Covid-19 Breakthrough Infections in Vaccinated Health Care Workers.

BACKGROUND: Despite the high efficacy of the BNT162b2 messenger RNA vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), rare breakthrough infections have been reported, including infections among health care workers. Data are needed to characterize these infections and define correlates of breakthrough and infectivity. METHODS: At the largest medical center in Israel, we identified breakthrough infections by performing extensive evaluations of health care workers who were symptomatic (including mild symptoms) or had known infection exposure. These evaluations included epidemiologic investigations, repeat reverse-transcriptase-polymerase-chain-reaction (RT-PCR) assays, antigen-detecting rapid diagnostic testing (Ag-RDT), serologic assays, and genomic sequencing. Correlates of breakthrough infection were assessed in a case-control analysis. We matched patients with breakthrough infection who had antibody titers obtained within a week before SARS-CoV-2 detection (peri-infection period) with four to five uninfected controls and used generalized estimating equations to predict the geometric mean titers among cases and controls and the ratio between the titers in the two groups. We also assessed the correlation between neutralizing antibody titers and N gene cycle threshold (Ct) values with respect to infectivity. RESULTS: Among 1497 fully vaccinated health care workers for whom RT-PCR data were available, 39 SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infections were documented. Neutralizing antibody titers in case patients during the peri-infection period were lower than those in matched uninfected controls (case-to-control ratio, 0.361; 95% confidence interval, 0.165 to 0.787). Higher peri-infection neutralizing antibody titers were associated with lower infectivity (higher Ct values). Most breakthrough cases were mild or asymptomatic, although 19% had persistent symptoms (>6 weeks). The B.1.1.7 (alpha) variant was found in 85% of samples tested. A total of 74% of case patients had a high viral load (Ct value, <30) at some point during their infection; however, of these patients, only 17 (59%) had a positive result on concurrent Ag-RDT. No secondary infections were documented. CONCLUSIONS: Among fully vaccinated health care workers, the occurrence of breakthrough infections with SARS-CoV-2 was correlated with neutralizing antibody titers during the peri-infection period. Most breakthrough infections were mild or asymptomatic, although persistent symptoms did occur.

Population differences in antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and BNT162b2 vaccination.

The concentration of SARS-CoV-2-specific serum antibodies, elicited by vaccination or infection, is a primary determinant of anti-viral immunity, which correlates with protection against infection and COVID-19. Serum samples were obtained from 25 897 participants and assayed for anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike protein RBD IgG antibodies. The cohort was composed of newly vaccinated BNT162b2 recipients, in the first month or 6 months after vaccination, COVID-19 patients and a general sample of the Israeli population. Antibody levels of BNT162b2 vaccine recipients were negatively correlated with age, with a prominent decrease in recipients over 55 years old, which was most significant in males. This trend was observable within the first month and 6 months after vaccination, while younger participants were more likely to maintain stable levels of serum antibodies. The antibody concentration of participants previously infected with SARS-CoV-2 was lower than the vaccinated and had a more complex, non-linear relation to age, sex and COVID-19 symptoms. Taken together, our data supports age and sex as primary determining factors for both the magnitude and durability of humoral response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and the COVID-19 vaccine. Our results could inform vaccination policies, prioritizing the most susceptible populations for repeated vaccination.

Antiphospholipid antibodies in convalescent plasma of donors recovered from mild COVID-19 infection.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Passive immunization by the infusion of convalescent plasma (CP) obtained from patients who have recently recovered from COVID-19, thus having antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, is a potential strategy to reduce the severity of illness. A high prevalence of antiphospholipid antibodies (APLA) in patients with COVID-19 has been reported during the pandemic, raising a concern whether the use of CP could increase the risk of thrombosis in transfused patients. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of APLA in COVID-19 CP (CCP) in order to assess the potential prothrombotic influence of transfused CCP to COVID-19 patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied the prevalence of APLA in 122 CCP samples collected from healthy donors who recovered from mild-COVID-19 at two time periods: September 2020-January 2021 (defined as 'early period' samples) and April-May 2021 (defined as 'late period' samples). Thirty-four healthy subjects unexposed to COVID-19 were used as controls. RESULTS: APLA were present in 7 of 122 (6%) CCP samples. One donor had anti-ß2-glycoprotein 1(anti-ß2GP1) IgG, one had anti-ß2GP1 IgM and five had lupus anticoagulant (LAC) using silica clotting time (SCT), all in 'late period' donors. In the control group, one subject had anti-ß2GP1 IgG, two had LAC using dilute Russell viper venom time (dRVVT) and four had LAC SCT (both LAC SCT and LAC dRVVT in one subject). CONCLUSION: The low prevalence of APLA in CCP donors reassures the safety of CCP administration to patients with severe COVID-19.

Levetiracetam in lactation: How much is excreted into human breast milk?

AIMS: In breastfeeding women, anti-epileptic therapy can lead to infant toxicities, even with newer anti-epileptic drugs such as levetiracetam. This study assessed levetiracetam breastmilk excretion and its correlation with the maternal oral dose and serum concentrations. METHODS: Women with epilepsy treated with levetiracetam were recruited to this study and completed a questionnaire. Levetiracetam concentrations were determined in serial breastmilk samples (pre-dose to 12 h post-dose period) and in a single pre-dose maternal serum sample. RESULTS: Twenty breastfeeding women and 21 infants (one woman with twins; 16 fully and five partially breastfed infants) participated in this study. The trough breastmilk/serum ratio of levetiracetam was 0.98 ± 0.20. The infant levetiracetam daily dose was 5.39 ± 1.96 and 2.70 ± 0.98 mg. kg-1. d-1 , and the relative infant dose (RID) was 13.8 ± 3.1% and 6.9 ± 1.6% in the fully and partially breastfed infants, respectively. Substantial correlations between the levetiracetam dose, maternal serum and breastmilk trough concentrations, and breastmilk AUC values were found. Three women reported somnolence in their fully breastfed infants, which resolved shortly after switching to partial breastfeeding. All the infants gained weight according to their age. CONCLUSIONS: Infant levetiracetam exposure via the breastmilk was close to the safety thresholds (trough breastmilk/serum ratio slightly below 1, RID > 10% in fully breastfed infants), and infant somnolescence reports could be related to exposure of the infants to levetiracetam via breastmilk. Further studies are warranted to reveal the short- and long-term safety of levetiracetam in breastfeeding.

BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine is significantly less effective in patients with hematologic malignancies.

Patients with hematologic malignancies have an increased risk of severe COVID-19 infection. Vaccination against COVID-19 is especially important in these patients, but whether they develop an immune response following vaccination is unknown. We studied serologic responses to the BNT162b2 vaccine in this population. A lower proportion of patients were seropositive following vaccination (75%) than in a comparison group (99%; p < 0.001), and median (interquartile range [IQR]) antibody titers in patients were lower (90 [12.4-185.5] and 173 [133-232] AU/ml, respectively; p < 0.001). Older age, higher lactate dehydrogenase, and number of treatment lines correlated with lower seropositivity likelihood and antibody titers, while absolute lymphocyte count, globulin level, and time from last treatment to vaccination correlated with higher seropositivity likelihood and antibody titers. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients had the lowest seropositivity rate followed by indolent lymphoma. Patients recently treated with chemo-immunotherapy, anti-CD20 antibodies, BCL2, BTK or JAK2 inhibitors had significantly less seropositive responses and lower median (IQR) antibody titers (29%, 1.9 [1.9-12] AU/ml; 0%, 1.9 [1.9-1.9] AU/ml; 25%, 1.9 [1.9-25] AU/ml; 40%, 1.9 [1.9-92.8] AU/ml; and 42%, 10.9 [5.7-66.4] AU/ml, respectively; p < 0.001). Serological response to BNT162b2 vaccine in patients with hematologic malignancies is considerably impaired, and they could remain at risk for severe COVID-19 infection and death.

The SARS-CoV-2 Lambda variant and its neutralisation efficiency following vaccination with Comirnaty, Israel, April to June 2021.

The SARS-CoV-2 Lambda (Pango lineage designation C.37) variant of interest, initially identified in Peru, has spread to additional countries. First detected in Israel in April 2021 following importations from Argentina and several European countries, the Lambda variant infected 18 individuals belonging to two main transmission chains without further spread. Micro-neutralisation assays following Comirnaty (BNT162b2 mRNA, BioNTech-Pfizer) vaccination demonstrated a significant 1.6-fold reduction in neutralising titres compared with the wild type virus, suggesting increased susceptibility of vaccinated individuals to infection.

CYP2D6 genotyping in paediatric patients with autism treated with risperidone: a preliminary cohort study.

AIM: To evaluate the association between cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) phenotypes in paediatric patients with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) treated with risperidone, adverse drug reactions (ADRs), and drug efficacy. METHOD: An observational cohort study of 40 children (34 males, six females; median age 7y range 3-18y) with autistic disorder, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified, or Asperger syndrome diagnosed using the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised and treated with risperidone for at least 3 months. Charts were reviewed for demographic and clinical information, response to treatment was assessed by parents and the treating neurologist on a three-point scale, and information about ADRs was collected. Trough plasma levels of risperidone and its metabolites were determined and CYP2D6 genotyping was performed. RESULTS: Twenty-six patients responded to therapy and 11 patients exhibited ADRs. CYP2D6 genotyping showed two patients to be poor metabolizers, two ultra-rapid metabolizers, seven intermediate metabolizers, and 29 extensive metabolizers. Both ultra-rapid metabolizer patients were non-responders and had no ADRs. In contrast, both poor metabolizer patients were responders but experienced ADRs. No correlation was found between risperidone dosage and either risperidone or drug metabolite plasma levels. There was no difference in risperidone or metabolite plasma levels when comparing responders to non-responders, or when comparing patients with or without ADRs. INTERPRETATION: In patients with ASD treated with risperidone, a CYP2D6 phenotype may be associated with response to treatment and development of ADRs.

Therapeutic drug monitoring of lacosamide among children: is it helpful?

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and tolerability of Lacosamide (LCM) in a pediatric population with epilepsy using LCM serum concentration and its correlation to the age of the participants and the dosage of the drug. Methods: Demographic and clinical data were collected from the medical records of children with epilepsy treated with LCM at Shamir Medical Center between February 2019 to September 2021, in whom medication blood levels were measured. Trough serum LCM concentration was measured in the biochemical laboratory using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and correlated with the administered weight-based medication dosing and clinical report. Results: Forty-two children aged 10.43 ± 5.13 years (range: 1-18) were included in the study. The average daily dose of LCM was 306.62 ± 133.20 mg (range: 100-600). The average number of seizures per day was 3.53 ± 7.25 compared to 0.87 ± 1.40 before and after LCM treatment, respectively. The mean LCM serum concentration was 6.74 ± 3.27 mg/L. No statistically significant association was found between LCM serum levels and the clinical response (p = 0.58), as well as the correlation between LCM dosage and the change in seizure rate (p = 0.30). Our study did not find a correlation between LCM serum concentration and LCM dosage and the gender of the participants: males (n = 17) females (n = 23) (p = 0.31 and p = 0.94, respectively). A positive trend was found between age and LCM serum concentrations (r = 0.26, p = 0.09). Conclusion: Based on the data that has been obtained from our study, it appears that therapeutic drug monitoring for LCM may not be necessary. Nonetheless, further research in this area is needed in the light of the relatively small sample size of the study.

Efficacy and safety of metabolic interventions for the treatment of severe COVID-19: in vitro, observational, and non-randomized open-label interventional study.

Background: Viral infection is associated with a significant rewire of the host metabolic pathways, presenting attractive metabolic targets for intervention. Methods: We chart the metabolic response of lung epithelial cells to SARS-CoV-2 infection in primary cultures and COVID-19 patient samples and perform in vitro metabolism-focused drug screen on primary lung epithelial cells infected with different strains of the virus. We perform observational analysis of Israeli patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 and comparative epidemiological analysis from cohorts in Italy and the Veteran's Health Administration in the United States. In addition, we perform a prospective non-randomized interventional open-label study in which 15 patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19 were given 145 mg/day of nanocrystallized fenofibrate added to the standard of care. Results: SARS-CoV-2 infection produced transcriptional changes associated with increased glycolysis and lipid accumulation. Metabolism-focused drug screen showed that fenofibrate reversed lipid accumulation and blocked SARS-CoV-2 replication through a PPARα-dependent mechanism in both alpha and delta variants. Analysis of 3233 Israeli patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 supported in vitro findings. Patients taking fibrates showed significantly lower markers of immunoinflammation and faster recovery. Additional corroboration was received by comparative epidemiological analysis from cohorts in Europe and the United States. A subsequent prospective non-randomized interventional open-label study was carried out on 15 patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19. The patients were treated with 145 mg/day of nanocrystallized fenofibrate in addition to standard-of-care. Patients receiving fenofibrate demonstrated a rapid reduction in inflammation and a significantly faster recovery compared to patients admitted during the same period. Conclusions: Taken together, our data suggest that pharmacological modulation of PPARα should be strongly considered as a potential therapeutic approach for SARS-CoV-2 infection and emphasizes the need to complete the study of fenofibrate in large randomized controlled clinical trials. Funding: Funding was provided by European Research Council Consolidator Grants OCLD (project no. 681870) and generous gifts from the Nikoh Foundation and the Sam and Rina Frankel Foundation (YN). The interventional study was supported by Abbott (project FENOC0003). Clinical trial number: NCT04661930.

Carboxyhemoglobin Does Not Predict the Need of Mechanical Ventilation and Prognosis during COPD Exacerbation.

Background: Carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) is a complex formed by the binding of carbon monoxide to hemoglobin in blood. Higher COHb levels have been associated with poor prognosis in a variety of pulmonary disorders. However, little is known regarding the prognostic significance of COHb among individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation. Methods: In a retrospective study, we evaluated associations of venous COHb levels on hospital admission with the need for invasive mechanical ventilation, in-hospital mortality, and rehospitalization, among 300 patients hospitalized for COPD exacerbation in internal medical wards. Results: Rates of in-hospital death and 1-year recurrent hospitalizations were 11.0% and 59.6%, respectively. COHb levels were not significantly associated with in-hospital mortality (OR = 0.82, P=0.25, 95% CI 0.59-1.15) or with 1-year rehospitalizations (OR = 0.91, P=0.18, 95% CI 0.79-1.04). The mean COHb level did not differ significantly between patients who needed invasive mechanical ventilation and those who were not invasively mechanically ventilated during the current hospitalization (2.01 ± 1.42% vs. 2.19 ± 1.68%, P=0.49). Conclusions: Among patients hospitalized with COPD exacerbation in internal medicine wards, COHb levels on admission were not associated with invasive mechanical ventilation treatment, rehospitalizations, or mortality.

Magnitude of Lamotrigine Exposure Through Breastfeeding.

Importance: Lamotrigine use during breastfeeding has significantly increased in the recent years, whereas breast milk lamotrigine pharmacokinetics data are still sparse. Objectives: To assess lamotrigine exposure in breastfed infants by monitoring maternal serum and breast milk concentrations. Methods: Breastfeeding women treated with lamotrigine were recruited to this study. Maternal trough breast milk and serum samples were collected, and additional breast milk samples were collected 1, 3, 6, 9, 12 hours after lamotrigine consumption. Trough breast milk/serum ratios (M/S ratio) and breast milk area under the curve (AUC) values were calculated. Results: Twenty-one breastfeeding women were recruited to this study, and the final dataset was based on the samples collected from 17 women. Lamotrigine trough serum and mother's milk concentrations were 5.1 ± 3.3 mg/L and 3.1 ± 1.9 mg/L, respectively (mean ± standard deviation). The trough M/S ratio of lamotrigine was 0.66 ± 0.22. The lamotrigine breast milk average AUC was 41.7 ± 24.6 mg·h/L. The estimated infant dose of lamotrigine was 0.52 ± 0.31 mg/kg/day and 0.26 ± 0.15 mg/kg/day for fully and partially breastfed infants, respectively. Significant correlation was found between the maternal lamotrigine serum trough concentrations and the breast milk parameters: trough breast milk concentrations (Spearman's rho = 0.986, p < 0.0001) and breast milk AUC values (Spearman's rho = 0.941, p < 0.0001). No significant correlation was found between the maternal lamotrigine daily dose and serum trough concentrations, breast milk trough concentrations, and breast milk AUC values (Spearman's rho = 0.294, 0.285, and 0.438, p = 0.252, 0.396, and 0.078, respectively). Conclusion and Relevance: High correlation between the maternal lamotrigine trough serum concentrations and the breast milk AUC values was found, implying that monitoring the maternal lamotrigine serum concentrations can be useful for prediction of exposure of infants to lamotrigine through the breast milk. The trial was registered in the Israeli trials registry MOH_2021-09-05_010243 at September 5, 2021 Retrospectively registered https://my.health.gov.il/CliniTrials.

Quantitative Analysis of Vertical Transmission of Maternal SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies to Neonates and Young Infants Following Immunization During Pregnancy.

Serum antibody levels to SARS-CoV-2 in infants born to mothers who had received 2 doses of the BNT2b2 vaccine during pregnancy correlated positively with increasing gestational age at vaccination (P < .01) and negatively with increasing time from vaccination (P < .01), with a significant drop in infants aged >60 days (P = .045).

Early and long term antibody kinetics of asymptomatic and mild disease COVID-19 patients.

Most patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 are asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic. However, the early and late antibody kinetics, and the association between antibody levels, clinical symptoms, and disease phase in these patients have not yet been fully defined. Confirmed SARS-CoV-2 patients and their household contacts were evaluated over a period four months. The evaluation procedure included symptom monitoring, viral load and serology analysis every ten days. A total of 1334 serum samples were collected from 135 patients and analyzed using three assays for IgG-N, IgG-S and IgM antibodies. Of the study participants, 97% were seropositive during the study, and two distinct clusters were identified. These clusters were significantly different in their inflammatory related symptoms. Peak IgG-S was 40.0 AU/ml for the non-inflammatory cluster and 71.5 AU/ml for the inflammatory cluster (P = 0.006), whereas IgG-N peaks were 4.3 and 5.87 (P = 0.023) respectively. Finally, a decision tree model was designed to predict the disease phase based on the serological titer levels, and had an overall accuracy of 80.7%. The specific profile of seroconversion and decay of serum antibodies can be used to predict the time-course from the acute infection.

Safety and humoral responses to BNT162b2 mRNA vaccination of SARS-CoV-2 previously infected and naive populations.

Since COVID-19 risk of reinfection is of great concern, the safety and efficacy of the mRNA-based vaccines in previously infected populations should be assessed. We studied 78 individuals previously infected with SARS-CoV-19, who received a single dose of BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, and 1:2 ratio matched infection-naïve cohort who received two injections. The evaluation procedure included symptom monitoring, and serological tests. Among the post-infected population, the median IgG-S response after the first vaccine dose was 3.35 AU, compared to 2.38 AU after the second vaccine injection in the infection naive group. A strong correlation was demonstrated between IgG-S level before vaccination, and the corresponding responses after a single vaccine dose (r = 0.8, p < 0.001) in the post infected population. Short-term severe symptoms that required medical attention were found in 6.8% among the post-infected individuals, while none were found in the infection naïve population. Our data suggest that a single vaccine dose is sufficient to induce an intense immune response in post-infected population regardless of seropositivity. Although some short-term safety issues were observed compared to the infection naïve population, a single dose regimen can be considered safe in post-infected populations.

Thiamine Deficiency in Adolescents with Eating Disorders: A Prospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric eating disorders (PED) patients are prone to nutritional deficiencies. Thiamine deficiency is well described in other malnutrition states but is not routinely screened for in PED. In the current study we evaluated the prevalence of thiamine deficiency among PED patients on their first admission to an outpatient day hospital for eating disorders (DH). METHODS: In this prospective cohort study, we measured whole blood thiamine pyrophosphate concentrations (TPP) in addition to a routine laboratory workup in 69 girls on their first admission to DH. Two subgroup analyses were performed: (I) Patients with a previous dietary intervention ("diet" group, n = 30) or naïve-to-treatment patients ("naïve" group, n = 39) and (II) Type of PED: Restrictive (group R, n = 44) or binge-eating/purging (group BP, n = 25). RESULTS: Thiamine deficiency was identified in four girls (6%), all in the "naïve" group. Three of them had BP, and one had R. Patients in the "diet" group had a significantly higher TPP compared to the "naïve" group (55.5 µg/L vs. 46.7 µg/L, p = 0.004). TPP levels returned to normal after two weeks of the treatment program in all deficient patients. CONCLUSION: Thiamine deficiency was uncommon among PED patients and was easily replenished. Screening for deficiency should be performed among treatment-naïve patients. Keynotes: Whole blood thiamine pyrophosphate concentrations (TPP) are seldom screened for among PED patients. In the current study, we detected thiamine deficiency in only 6% of patients on their first admission to an outpatient day hospital for eating disorders. All deficient patients did not have a recent dietary intervention. We recommend considering screening for thiamine deficiency in treatment-naïve PED patients.

Multi-center nationwide comparison of seven serology assays reveals a SARS-CoV-2 non-responding seronegative subpopulation.

BACKGROUND: An Israeli national taskforce performed a multi-center clinical and analytical validation of seven serology assays to determine their utility and limitations for SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis. METHODS: Serology assays from Roche, Abbott, Diasorin, BioMerieux, Beckman-Coulter, Siemens, and an in-house RBD ELISA were included. Negative samples from 2391 individuals representative of the Israeli population, and 698 SARS-CoV-2 PCR positive patients, collected between March and May 2020, were analyzed. FINDINGS: Immunoassays sensitivities between 81.5%-89.4% and specificities between 97.7%-100% resulted in a profound impact on the expected Positive Predictive Value (PPV) in low (<15%) prevalence scenarios. No meaningful increase was detected in the false positive rate in children compared to adults. A positive correlation between disease severity and antibody titers, and no decrease in antibody titers in the first 8 weeks after PCR positivity was observed. We identified a subgroup of symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 positive patients (~5% of patients), who remained seronegative across a wide range of antigens, isotypes, and technologies. INTERPRETATION: The commercially available automated immunoassays exhibit significant differences in performance and expected PPV in low prevalence scenarios. The low false-positivity rate in under 20's suggests that cross-reactive immunity from previous CoV strains is unlikely to explain the milder disease course in children. Finding no decrease in antibody titers in the first 8 weeks is in contrast to some reports of short half-life for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. The ~5% who were seronegative non-responders, using multiple assays in a population-wide manner, represents the proportion of patients that may be at risk for re-infection. FUNDING: Israel Ministry of Health.

C-reactive protein and the mode of onset of labor in term pregnancies.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in maternal serum at post-date follow-up can predict the mode of onset of spontaneous delivery in term pregnancies and the interval to delivery. STUDY DESIGN: Women at 40 completed weeks of gestation were recruited. The interval from CRP sampling to delivery and mode of onset of delivery were noted. RESULTS: Sixty women were divided into 3 groups according to the mode of onset of labor. Group A presented with spontaneous onset of contractions, Group B presented with pre-labor ruptured membranes (PROM), and Group C completed 42 weeks without spontaneous initiation of labor. There was no association between CRP values and latency from time of sampling to delivery. Mean serum CRP in Group B (12.7 mg/l) was significantly higher than in either Group A(7.2 mg/l) or Group C (10.2 mg/l) (p=0.01). In addition, CRP values in the upper quartile (>12.2 mg/l) had a 37.5%positive predictive value for PROM, with a negative predictive value of 93%. CONCLUSION: Women whose labor will start with PROM have higher CRP values at post-date follow-up than women whose labor starts otherwise.

Daily sodium and potassium excretion can be estimated by scheduled spot urine collections.

AIM: The evaluation of sodium and potassium intake is part of the optimal management of hypertension, metabolic syndrome, renal stones, and other conditions. To date, no convenient method for its evaluation exists, as the gold standard method of 24-hour urine collection is cumbersome and often incorrectly performed, and methods that use spot or shorter collections are not accurate enough to replace the gold standard. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation and agreement between a new method that uses multiple-scheduled spot urine collection and the gold standard method of 24-hour urine collection. METHODS: The urine sodium or potassium to creatinine ratios were determined for four scheduled spot urine samples. The mean ratios of the four spot samples and the ratios of each of the single spot samples were corrected for estimated creatinine excretion and compared to the gold standard. RESULTS: A significant linear correlation was demonstrated between the 24-hour urinary solute excretions and estimated excretion evaluated by any of the scheduled spot urine samples. The correlation of the mean of the four spots was better than for any of the single spots. Bland-Altman plots showed that the differences between these measurements were within the limits of agreement. CONCLUSION: Four scheduled spot urine samples can be used as a convenient method for estimation of 24-hour sodium or potassium excretion.

Anemia in diabetic patients at an internal medicine ward: clinical correlates and prognostic significance.

BACKGROUND: Characteristics and prognostic significance of anemia in hospitalized diabetic patients are unknown. METHODS: We studied 3145 unselected patients admitted to two Internal Medicine Departments, 872 (27.7%) of whom were diabetic. Forty diabetic patients died during the first hospitalization period. Out of the remaining 832 patients, 334 (40.2%) were anemic and evaluated for survival. In 87 diabetic patients, the cause of anemia was evident on admission, whereas the other 247 had to be further investigated for etiology of anemia. RESULTS: Compared to non-anemic diabetic patients, the diabetic anemic patients were older (mean age 71.4 vs. 64.4 years, P<.001) and predominantly females (52.4% vs. 44.4%, P<.02). Of the 247 evaluated patients, 38% were deficient in iron, 12% in vitamin B(12) and/or folate, 54% had anemia of chronic disease, 47% suffered from heart failure, 39% had renal dysfunction and 22% were complex nursing care patients and/or had diabetic foot. On median follow-up of 19.2 months, mortality rate was higher in anemic compared to non-anemic diabetic patients (17.3% vs. 4%, P<.001), the main cause of death being infection. Male sex (P=.03), albuminuria (P=.01) and heart failure (P=.06) were associated with shorter survival, male sex being the most significant (OR 2.02, 95% CI 1.04-4.00). CONCLUSION: Frequency of anemia was increased in diabetic patients admitted to the Internal Medicine Departments, compared to the studies performed on ambulatory patient populations. Anemia was multifactorial and associated with higher mortality, predominantly from infections. Males with albuminuria and heart failure were at higher risk of death.