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Allergol Immunopathol (Madr) 2021 1;49(3):1-7. Epub 2021 May 1.

Servicio de Medicina Interna, Nuevo Hospital Civil de Guadalajara "Dr. Juan I. Menchaca", Guadalajara, México.

Background: It has recently been argued that asthma does not increase the risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. If so, the prevalence of asthma in subjects diagnosed with COVID-19 should be lower than in the general population.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of asthma in Mexican children and adults with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Read More

Liver Int 2021 Apr 25. Epub 2021 Apr 25.

NIH, Liver Disease Research Branch, Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD, USA.

Background/aims: Allopurinol can cause HLA class I-associated life-threatening severe skin reactions. However, HLA risk and association with clinical features in allopurinol hepatotoxicity are unknown.

Methods: Eleven of 17 patients with suspected allopurinol hepatotoxicity enrolled into the Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network were adjudicated as definite, highly likely, or probable. Read More

Pol Merkur Lekarski 2021 Apr;49(290):99-102

Department of Internal Disease, Nephrology and Dialysotherapy, Military Institute of Medicine, Warsaw, Poland.

Henoch-Schönlein-purpura (HSP) is a type of systemic vasculitis characterized by increased serum levels of IgA and the deposition of immune complexes mainly composed of IgA1. The cause of this disease has not yet been known. HSP mainly affects the pediatric population. Read More

BMC Nephrol 2021 Apr 22;22(1):146. Epub 2021 Apr 22.

Division of Nephrology, Dialysis, and Transplantation, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy.

Background: Inflammatory bowel diseases are characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. In particular, Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis represent the two most common types of clinical manifestations. Extraintestinal manifestations of inflammatory bowel diseases represent a common complications, probably reflecting the systemic inflammation. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2021 Apr 19;14(4). Epub 2021 Apr 19.

Department of Research and Education, Clinica Internacional SA, Lima, Peru

Trials 2021 Apr 13;22(1):276. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Hacettepe University School of Medicine, Hacettepe Mh., 06230, Ankara, Turkey.

Objectives: The primary objective is to evaluate the efficacy of an inactivated and aluminium hydroxide adsorbed SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (Sinovac, China) in voluntary participants after 14 days of the second dose against RT-PCR confirmed symptomatic COVID-19 cases. The secondary objectives include evaluating the efficacy after at least one dose of the vaccine against RT-PCR confirmed symptomatic COVID-19 cases; the efficacy of two doses of the vaccine on the rates of hospitalization and death; the safety of the vaccine including adverse reactions up to one year after the 2 dose of vaccination; and the immunogenicity of the vaccine and its duration up to 120 days.

Trial Design: This is a phase III, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled case driven clinical trial to assess the efficacy and safety of the vaccine. Read More

Zhongguo Dang Dai Er Ke Za Zhi 2021 Apr;23(4):338-342

Department of Nephrology, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing 100020, China.

Objective: To study the efficacy and safety of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) versus cyclophosphamide (CTX) in the treatment of children with Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis (HSPN) and nephrotic-range proteinuria.

Methods: A prospective clinical trial was conducted in 68 pediatric patients who were admitted to the Department of Nephrology, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Capital Institute of Pediatrics and who were diagnosed with HSPN and nephrotic-range proteinuria from August 2016 to November 2019. The patients were randomly divided into two groups:MMF treatment (=33) and CTX treatment (=35). Read More

Am J Kidney Dis 2021 05 23;77(5):796-809. Epub 2021 Mar 23.

MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC. Electronic address:

Since maintenance hemodialysis (HD) first became available in the United States in 1962, there has been tremendous growth in the population of patients with kidney failure. HD has become a routine treatment carried out in outpatient clinics, hospitals, nursing facilities, and in patients' homes. Although it is a complex procedure, HD is quite safe. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2021 Mar 25;14(3). Epub 2021 Mar 25.

Department of Medicine, Division of Hospital Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.

A 54-year-old woman presented with pruritic rash and hives of 3 days' duration followed by shortness of breath for 1 day. SARS-CoV-2 PCR test for COVID-19 was positive. Cutaneous manifestations of COVID-19 include acral lesions, urticarial rash, erythematous maculopapular rash, vascular rashes and vesicular rash. Read More

Neurogastroenterol Motil 2021 Mar 11:e14117. Epub 2021 Mar 11.

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Internal Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.

Background: We previously reported that female offspring of dams subjected to chronic prenatal stress (CPS) develop enhanced visceral hypersensitivity (VHS) following exposure to chronic stress in adult life that is mediated by up-regulation of spinal cord BDNF. The aims of this study were to examine the roles of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and an increase in spinal serotonin signaling in promoting this enhanced VHS in female rats and up-regulation of spinal cord BDNF transcription.

Methods: Pregnant dams were exposed to chronic stress from E11 until delivery. Read More

J Glob Health 2021 Feb 15;11:03029. Epub 2021 Feb 15.

Department of Biotechnology, Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University, Srinagar (Garhwal), Uttarakhand, India.

Trials 2021 Mar 8;22(1):193. Epub 2021 Mar 8.

UCL Institute of Immunity and Transplantation, Royal Free Hospital, Pond Street, London, NW3 2QG, UK.

Objectives: The objective of this trial is to assess whether early antiviral therapy in outpatients with COVID-19 with either favipiravir plus lopinavir/ritonavir, lopinavir/ritonavir alone, or favipiravir alone, is associated with a decrease in viral load of SARS-CoV-2 compared with placebo.

Trial Design: FLARE is a phase IIA randomised, double-blind, 2x2 factorial placebo-controlled, interventional trial.

Participants: This trial is being conducted in the United Kingdom, with Royal Free Hospital, London as the lead site. Read More

J Clin Invest 2021 Apr;131(7)

Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.

The A3 adenosine receptor (A3AR) has emerged as a therapeutic target with A3AR agonists to tackle the global challenge of neuropathic pain, and investigation into its mode of action is essential for ongoing clinical development. Immune cell A3ARs, and their activation during pathology, modulate cytokine release. Thus, the use of immune cells as a cellular substrate for the pharmacological action of A3AR agonists is enticing, but unknown. Read More

BMC Pulm Med 2021 Feb 11;21(1):56. Epub 2021 Feb 11.

International Healthcare Center, Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88, Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 05505, Korea.

Background: The effects of comorbidities on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have been usually studied individually in the past. In this study, we aimed to investigate the comorbidities associated with mortality, the effect of multimorbidity on mortality and other factors associated with mortality among Korean COPD population.

Methods: The Korean National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort version 2. Read More

Ren Fail 2021 Dec;43(1):335-339

Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.

The introduction of Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitor ibrutinib has made a significant progress in the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and other B-cell malignancies. Due to the reduction of cytokine release, it is effective in chronic graft-versus-host disease, and its use has also been suggested in autoimmune diseases and in prevention of COVID-19-associated lung damage. Despite this effect on the immune response, we report a severe hypersensitivity reaction in a 76-year-old male patient diagnosed with prolymphocytic leukemia. Read More

JAMA Netw Open 2021 02 1;4(2):e2036321. Epub 2021 Feb 1.

Section of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.

Importance: Rituximab is among the most frequently used immunotherapies in pediatrics. Few studies have reported long-term adverse events associated with its use for children.

Objective: To describe the use of rituximab and to assess whether its use is associated with short- or long-term adverse events, infections, or time to immune reconstitution in a diverse group of young people. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2021 Jan 27;14(1). Epub 2021 Jan 27.

Division of Infectious Disease Therapeutics, Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan.

Both the inactivated hepatitis A vaccine (Aimmugen) and purified chick embryo cell rabies vaccine (PCECV, Rabipur) are well tolerated. Anaphylaxis has rarely been reported as an adverse reaction of these vaccines. There have been no reports or published case reports of anaphylaxis due to Aimmugen. Read More

J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract 2021 03 23;9(3):1152-1162.e3. Epub 2021 Jan 23.

Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY.

Background: There is a paucity of information on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outcomes in asthmatics.

Objective: To identify risk factors associated with admission and subsequent mortality among COVID-19-infected asthmatics.

Methods: Adults at our institution with a positive polymerase chain reaction for COVID-19 between March 14 and April 27, 2020, were retrospectively identified. Read More

Methods Mol Biol 2021 ;2241:99-112

Department of Pediatrics and Microbiology, Immunology and Biochemistry, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA.

Eosinophils are granulocytes that were historically considered to be terminally differentiated at the time of bone marrow egress. However, more recent evidence provides a new outlook on these cells as complex immunomodulators that are involved in host defense and homeostasis. Our work established a role for eosinophils as mediators of antiviral immune responses during influenza in hosts that were sensitized and challenged with fungal allergens. Read More

Medicina (Kaunas) 2021 Jan 19;57(1). Epub 2021 Jan 19.

Anesthesia and Intensive Care Unit, "A. Cardarelli" Hospital, Azienda Sanitaria Regionale del Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy.

Sugammadex is a modified γ-cyclodextrin largely used to prevent postoperative residual neuromuscular blockade induced by neuromuscular aminosteroid blocking agents. Although Sugammadex is considered more efficacious and safer than other drugs, such as Neostigmine, significant and serious complications after its administration, such as hypersensitivity, anaphylaxis and, more recently, severe cardiac events, are reported. In this report, we describe the case of an 80-year-old male with no medical history of cardiovascular disease who was scheduled for percutaneous nephrolithotripsy under general anesthesia. Read More

Zhongguo Dang Dai Er Ke Za Zhi 2021 Jan;23(1):49-54

Department of Pediatrics, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221000, China.

Objective: To study the clinical effect and mechanism of total glucosides of paeony (TGP) in the adjuvant therapy for children with Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis (HSPN).

Methods: Sixty-four HSPN children with moderate proteinuria were divided into a TGP treatment group (=34) and a routine treatment group (=30) using a random number table. Thirty healthy children who underwent physical examination were enrolled as the healthy control group. Read More

J Nutr 2021 03;151(3):473-481

Department of Pediatrics, Dana-Dwek Children's Hospital, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.

We summarize here lessons learned from studies on skeletal and extra-skeletal functions of vitamin D in hereditary 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D-resistant rickets (HVDRR) patients with a mutant, nonfunctioning vitamin D receptor (VDR). During childhood, HVDRR patients are dependent on intestinal VDR, demonstrate low intestinal fraction calcium absorption, and have a bone calcium accretion rate that leads to hypocalcemia and rickets. After puberty, there is recovery in intestinal calcium absorption and in bone calcium accretion and structure. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2021 Jan 11;14(1). Epub 2021 Jan 11.

Department of Nephrology, Austin Health, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia

We present a kidney-pancreas transplant recipient who achieved complete recovery from COVID-19. A 45-year-old patient with T3 paraplegia underwent kidney-pancreas transplantation 18 years ago, followed by a subsequent kidney transplant 9 years ago, and presented with fever, hypoxia and hypotension after exposure to two confirmed cases of COVID-19. History of solid organ transplant, pre-existing renal impairment, asthma and an elevated D-dimer were identified as established risk factors for severe COVID-19. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2021 Jan 7;14(1). Epub 2021 Jan 7.

Infectious Diseaes Unit, Redcliffe Hospital, Redcliffe, Queensland, Australia.

Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) is a rare, but serious systemic hypersensitivity reaction associated with a range of medications. We present two cases of vancomycin-induced DRESS, which occurred simultaneously in the orthopaedic ward in an outer metropolitan hospital. These cases demonstrate the complexity in the diagnosis and management of this inflammatory syndrome on the background of known infection as well as evidence for linezolid as an alternative to vancomycin. Read More

Ter Arkh 2020 Oct 14;92(9):108-124. Epub 2020 Oct 14.

Endocrinology Research Centre.

The agreement of experts of the Eurasian Association of Therapists (EAT) discusses pathogenesis and treatment of COVID-19. Modern data on the characteristics of cardiovascular, kidney, respiratory damage in SARS-infected CoV-2 are presented. The tactics of managing patients initially having cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchial asthma, chronic kidney disease are discussed in detail. Read More

Toxicon 2021 Jan 17;190:73-78. Epub 2020 Dec 17.

Department of Surgery, Ngwelezana Hospital, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Kwa Zulu-Natal, South Africa.

Cytotoxic snakebite envenomation is prevalent in Kwazulu-Natal and may be associated with significant physical disability. The aim of this study was to provide an overview of the effects of cytotoxic envenomation in children. The patient population were all patients attending the Emergency Department at Ngwelezana Tertiary Hospital with snakebite from December 2014 to March 2015. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2020 Dec;99(49):e23492

Department of Nephrology.

Rationale: Understanding the association between Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) and malignancy is essential for early diagnosis and treatment of the potential lethal disease. To the best of our knowledge, there has been only one published case of HSP coexisting with oesophageal cancer. Here, we report another patient diagnosed with HSP and oesophageal squamous carcinoma simultaneously. Read More

Clin Dermatol 2020 Sep - Oct;38(5):580-583. Epub 2020 Apr 18.

Department of Dermatology, University of Connecticut, School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, USA. Electronic address:

Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic clinical manifestations (DRESS syndrome) is a potentially fatal drug reaction that is hallmarked by a hypercytokinemic state that results in organ dysfunction. For this reason, plasmapheresis and therapeutic plasma exchange are being increasingly utilized in DRESS syndrome refractory to systemic corticosteroids to remove the pathogenic cytokines that cause end-organ damage. This contribution proposes a novel approach to DRESS syndrome complicated by acute kidney injury. Read More

Life Sci 2021 Jan 18;265:118780. Epub 2020 Nov 18.

Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Experimental Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address:

This study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant capacity of phosphatidylserine liposome (PS) against oxidative stress due to cyclosporine A (CsA) and concurrent administration of PS and CsA on the attenuation of immune response. The effect of oral PS was evaluated on biochemical and oxidative renal markers and histopathology of nephrotic rats receiving CsA. The effect of co-administration of PS with CsA was also assessed on DTH (delayed-type hypersensitivity) reaction of immunized rats. Read More