Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) gene editing is an innovative and potentially game-changing biotechnology that can potentially reverse DNA mutations in a tissue-specific manner. In addition, CRISPR is being targeted for xenotransplantation, for increasing human longevity, in animal breeding, and in plant science. However, there are many ethical challenges that emerge from CRISPR technology. This article discusses several positions that relate to these ethical challenges from a Jewish legal perspective. In addition, we present several other applications of CRISPR technology that lack a defined Jewish legal precedent and require rabbinical scholars to address and resolve them in the future.
{"title":"CRISPR Technology: A Jewish Legal Perspective.","authors":"John D Loike, Rabbi Tzvi Flaum","doi":"10.5041/RMMJ.10487","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5041/RMMJ.10487","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) gene editing is an innovative and potentially game-changing biotechnology that can potentially reverse DNA mutations in a tissue-specific manner. In addition, CRISPR is being targeted for xenotransplantation, for increasing human longevity, in animal breeding, and in plant science. However, there are many ethical challenges that emerge from CRISPR technology. This article discusses several positions that relate to these ethical challenges from a Jewish legal perspective. In addition, we present several other applications of CRISPR technology that lack a defined Jewish legal precedent and require rabbinical scholars to address and resolve them in the future.</p>","PeriodicalId":46408,"journal":{"name":"Rambam Maimonides Medical Journal","volume":"13 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2022-10-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9622389/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40692860","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Objectives Anti-osteoporotic drugs (AOD) are essential for secondary prevention of osteoporotic fracture (OF) in patients with established osteoporosis. However, data about AOD utilization rates are scarce among patients with OF. This study was therefore aimed at determining the AOD utilization rates among those particularly vulnerable patients. Materials and Methods This cross-sectional study followed the medical records of patients with OF starting from their first OF diagnosis date. Each patient’s preventive osteoporosis treatments (vitamin D, calcium+vitamin D) and AOD utilization rate were recorded for a 12-month period following OF diagnosis. Results A total of 210 patients (168 females, mean age: 67.8±11.9 years; 42 males, mean age 62.4±16.1 years) were enrolled in the study. Of these, 65.7% (n=138) did not use any medication for primary protection against osteoporosis before OF diagnosis. The ratio of patients not using any type of medication for secondary prevention after OF increased from 26.5% to 51% during a 12-month period. In addition, by one year following diagnosis, AOD usage rate had decreased from 62.3% to 41.3%. Conclusion The AOD usage rates for secondary prevention of OF were insufficient, and cessation rates were high. Identification of factors associated with decreased AOD utility rates will provide important information for guiding patient follow-up in order to reduce the occurrence of OF.
{"title":"Anti-osteoporotic Drug Utilization Rates for Secondary Prevention Among Patients with Osteoporotic Fractures","authors":"C. Aypak, Mustafa Bircan, Ayşe Özdemir","doi":"10.5041/RMMJ.10473","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5041/RMMJ.10473","url":null,"abstract":"Objectives Anti-osteoporotic drugs (AOD) are essential for secondary prevention of osteoporotic fracture (OF) in patients with established osteoporosis. However, data about AOD utilization rates are scarce among patients with OF. This study was therefore aimed at determining the AOD utilization rates among those particularly vulnerable patients. Materials and Methods This cross-sectional study followed the medical records of patients with OF starting from their first OF diagnosis date. Each patient’s preventive osteoporosis treatments (vitamin D, calcium+vitamin D) and AOD utilization rate were recorded for a 12-month period following OF diagnosis. Results A total of 210 patients (168 females, mean age: 67.8±11.9 years; 42 males, mean age 62.4±16.1 years) were enrolled in the study. Of these, 65.7% (n=138) did not use any medication for primary protection against osteoporosis before OF diagnosis. The ratio of patients not using any type of medication for secondary prevention after OF increased from 26.5% to 51% during a 12-month period. In addition, by one year following diagnosis, AOD usage rate had decreased from 62.3% to 41.3%. Conclusion The AOD usage rates for secondary prevention of OF were insufficient, and cessation rates were high. Identification of factors associated with decreased AOD utility rates will provide important information for guiding patient follow-up in order to reduce the occurrence of OF.","PeriodicalId":46408,"journal":{"name":"Rambam Maimonides Medical Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2022-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43129072","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
K. Hussein, Y. Shachor-Meyouhas, H. Dabaja-Younis, Moran Szwarcwort-Cohen, J. Tarabeia, A. Weissman, M. Mekel, G. Hyams, M. Halberthal
Background With the availability of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine, concerns have been raised regarding pre-vaccination seroprevalence in healthcare workers (HCW). This study examines the seroprevalence of HCW at an Israeli tertiary medical center before first BNT162b2 vaccination. Methods This was a retrospective observational study. Before vaccination, HCW at our center were offered serological testing. Data on their epidemiological, workplace, and quarantine history were collected. The SARS-CoV-2 IgG assay was performed pre-vaccination. Results A total of 4,519 (82.5%) of the HCW were tested. Of these, 210 were seropositive; 101 had no known history of COVID-19. Of the 101 asymptomatic HCW, only 3 (3%) had worked at COVID-19 departments, and 70 (69.3%) had not been previously quarantined. Positive serology was similarly distributed across age groups, and about 40% had no children. Nearly half of the HCW tested were administrative and service staff. Overall, seropositive tests were associated with having no children (OR 1.42, 95% CI 1.06–1.89; P=0.0218), history of having been quarantined without proof of disease (OR 6.04, 95% CI 4.55–8.01; P<0.001), and Arab ethnicity (OR 3.36, 95% CI 2.54–4.43; P<0.001). Seropositivity was also more prevalent in members of the administration compared to other sectors, medical and paramedical, who are exposed to patients in their daily work (OR 1.365, 95% CI 1.02–1.82; P=0.04). Conclusions The low percentage of asymptomatic COVID-19 among our HCW may reflect the high compliance to personal protective equipment use despite treating hundreds of COVID-19 patients. The relatively high number of childless seropositive HCW could reflect misconceptions regarding children as a main source of infection, leading to carelessness regarding the need for appropriate out-of-hospital protection.
随着2019冠状病毒病(COVID-19)疫苗的可用性，人们对卫生保健工作者(HCW)疫苗接种前的血清阳性率提出了关注。本研究在以色列三级医疗中心首次接种BNT162b2疫苗前检测HCW的血清阳性率。方法回顾性观察性研究。接种前，本中心对HCW进行血清学检测。收集了他们的流行病学、工作场所和检疫史数据。接种前进行SARS-CoV-2 IgG检测。结果共检出4519例(82.5%)HCW。其中，210例血清阳性;101人没有已知的COVID-19病史。101例无症状感染者中，仅有3例(3%)曾在新冠科室工作，70例(69.3%)未被隔离。血清学阳性在各年龄组的分布相似，约40%没有孩子。近一半的HCW测试是行政和服务人员。总体而言，血清检测阳性与无子女相关(OR 1.42, 95% CI 1.06-1.89;P=0.0218)、无疾病证明的隔离史(OR 6.04, 95% CI 4.55-8.01;P<0.001)，阿拉伯民族(OR 3.36, 95% CI 2.54-4.43;P < 0.001)。与在日常工作中与患者接触的其他部门、医疗和辅助医疗部门相比，行政部门成员的血清阳性反应也更为普遍(OR 1.365, 95% CI 1.02-1.82;P = 0.04)。结论我市医护人员无症状感染者比例较低，可能反映了我市在收治数百例新冠肺炎患者的情况下，对个人防护装备的使用依从性较高。无子女的HCW血清学阳性人数相对较高，可能反映了将儿童视为主要感染源的误解，导致对适当的院外保护的必要性的粗心大意。
{"title":"COVID-19: Healthcare Workers May Be at Greater Risk Outside Their Work Environment—A Retrospective Observational Study","authors":"K. Hussein, Y. Shachor-Meyouhas, H. Dabaja-Younis, Moran Szwarcwort-Cohen, J. Tarabeia, A. Weissman, M. Mekel, G. Hyams, M. Halberthal","doi":"10.5041/RMMJ.10469","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5041/RMMJ.10469","url":null,"abstract":"Background With the availability of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine, concerns have been raised regarding pre-vaccination seroprevalence in healthcare workers (HCW). This study examines the seroprevalence of HCW at an Israeli tertiary medical center before first BNT162b2 vaccination. Methods This was a retrospective observational study. Before vaccination, HCW at our center were offered serological testing. Data on their epidemiological, workplace, and quarantine history were collected. The SARS-CoV-2 IgG assay was performed pre-vaccination. Results A total of 4,519 (82.5%) of the HCW were tested. Of these, 210 were seropositive; 101 had no known history of COVID-19. Of the 101 asymptomatic HCW, only 3 (3%) had worked at COVID-19 departments, and 70 (69.3%) had not been previously quarantined. Positive serology was similarly distributed across age groups, and about 40% had no children. Nearly half of the HCW tested were administrative and service staff. Overall, seropositive tests were associated with having no children (OR 1.42, 95% CI 1.06–1.89; P=0.0218), history of having been quarantined without proof of disease (OR 6.04, 95% CI 4.55–8.01; P<0.001), and Arab ethnicity (OR 3.36, 95% CI 2.54–4.43; P<0.001). Seropositivity was also more prevalent in members of the administration compared to other sectors, medical and paramedical, who are exposed to patients in their daily work (OR 1.365, 95% CI 1.02–1.82; P=0.04). Conclusions The low percentage of asymptomatic COVID-19 among our HCW may reflect the high compliance to personal protective equipment use despite treating hundreds of COVID-19 patients. The relatively high number of childless seropositive HCW could reflect misconceptions regarding children as a main source of infection, leading to carelessness regarding the need for appropriate out-of-hospital protection.","PeriodicalId":46408,"journal":{"name":"Rambam Maimonides Medical Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2022-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42873598","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Breast cancer is a common malignancy and a common cause of cancer-related mortality in women. Pre-treatment workup of breast cancer does not routinely include positron emission tomography scans. We aimed to review cases of women with breast cancer and a synchronous second primary malignancy. We present three cases of women with non-metastatic cancer in whom a synchronous second primary malignancy was found. Synchronous, second primary malignancies which were identified included rectal cancer, gastrointestinal stromal tumor, and non-small cell lung cancer. All second primary malignancies were identified by a PET-CT scan. In conclusion, PET-CT may be used for detection of secondary primary malignancies in select breast cancer patients.
{"title":"Synchronous Malignancies Identified by PET-CT Scan in Breast Cancer Patients","authors":"M. Paran, K. Shulman, B. Kessel, Jasmin Dagan","doi":"10.5041/RMMJ.10472","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5041/RMMJ.10472","url":null,"abstract":"Breast cancer is a common malignancy and a common cause of cancer-related mortality in women. Pre-treatment workup of breast cancer does not routinely include positron emission tomography scans. We aimed to review cases of women with breast cancer and a synchronous second primary malignancy. We present three cases of women with non-metastatic cancer in whom a synchronous second primary malignancy was found. Synchronous, second primary malignancies which were identified included rectal cancer, gastrointestinal stromal tumor, and non-small cell lung cancer. All second primary malignancies were identified by a PET-CT scan. In conclusion, PET-CT may be used for detection of secondary primary malignancies in select breast cancer patients.","PeriodicalId":46408,"journal":{"name":"Rambam Maimonides Medical Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2022-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48933852","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Rithvik Ramesh, Viswanathan Pandurangan, Sudha Madhavan, D. Srinivasan, E. Bhaskar, Lakshmi Marappa, Aiswarya M Nair, Vaasanthi Rajendran, Priyadarshini Varadaraj
Background Hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance occurs in obese patients with primary hypertension independent of diabetes and obesity. This study was aimed at assessing serum fasting insulin levels, the homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and serum lipid levels in non-obese patients with primary hypertension when compared to normotensive subjects. Methods This observational study comprised 100 patients over 18 years of age, divided into two groups. The hypertensive group comprised non-obese patients with primary hypertension (n=50); the normotensive group comprised normotensive age- and sex-matched individuals (n=50). Patients with diabetes, impaired fasting glucose, obesity, and other causative factors of insulin resistance were excluded from the study. Serum fasting insulin levels and fasting lipid profiles were measured, and insulin resistance was calculated using HOMA-IR. These data were compared between the two groups. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to assess the extent of a linear relationship between HOMA-IR and to evaluate the association between HOMA-IR and systolic and diastolic blood pressures. Results Mean serum fasting insulin levels (mIU/L), mean HOMA-IR values, and fasting triglyceride levels (mg/dL) were significantly higher in the hypertensive versus normotensive patients (10.32 versus 6.46, P<0.001; 1.35 versus 0.84, P<0.001; 113.70 versus 97.04, P=0.005, respectively). The HOMA-IR levels were associated with systolic blood pressure (r value 0.764, P=0.0005). Conclusion We observed significantly higher fasting insulin levels, serum triglyceride levels, and HOMA-IR reflecting hyperinsulinemia and possibly an insulin-resistant state among primary hypertension patients with no other causally linked factors for insulin resistance. We observed a significant correlation between systolic blood pressure and HOMA-IR.
背景:高胰岛素血症和胰岛素抵抗发生在与糖尿病和肥胖无关的肥胖原发性高血压患者中。本研究旨在评估非肥胖原发性高血压患者与正常高血压患者的空腹胰岛素水平、胰岛素抵抗稳态模型评估(HOMA-IR)和血脂水平。方法观察性研究纳入100例18岁以上患者，随机分为两组。高血压组为非肥胖原发性高血压患者(n=50);正常血压组由年龄和性别匹配的正常血压个体组成(n=50)。伴有糖尿病、空腹血糖受损、肥胖和其他胰岛素抵抗因素的患者被排除在研究之外。测定空腹血清胰岛素水平和空腹血脂，并用HOMA-IR计算胰岛素抵抗。将这些数据在两组之间进行比较。Pearson相关系数用于评估HOMA-IR之间的线性关系程度，以及评估HOMA-IR与收缩压和舒张压之间的关系。结果高血压患者的平均空腹血清胰岛素水平(mIU/L)、平均HOMA-IR值和空腹甘油三酯水平(mg/dL)显著高于正常高血压患者(10.32比6.46,P<0.001;1.35 vs 0.84, P<0.001;113.70 vs 97.04, P=0.005)。HOMA-IR水平与收缩压相关(r值0.764,P=0.0005)。结论:我们观察到原发性高血压患者空腹胰岛素水平、血清甘油三酯水平和HOMA-IR水平明显升高，反映了高胰岛素血症和可能的胰岛素抵抗状态，没有其他与胰岛素抵抗相关的因果因素。我们观察到收缩压和HOMA-IR之间有显著的相关性。
{"title":"Comparison of Fasting Insulin Level, Homeostatic Model of Insulin Resistance, and Lipid Levels between Patients with Primary Hypertension and Normotensive Subjects","authors":"Rithvik Ramesh, Viswanathan Pandurangan, Sudha Madhavan, D. Srinivasan, E. Bhaskar, Lakshmi Marappa, Aiswarya M Nair, Vaasanthi Rajendran, Priyadarshini Varadaraj","doi":"10.5041/RMMJ.10468","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5041/RMMJ.10468","url":null,"abstract":"Background Hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance occurs in obese patients with primary hypertension independent of diabetes and obesity. This study was aimed at assessing serum fasting insulin levels, the homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and serum lipid levels in non-obese patients with primary hypertension when compared to normotensive subjects. Methods This observational study comprised 100 patients over 18 years of age, divided into two groups. The hypertensive group comprised non-obese patients with primary hypertension (n=50); the normotensive group comprised normotensive age- and sex-matched individuals (n=50). Patients with diabetes, impaired fasting glucose, obesity, and other causative factors of insulin resistance were excluded from the study. Serum fasting insulin levels and fasting lipid profiles were measured, and insulin resistance was calculated using HOMA-IR. These data were compared between the two groups. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to assess the extent of a linear relationship between HOMA-IR and to evaluate the association between HOMA-IR and systolic and diastolic blood pressures. Results Mean serum fasting insulin levels (mIU/L), mean HOMA-IR values, and fasting triglyceride levels (mg/dL) were significantly higher in the hypertensive versus normotensive patients (10.32 versus 6.46, P<0.001; 1.35 versus 0.84, P<0.001; 113.70 versus 97.04, P=0.005, respectively). The HOMA-IR levels were associated with systolic blood pressure (r value 0.764, P=0.0005). Conclusion We observed significantly higher fasting insulin levels, serum triglyceride levels, and HOMA-IR reflecting hyperinsulinemia and possibly an insulin-resistant state among primary hypertension patients with no other causally linked factors for insulin resistance. We observed a significant correlation between systolic blood pressure and HOMA-IR.","PeriodicalId":46408,"journal":{"name":"Rambam Maimonides Medical Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2022-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48627523","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
P. Chaturvedi, A. Singh, A. Bhattacharjee, V. Tuljapurkar, D. Nair, D. Chaukar, R. Dikshit
Background Early thyroid cancers have excellent long-term outcomes, yet the word “cancer” draws unnecessary apprehension. This study aimed to define when the recommendations for observation and surveillance may be extended to early thyroid cancers at the population level. Methods Non-metastasized thyroid cancers ≤40 mm diameter were identified from the 1975–2016 Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. Causes of death were compared across demographic data. Disease-specific outcomes were compared to the age-adjusted healthy United States (US) population. Survival estimates were computed using Kaplan–Meier and compared using the Cox proportional hazard model. Dynamic benchmarks impacting disease-specific overall survival were determined by decision tree modeling and tested by the Cox model. Results Of the 28,728 thyroid cancers included in this study, 98.4% underwent some form of thyroid-specific treatment and were followed for a maximum of 10.9 years. This group had a 4.3% mortality rate at the end of follow-up (10.9 years maximum), with 13 times more deaths attributed to competing risks rather than thyroid cancer (stage T1a versus stage T1b, P=1.000; T1 versus T2, P<0.001). Among the untreated T1a or T1b tumors, the risk of disease-specific death was 21 times lower than death due to other causes. There was no significant difference between T1a and T1b tumors nor across sex. The age-adjusted risk of death for the healthy US population was higher than for the population with thyroid cancer. Dynamic categorization demonstrated worsening outcomes up to 73 years, uninfluenced by sex or tumor size. For patients over 73 years of age, only tumors >26 mm impacted outcomes. Conclusion Based on the current data, T1a and T1b nodules have similar survival outcomes and are not significantly impacted even when left untreated. Multi-institutional prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings so that current observation and surveillance recommendations can be extended to certain T1 thyroid nodules.
{"title":"Population-level Outcomes of Early Thyroid Cancers: A Need to Revisit Current Practice","authors":"P. Chaturvedi, A. Singh, A. Bhattacharjee, V. Tuljapurkar, D. Nair, D. Chaukar, R. Dikshit","doi":"10.5041/RMMJ.10467","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5041/RMMJ.10467","url":null,"abstract":"Background Early thyroid cancers have excellent long-term outcomes, yet the word “cancer” draws unnecessary apprehension. This study aimed to define when the recommendations for observation and surveillance may be extended to early thyroid cancers at the population level. Methods Non-metastasized thyroid cancers ≤40 mm diameter were identified from the 1975–2016 Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. Causes of death were compared across demographic data. Disease-specific outcomes were compared to the age-adjusted healthy United States (US) population. Survival estimates were computed using Kaplan–Meier and compared using the Cox proportional hazard model. Dynamic benchmarks impacting disease-specific overall survival were determined by decision tree modeling and tested by the Cox model. Results Of the 28,728 thyroid cancers included in this study, 98.4% underwent some form of thyroid-specific treatment and were followed for a maximum of 10.9 years. This group had a 4.3% mortality rate at the end of follow-up (10.9 years maximum), with 13 times more deaths attributed to competing risks rather than thyroid cancer (stage T1a versus stage T1b, P=1.000; T1 versus T2, P<0.001). Among the untreated T1a or T1b tumors, the risk of disease-specific death was 21 times lower than death due to other causes. There was no significant difference between T1a and T1b tumors nor across sex. The age-adjusted risk of death for the healthy US population was higher than for the population with thyroid cancer. Dynamic categorization demonstrated worsening outcomes up to 73 years, uninfluenced by sex or tumor size. For patients over 73 years of age, only tumors >26 mm impacted outcomes. Conclusion Based on the current data, T1a and T1b nodules have similar survival outcomes and are not significantly impacted even when left untreated. Multi-institutional prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings so that current observation and surveillance recommendations can be extended to certain T1 thyroid nodules.","PeriodicalId":46408,"journal":{"name":"Rambam Maimonides Medical Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2022-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43901564","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Clair Habib, I. Maor, I. Shoris, Svetlana Tsuprun, D. Bader, A. Riskin
Background Transthyretin (TTR), also known as prealbumin, has been suggested as an indicator of protein and nutritional status. Objective The aim of this study was to examine the maternal and umbilical cord (UC) TTR in relation to intrauterine growth, and the serum TTR of preterm infants in relation to nutritional status and growth. Methods After application of exclusion criteria, 49 preterm infants (mean gestational age and birth-weight 32.9±2.9 weeks and 1822±556 g) were included in the study. Transthyretin was sampled at birth and on days 14, 28, and at discharge with growth parameters and nutritional laboratory test results. Results Mean UC and maternal TTR were positively correlated (8.5±2.4 mg/dL and 20.4±7.0 mg/dL, r=0.31, P=0.07). Umbilical cord TTR was neither an index of maturity nor of intrauterine growth. Umbilical cord TTR was higher in females (9.4±2.6 versus 7.6±1.8 mg/dL, P=0.015). Maternal TTR was lower in twin pregnancies (16.8±4.9 versus 22.5±7.3 mg/dL, P=0.007). Although TTR levels gradually increased over time in correlation with post-menstrual and chronological ages (r=0.24, P=0.011 and r=0.40, P<0.001, respectively), there was no correlation to weight gain (r=0.10, P=0.41), nutritional status, protein intake, or nutritional laboratory test results. The only significant correlations were between TTR and glucose and triglycerides levels (r=0.51, P<0.001 for both). Conclusions Although TTR levels increased over time, we could not demonstrate significant correlations between TTR and indices of the nutritional status in preterm infants at birth or during the neonatal course.
转甲状腺素(TTR)，也称为前白蛋白，已被认为是蛋白质和营养状况的指标。目的探讨母体和脐带(UC) TTR与宫内生长的关系，以及血清TTR与早产儿营养状况和生长的关系。方法采用排除标准，49例早产儿(平均胎龄32.9±2.9周，出生体重1822±556 g)纳入研究。在出生时、第14天、第28天和出院时采集甲状腺素，并记录生长参数和营养实验室检测结果。结果平均UC与母体TTR呈正相关(分别为8.5±2.4 mg/dL和20.4±7.0 mg/dL, r=0.31, P=0.07)。脐带TTR既不是成熟的指标，也不是宫内生长的指标。女性脐带TTR较高(9.4±2.6 vs 7.6±1.8 mg/dL, P=0.015)。双胎妊娠的母体TTR较低(16.8±4.9 vs 22.5±7.3 mg/dL, P=0.007)。虽然TTR水平随着时间的推移逐渐增加，与月经后和实际年龄相关(r=0.24, P=0.011和r=0.40, P<0.001)，但与体重增加(r=0.10, P=0.41)、营养状况、蛋白质摄入量或营养实验室检测结果无关。唯一显著相关的是TTR与葡萄糖和甘油三酯水平之间(r=0.51, P<0.001)。结论:虽然TTR水平随着时间的推移而升高，但我们不能证明TTR与早产儿出生时或新生儿病程中的营养状况指标之间存在显著相关性。
{"title":"Umbilical Cord and Neonatal Transthyretin and Their Relationship to Growth and Nutrition in Preterm Infants","authors":"Clair Habib, I. Maor, I. Shoris, Svetlana Tsuprun, D. Bader, A. Riskin","doi":"10.5041/RMMJ.10470","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5041/RMMJ.10470","url":null,"abstract":"Background Transthyretin (TTR), also known as prealbumin, has been suggested as an indicator of protein and nutritional status. Objective The aim of this study was to examine the maternal and umbilical cord (UC) TTR in relation to intrauterine growth, and the serum TTR of preterm infants in relation to nutritional status and growth. Methods After application of exclusion criteria, 49 preterm infants (mean gestational age and birth-weight 32.9±2.9 weeks and 1822±556 g) were included in the study. Transthyretin was sampled at birth and on days 14, 28, and at discharge with growth parameters and nutritional laboratory test results. Results Mean UC and maternal TTR were positively correlated (8.5±2.4 mg/dL and 20.4±7.0 mg/dL, r=0.31, P=0.07). Umbilical cord TTR was neither an index of maturity nor of intrauterine growth. Umbilical cord TTR was higher in females (9.4±2.6 versus 7.6±1.8 mg/dL, P=0.015). Maternal TTR was lower in twin pregnancies (16.8±4.9 versus 22.5±7.3 mg/dL, P=0.007). Although TTR levels gradually increased over time in correlation with post-menstrual and chronological ages (r=0.24, P=0.011 and r=0.40, P<0.001, respectively), there was no correlation to weight gain (r=0.10, P=0.41), nutritional status, protein intake, or nutritional laboratory test results. The only significant correlations were between TTR and glucose and triglycerides levels (r=0.51, P<0.001 for both). Conclusions Although TTR levels increased over time, we could not demonstrate significant correlations between TTR and indices of the nutritional status in preterm infants at birth or during the neonatal course.","PeriodicalId":46408,"journal":{"name":"Rambam Maimonides Medical Journal","volume":"8 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2022-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41286107","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
In the management of malignant thyroid disorders, the standard primary treatment is thyroidectomy, a surgical resection of the thyroid gland. This procedure has been performed for over a century. Hence, it comes as no surprise that it is not only exceedingly well-described in the literature. This issue of Rambam Maimonides Medical Journal includes an article by Chaturvedi et al. that challenges the standard widely-practiced clinical inclination toward surgery as the first and best option for all patients with early thyroid cancer. This editorial discusses the issues raised by the authors and points out the importance of ongoing research to determine when standards of care should be modified in the light of low-risk disease.
{"title":"Editorial: Does Every Thyroid Cancer Patient Need Surgery?","authors":"Ziv Gil, S. Billan","doi":"10.5041/RMMJ.10471","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5041/RMMJ.10471","url":null,"abstract":"In the management of malignant thyroid disorders, the standard primary treatment is thyroidectomy, a surgical resection of the thyroid gland. This procedure has been performed for over a century. Hence, it comes as no surprise that it is not only exceedingly well-described in the literature. This issue of Rambam Maimonides Medical Journal includes an article by Chaturvedi et al. that challenges the standard widely-practiced clinical inclination toward surgery as the first and best option for all patients with early thyroid cancer. This editorial discusses the issues raised by the authors and points out the importance of ongoing research to determine when standards of care should be modified in the light of low-risk disease.","PeriodicalId":46408,"journal":{"name":"Rambam Maimonides Medical Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2022-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46509886","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Today, in the 21st century, most people are aware of the term genocide. However, few people are aware that this term only entered the English language in the 1940s, as a result of the dedicated work of a brilliant and successful man who deprived himself of a private family life so that he could be free to fight for his ideas. Although Raphael Lemkin was instrumental in the recognition of genocide by the United Nations, he died too early and was buried with no honor. This paper reviews the life and work of Raphael Lemkin, and his triumph in seeing genocide recognized as a crime.
{"title":"Starvation Genocide and the Triumph of Raphael Lemkin","authors":"G. Weisz","doi":"10.5041/RMMJ.10466","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5041/RMMJ.10466","url":null,"abstract":"Today, in the 21st century, most people are aware of the term genocide. However, few people are aware that this term only entered the English language in the 1940s, as a result of the dedicated work of a brilliant and successful man who deprived himself of a private family life so that he could be free to fight for his ideas. Although Raphael Lemkin was instrumental in the recognition of genocide by the United Nations, he died too early and was buried with no honor. This paper reviews the life and work of Raphael Lemkin, and his triumph in seeing genocide recognized as a crime.","PeriodicalId":46408,"journal":{"name":"Rambam Maimonides Medical Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2022-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47531446","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Eran Keltz, D. Ofir, Y. Beer, Naama Gruber, Mezen Falah, G. Nierenberg
Background Patellar instability comprises a group of pathologies that allow the patella to move out of its trajectory within the trochlear groove during walking. Symptomatic patients who need surgery commonly undergo soft tissue procedures such as medial patellofemoral ligament repair to strengthen the ligaments that hold the patella in place. However, soft-tissue repairs may be insufficient in patients suffering from patellar maltracking, which is characterized by an unbalanced gliding of the patella within its route. In these patients, a different approach is advised. We aim to provide the mid-term clinical outcomes of the Fulkerson distal realignment operation in selected patients with non-traumatic patellar maltracking. Methods The clinical outcomes of the Fulkerson distal realignment operation performed in 22 knees of 21 patients were evaluated by a self-administered subjective International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score and the Tegner–Lysholm knee scoring scale. Results Before surgery, the median IKDC score was 52, and the median Tegner–Lysholm score was 56. Following surgery (mean follow-up 48 months, range 24–156), the median IKDC and the Tegner–Lysholm scores were 67 and 88, respectively. The improvement was statistically significant (P=0.001 and P=0.002 for IKDC and Tegner–Lysholm scores, respectively). Associated procedures included patella microfracture due to grade III–IV cartilage lesion (International Cartilage Repair Society grading system) in four patients, retinacular releases in three patients, medial capsular augmentations in two patients, and medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction in two patients. One patient with Ehlers–Danlos disease required excessive medialization of the tibial tuberosity. Surgery-related complications occurred in three patients. Discussion Surgical correction of patellar maltracking with Fulkerson distal realignment combined with associated procedures in individual patients was associated with an increase in subjective and functional clinical scores at medium-term follow-up. Particular attention should address pathologies associated with patellar maltracking and managed accordingly. Level of evidence 4c (case series).
{"title":"Surgical Correction of Non-traumatic Patella Maltracking. Midterm Clinical Follow-up","authors":"Eran Keltz, D. Ofir, Y. Beer, Naama Gruber, Mezen Falah, G. Nierenberg","doi":"10.5041/RMMJ.10465","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5041/RMMJ.10465","url":null,"abstract":"Background Patellar instability comprises a group of pathologies that allow the patella to move out of its trajectory within the trochlear groove during walking. Symptomatic patients who need surgery commonly undergo soft tissue procedures such as medial patellofemoral ligament repair to strengthen the ligaments that hold the patella in place. However, soft-tissue repairs may be insufficient in patients suffering from patellar maltracking, which is characterized by an unbalanced gliding of the patella within its route. In these patients, a different approach is advised. We aim to provide the mid-term clinical outcomes of the Fulkerson distal realignment operation in selected patients with non-traumatic patellar maltracking. Methods The clinical outcomes of the Fulkerson distal realignment operation performed in 22 knees of 21 patients were evaluated by a self-administered subjective International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score and the Tegner–Lysholm knee scoring scale. Results Before surgery, the median IKDC score was 52, and the median Tegner–Lysholm score was 56. Following surgery (mean follow-up 48 months, range 24–156), the median IKDC and the Tegner–Lysholm scores were 67 and 88, respectively. The improvement was statistically significant (P=0.001 and P=0.002 for IKDC and Tegner–Lysholm scores, respectively). Associated procedures included patella microfracture due to grade III–IV cartilage lesion (International Cartilage Repair Society grading system) in four patients, retinacular releases in three patients, medial capsular augmentations in two patients, and medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction in two patients. One patient with Ehlers–Danlos disease required excessive medialization of the tibial tuberosity. Surgery-related complications occurred in three patients. Discussion Surgical correction of patellar maltracking with Fulkerson distal realignment combined with associated procedures in individual patients was associated with an increase in subjective and functional clinical scores at medium-term follow-up. Particular attention should address pathologies associated with patellar maltracking and managed accordingly. Level of evidence 4c (case series).","PeriodicalId":46408,"journal":{"name":"Rambam Maimonides Medical Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2022-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42390488","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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