BioNTech COVID-19 (BNT162b2) Vaccination and Varicella Zoster Reactivation: A Comprehensive Cross-sectional Study.

Herpes zoster (HZ) results from reactivation of latent varicella-zoster virus. Recent observations have suggested that HZ is associated with vaccination against COVID-19. To investigate the association between the vaccine and HZ severity, a single-centre, cross-sectional study of all patients diagnosed with HZ and 2 control diagnoses (cellulitis and bone fractures), between 2017 and 2021, was performed. Hospital visits and hospitalization rates were compared. All medical records of patients diagnosed with HZ in the first year after the COVID-19 vaccination campaign began were reviewed, in order to generate a retrospective cohort comparing vaccinated and unvaccinated patients with HZ. All participants had received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 (BNT162b2) vaccine. During the study period, 2,413 patients were diagnosed with HZ, and when normalized to control diagnoses the number of cases remained stable. The retrospective cohort included 365 patients. A multivariate analysis controlling for sex, age, autoimmune diseases, malignancies, and immunosuppressive therapy showed higher admission rates in vaccinated compared with unvaccinated individuals (odds ratio (OR) 2.75, 95% CI 1.27-5.96, p = 0.01). However, matching techniques and stratification by age, used to better control for confounders, invalidated these findings. No differences were observed in other variables indicative of disease severity (hospital stay length and complications). In conclusion, COVID-19 vaccination was not found to be associated with an increased risk of HZ-related admission and complications.

Adrenal crises in children with adrenal insufficiency: epidemiology and risk factors.

The aim of the study was to assess the epidemiology and risk factors of adrenal crises (AC) in children with adrenal insufficiency (AI). Children diagnosed with AI between 1990 and 2017 at four Israeli pediatric endocrinology units were studied. Demographic and clinical data were retrieved retrospectively from their files. The study population consisted of 120 children (73 boys, 47 girls) and comprised 904 patient years. Median age at diagnosis was 0.3 years (0-17.5). Thirty-one AC events in 26 children occurred during the study period, accounting for a frequency of 3.4 crises/100 patient years. Fifty-two percent of AC events occurred at presentation. The significant risk factors for developing AC were the following: younger age at diagnosis (P = 0.003), primary AI vs. secondary AI (P = 0.016), specific diagnosis of autoimmune AI, adrenal hypoplasia congenita and salt wasting congenital adrenal hyperplasia (P < 0.001), mineralocorticoid treatment (P < 0.001), and recurrent hospital admissions (P > 0.001). After applying a stepwise logistic regression model, only the group of diagnoses, including salt wasting CAH, AHC, and Addison's disease, remained significant predictor of AC (OR 17.5, 95% CI 4.7-64.9, P < 0.001). There was no AC-associated mortality during the study period.Conclusions: Since significant percent of AC events occurred at presentation, measures to increase the awareness to signs and symptoms of AI among primary care physicians should be taken. Efforts to prevent AC should be focused on younger patients, especially those with primary AI. What Is Known: • Diagnosis and long-term management of pediatric patients with adrenal insufficiency (AI) remain a challenge. • Adrenal crises (AC) pose life-threatening emergencies in affected youngsters. Studies on the rate and risk factors of AC in children with AI are scarce, and they were done mainly on children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). What Is New: • The rate of AC was relatively low and there was no AC-associated mortality during the study period. • Children with primary AI were at higher risk for AC than children with secondary AI. Specifically, children with salt wasting CAH, adrenal hypoplasia congenita, and Addison's disease at the highest risk.

Acoustic Microcannons: Toward Advanced Microballistics.

Acoustically triggered microcannons, capable of loading and firing nanobullets (Nbs), are presented as powerful microballistic tools. Hollow conically shaped microcannon structures have been synthesized electrochemically and fully loaded with nanobullets made of silica or fluorescent microspheres, and perfluorocarbon emulsions, embedded in a gel matrix stabilizer. Application of a focused ultrasound pulse leads to the spontaneous vaporization of the perfluorocarbon emulsions within the microcannon and results in the rapid ejection of the nanobullets. Such Nbs "firing" at remarkably high speeds (on the magnitude of meters per second) has been modeled theoretically and demonstrated experimentally. Arrays of microcannons anchored in a template membrane were used to demonstrate the efficient Nbs loading and the high penetration capabilities of the ejected Nbs in a tissue phantom gel. This acoustic-microcannon approach could be translated into advanced microscale ballistic tools, capable of efficient loading and firing of multiple cargoes, and offer improved accessibility to target locations and enhanced tissue penetration properties.