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Persistent high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infections play a major role in the development of invasive cervical cancer (CC), and screening for such infections is in many countries the primary method of detecting and preventing CC. HPV typing can be used for triage and risk stratification of women with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US)/low-grade cervical lesions (LSIL), though the current clinical practice in Mexico is to diagnose CC or its preceding conditions mainly via histology and HR-HPV detection. Additional information regarding these HPV infections, such as viral load and co-infecting agents, might also be useful for diagnosing, predicting, and evaluating the possible consequences of the infection and of its prevention by vaccination. The goal of this follow-up hospital case study was to determine if HPV types, multiple HPV infections, and viral loads were associated with infection persistence and the cervical lesion grade. A total of 294 cervical cytology samples drawn from patients with gynecological alterations were used in this study. HPV types were identified by real-time PCR DNA analysis. A subset of HPV-positive patients was reevaluated to identify persistent infections. We identified HPV types 16, 18, and 39 as the most prevalent. One hundred five of the patients (59%) were infected with more than one type of HPV. The types of HPV associated with multiple HPV infections were 16, 18, and 39. In the follow-up samples, 38% of patients had not cleared the initially detected HPV infection, and these were considered persistent. We found here an association between multiple HPV infections and high viral loads with and infection persistence. Our findings suggest there are benefits in ascertaining viral load and multiple HPV infections status of HR-HPV infections for predicting the risk of persistence, a requirement for developing CC. These findings contribute to our understanding of HPV epidemiology and may allow screening programs to better assess the cancer-developing risks associated with individual HR-HPV infections.

Information about HCV genotypes in infected patients from different regions of Mexico is limited. Objective: To determine the prevalence of HCV genotypes in a group of HCV infected patients who attended a third level Hospital in Northeast of Mexico. Methods: Genotyping analysis was performed using the InnoLiPA-HCV genotype assay in 147 patients (65 males and 82 females, mean age 44 ± 12 years) with positive anti-HCV antibodies and detectable HCV-RNA levels. Results: Infected individuals were more likely to be female (56%). Histological data showed that 63% of the patients had chronic hepatitis, while the remainder presented cirrhosis (37%). The most frequent HCV genotype was 1 (73%). We found the following distribution: genotype 1 (2.7%), 1a (28.6%), 1b (37.4%), 1a/1b (4.1%), 2a (1.4%), 2b (8.8%), 2c (0.7%), 2a/2c (2.7%), 3 (2%), 3a (10.2%), 4 (0.7%) and 4c (0.7%). The most frequent associated risk factor was blood transfusion (72.5%). Conclusion: Prevalence of HCV genotypes in the Northeast of Mexico is similar to those reported previously in other Mexican regions and the most frequent risk factor continues being blood transfusion.

Background: Chemerin, encoded by the retinoic acid receptor responder 2 (RARRES2) gene is an adipocytesecreted protein with autocrine/paracrine functions in adipose tissue, metabolism and inflammation with a recently described function in vascular tone regulation, liver, steatosis, etc. This molecule is believed to represent a critical endocrine signal linking obesity to diabetes. There are no data available regarding evolution of RARRES2 in non-human primates and great apes. Expression profile and orthology in RARRES2 genes are unknown aspects in the biology of this multigene family in primates. Thus; we attempt to describe expression profile and phylogenetic relationship as complementary knowledge in the function of this gene in primates. To do that, we performed A RT-PCR from different tissues obtained during necropsies. Also we tested the hypotheses of positive evolution, purifying selection, and neutrality. And finally a phylogenetic analysis was made between primates RARRES2 protein., Results: RARRES2 transcripts were present in liver, lung, adipose tissue, ovary, pancreas, heart, hypothalamus and pituitary tissues. Expression in kidney and leukocytes were not detectable in either species. It was determined that the studied genes are orthologous., Conclusions: RARRES2 evolution fits the hypothesis of purifying selection. Expression profiles of the RARRES2 gene are similar in baboons and chimpanzees and are also phylogenetically related.

The gene for pituitary growth hormone (GH-N) in man belongs to a multigene locus located at chromosome 17q24.2, which also harbors four additional genes: one for a placental variant of GH-N (named GH-V) and three of chorionic somatommamotropin (CSH) type. Their tandem arrangement from 5' to 3' is: GH-N, CSH-L, CSH-1, GH-V and CSH-2. GH-N is mainly expressed in the pituitary from birth throughout life, while the remaining genes are expressed in the placenta of pregnant women. Pituitary somatotrophs secrete GH into the bloodstream to act at receptor sites in most tissues. GH participates in the regulation of several complex physiological processes, including growth and metabolism. Recently, the presence of GH has been described in several extrapituitary sites, such as neural, ocular, reproductive, immune, cardiovascular, muscular, dermal and skeletal tissues. It has been proposed that GH has an autocrine action in these tissues. While the body of evidence for its presence is constantly growing, research of its possible function and implications lag behind. In this review we highlight the evidence of extrapituitary synthesis of GH in humans., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The mechanisms by which alcohol exacerbates liver injury in patients with hepatitis C are unknown. We used the hepatitis C virus (HCV) subgenomic replicon cell system to evaluate the effect of ethanol on HCV replication and viral protein synthesis. Our results demonstrate that alcohol stimulates HCV replicon expression at both HCV-RNA and protein levels. Furthermore, we observed that ethanol treatment showed an additive effect in cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) protein expression and activity already induced by HCV viral proteins, and in turn increased HCV viral expression. Our results suggest that COX-2 activity is involved in ethanol-induced HCV-RNA and NS5A protein expression, because acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), a COX-1/2 inhibitor, blocked this induction and downregulated COX-2 protein expression and activity. Therefore, we suggest that ethanol increases HCV replication expression, at least in part, by upregulating a key cellular regulator of oxidative stress pathway known as COX-2 or its products.

The alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula) is the largest freshwater fish inhabiting rivers draining into the Gulf of Mexico. This primitive fish shows a fast growth rate since its early larval stages. This is attributed to the action of growth hormone (GH), an anterior pituitary gland hormone responsible for linear growth in vertebrates that can also be expressed in extrapituitary adult tissues and in fish embryos. The present research was aimed at obtaining the GH coding sequence of the alligator gar and studying its expression through larval development. A cDNA was obtained by RT-PCR, cloned and sequenced. The alligator gar GH cDNA sequence shares 98% nucleotide similarity with that reported for Lepisosteus osseus, indicating a very slow evolution of the GH within the primitive fish, in contrast with the burst of changes observed in euteleosts. Using RT-PCR and RNA nuclease protection assays, GH transcripts were detected at very high levels in eggs, embryos and in several larval stages. These data suggest that the GH may play an important role during embryogenesis in fish. The better understanding of alligator gar larval physiology will facilitate the culture of larvae and juvenile gar and consequently may allow the restoration of their natural populations.

Infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a global public health issue. More than 200 million people in the world are infected with HCV. Hepatitis C is considered one of the main causes of chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma and liver transplantation. The identification of the viral genome quickly allowed delineation of genomic organization, and the structure and biochemical characterization of the proteins of HCV. However, it has been difficult to study its life cycle, as well as the development of antiviral agents due to the lack of a system of permissible culture. Numerous attempts have been reported to establish an in vitro system for the study of HCV. Recently, a system of efficient culture was established that allows replication of subgenomic molecules of HCV in a cell line of human hepatoma. In this revision, after a brief description of the molecular biology, means of transmission and clinical characteristics of hepatitis C, some of the experimental models are described that have been developed to date, focusing mainly on the subgenomic replicon system and their use in the development of new antiviral treatments.