Recent Publications
Sondra Turjeman, Omry Koren: The intersection of undernutrition, microbiome, and child development in the first years of life (Nat Commun . )
Undernutrition affects about one out of five children worldwide. It is associated with impaired growth, neurodevelopment deficits, and increased infectious morbidity and mortality. Undernutrition, however, cannot be solely attributed to a lack of food or nutrient deficiency but rather results from a complex mix of biological and environmental factors. Recent research has shown that the gut microbiome is intimately involved in the metabolism of dietary components, in growth, in the training of the immune system, and in healthy development. In this review, we look at these features in the first three years of life, which is a critical window for both microbiome establishment and maturation and child development. We also discuss the potential of the microbiome in undernutrition interventions, which could increase efficacy and improve child health outcomes.
Changes in Quality of Life Following SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Jewish and Arab Populations in Israel: A Cross-Sectional Study (Int J Public Health . )
The long-term impact of COVID-19 on health inequalities is under-researched. We investigated changes in health-related inequalities following SARS-CoV-2 infection between the Jewish majority and the Arab/Druze minority in Israel.
(Jelte Elsinga, Paul Kuodi, Haneen Shibli, Yanay Gorelik, Hiba Zayyad, Ofir Wertheim, Kamal Abu Jabal, Amiel Dror, Saleh Nazzal, Daniel Glikman, Michael Edelstein)
Naaem Simaan, Karine Wiegler Beiruti: Characteristics of Multiple Acute Concomitant Cerebral Infarcts Involving Different Arterial Territories (J Clin Med . )
Multiple acute concomitant cerebral infarcts (MACCI) are relatively uncommon. Data regarding the characteristics and outcomes of patients with MACCI are lacking. We, therefore, aimed to characterize the clinical features of MACCI.
Mohammad Adawi: Ankylosing spondylitis is associated with increased prevalence of valvular heart diseases: a cross-sectional population-based study (Postgrad Med J . )
Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory arthritis primarily affecting the sacroiliac joint and axial skeleton with associated extra-articular involvement including cardiovascular system disease including aortic valve disease with variable reported prevalence. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of heart valve disorders in AS patients.
Ohad Ronen: Artificial Intelligence in Head and Neck Cancer: A Systematic Review of Systematic Reviews (Adv Ther .)
Several studies have emphasized the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and its subfields, such as machine learning (ML), as emerging and feasible approaches to optimize patient care in oncology. As a result, clinicians and decision-makers are faced with a plethora of reviews regarding the state of the art of applications of AI for head and neck cancer (HNC) management. This article provides an analysis of systematic reviews on the current status, and of the limitations of the application of AI/ML as adjunctive decision-making tools in HNC management.
Amani Daoud, Ohad Ronen: Decline in emergency department visits during the COVID-19 quarantine (Am J Emerg Med . )
Emergency department (ED) visits can be divided into urgent and non-urgent. A delay in seeking medical help, especially in urgent cases, can lead to fatal consequences, along with a higher rate of complications and morbidity. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic spread led to restrictions and eventually quarantines. We investigated the impact of the COVID-19 spread and quarantine on ED visits rates comparing to parallel periods in preceding years (2013-2019). In addition, we compared this decrease to holidays and weekends, times in which a decrease in ED visits is seen.
Ory Wiesel: A Novel Urine Test Biosensor Platform for Early Lung Cancer Detection (Biosensors (Basel) . )
This paper offers a first instructive clinical platform utilizing VOC's in urine for detection of lung cancer using the innovative BSP to deal with the pressing need for an early lung cancer detection test tool.
Ory Wiesel: A Novel Urine Test Biosensor Platform for Early Lung Cancer Detection (Biosensors (Basel) .)
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Early detection is essential to achieving a better outcome and prognosis. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) reflect alterations in the pathophysiology and body metabolism processes, as shown in various types of cancers....This paper offers a first instructive clinical platform utilizing VOC's in urine for detection of lung cancer using the innovative BSP to deal with the pressing need for an early lung cancer detection test tool.
Ofir Avizemel, Yishay Pinto, Sondra Turjeman, Omry Koren, Keren Agay-Shay: "Residential greenness, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and microbiome diversity during pregnancy" (Int J Hyg Environ Health . )
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with reduced gut microbiota richness that was also reported to differ significantly between those living in rural compared to urban environments. Therefore, our aim was to examine the associations between greenness and maternal blood glucose levels and GDM, with microbiome diversity as a possible mediator in these associations.
Khalaf Kridin: Cutaneous lupus erythematosus is associated with an increased risk of cardiac and vascular diseases: a large-scale, propensity-matched global retrospective cohort study (EBioMedicine . )
Autoimmune skin diseases can expedite various systemic sequelae involving other organs. Although limited to the skin, cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) was noted to be associated with thromboembolic diseases. However, small cohort sizes, partially discrepant outcomes, missing data on CLE subtypes, and incomplete risk assessment limits these findings.
Raneen Abu Shqara, Daniel Glikman, Saher Jad, Hagai Rechnitzer, Lior Lowenstein, Maya Frank Wolf: Time to reconsider antibiotic prophylaxis in women with prolonged rupture of membranes: The trend of Enterobacteriaceae in peripartum infections (Int J Gynae
The proportion of neonatal early-onset sepsis (EOS) by gram-negative bacteria has increased. The authors examined bacterial distribution in the amniotic membrane cultures of women with peripartum fever (PPF) and related perinatal outcomes.
Mahmud Darawshe, Luiza Akria, Ohad Ronen: A higher BMI is positively associated with advanced neck lymphoma at diagnosis (Eur J Intern Med . )
Obesity is one of the most prevalent modifiable risk factors for chronic disease and has received considerable attention in relation to cancer incidence and outcomes.
We hypothesized that obesity could be a risk factor for delayed diagnosis in patients with lymphomas through biopsy from the neck.
Ella Katony Eizenstat, Fadi Hassan, Ziv Paz, Mohammad E Naffaa: Biologic therapy is associated with malignancies among Israeli patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A population-based study (Int J Rheum Dis .)
Examines whether biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) are associated with increased risk of malignancy among Israeli patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Next Generation Sequencing Performed in Patients Raising the Suspicion of an Inborn Error of Metabolism Uncovered a Homozygous Variant in YARS1 Allowing a Novel Therapeutic Trial (Harefuah .)
Inborn-Errors of Metabolism (IEM) are genetic disorders resulting from mutations in genes encoding proteins involved in biochemical-metabolic pathways. However, some IEMs lack specific biochemical markers. Early incorporation of next-generation-sequencing (NGS) including whole exome sequencing (WES) into the diagnostic algorithm of IEMs herein provided, increases diagnostic accuracy, permits genetic counseling and improves therapeutic options. This is exemplified by diseases affecting aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (ARSs), enzymes involved in protein translation. Recent studies showed that supplementing amino-acids to cell-culture and patients with ARSs deficiencies resulted in improvement of biochemical and clinical parameters, respectively.
(Nadra Nasser Samra, Ilham Morani, Hino Bayan, Doua Bakry, Munia Shaalan, Hadi Saadi, Alaa Sawaed, Hanna Mandel)