Birth defects are the number one cause of child mortality worldwide and in 2010 it was the second cause in Mexico. Congenital malformations are a public health issue, because they cause infant mortality, chronic disease and disability. The origin can be genetic, environmental or unknown causes. Among environmental contaminants, pesticides stand out. In this study, we determine the frequency and etiology of congenital malformations in newborns (NBs) of a floricultural community and we compare it with that in the urban community. For 18 months, the NBs were monitored at the Tenancingo General Hospital and the Mother and Child Gynecology and Obstetrics Hospital (IMIEM) in Toluca. The identification of these malformations was carried out in accordance with the WHO. In Tenancingo, 1149 NBs were viewed, where 20% had some kind of congenital malformations. While in the IMIEM, 5069 were reviewed and 6% had some malformation. According to the etiology, in Tenancingo, 69% were multifactorial, 28% were monogenetic and 2% were chromosomal. In the IMIEM, 47% were multifactorial, then 18.3% were monogenetic and 2.8% were chromosomal. There was a significant difference between the global frequency of malformations and the multifactorial etiology of both institutions. Our results show that congenital malformations in the NBs occurred more frequently in the floricultural zone and that because the percentage of multifactorial etiology is higher, it is likely there is an association with exposure to pesticides.

Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) comprise a number of genes that codify for a group of isoenzymes that participate in phase II xenobiotic detoxification by means of conjugation with glutathione, producing hydrosoluble compounds. It has been demonstrated that some pesticides are substrates for GST isoenzymes. Floriculture is one of the main economic activities in the municipalities of Villa Guerrero and Atlacomulco; pesticides, applied as mixtures, are intensively used in this activity. In this study, total GST enzymatic activity and glutathione S-transferases theta 1 (GSTT1) enzymatic activity were calculated for a group of floriculture workers exposed to pesticides and for an unexposed group. The former comprised 169 floriculture workers, while the latter, 96 students. The value of the median GST enzymatic activity in the exposed group was 0.560 and 0.169 μmol/min/mL in the unexposed individuals. GSTT1 activity was 1.234 μmol/min/mL in the exposed group and 0.221 μmol/min/mL in the unexposed group. Mann-Whitney U test showed a significant difference between these groups, for both total GST and GSTT1, p < 0.001. Our results show that exposure to pesticides increases the activities of total GST and GSTT1 enzymes.

In Villa Guerrero municipality, floriculture is their first economic activity; there are intensively applied different pesticides alone and in mixtures. They fumigate every day, every second or third day, and men, women, children and third age people participate. The use of prohibited or restricted pesticides such as Tamaron, Temik and Curacron in agricultural activities brings health problems with them, especially in their reproductive health. The aim of this study was to determine whether occupational exposure to pesticides alters semen quality. It was held in an exposed group conformed by 30 male floriculturists and the non-exposed group were 30 university male students. All of the participants gave a semen sample and sign an informed consent. There was made a spermatobioscopy accord to the WHO/PAHO (2010). The spermiogram´s results in the exposed group showed: significant reduction in the sperm count, in the progressive fast and slow mobility as well as in the normal sperm average. On the other hand, there was a significant increase in the morphologic sperm abnormalities: big, small and double head; short, long and double tale, in comparison with the non-exposed group. Conclusion: it appears that the occupational exposure to pesticides changes the sperm quality.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the genotoxicity induced by cyclophosphamide-adriamycin treatment in breast cancer patients through the frequencies of Sister Chromatid Exchange (SCE), Replication Index (RI), Mitotic Index (MI) and Cell Proliferation Index (CPI) and to study the possible association between biomarkers of genotoxicity and the early response to treatment. The frequencies were obtained before and immediately after therapy from 17 patients with breast cancer (p < 0.001). Response to treatment was assessed after two years resulting in 12 patients in a state of remission. MI and CPI had high values after treatment in women with active cancers compared to those in a state of remission, however there were not significant differences. Conclusions: It is possible that MI y CPI biomarkers can serve as indicators for early assessment of treatment with cyclophosphamide-adriamycin. It should be noted that these are preliminary results and further study is necessary.