Recent Publications
Menachem Alcalay: A dynamic prediction score for obstetric anal sphincter injury among nulliparous women delivering vaginally (Int J Gynaecol Obstet .)
Develops a risk score for obstetric anal sphincter injury (OASI) occurrence among nulliparous women delivering vaginally, based on data available at admission for delivery and as labor progresses.
Mohammad E Naffaa: Immune-Mediated Disease Flares or New-Onset Disease in 27 Subjects Following mRNA/DNA SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination (Vaccines (Basel) . )
Infectious diseases and vaccines can occasionally cause new-onset or flare of immune-mediated diseases (IMDs). The adjuvanticity of the available SARS-CoV-2 vaccines is based on either TLR-7/8 or TLR-9 agonism, which is distinct from previous vaccines and is a common pathogenic mechanism in IMDs.
We evaluated IMD flares or new disease onset within 28-days of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination at five large tertiary centres in countries with early vaccination adoption, three in Israel, one in UK, and one in USA. We assessed the pattern of disease expression in terms of autoimmune, autoinflammatory, or mixed disease phenotype and organ system affected. We also evaluated outcomes.
Wisam Sbeit, Anas Kadah, Matta Simaan, Amir Shahin, Tawfik Khoury: Predictors of recurrent bile duct stone after clearance by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography: A case-control study (Hepatobiliary Pancreat Dis Int .)
Recurrent common bile duct (CBD) stone are a long-term sequalae among patients who underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) with CBD stone extraction. Data regarding risk factors for recurrent CBD stone are scarce. We aimed to identify predictors of recurrent CBD stone.
Michal Tietel, Lilach Shema-Didi, Ruti Roth, Maya Frank Wolf, Jacob Bornstein: Compliance with a new quality standard regarding administration of prophylactic antibiotics before cesarean section J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med .)
Administering prophylactic antibiotics before cesarean section (CS) decreases postpartum infections significantly. They should be administered within 60 min prior to CS. In 2014 the Israeli Ministry of Health introduced the administration of pre-operative antibiotic prophylaxis for CS as a quality criterion. This was immediately adopted by the Galilee Medical Center (GMC). This study aimed to examine the compliance to this quality standard in the GMC under 3 criteria: the type of antibiotics, timing of administration, and use of one dose only.
Khalaf Kridin: Coexistence of bullous pemphigoid with neuropsychiatric comorbidities is associated with anti-BP230 seropositivity (J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol .)
While clustering of bullous pemphigoid (BP) with neuropsychiatric diseases is well-established, the clinical and immunological profile of BP patients with this comorbidity remains to be decisively determined. Evaluates the burden of neurological and psychiatric comorbidities among patients with BP and to elucidate the clinical, immunological, and immunopathological features of patients with BP and comorbid neuropsychiatric conditions.
Fahed Hakim: Optogenetic activation of local colonic sympathetic innervations attenuates colitis by limiting immune cell extravasation (Immunity .)
The sympathetic nervous system is composed of an endocrine arm, regulating blood adrenaline and noradrenaline, and a local arm, a network of fibers innervating immune organs. Here, we investigated the impact of the local arm of the SNS in an inflammatory response in the colon.
Adnan Zaina: COVID-19 Pandemic and Ramadan Fasting among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (Isr Med Assoc J . )
This year Ramadan occurs during the global coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Data has shown that patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are prone to severe disease with COVID-19 and with increased mortality. Acute complications such as dehydration, starvation ketosis, ketoacidosis, and the increased risk of coagulopathy and thrombosis should be considered particularly during this pandemic period. Fasting during Ramadan this year and the COVID-19 pandemic is more challenging, not only for patients with T2DM but also for healthcare providers. We present healthcare providers with important aspects to consider during the COVID-19 pandemic for patients with T2DM who intend to fast during Ramadan and other fasting days.
Khalaf Kridin: Hidradenitis Suppurativa and Sleep Disorders: A Population Based Study (J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol .)
Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic auto-inflammatory skin condition. (1) Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by airway collapse and hypoxia during sleep.(2) HS and OSA have overlapping comorbidity and cytokine (eg. interleukin-17 and tumor necrosis factor-α) profiles, suggesting the possibility of an association.
Amir A Kuperman: Emicizumab prophylaxis: Prospective longitudinal real-world follow-up and monitoring (Haemophilia .)
Real-world data on prophylaxis of severe haemophilia A (HA) patients treated by emicizumab are scarce. Studies the efficacy and safety of longitudinal emicizumab prophylaxis and assess laboratory monitoring correlations in a large patient cohort.
Khalaf Kridin: Chronic renal comorbidities in pyoderma gangrenosum: a retrospective cohort study (Immunol Res .)
The coexistence of pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) and chronic renal comorbidities has been reported anecdotally. We aimed to assess the bidirectional association between PG and the following chronic renal comorbidities: chronic renal failure (CRF), dialysis, kidney transplantation (KT), and other kidney diseases (OKD).
Wisam Sbeit, Tawfik Khoury, Amir Mari: Diagnostic approach to faecal incontinence: What test and when to perform? (World J Gastroenterol .)
Faecal incontinence (FI) is a debilitating common end result of several diseases affecting the quality of life and leading to patient disability, morbidity, and increased societal burden. Given the various causes of FI, it is important to assess and identify the underlying pathomechanisms. Several investigatory tools are available including high-resolution anorectal manometry, transrectal ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, and electromyography. This review article provides an overview on the causes and pathophysiology of FI and the author's perspective of the stepwise investigation of patients with FI based on the available literature.