexican population. Keywords: brain-derived neurotrophic factor, bipolar disorder, single nucleotide polymorphism, body mass index

An association between a catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val156Met (rs4680) polymorphism and schizophrenia has been reported in the literature, although no conclusive outcomes have been attained. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of the COMT Val108/158Met polymorphism with schizophrenia in a systematic review and meta-analysis. We performed a keyword search on PubMed and EBSCO databases. All English language case-control studies published up to April 2015 were selected. A total of 67 studies were selected for inclusion. The genotype distribution of subjects with schizophrenia was compared with healthy control subjects, using allelic, additive, dominant and recessive models. The pooled results from the meta-analysis (15,565 cases and 17,251 healthy subjects) after the elimination of heterogeneity showed an association between COMT Val108/158Met and schizophrenia [recessive model: OR 1.08 CI 95 % (1.01-1.15)]. We conducted subgroup analyses according to ethnicity. An association was observed in our Caucasian population in the additive model [OR 1.21 CI 95 % (1.06-1.37)] and in the recessive model [OR 1.21 CI 95 % (1.11-1.32)], but not in the allelic or dominant models. However, when we analysed our Asian population after the elimination of heterogeneity, no evidence of a significant association was found in any of the genetic models. Our analyses indicate that there is an association between COMT Val108/158Met and schizophrenia in the general population. Furthermore, in Caucasian populations, this risk could be increased.

Objective Using the method of psychological autopsy, we identified differences by gender in socio-demographic aspects, signs and symptoms, and suicide characteristics in a population of the state of Tabasco. Mexico. Methods Between the years 2007–2014, 182 psychological autopsies were documented by the Secretary of Health of the State of Tabasco, Mexico. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain information on socio-demographic aspects and suicide characteristics. Results The sample was mainly formed by males (78%). 84% of the sample used hanging as suicide method. However, in comparison with the male group, females were older on the average (p = 0.002); they were mostly housewives (37.5%) and had more years of schooling (p = 0.004). Other significant differences predominantly present in the male group were: the use of alcohol at the time of suicide (52.1%), job retirement, and increases in apathy (50.7%) and aggressiveness (36.6%) (p Conclusion Our results suggest that there are differences by gender between subjects with completed suicide. Factors such as alcohol consumption, job retirement, aggressiveness and isolation/social apathy certainly render men more vulnerable to suicide in the Mexican population.

Schizophrenia (SCZ) and bipolar disorder (BD) cause similar symptomatology. A correlation between these disorders has been found. We aimed to explore shared CNVs between SCZ and BD, in 35 sibpairs diagnosed with SCZ and 21 sibpairs diagnosed with BD. CNV calling was performed using data derived of Psycharray, by PennCNV. We did not find any shared CNVs between individuals diagnosed with BD and SCZ, neither with psychotic symptoms in individuals with BD. Nevertheless, we found a significant higher CNV burden in early-onset SCZ. This is one of the first's studies analyzing shared CNVs between SCZ and BD in Mexican population.