Cervical cancer remains a significant public health priority, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. In this context, liquid biopsy has emerged as a minimally invasive method for detecting and monitoring molecular biomarkers, offering advantages over traditional screening approaches. This systematic review included 21 studies published between 2015 and 2025 and was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 statement. The analysis examined the role of serum cytokines, circulating microRNAs (miRNAs), and circulating cell-free HPV DNA (cfHPV-DNA) in patients with cervical cancer or high-grade intraepithelial lesions. Circulating miRNAs—particularly miR-21, miR-29a, and miR-34a—are consistently associated with recurrence, tumor progression, and reduced survival. However, their immediate clinical translation remains limited by methodological variability and the lack of universal normalizers. In contrast, cfHPV-DNA, especially with ddPCR, exhibited the best study-level performance, with a specificity of 100% and a sensitivity of approximately 80–88%, across heterogeneous endpoints and analytic conditions. Consequently, cfHPV-DNA represents a promising tool for post-treatment surveillance and early detection of recurrence. Serum cytokines, such as TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10, reflect inflammation and the tumor microenvironment. Nevertheless, their lack of standardization and variability across detection platforms restricts their reproducibility, positioning them as complementary rather than stand-alone markers. In conclusion, the evidence supports liquid biopsy as a promising tool in cervical cancer management; nonetheless, only cfHPV-DNA is currently ready for clinical application, whereas miRNAs and cytokines require multicenter validation and technical standardization before implementation.

Manifestations of COVID-19 are diverse and range from asymptomatic to severe, critical illness and death. Cases requiring hospital care (in severe and critical illnesses) are associated with comorbidities and hyperactivation of the immune system. Therefore, in this exploratory observational study, we analyzed which parameters are associated with mortality. We evaluated: demographic characteristics (age, sex and comorbidities), laboratory data (albumin, leukocytes, lymphocytes, platelets, ferritin), days of hospital stay, interleukins (IL-2, IL-6, IL-7, IL-10, IL-17) and sP-selectin in 40 Mexican patients admitted to medical emergencies with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19, a complete clinical record, and who signed the informed consent. Twenty severe (they required intermediate care with non-invasive ventilation) and twenty critically ill patients (they required mechanical ventilation) were classified, and these were subsequently compared with healthy and recovered subjects. A significant difference was found between the hospitalized groups in the parameters of age, ferritin, days of hospital stay and death with p values = 0.0145, p = 0.0441, p = 0.0001 and p = 0.0001, respectively. In the determination of cytokines and P-selectin, a significant difference was found between the following groups: recovered patients and healthy volunteers compared with hospitalized patients in severe and critical condition. Importantly, IL-7 remained elevated one year later in recovered patients. Taken together, these values determined at the time of hospital admission could be useful to monitor patients closely and evaluate in-hospital progress, hospital discharge, and out-of-hospital progress.

The global emergence of multidrug- and pandrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae poses a critical threat to public health, particularly in hospital settings. This study describes a nosocomial outbreak caused by K. pneumoniae in a tertiary-care hospital in Mexico and provides a comprehensive genomic analysis of six clinical isolates. All isolates exhibited pandrug resistance, including carbapenems and colistin. Whole-genome sequencing identified 37 antimicrobial resistance genes, including blaNDM-1, blaOXA-1, blaCTX-M-15, and a pmrB R256G mutation associated with colistin resistance. Two conjugative plasmids (pAA046 and pAA276) carried multiple resistance genes and mobile genetic elements. Although all isolates harbored CRISPR-Cas type I-E systems, no spacers matched resistance plasmids, suggesting functional inactivity. Capsular typing identified the KL27 locus with the wzi187 allele. Phylogenetic and cgMLST analyses confirmed clonal dissemination and close genetic relatedness to strains from Europe and the USA. Despite the absence of classical hypervirulence markers, the presence of kfu, fimH, and mrkD genes indicates adaptation to the hospital environment. These findings confirm the clonal spread of pandrug-resistant K. pneumoniae ST392-KL27 in a Mexican hospital, underscoring the role of plasmid-mediated resistance and the potential for global dissemination.

Brachybacterium conglomeratum, traditionally considered an environmental bacterium, has recently garnered attention for its potential involvement in human health. While prior research hinted at its pathogenic role in humans, our study aims to determine its prevalence and associations in diverse clinical contexts. We examined vaginal swabs from three distinct patient groups: patients with low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL), patients with cervicovaginal infections, and patients with a history of precancerous lesions undergoing follow-up. B. conglomeratum was present in all three patient groups, with the highest prevalence observed in the LSIL group. Statistically significant associations were primarily identified in the LSIL group, where B. conglomeratum was present in 60% of cases. Notably, the LSIL group exhibited coinfections with multiple high-risk oncogenotypes of human papillomavirus (HPV), suggesting potential synergistic effects, and understanding these microbial relationships and their influence on viral persistence, particularly with HPV, holds promise for mitigating HPV-related carcinogenesis. Furthermore, Gardnerella vaginalis and Atopobium vaginae were frequently detected in this group, along with Ureaplasma parvum as the predominant sexually transmitted bacterium. In all cases, B. conglomeratum was found in association with these microorganisms rather than as a sole pathogen. This coexistence underscores the intricate microbial interactions within cervicovaginal infections and precancerous lesions. This study marks the first report of B. conglomeratum prevalence in women with these clinical conditions.