Recent Publications

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease with multi-organ involvement, including the cardiovascular system. The disease may cause several cardiovascular complications, and may increase morbidity and mortality among patients with background cardiovascular disease. Patients with advanced heart failure are often treated with left ventricular assist device (LVAD), and represent a unique population mandating multi-disciplinary approach. 

Objective: To evaluate laboratory Indices in patients with hereditary spherocytosis (HS), with positive and borderline flow-cytometry eosin-5-melamide (EMA)-bound red blood cells screening test.

Study design: We compared laboratory indices of 151 samples obtained from 139 different individual patients with negative, borderline, or positive EMA-test results. We also compared the clinical data of the patients in each EMA test results group.

Increased levels of outdoor light have been found to be associated causally with decreased rates of myopia. The goal of this study was to measure the effect of indoor nursery school light intensity on refraction of preschool children in Israel.

One anastomosis gastric bypass (OAGB) is an emerging bariatric procedure, yet data on its effect on the gastrointestinal tract are lacking. This study sought to evaluate the incidence of small-intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) following OAGB; explore its effect on nutritional, gastrointestinal, and weight outcomes; and assess post-OABG occurrence of pancreatic exocrine insufficiency (PEI) and altered gut microbiota composition. 

Cannabis has a wide range of favorable clinical effects on pain, sleep, mood, gastrointestinal symptom, appetite and physical activity, factors that may affect the metabolic profile of the consumer. In this study, we prospectively evaluated patients recently starting medical cannabis treatment.

Letter

The use of electric bicycles (EBs) among children younger than 18 years of age is rapidly increasing worldwide and becoming a substantial contributor to road accidents. We analyzed patterns and severity of pediatric bicycle-related injuries, comparing children riding EBs and classic bicycles (CBs).

Severe autoimmune hepatitis following recovery from COVID-19 - a novel mode of liver injury triggered by SARS-COV-2?

The aim of the current review is to provide an update, from a clinician's point of view, of the main parasites causing diarrhea, with a focus on their diagnosis and management in the clinical setting.

This review aims to examine the physiological mechanisms in diabetes, risks for complications, the effects of bariatric and metabolic surgery and will shed light on whether diabetes should be reclassified.

The Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine affords indirect protection against COVID-19, which is presumably due to priming of the innate immune system. It was hypothesized that the live attenuated Varicella Zoster (LAVZ) vaccine, recommended for the elderly population, would also protect against COVID-19 infection.

T cells are central to the pathogenesis of lupus nephritis (LN), a common complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). CD6 and its ligand, activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule (ALCAM), are involved in T cell activation and trafficking. Previously, we showed that soluble ALCAM is increased in urine (uALCAM) of patients with LN, suggesting that this pathway contributes to disease. To investigate, uALCAM was examined in 1038 patients with SLE and LN from 5 ethnically diverse cohorts; CD6 and ALCAM expression was assessed in LN kidney cells; and disease contribution was tested via antibody blockade of CD6 in murine models of SLE and acute glomerulonephritis. 

Treatment failures for lupus nephritis (LN) are high with 10%-30% of patients progressing to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) within 10 years. Interstitial fibrosis/tubular atrophy (IFTA) is a predictor of progression to ESRD. Prior studies suggest that tubulointerstitial injury secondary to proteinuria in LN is mediated by complement activation in the tubules, specifically through the membrane attack complex (MAC). This study aimed to investigate the associations between tubular MAC deposition with IFTA and proteinuria.

This study assessed the performance of an automated speech analysis technology in detecting pulmonary fluid overload in patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF).

We aimed to determine the molecular and biochemical basis of an extended highly consanguineous family with multiple children presenting severe congenital hypotonia.