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INTRODUCTION: In Mexico, familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is underdiagnosed, but population screening in small communities where at least one homozygous patient has already been detected results in a useful and inexpensive approach to reduce this problem. Considering that we previously reported nine homozygous cases from the state of Oaxaca, we decided to perform a population screening to identify patients with FH and to describe both their biochemical and genetic characteristics. METHODS: LDL cholesterol (LDLc) was quantified in 2,093 individuals from 11 communities in Oaxaca; either adults with LDLc levels ≥170 mg/dL or children with LDLc ≥130 mg/dL were classified as suggestive of FH and therefore included in the genetic study. LDLR and APOB (547bp fragment of exon 26) genes were screened by sequencing and MLPA analysis. RESULTS: Two hundred and five individuals had suggestive FH, with a mean LDLc of 223 ± 54 mg/dL (range: 131-383 mg/dL). Two pathogenic variants in the LDLR gene were detected in 149 individuals: c.-139_-130del (n = 1) and c.2271del (n = 148). All patients had a heterozygous genotype. With the cascade screening of their relatives (n = 177), 15 heterozygous individuals for the c.2271del variant were identified, presenting a mean LDLc of 133 ± 35 mg/dL (range: 60-168 mg/dL). CONCLUSIONS: The FH frequency in this study was 7.8% (164/2093), the highest reported worldwide. A founder effect combined with inbreeding could be responsible for the high percentage of patients with the LDLR c.2271del variant (99.4%), which allowed us to detect both significant biochemical heterogeneity and incomplete penetrance; hence, we assumed the presence of phenotype-modifying variants.

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A balanced and varied diet provides diverse beneficial effects on health, such as adequate micronutrient availability and a gut microbiome in homeostasis. Besides their participation in biochemical processes as cofactors and coenzymes, vitamins and minerals have an immunoregulatory function; meanwhile, gut microbiota and its metabolites coordinate directly and indirectly the cell response through the interaction with the host receptors. Malnourishment is a crucial risk factor for several pathologies, and its involvement during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic has been reported. This pandemic has caused a significant decline in the worldwide population, especially those with chronic diseases, reduced physical activity, and elder age. Diet and gut microbiota composition are probable causes for this susceptibility, and its supplementation can play a role in reestablishing microbial homeostasis and improving immunity response against Coronavirus Disease 2019 infection and recovery. This study reviews the role of micronutrients and microbiomes in the risk of infection, the severity of disease, and the Coronavirus Disease 2019 sequelae.

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APOB gene polymorphisms are considered risk factors for the development of dyslipidemia, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in several populations. In Mexico, these pathologies are frequent and studies regarding this gene are scarce. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determined genotype, allele, and haplotype frequencies of APOB polymorphisms and performed analyses of association among the biochemical, hemodynamic, anthropometrical, and genetic variables. Blood samples were taken from 361 subjects from unselected Mexican population for biochemical analysis and for deoxyribonucleic acid extraction; besides blood pressure and body mass index (BMI) were measured. APOB polymorphisms rs934197, rs533617, rs693, and rs1042031 were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism; whereas, rs17240441 and c.66_67insCTGCTG were genotyped by PCR followed by electrophoresis. Genotype and allele frequencies were obtained by simple counting and deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) were calculated by chi-square test. The effect of the polymorphisms on the quantitative variables was determined using analysis of variance, Student's t test, Pearson's and Spearman's correlations and multiple linear regression models. All the polymorphisms were within HWE. Frequencies of mutated alleles were highly heterogeneous: rs934197-T 33.6%, rs17240441-D 39.3%, c.66_67insCTGCTG-I 3.9%, rs533617-G 0.9%, rs693-T 40.5%, and rs1042031-G 17.3%. Chronic degenerative diseases were frequent in the studied population: overweight-obesity 55.1%, dyslipidemia 45.8%, and hypertension 23.5%. The association analyses showed that despite adjustments for age and sex the mutated alleles rs934197-T, rs1042031G, c.66_67-insCTGCTG-I, and rs533617-G, were related to lower values of BMI, total cholesterol (TC), systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure, respectively. All polymorphisms analyzed except rs533517 and c.66_67insCTGCTG showed high frequencies of the mutated allele, making them useful for association studies. Our results revealed that, APOB gene polymorphisms could be contributing to the development of several chronic diseases, such as essential hypertension, dyslipidemias, obesity, among others. However, specific studies with each pathology are needed to know the possible implications of the polymorphisms.

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The gut microbiota (GM) comprises billions of microorganisms in the human gastrointestinal tract. This microbial community exerts numerous physiological functions. Prominent among these functions is the effect on host immunity through the uptake of nutrients that strengthen intestinal cells and cells involved in the immune response. The physiological functions of the GM are not limited to the gut, but bidirectional interactions between the gut microbiota and various extraintestinal organs have been identified. These interactions have been termed interorganic axes by several authors, among which the gut-brain, gut-skin, gut-lung, gut-heart, and gut-metabolism axes stand out. It has been shown that an organism is healthy or in homeostasis when the GM is in balance. However, altered GM or dysbiosis represents a critical factor in the pathogenesis of many local and systemic diseases. Therefore, probiotics intervene in this context, which, according to various published studies, allows balance to be maintained in the GM, leading to an individual's good health.

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Primary hypertriglyceridemia (PHTG) is characterized by a high concentration of triglycerides (TG); it is divided between familial hyperchylomicronemia syndrome and multifactorial chylomicronemia syndrome. In Mexico, hypertriglyceridemia constitutes a health problem in which the genetic bases have been scarcely explored; therefore, our objective was to describe biochemical-clinical characteristics and variants in the APOA5, GPIHBP1, LMF1, and LPL genes in patients with primary hypertriglyceridemia. Thirty DNA fragments were analyzed using PCR and Sanger sequencing in 58 unrelated patients. The patients' main clinical-biochemical features were hypoalphalipoproteinemia (77.6%), pancreatitis (18.1%), and a TG median value of 773.9 mg/dL. A total of 74 variants were found (10 in APOA5, 16 in GPIHBP1, 34 in LMF1, and 14 in LPL), of which 15 could be involved in the development of PHTG: 3 common variants with significative odds and 12 heterozygous rare pathogenic variants distributed in 12 patients. We report on the first Mexican patient with hyperchylomicronemia syndrome due to GPIHBP1 deficiency caused by three variants: p.R145*, p.A154_G155insK, and p.A154Rfs*152. Moreover, eleven patients were heterozygous for the rare variants described as causing PHTG and also presented common variants of risk, which could partially explain their phenotype. In terms of findings, two novel genetic variants, c.-40_-22del LMF1 and p.G242Dfs*10 LPL, were identified.

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BACKGROUND: Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an autosomal dominant disease characterized by an increased LDL-cholesterol (LDLc) serum concentration and premature cardiovascular disease. Screening of small populations where at least one homozygous (HoFH) patient has been identified may be a proper approach for detecting FH patients. Previously, we reported an HoFH patient carrying the mutation p.Asp360His LDLR, who was born in the Mexican community El Triunfo (Quimixtlan, Puebla). AIM OF THE STUDY: To identify patients with familial hypercholesterolemia in the community El Triunfo and to describe their clinical and biochemical characteristics. METHODS: We studied 308 individuals by quantifying lipid levels and by DNA sequencing. RESULTS: Sixteen of 308 individuals presented an LDLc level >170 mg/dL and all of them turned out to be heterozygous for the LDLR p.Asp360His variant. Subsequently, 34 of their first-degree relatives (mainly siblings and parents) were genotyped rendering six additional HeFH patients, which resulted in 22 carriers of the mutated allele. The study of six LDLR polymorphisms in four unrelated individuals from the community (one HoFH and three HeFH) showed the same haplotype combination, suggesting a unique ancestral origin of the mutation. CONCLUSIONS: The community El Triunfo, has the highest worldwide frequency ever reported of HeFH, with 7.14% (22/308, equivalent to 1/14 inhabitants). Since the HeFH patients showed variable biochemical expression, we suggest looking for factors with the potential to modify the phenotype. Finally, we stress the importance of establishing accurate LDLc cut-off points applicable to Mexican population for the diagnosis of FH.

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BACKGROUND: Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an autosomal dominant disorder that causes accumulation of serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and premature cardiovascular disease. It is mainly related to mutations in the LDLR gene. Homozygous FH (HoFH) patients have the most severe form of the disease accounting for a worldwide prevalence of 1:1,000,000. In Mexico, at least 5 cases of HoFH have been reported. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe the clinical, biochemical, and molecular data observed in patients with HoFH phenotype. METHODS: We included 13 patients, belonging to 11 families, with clinical and biochemical diagnoses suggestive of HoFH. Molecular analyses of the LDLR and APOB genes were performed by means of polymerase chain reaction followed by Sanger sequencing. RESULTS: The causal mutation of HoFH was found in 8 of 11 unrelated patients. Excepting 1, all were true homozygotes. Six different variants in LDLR were identified: c.-139delCTCCCCCTGC, p.Glu140Lys, p.Asp360His, p.Asn405Lys, p.Ala755Glyfs*7, and p.Leu759Serfs*6. Of these, p.Asp360His and p.Asn405Lys were detected for the first time in Mexico; p.Leu759Serfs*6 showed to be the most frequent (43.7% of the alleles 7/16), and c.-139delCTCCCCCTGC is a new variant located in the promoter region. CONCLUSIONS: This work increases knowledge of biochemical and genetic features in Mexican patients with HoFH. A novel mutation in the LDLR gene promoter was detected: c.-139delCTCCCCCTGC, which possibly inhibits its expression.

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