Browsing by Author "Cortes, Sandra"

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    High Exposure to Boron in Drinking Water and Sperm Parameters in Chilean Young People
    (2017) Cortes, Sandra; Espinoza-Navarro, Omar; Ferreccio, Catterina
    Our aim was to describe sperm parameters in residents from Northern Chile. We evaluated in 101 volunteers (18 and 30 years old) urinary and drinking water Boron levels using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry; semen parameters were measured with standardized methods. Each individual was categorized in 3 levels of exposure: low (B levels in urine <= 2.94 mgL-1 or tap water <= 3.0 mgL-1), medium (urinary B between 2.95-7.4 mgL-1 and B in tap water with 3.0-7.0 mgL-1) and high (urinary B > 7.4mgL-1 or tap water > 7.0 mgL-1). We found no significant differences among groups by pH, sperm concentration (45.1; 48.2 and 38 million/mL), motility 1th hour (38.1; 40.0 and 45.5 %) and vitality 1th hour (88.6; 88.0 and 76.9 %) respectively. Abnormal morphology was significant different (83.3; 90 and 83 %). Young men exposed to B in drinking water present sperm variations associated with the level of exposure. Most of these changes are positive at intermediate levels of B. For the highest exposures were observed negative changes in sperm morphology, concentration, motility and vitality, all relevant parameters of fertility. Beneficial effect is observed at medium exposure, like a "U curve".
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    Isolation of Ciprofloxacin and Ceftazidime-Resistant Enterobacterales From Vegetables and River Water Is Strongly Associated With the Season and the Sample Type
    (FRONTIERS MEDIA SA, 2021) Diaz Gavidia, Constanza; Barria, Carla; Rivas, Lina; Garcia, Patricia; Alvarez, Francisca P.; Gonzalez Rocha, Gerardo; Opazo Capurro, Andres; Araos, Rafael; Munita, Jose M.; Cortes, Sandra; Olivares Pacheco, Jorge; Adell, Aiko D.; Moreno Switt, Andrea I.; CEDEUS (Chile)
    The dissemination of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) from water used for crop irrigation to vegetables is poorly studied. During a year, five farmer markets in a city in Central Chile were visited, and 478 vegetable samples (parsleys, corianders, celeries, lettuces, chards, and beets) were collected. Simultaneously, 32 water samples were collected from two rivers which are used to irrigate the vegetables produced in the area. Resistant Enterobacterales were isolated and identified. Colistin resistance gene mcr-1 and extended spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) were molecularly detected. The association of environmental factors was evaluated, with the outcomes being the presence of Enterobacterales resistant to four antibiotic families and the presence of multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotypes. Parsley, coriander, and celery showed the highest prevalence of resistant Enterobacterales (41.9% for ciprofloxacin and 18.5% for ceftazidime). A total of 155 isolates were obtained, including Escherichia coli (n = 109), Citrobacter sp. (n = 20), Enterobacter cloacae complex (n = 8), Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 8), and Klebsiella aerogenes (n = 1). Resistance to ampicillin (63.2%) and ciprofloxacin (74.2%) was most frequently found; 34.5% of the isolates showed resistance to third-generation cephalosporins, and the MDR phenotype represented 51.6% of the isolates. In two E. coli isolates (1.29%), the gene mcr-1 was found and ESBL genes were found in 23/62 isolates (37%), with bla(CTX-M) being the most frequently found in 20 isolates (32%). Resistant Enterobacterales isolated during the rainy season were less likely to be MDR as compared to the dry season. Understanding environmental associations represent the first step toward an improved understanding of the public health impact of ARB in vegetables and water.
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    Perspective on Clinically-Relevant Antimicrobial Resistant Enterobacterales in Food: Closing the Gaps Using Genomics
    (FRONTIERS MEDIA SA, 2021) Diaz Gavidia, Constanza; Alvarez, Francisca P.; Munita, Jose M.; Cortes, Sandra; Moreno Switt, Andrea, I; CEDEUS (Chile)
    Antimicrobial resistance is one of the most important public health concerns-it causes 700,000 deaths annually according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Enterobacterales such as E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, have become resistant to many relevant antimicrobials including carbapenems and extended spectrum cephalosporins. These clinically relevant resistant Enterobacterales (CRRE) members are now globally distributed in the environment including different food types (meats, produce, dairy). Unlike known foodborne pathogens, CRRE are not usually part of most food surveillance systems. However, numerous reports of CRRE highlight the importance of these bacteria in food and have been shown to contribute to the overall crisis of antimicrobial resistance. This is especially important in the context of carriage of these pathogens by immuno-compromised individuals. CRRE infections upon consumption of contaminated food could colonize the human gastrointestinal tract and eventually be a source of systemic infections such as urinary tract infections or septicemia. While different aspects need to be considered to elucidate this, whole genome sequencing along with metadata could be used to understand genomic relationships of CRRE obtained from foods and humans, including isolates from clinical infections. Once robust scientific data is available on the role of CRRE in food, countries could move forward to better survey and control CRRE in food.
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    Sex disparities in gallstone disease: insights from the MAUCO prospective population-based cohort study
    (2024) Gatta, Danae Rodriguez; Huidobro, Laura; Petermann-Rocha, Fanny; Van de Wyngard, Vanessa; Godoy, Franco; Cid, Vicente; Garrido, Macarena; Cook, Paz; Roa, Juan Carlos; Vargas, Claudio; Araya, Juan Carlos; Cortes, Sandra; Cruz, Francisco; Koshiol, Jill; Arrese, Marco; Ferreccio, Catterina
    Objective To investigate factors associated with the prevalence and incidence of gallstone disease (GSD) in women and men of the MAUCO population-based prospective cohort. Design 8948 MAUCO participants (aged 38-74 years) underwent abdominal ultrasound at baseline (2015-2019); 4385 received follow-up ultrasound at years 2 or 4. Factors associated with prevalent GSD were assessed using Poisson multiple regression and with incident GSD using Cox regression models. Results GSD prevalence was 40.4% in women (13.1% gallstones, 27.3% cholecystectomies) and 17.1% in men (8.9% gallstones, 8.2% cholecystectomies). In men, GSD prevalence rate ratio (PRR) by age in >64 years was 3.85 (95% CI 3.00 to 4.94), doubling that of women's PRR 1.78 (95% CI 1.57 to 2.01). In women, waist circumference and diabetes were stronger GSD factors; a higher number of children and worse metabolic and socioeconomic conditions were also highlighted. GSD men had higher cardiovascular disease and a family history of GSD and gallbladder cancer. 198 GSD cases developed during follow-up, with incidence increasing by 2% (95% CI 1.005% to 1.03%) per each centimetre above the ideal waist circumference, statistically significant only in women. In men, age was the strongest factor for incidence, followed by a family history of GSD and low high-density lipoprotein increased incidence risk. Conclusions GSD burden was high in this population; a third of women had their gallbladder removed, which may pose them at risk of other health problems. Abdominal obesity was the only preventable GSD risk factor, highlighting the need for effective public health policies promoting obesity reduction.