Better Outcomes for Ovarian Cancer Associated With the Detection of Anti-EBV TCR CDR3s: Potential Relevance to Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma.

Objectives: Given the ongoing challenges regarding the specific roles of viral infections in cancer etiology, or as cancer co-morbidities, this study assessed potential associations between anti-viral, T-cell receptor (TCR) complementarity domain region-3 (CDR3s), and clinical outcomes for ovarian cancer.

Methods: TCR CDR3s were isolated from ovarian cancer specimens for a determination of which patients had anti-viral CDR3s and whether those patients had better or worse outcomes.

Results: Analyses revealed that patients with exact matches of anti-Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) CDR3 amino acid sequences exhibited better outcomes for both overall and disease-specific survival.

Chemical Complementarity of Blood-Sourced, Breast Cancer-Related TCR CDR3s and the CMV UL29 and IE1 Antigens is Associated with Worse Overall Survival.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is common and becomes a particular concern in immunocompromised patients. Understanding the potential role CMV plays in breast cancer patients' disease progression is important for providing more patient-specific treatments. In this study, we analyzed whether a breast cancer patient's blood-sourced T-cell receptor (TCR) complementarity determining-3 (CDR3) amino acid (AA) sequences could provide an indication of the impact of a systemic CMV infection.

Herpes-Zoster-Related Choroidopathy - A Report of Two Cases.

Purpose: To report a rare finding, choroidopathy, in herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO).

Methods: Report of two cases.

Results: Multiple, well-defined, choroidal depigmented lesions were demonstrated in two cases of HZO on fundus color imaging, optical coherence tomography, fundus angiography, and indocyanine green angiography at 6 months.

Accuracy of Ophthalmology Clinic Follow-Up in the Incarcerated Patient Population.

 Incarcerated patients represent a uniquely vulnerable population in the outpatient ophthalmology setting, and the reliability of follow-up in this group is undetermined.  This was a retrospective, observational chart review of consecutive incarcerated patients evaluated at the ophthalmology clinic of a single academic medical center between July 2012 and September 2016. For each encounter the following were recorded: patient age, gender, incarcerated status at the time of encounter (a subset of patients had encounters before/after incarceration), interventions performed, follow-up interval requested, urgency of follow-up, and actual time to subsequent follow-up.

The impact of induction therapy in low-immunological risk kidney transplant recipients regardless of HLA matching.

Background: Induction agents have proved to reduce the rate of acute rejection (AR) in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) without improving long-term graft and patient survival (PS).

Objective: This study evaluates the utility of induction therapy in low immunological risk KTRs regardless of donor-to-recipient HLA matching.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 218 patients undergoing kidney transplantation (KT).

Short-term outcomes in patients with center-involving diabetic macular edema after a single dose of intravitreal bevacizumab.

Background: A significant portion of diabetic macular edema (DME) is refractory to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agents. This study investigates morphological and functional outcomes to a single intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) injection in patients with center-involving DME (ciDME) at 4-6 weeks and compares treatment responders and non-responders based on spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) features.

Methods: IRB approved observational, retrospective chart review of patients with ciDME, identified by ICD-10 code, who received IVB and underwent baseline and 4-6 weeks follow-up SD-OCT imaging between January 1, 2016 and January 19, 2021.

Current state of clinical trials regarding liver transplant rejection.

Background: Liver transplant (LT) is the second most common transplant intervention. The rate of acute cellular rejection (ACR) is 15-25% after LT, while being higher in chronic rejection (CR). Clinical trials had a major role in getting more potent and selective immunosuppressive medications.

Effect of donor-to-recipient HLA matching in low-immunological risk kidney transplant recipients without induction therapy on acute rejection, graft survival, infections, and surgical complications at 3 years: The road towards new recommendations.

Background: Donor-to-recipient human leukocyte antigen mismatching is considered one of the strongest determinants for graft and patient survival in kidney transplant recipients (KTR).

Objective: This retrospective study discusses the impact of HLA matching as low immunological risk KTR without induction therapy.

Material And Methods: Records of 80 adult kidney transplant patients were reviewed with three years of the follow-up.

Cytomegalovirus infection in kidney transplant patients: Prevalence, risk factors, and impact on outcome - A local multicentre experience.

Background: CMV infection prevalence in kidney transplant recipients (KTR) is reported to be high in the literature, reaching rates of over 80%.

Objectives: The primary endpoints were the evaluation of the prevalence, the risks factors, and the effects of CMV infection on graft function and survival, as well as patient survival at three years after kidney transplantation.

Material And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 288 kidney transplant patients operated in three Lebanese transplant centers between 1998 and 2017 with three years of follow-up.

Update on maculopathy secondary to pentosan polysulfate toxicity.

Purpose Of Review: The aim of the present review is to provide a comprehensive summary of available knowledge regarding toxic maculopathy secondary to pentosan polysulfate sodium (PPS).

Recent Findings: PPS toxicity was described in 2018, and additional studies characterize it as dysfunction of the retinal pigment epithelium centered on the posterior pole, which can progress despite drug cessation. Requisite exposure can be as little as 0.

New Insights Into Pentosan Polysulfate Maculopathy.

Background And Objective: To provide new insights into toxic maculopathy secondary to pentosan polysulfate (PPS) utilizing multimodal testing.

Patients And Methods: Retrospective case-series of four patients from two academic centers evaluated with multimodal imaging, electrophysiology, dark adaptometry (DA), and genetic testing.

Results: Median age was 58 years, exposure to PPS was 18.

The impact of gender matching between donor and recipient on the outcome of kidney transplant patients: A retrospective study.

The influence of donor and recipient gender on patients postkidney transplant (KT) is still controversial, and literature data do not present unanimous conclusions. We were concerned with the gender impact on the outcome of kidney transplantation at the level of acute rejection (AR), graft function represented by serum creatinine level, delayed graft function (DGF), graft survival, and infection rate. The impact of gender matching between donors and recipients was studied in 299 KT recipients performed in the Transplantation Unit, Middle East Institute of Health, Bsalim, Lebanon, between November 1998 and September 2014.

Breastfeeding success with the use of the inverted syringe technique for management of inverted nipples in lactating women: a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Breastfeeding provides ideal infant nutrition, conferring several health benefits to children and their mothers. Women with inverted nipples, however, face difficulties that force them to prematurely terminate breastfeeding. Whereas available conservative measures for the correction of inverted nipples are of limited success, the use of an inverted syringe may be effective in achieving high rates of infant latching and exclusive breastfeeding.

Intracapsular hemorrhage rates in non-fixated nylon sheet orbital implants for orbital fracture management.

Purpose: To examine the incidence of intracapsular hemorrhage in orbital fracture repair with non-fixated nylon sheet implants.

Methods: A retrospective chart review of 227 patients presenting from January 2013 to December 2016 for orbital fracture repair with nylon sheet implants.

Results: Of the 331 orbital fractures repaired over 4 years, a total of 227 met inclusion criteria.

Pseudotumor Cerebri Syndrome with Resolution After Discontinuing High Vitamin A Containing Dietary Supplement: Case Report and Review.

A 24-year-old non-obese, but slightly overweight, female presented with a two-week history of progressive severe headache associated with two days of blurry vision. Clinical exam was significant for bilateral papilledema and an enlarged blind spot on visual field testing. Contrast enhanced MRI head revealed no space occupying lesion.

Understanding Human Mobility from Twitter.

Understanding human mobility is crucial for a broad range of applications from disease prediction to communication networks. Most efforts on studying human mobility have so far used private and low resolution data, such as call data records. Here, we propose Twitter as a proxy for human mobility, as it relies on publicly available data and provides high resolution positioning when users opt to geotag their tweets with their current location.

Glaucoma therapy by extended release of timolol from nanoparticle loaded silicone-hydrogel contact lenses.

Glaucoma is the second major cause of blindness in the world after cataract. Glaucoma management through eye drops that reduce the intraocular pressure (IOP) has major deficiencies including low patient compliance and low bioavailability. Extended wear contact lenses that deliver glaucoma drugs for extended periods could increase patient compliance, while also increasing the bioavailability.

Sex matching plays a role in outcome of kidney transplant.

Objectives: The effect of sex matching between donors and recipients was studied in 135 kidney transplant operations performed in our center between December 1998 and December 2007.

Materials And Methods: Patients were divided into 4 groups: group 1 (63 patients, male donor-male recipient), group 2 (25 patients, male donor-female recipient), group 3 (37 patients, female donor-male recipient), and group 4 (10 patients, female donor-female recipient). Except for donor age, recipient body mass index and donor-recipient HLA AB-DR matching, recipient, and donor demographics, and the immunosuppression were comparable in all groups.

Kidney transplantation in a patient with aortic bi-iliac endovascular graft: case report and literature review.

Arterial hypertension is a leading cause of both vascular diseases and chronic renal failure. With the increasing incidence of patients suffering from hypertensive vascular disease, namely aorto-iliac atherosclerosis and aneurysms, more candidates are referred for kidney transplantation (KT). Staged or simultaneous surgical repair of aorto-iliac lesions with KT have long been described and studied.

Infectious complications in kidney transplant: a Lebanese perspective.

Objectives: Infections remain a frequent, potentially life-threatening complication of kidney transplant.

Subjects And Methods: Between 1998 and 2006, we evaluated the incidence of infections in 114 kidney transplant patients, with a 1-year follow-up. All patients received a posttransplant anti-infectious prophylaxis regimen.

Effect of pretransplantation body mass index on allograft function and patient survival after renal transplantation.

We evaluated the effects of pretransplantation recipient body mass index (BMI) on allograft survival and on kidney function. Kidney transplant recipients were grouped according to their pretransplantation BMIs: Group I (BMI<18.5 kg/m2; n=10); Group II (BMI 18.

Effect of pretransplantation hemoglobin blood concentration on renal allograft survival and function.

The effect of pretransplantation hemoglobin (Hb) concentration on the outcome of kidney transplantation (KTx) was studied in 188 adult kidney transplant recipients. Patients were divided into 2 groups: high Hb (>or=10 g/dL; n=97) and low Hb (<10 g/dL; n=91). Both groups were matched for recipient sex, donor age and sex, donor-recipient blood groups, indications for kidney transplantation, and degree of sensitization.

Effect of pretransplant hemoglobin blood level on kidney transplant outcome.

Objectives: We investigated the effect of pretransplant hemoglobin level on the outcome of kidney transplant.

Patients And Methods: Patients were divided in 2 groups: group A < 10 g/dL (80 patients; PTHb < 10 g/dL), and group B > 10 g/dL (69 patients; PTHb = 10 g/dL), and were matched regarding donor age, recipient sex, blood group, donor recipient HLA, and Cytomegalovirus status.

Results: The frequency of acute rejection, together with the timing of rejection, the need for antithymocyte globulin Fresenius rescue therapy, infection rate, and posttransplant surgical complications were comparable between both groups.

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma: a case report and literature review.

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in late adult life. It occurs most frequently in the extremities (70%), followed by the retroperitoneum (16%). The occurrence of MFH in the spermatic cord is extremely rare (approximately 50 cases in the literature).

Effect of recipient age on the outcome of kidney transplantation.

We investigated the effect of recipient age (RA) on kidney transplantation outcome in 107 transplant patients, with a follow-up of 1 year. Patients were divided in 3 groups: Group A (RA<50 years; 72 patients), Group B (RA 50-60 years, 19 patients), and Group C (RA>60 years; 16 patients). The rate and severity of acute rejection, infection rate and type, delayed graft function, hospital stay, creatinine levels (3, 6, 12 months), incidence at 1 year of post-transplant hypertension, cholesterol and triglycerides blood levels, and the rate of post-transplant surgical complications, and 1-year graft and patient survival were comparable between the 3 groups.