Recent Publications

Analyzes the risk for clinically significant microarray aberrations in pregnancies with polyhydramnios.

The discovery that sclerostin is the defective protein underlying the rare heritable bone mass disorder, sclerosteosis, ultimately led to development of anti-sclerostin antibodies as a new treatment for osteoporosis. In the era of large scale GWAS, many additional genetic signals associated with bone mass and related traits have since been reported. However, how best to interrogate these signals in order to identify the underlying gene responsible for these genetic associations, a prerequisite for identifying drug targets for further treatments, remains a challenge...

Mortality rates of COVID-19 continue to rise across the world. The majority of patients dies from Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), pulmonary embolism and from cytokine storm syndrome. We describe the case of 52 years old women, with ARDS and Cytokines Storm Syndrome (CSS) who survived.

Acute respiratory distress can occur in patients with COVID-19 disease due to viral replication of SARS-COV-2 and an uncontrolled immune inflammatory reaction. We compared the  efficacy of intravenous methylprednisolone and intravenous dexamethasone on mortality rate in severe COVID-19 patients with pneumonia and hypoxemia using the new 4C mortality score on admission and on discharge

Bacteremia leading to sepsis and organ dysfunction is a life-threatening situation, leading to death of up to one fourth of the infected individuals around the world. One major challenge in the treatment of sepsis is the rising prevalence of antibiotic resistant bacteria, such as carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE). In recent years, several molecular assays have been developed for the detection of CRE mechanisms, enabling rapid results reporting. We evaluated the performance of the NG-Test CARBA 5 (NG Biotech) kit in detection of CRE in simulated blood cultures

Evaluates the effect of medical cannabis consumption on oral flora and saliva.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common leukemia in adults in the western world. One of the treatments offered for CLL is immunotherapy. These treatments activate various cellular and biochemical mechanisms, using the complement system. Recently it was shown that the complement system in CLL patients is persistently activated at a low level through the classical pathway (CP). The mechanism of chronic CP activation involves the formation of IgG-hexamers (IgG-aggregates). According to recent studies, formation of ordered IgG-hexamers occurs on cell surfaces via specific interactions between Fc regions of the IgG monomers, which occur after antigen binding. The present study investigated the formation of IgG-hexamers in CLL patients and normal (non-malignant) controls (NC), their ability to activate complement, their incidence as cell-free and cell-bound forms and the identity of the antigen causing their formation. (Naseba Naseraldeen, Regina Michelis, Masad Barhoum, Judith Chezar, Adi Litmanovich, Galia Stemer, Ety Shaoul, Andrei Braester)

The BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine showed high efficacy in clinical trials but observational data from populations not included in trials are needed. We describe immunogenicity 21 days post-dose 1 among 514 Israeli healthcare workers by age, ethnicity, sex and prior COVID-19 infection. Immunogenicity was similar by ethnicity and sex but decreased with age. Those with prior infection had antibody titres one magnitude order higher than naïve individuals regardless of the presence of detectable IgG antibodies pre-vaccination. (Kamal Abu Jabal, Hila Ben-Amram, Karine Beiruti, Yunis Batheesh, Christian Sussan, Salman Zarka, Michael Edelstein)

The interactions between antibodies, SARS-CoV-2 and immune cells contribute to the pathogenesis of COVID-19 and protective immunity. To understand the differences between antibody responses in mild versus severe cases of COVID-19, we analyzed the B cell responses in patients 1.5 months post SARS-CoV-2 infection. 

The origin of provoked vulvodynia (PV), the main cause of entry dyspareunia, remains unclear, and the treatment is empiric. In this study, we aimed to investigate the long-term effects of physical therapy on PV in subjects using questionnaire concerning PV symptoms immediately after physical therapy and at least 10 years later.

The COVID-19 pandemic spread rapidly across the globe, leading governments to impose prolonged lockdowns on both movement and commerce. Although lockdowns decrease the rates of novel infections, they can have devastating consequences on the economy and employment levels. One of the most severely affected sectors during this crisis has been dental medicine. Dental professionals are uniquely exposed to environments with high levels of occupational hazards, conferring additional risks of viral exposure and transmission. We analyzed 506 anonymous questionnaires completed by dentists and residents regarding acceptance of a future potential SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. (Asaf Zigron, Amiel A Dror, Tali Shani, Tharwat Haj Khalil, Netanel Eisenbach, Doaa Rayan, Amani Daoud, Fares Kablan, Eyal Sela, Samer Srouji_

Protein C global assay tests the global function of the protein C pathway, the most clinically significant anticoagulant pathway in humans. The objective of this study is to assess the difference in protein C global assay levels, throughout twin gestation, in naturally conceiving and ART-treated women. (Johnny S Younis, Mariana Issawy,  Izhar Ben-Shlomo, Sofia Soltsman, Yuri Perlitz, Moshe Ben-Ami)

Previous research has demonstrated that various properties of infectious diseases can be inferred from online search behaviour. In this work we use time series of online search query frequencies to gain insights about the prevalence of COVID-19 in multiple countries.

Examines the clinical, demographic, and microbiologic characteristics of new rectal carbapenemase-producing carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CP-CRE) carriers vs. those with a clinical infection, hospitalized at Padeh-Poriya Medical Center between 2014 and 2017 and to examine the susceptibility profiles of isolates from clinical infections.