חדשות המחקר

Assesses the prevalence of ophthalmic findings in patients with Darier disease, an autosomal dominant genetic skin disorder, in an effort to evaluate the need for eye examinations in the management of the disease.

The last few years have seen considerable advances in our understanding of the genetic factors influencing osteoporosis, driven by a range of break-throughs. The seven papers comprising this Research Topic together provide a timely update, describing new insights into the genetic architecture of osteoporosis, application of genetic findings to study causal inference, and state-of-the-art approaches to functional genomics, paving the road for multi-omic applications.

As liver biopsy is invasive and has poor patient acceptability. There is an unmet need for non-invasive biomarkers in NASH patients for prognostication, and
identifying patients suitable for clinical trials for treatment and monitoring. The IGF-1 protein is associated with adiposity, insulin resistance and liver fibro
genesis. We assessed the performance of IGF-1 generation test in NAFLD patients after single SC Growth Hormone (GH) administration

Data regarding the risks of obstetrical anal sphincter injury (OASI) among women who never delivered vaginally undergoing a trial of labor after cesarean (TOLAC) are scarce. We aimed to evaluate the risk factors and the rate of OASI among women undergoing TOLAC who never delivered vaginally.

A 31-year-old male amateur bodybuilder presented with a 2-year history of chronic pain over the sternum and a clicking sensation in the chest wall on movement. Ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed no cause for his symptoms. Dynamic ultrasound scan performed at a specialist sports center revealed pseudoarthrosis of the manubriosternal joint (MSJ). After a period of conservative management (rest and analgesia), he failed to improve and underwent debridement and fusion of the MSJ with plates and screws. At follow-up 23 months later, he remains pain-free and has returned to weight lifting and bodybuilding.

The association between bullous pemphigoid (BP) and melanoma is yet to be investigated. We aimed to assess assess the bidirectional association between BP and melanoma and to delineate the epidemiological features of patients with both diagno

During infectious disease outbreaks, the weakest communities are more vulnerable to infection and its deleterious effects. In Israel, the Arab and Ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities have unique demographic and cultural characteristics that place them at higher risk of infection. Examines socioeconomic and ethnic differences in rates of COVID-19 testing, confirmed cases and deaths, and analyzes patterns of transmission in ethnically diverse communities.

During March and April 2020, reductions in non-COVID-19 hospital admissions were observed around the world. Elective surgeries, visits with general practitioners, and diagnoses of medical emergencies were consequently delayed. Compares the characteristics of patients admitted to a northern Israeli hospital with common surgical complaints during three periods: the lockdown due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Second Lebanon War in 2006, and a regular period.

(Ibrahim Abu Shakra, Maxim Bez, Samer Ganam, Rola Francis, Amir Muati, Amitai Bickel, Fahed Merei, Khatib Kamal, Eli Kakiashvili)

Objective: To confirm an increase in the number of women with molar pregnancy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The current SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, which causes COVID-19, is particularly devastating for individuals with chronic medical conditions, in particular those with Down Syndrome (DS) who often exhibit a higher prevalence of respiratory tract infections, immune dysregulation and potential complications. The incidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is much higher in DS than in the general population, possibly increasing further the risk of COVID-19 infection and its complications. Here we provide a biological overview with regard to specific susceptibility of individuals with DS to SARS-CoV-2 infection as well as data from a recent survey on the prevalence of COVID-19 among them.

The recently emerged SARS-CoV-2 virus is responsible for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that has rapidly developed into a global public health threat. Patients severely affected with COVID-19 present distinct clinical features, including acute respiratory disorder, neutrophilia, cytokine storm, and sepsis. In addition, multiple pro-inflammatory cytokines are found in the plasma of such patients. Transcriptome sequencing of different specimens obtained from patients suffering from severe episodes of COVID-19 shows dynamics in terms of their immune responses. However, those host factors required for SARS-CoV-2 propagation and the underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for dysfunctional immune responses during COVID-19 infection remain elusive. In the present study, we analyzed the mRNA-long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) co-expression network derived from publicly available SARS-CoV-2-infected transcriptome data of human lung epithelial cell lines and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from COVID-19 patients.

Antenatal corticosteroids undoubtedly save many lives and improve the quality of many others. However, the currently accepted dosage schedule has been in place since 1972, and recent studies have suggested that beneficial effects may be seen with less. Most but not all studies of long-term outcome show no adverse effects. The use of antenatal corticosteroids in women with COVID-19 raises important questions regarding potential risks and benefits. However, currently, most authorities recommend continuing according to published guidelines. With regard to postnatal corticosteroids, alternatives to systemic dexamethasone, the somewhat tainted standard of care, show promise in preventing bronchopulmonary dysplasia without adverse effects. Systemic hydrocortisone and inhaled corticosteroids are of note. The mixture of surfactant and corticosteroids deserves particular attention in the coming years.

Activated clotting time (ACT)-based heparin dosing during percutaneous intervention (PCI) is recommended by Society guidelines. However, the relationship between ACT and outcome in the setting of elective PCI has not been sufficiently studied. We sought to evaluate the in-hospital outcome of patients undergoing elective PCI while receiving fixed-dose heparin without ACT measurement versus those with ACT-guided management. (Oron Berkowitz, Majdi Halabi, Alexander Goldberg, Inna Rosenfeld, Adi Sharabi-Nov, Zippi Regev-Avraham, Zeev Israeli)

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a well-known underlying comorbidity of pyoderma gangrenosum (PG). However, the risk conferred by UC for the subsequent development of PG is yet to be elucidated. We aimed to estimate the magnitude of the association between UC and the subsequent occurrence of PG, which would enable us to assess the odds of PG developing in individuals with a history of UC.

Pemphigus is an epidemiologically heterogeneous group of autoimmune bullous diseases comprising pemphigus vulgaris (PV), pemphigus foliaceus, paraneoplastic pemphigus, IgA pemphigus, and pemphigus herpetiformis. Recently, our knowledge about the frequency of pemphigus, which is highly variable between different populations, has considerably expanded, and the first non-HLA genes associated with PV have been identified. In addition, a variety of comorbidities, including other autoimmune diseases, hematological malignancies, and psoriasis, have been described in this variant. Here, initial data about the impact of COVID-19 on this fragile patient population are discussed and perspectives for future epidemiological studies are outlined.