Background: Phase III clinical trials have documented the efficacy of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in preventing symptomatic COVID-19. Nonetheless, it is imperative to continue analyzing the clinical response to different vaccines in real-life studies. Our objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of five different vaccines in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 during the third COVID-19 outbreak in Mexico dominated by the Delta variant. Methods: A test-negative case–control study was performed in nine tertiary-care hospitals for COVID-19. We estimated odds ratios (OR) adjusted by variables related a priori with the likelihood of SARS-CoV-2 infection and its severity. Results: We studied 761 subjects, 371 cases, and 390 controls with a mean age of 53 years (SD, 17 years). Overall, 51% had a complete vaccination scheme, and an incomplete scheme (one dose from a scheme of two), 14%. After adjustment for age, gender, obesity, and diabetes mellitus, we found that the effectiveness of avoiding a SARS-CoV-2 infection when hospitalized with at least one vaccination dose was 71% (OR 0.29, 95% CI 0.19–0.45), that of an incomplete vaccination scheme, 67% (OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.18–0.62), and that of any complete vaccination scheme, 73% (OR 0.27, 95% CI 0.17–0.43). Conclusions: The SARS-CoV-2 vaccination program showed effectiveness in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection in hospitalized patients during a Delta variant outbreak.

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains a major global health burden, potentially leading to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) have improved treatment outcomes, achieving high sustained virologic response (SVR) rates. However, real-world evidence from Mexico remains limited. This study aimed to evaluate DAA effectiveness in Mexican patients with chronic HCV infection and compare outcomes according to cirrhosis status. A retrospective, multicenter cohort study was conducted across five public healthcare institutions in Mexico. We included 253 patients who received DAA therapy. The primary outcome was SVR, defined as undetectable HCV RNA after treatment. Clinical, demographic, and treatment-related variables were analyzed, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Overall, SVR was achieved in 94.5% of patients. Among those with cirrhosis (54.1%), the SVR rate was 95.6%, compared with 93.1% among those without cirrhosis (p = 0.536). Patients with cirrhosis were older and had longer treatment durations, while baseline viral load and genotype distribution were comparable. Treatment completion was high (94.1%), with low discontinuation rates and no significant differences by cirrhosis status. DAAs were highly effective in Mexican patients with chronic HCV infection, regardless of cirrhosis status. Expanding access to diagnosis and treatment is essential to reduce disease burden and achieve hepatitis C elimination goals.

Mpox (monkeypox) is a zoonotic disease that has been endemic in African countries for decades, with a recent outbreak in several countries around the world. A 39-year-old male with HIV-HBV coinfection and poor adherence to antiretroviral treatment, who was severely immunocompromised and had a concurrent diagnosis of Mpox infection, presented to our hospital with disseminated dermatosis (over 350 lesions), perianal ulcers, odynophagia, oral intolerance, diarrhea, and soft-tissue bacterial superinfection of the lower extremities. Laboratory results were consistent with HBV infection, with an absolute CD4 cell count of 40 cells/uL and a positive PCR result for Mpox. An abdominopelvic CT scan showed evidence of severe proctitis and perineal soft-tissue infection. After 65 days of Mpox PCR, new lesions in the vesicular stage continued to appear, eventually developing hemodynamic instability and sepsis, resulting in a fatal outcome. Our case highlights the importance of intentionally looking for risk factors such as HIV/HBV coinfection and evaluating immune status (CD4 cell count) in patients with severe Mpox infection because it could be related to higher mortality.

Introducción: Una de las vacunas para combatir la pandemia por el coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), fue la de tipo ARN-mensajero desarrollada por Pfizer-BioNTech. A inicios de 2021 los trabajadores de hospitales en México recibieron dos dosis de esta vacuna. El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar la frecuencia de eventos adversos (EA) a la vacuna de Pfizer-BioNTech en una cohorte de personal de un hospital de tercer nivel en el sureste de México e identificar los factores asociados con el desarrollo de EA. Método: Estudio transversal, observacional y descriptivo, realizado en personal de un hospital de tercer nivel. Los EA fueron identificados mediante vigilancia activa y seguimiento vía telefónica entre el segundo y quinceavo día posterior a la primera y segunda inmunización. Los datos demográficos y clínicos fueron capturados en una base de datos electrónica. Resultados: Se encuestaron a 1033 sujetos, con una edad promedio de 39.04±9.20 años y 53.4% mujeres. El 94.5% de los sujetos experimentaron al menos un EA después de administrarles la vacuna Pfizer-BioNTech. Se detectaron un total de 2805 EA (1360 primera dosis y 1445 segunda dosis). Los EA notificados con mayor frecuencia en ambas dosis fueron dolor en la zona de aplicación, cefalea, fatiga y pirexia. Conclusiones: La frecuencia de los EA en el presente estudio fue consistente con reportes previos para la vacuna Pfizer-BioNTech. Los EA fueron leves y transitorios mostrando buena tolerancia. El sexo femenino, tener algunas enfermedades crónico-degenerativas y antecedentes de alergia se asociaron significativamente con la presencia de algún EA.

Background/Objectives: To derive computed tomography (CT) attenuation thresholds for grading hepatic steatosis and evaluate their agreement with ultrasonography (US) in adults with overweight or obesity and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) from southeastern Mexico. Methods: Adults (≥18 years) with MASLD who underwent both CT and US were included. Hepatic steatosis on CT was defined by liver attenuation < 40 Hounsfield units (HU) or a liver-to-spleen attenuation difference > 10 HU. US steatosis was graded using a three-point echogenicity scale. CT attenuation thresholds were derived in a training dataset (70%) using sequential receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses and the Youden index and were subsequently evaluated in an internal hold-out dataset (30%). Histopathological findings were available in a subgroup for additional evaluation. Agreement between CT-predicted and US-based steatosis grades was assessed using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient (ρ) and quadratic-weighted Cohen’s kappa (κ). Results: In total, 105 participants were included. The training-set ROC analyses identified CT attenuation thresholds of ≤28.15 HU for Grade 3 steatosis (AUC = 0.995), 28.15–35.50 HU for Grade 2 (AUC = 0.983), and >35.50 HU for Grade 1. In the internal hold-out dataset, CT-predicted and US-based steatosis grades showed a strong positive correlation (ρ = 0.946, p < 0.001) and almost perfect agreement (quadratic-weighted κ = 0.940, p < 0.001). Liver biopsy data were available for 16 participants, and CT-predicted steatosis grade was positively associated with histological fat percentage (ρ = 0.595, p = 0.015). Conclusions: The proposed CT attenuation thresholds showed high agreement with US-based steatosis grading, and their association with histopathological fat content provided additional supportive evidence in a subgroup of participants. These findings suggest that CT attenuation may provide a useful quantitative approach to grading hepatic steatosis and could contribute to more consistent steatosis assessment across different healthcare settings.