Longitudinal kinetics of RBD+ antibodies in COVID-19 recovered patients over 14 months.

We describe the longitudinal kinetics of the serological response in COVID-19 recovered patients over a period of 14 months. The antibody kinetics in a cohort of 192 recovered patients, including 66 patients for whom follow-up serum samples were obtained at two to four clinic visits, revealed that RBD-specific antibodies decayed over the 14 months following the onset of symptoms. The decay rate was associated with the robustness of the response in that antibody levels that were initially highly elevated after the onset of symptoms subsequently decayed more rapidly. An exploration of the differences in the longitudinal kinetics between recovered patients and naïve vaccinees who had received two doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine showed a significantly faster decay in the naïve vaccinees, indicating that serological memory following natural infection is more robust than that following to vaccination. Our data highlighting the differences between serological memory induced by natural infection vs. vaccination contributed to the decision-making process in Israel regarding the necessity for a third vaccination dose.

[IMPACT OF CLINICAL PHARMACIST CONSULTATIONS ON RATE OF COMPLICATIONS, RE-HOSPITALIZATIONS AND MORTALITY IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING BARIATRIC SURGERY].

BACKGROUND: Patients undergoing bariatric surgery are prone to changes in absorption, improvement in their chronic diseases and other pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic alteration which can affect continuation and the required doses of their chronic medications. OBJECTIVES: To examine the effect of a clinical pharmacist's consultation on the rate of complications, re-hospitalizations and mortality among patients who underwent bariatric surgery. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, results of bariatric patients who were consulted by a clinical pharmacist between the years 2013-2019 were compared with the results of a wider group of bariatric patients with chronic diseases who were recorded in the Israeli General Bariatric Registry during the same years. The intervention cohort included bariatric patients members of Clalit Health Services, who were treated at the Herzliya Medical Center and who were identified by the treating staff as complex cases requiring drug counseling. The primary outcomes measured in the study included: rates of surgical complications, re-hospitalizations, and death up to one year after surgery. RESULTS: The intervention group included 165 patients; the 12 month rate of re-hospitalization in the intervention group was 10.9% vs. 19.5% in the comparison group (p=0.005). The rate of documented postoperative complications was 2.7% vs. 3.9% (p=0.462) and mortality was null vs. 0.16%. CONCLUSIONS: Although the intervention population was identified in advance as more complex in terms of age and background morbidity, the rate of re-hospitalization and mortality was significantly lower in the intervention group than in the general bariatric surgery population in Israel. These results demonstrate the importance of referring to a specialized clinical pharmacist around bariatric surgery for improving patient safety, especially in complex patients.

Reduction in Serum Triglyceride Levels in Diabetic Patients May Result in Decreased Insulin Dependence and Disease Regression.

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a multifactorial disease in which genetic susceptibility and environmental factors induce pancreatic ß-cell dysfunction and insulin resistance. Additional factors such as hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia have roles in ß-cell dysfunction and disease progression. The phenomenon of lipid-induced pancreatic ß-dysfunction, designated as lipotoxicity, has been observed in several in vitro and in vivo experiments; however, there is still no solid evidence for the occurrence of this event in humans. The toxic effect of high lipid levels on ß-cell function consists of impaired insulin gene expression, apoptosis, and reduced glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. OBJECTIVES: To demonstrate the importance of treating hypertriglyceridemia in reducing glucose intolerance and the need for insulin therapy in hospitalized diabetic patients. METHODS: We evaluated five clinical case reports and conducted a detailed literature review via the PubMed search engine. RESULTS: Reduction in elevated blood triglyceride and glucose levels in hospitalized diabetic patients resulted in a rapid decline in glucose levels and in the need for insulin therapy. CONCLUSIONS: A decrease in high triglyceride levels in "lipotoxic" diabetic patients may improve insulin intolerance and glucose homeostasis and reduce the need for insulin therapy.

Metabolic Bariatric surgery in People with Obesity aged ≥65 Years.

Obesity management guidelines recommend metabolic bariatric surgery for individuals with body mass index (BMI) ≥35 kg/m2, regardless of the presence of any obesity-related comorbidity; and for individuals with BMI 30-34.9 kg/m2 with metabolic diseases. Older age is not in itself a contraindication for bariatric surgeries, which can be performed after careful selection and assessment, to decrease the risks of postoperative complications. An essential amount of data has accumulated about bariatric surgery results for persons aged ≥60 years; but data are limited though increasingly accumulating for the ≥65-year-old population. Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y-gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy have been the preferred bariatric procedures for older adults with obesity, as for younger patients. This review summarizes the safety and efficacy of bariatric surgery for individuals aged ≥65 years with obesity, and the efforts that have been invested to improve the perioperative and long-term consequences.

A Time Frame for Testing Negative for SARS-COV2 in People with Obesity.

OBJECTIVE: Obesity is a major risk factor for becoming seriously ill with the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19). One difficulty faced by clinicians and by patients is the unknown time frame of hospitalization until discharge of symptomatic patients. METHODS: We followed 34 patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infection who recovered fromthe infection. All diagnoses were given using semi-quantitative RT-PCR on nasopharyngeal swabs. Envelope protein gene (E), RNA-dependent RNA polymerase gene (RdRP), and nucleocapsid gene (N) were measured by RT-PCR. Weight was measured and height was self-reported. RESULTS: Mean ± SD age was 51.8 ± 16.7 years. Mean ± SD body mass index (BMI) was 27.4 ± 4.7 kg/m2. 26% (9/34) had obesity, with BMI above 30 kg/m2. Fifteen patients had BMI between 25 and 29.9 kg/m2. The mean length of hospital stay was longer for those with a BMI >25 kg/m2 (n = 24) than for those with a normal BMI (19.2 vs. 16.0 days, p = 0.08). Comparing people with obesity (BMI >30 kg/m2 or above) to those without obesity, the difference was larger (20.6 vs. 16.0 days, p = 0.06). A trend for correlation between body weight and the time to negative detection of RdRp gene was found (r = 0.33, p = 0.09). CONCLUSIONS: Our results highlight the need for priority of early detection and testing, and early therapy for people with obesity and COVID-19 infections.

[Stroke as a manifestation of acute Bartonella henselae endocarditis].

BACKGROUND: Bartonella, a small gram-negative bacillus, causes a variety of diseases and presents with different clinical manifestations, one of which is infective endocarditis (IE). IE due to B. henselae is associated with a high risk of morbidity and mortality due to the destructive potential of the organism to the heart valves and due to the great risk of embolic complications. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 37-year-old male was admitted to our hospital due to sub-febrile fever and weakness. Investigation revealed he had IE caused by B. henselae. His mitral valve was severely damaged and he experienced a cerebrovascular event, caused by septic emboli. The severe damage to the mitral valve and the presence of septic emboli necessitated valvular replacement surgery. The case involved a therapeutic dilemma, due to the patient's neurological complications. CONCLUSIONS: Since B. henselae is an important pathogen associated with culture-negative IE, there should be a high index of suspicion for the presence of this pathogen in cases presenting with signs of infection associated with embolic events. This condition requires a careful diagnostic and therapeutic approach.

Role of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in the predisposition of obese individuals to inflammation and infection.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the production of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from obese but otherwise healthy individuals to that of normal-weight volunteers. METHODS: 25 healthy normal-weight subjects and 41 obese individuals were enrolled. Weight and height were measured twice. PBMC were examined for their capacity to generate pro-inflammatory (TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-2) and anti-inflammatory IL-10 and IL-1ra) cytokines. RESULTS: PBMC from obese individuals, compared to those from subjects with normal weight showed an increased production of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-2 (6.7 ± 0.4. vs. 4.9 ± 0.3 ng/ml; p = 0.003), TNF-α (505 ± 45 vs. 277 ± 32 pg/ml; p = 0.001), and IFN-γ (93.8 ± 6.0 vs. 73.9 ± 2.7 ng/ml; p = 0.0016). However, PBMC from obese individuals produced a lower amount of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 (651 ±72 pg/ml) versus those from subjects with normal weight (951 ± 133 pg/ml; p = 0.039). CONCLUSIONS: The findings imply that obese individuals are in a 'low-grade inflammatory state', presumed to be connected with metabolic and cardiovascular co morbidities. The surplus of pro-inflammatory cytokines produced by circulating mononuclear cells of obese individuals, together with those secreted by adipocytes and non-fat cells in the adipose tissue, may contribute to the predisposition of obese patients to inflammation and infections.