Uterine cervical cancer (UCC) is one of the main causes of cancer‑associated mortality in women. Inflammation has been identified as an important component of this neoplasia; in this context, anti‑inflammatory drugs represent possible prophylactic and/or therapeutic alternatives that require further investigation. Anti‑inflammatory drugs are common and each one may exhibit a different antineoplastic effect. As a result, the present study investigated different anti‑inflammatory models of UCC in vitro and in vivo. Celecoxib, sulindac, nimesulide, dexamethasone, meclofenamic acid, flufenamic acid and mefenamic acid were tested in UCC HeLa, VIPA, INBL and SiHa cell lines. The cytotoxicity of the drugs was evaluated in vitro. Celecoxib, sulindac, nimesulide, mefenamic acid and flufenamic acid presented with slight to moderate toxicity (10‑40% of cell death corresponding to 100 µM) in certain cell lines, while meclofenamic acid exhibited significant cytotoxicity in all essayed cell lines (50‑90% of cell death corresponding to 100 µM). The meclofenamic acid was tested in murine models (immunodeficient and immunocompetent) of UCC, which manifested a significant reduction in tumor growth and increased mouse survival. It was demonstrated that of the evaluated anti‑inflammatory drugs, meclofenamic acid was the most cytotoxic, with a significant antitumor effect in murine models. Subsequent studies are necessary to evaluate the clinical utility of this drug.

Arthralgia is a potentially incapacitating condition and a persistent symptom in chronic or acute episodes of Chikungunya fever caused by infection with the Chikungunya virus (CHIKV). To the best of our knowledge, there are no reports on risk factors associated with the intensity of arthralgias in typical acute episodes of the disease. Although a number of studies have reported on risk factors associated with the development of the chronic stage of the disease, smoking habits have not been analyzed. Smoking is an interesting factor to consider since it is the main environmental risk factor for the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a similar disease to CHIKV in many aspects. In the present study, 140 patients infected with CHIKV were assessed for risk factors associated with severe arthralgia intensity in the acute phase (pain of 9/10 on the visual analog scale of 0‑10) and moderate to severe intensity (according to the Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data 3) 3.5 months after infection in patients that experienced the chronic phase of the disease. Women and smokers were 2‑ to 3‑times more likely to experience severe pain in the acute and chronic stages. Likewise, the presence of severe arthralgia during the acute disease phase resulted in a 4‑fold increased risk for entering the chronic phase. Smoking was a more important risk factor in males compared with females. Smoking resulted in a 20‑fold increased risk for severe arthralgia during the acute phase in men, as well as a 10‑fold increased risk for developing chronic disease with moderate‑to‑severe pain 3.5 months after the acute stage. The presence of rash, headache, muscular weakness or conjunctivitis in the acute phase, the presence of diabetes and age >40 years were considered significant risk factors due to their influence on illness progression. In conclusion, smoking and female sex were the main risk factors associated with development of severe joint pain in the acute and chronic phases of Chikungunya fever. These risk factors are similar to those associated with the development and severity of RA, possibly because the two diseases share pathophysiological mechanisms, including elevated interleukin-6 levels.

Background: Breast cancer is a public health problem and it is the most common gynecologic neoplasia worldwide. The risk factors for its development are of both hereditary and environmental origin. Certain foods have been clearly associated with modifying the breast cancer risk. The aim of the present analysis was to evaluate the effects of cow's milk and meat consumption on the development of breast cancer in a population from Western Mexico (Colima). Material and Methods: We studied 97 patients presenting with a histopathologic diagnosis of breast cancer and 104 control individuals who did not present with the disease (Breast Imaging Report and Data System (BI-RADS) 1-2). 80% of the population belonged to a low socioeconomic stratum. The main clinical characteristics were analyzed along with the lifetime consumption of meat and milk. Results: High milk consumption increased the breast cancer risk by 7.2 times (p = 0.008) whereas the consumption of meat was not significantly associated with the disease. Conclusions: High consumption of cow's milk was a risk factor for the development of breast cancer. Further studies are needed to evaluate the effects of dietary patterns on the development of breast cancer in diverse populations with ethnic, cultural, and economic differences.

Adenocarcinoma of the duodenum comprises 50–70% of duodenal tumors. There is an increase in extracellular matrix metalloproteinases in this disease and it has been suggested that they play an important role in the development and pathology. Therefore, new therapeutic recommendations based on inhibitors of these enzymes, such as doxycycline, are under investigation. The cytotoxic effect of doxycycline was evaluated in the HuTu-80 duodenal adenocarcinoma cell line and its antitumor effect was determined in an immunodeficient murine model. A 10-µM (4.4 µg/ml) concentration of doxycycline was capable of causing apoptosis in 90% of the culture cells. Doxycycline was also responsible for a decrease in tumor growth and an increase in the survival of the mice with HuTu-80-cell tumors. These results suggest that doxycycline is a potential cytotoxic and antitumor agent effective in the treatment of adenocarcinoma of the duodenum.