Administration of BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine to subjects with various allergic backgrounds.

Background: The mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine was introduced to the general public in December 2020. Shortly thereafter, safety concerns were raised due to the reporting of allergic reactions. Allergy-related disorders were suspected to be significant risk factors and the excipient polyethylene glycol was suggested to be a robust allergen.

Anti-PEG antibodies before and after a first dose of Comirnaty® (mRNA-LNP-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccine).

The early and massive vaccination campaign in Israel with the mRNA-LNP Comirnaty® (Pfizer-BioNTech) vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 virus made available large amounts of data regarding the efficacy and safety of this vaccine. Adverse reactions to mRNA-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are rare events, but due to large mediatic coverage they became feared and acted as a potential source of delay for the vaccination of the Israeli population. The experience with the reactogenicity of the polyethylene glycol (PEG) moiety of PEGylated liposomes, PEGylated proteins and other PEGylated drugs raised the fear that similar adverse effects can be associated with the PEG lipid which is an essential component of currently used mRNA-LNP vaccines against COVID-19.

Recurrent haemoptysis: a rare diagnosis of kaposiform lymphangiomatosis and review of literature.

Kaposiform lymphangiomatosis (KLA) is a rare clinicopathological entity among lymphatic anomalies. The main involved sites are the mediastinum and the lungs but the disease can also affect multiple extrathoracic organs. Little is known about the pathophysiology, the natural history, the treatment response and the long-term outcome of this disorder.

Reporting of Allergic Reactions During Pfizer-BioNTech BNTT162B2 Vaccination in Israel.

Background: In December 2020, the Israeli Ministry of Health launched a national vaccination campaign against SARS-CoV-2. Concomitant sporadic reports on anaphylactic responses in other countries raised safety concerns at the outset of this operation.

Objective: To characterize reports on allergic reactions to coronavirus disease 2019 vaccines.

A Transient Inflammatory Reaction with a B-Cell Lymphoid Infiltrate and Dysplastic Bone Marrow Changes Associated with the BNT162b2 COVID-19 Vaccine.

Unlabelled: COVID-19 vaccines were introduced soon after the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in 2020. Various side effects were reported worldwide, including several types of common systemic side effects such as fever and general fatigue. Reports of other rare manifestations also emerged.

Clinical decision support system recommendations: how often do radiologists and clinicians accept them?

Objective: To assess the acceptance and reliability of clinical decision support system (CDSS) imaging referral scores (ESR iGuide).

Methods: A pilot study was conducted in a tertiary hospital. Four different experts were invited to rate 40 simulated clinical cases on a 5-level scale, for the level of agreement with the ESR iGuide's recommended procedures.

Erratum: Corridengum to: Self-Rated Smell Ability Enables Highly Specific Predictors of COVID-19 Status: A Case-Control Study in Israel.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofaa589.].

Self-Rated Smell Ability Enables Highly Specific Predictors of COVID-19 Status: A Case-Control Study in Israel.

Background: Clinical diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is essential to the detection and prevention of COVID-19. Sudden onset of loss of taste and smell is a hallmark of COVID-19, and optimal ways for including these symptoms in the screening of patients and distinguishing COVID-19 from other acute viral diseases should be established.

Methods: We performed a case-control study of patients who were polymerase chain reaction-tested for COVID-19 (112 positive and 112 negative participants), recruited during the first wave (March 2020-May 2020) of the COVID-19 pandemic in Israel.

Allergic-like disorders and asthma in patients with common variable immunodeficiency: a multi-center experience.

Objective: Common variable immune deficiency (CVID) encompasses a variety of diseases characterized by disturbed immunoglobulin (Ig) production and various immune dysregulations. Scarce data are available regarding relationships between CVID and allergic diseases. Here we examined possible associations between allergies and CVID.

Epidemiological, clinical and economic burden of severe eosinophilic asthma in Taiwan: Results from a large tertiary care hospital.

Background: Burden of severe eosinophilic asthma (SEA) data in Asia are limited.

Objective: This retrospective, observational study characterized SEA epidemiology, healthcare resource use (HCRU) and costs for adult patients in Taiwan.

Methods: Data from Taichung Veterans General Hospital electronic medical record database, between 2013 to 2016, were extracted.

Iodinated contrast media allergy is rare in patients undergoing sialography.

Background: Iodinated contrast media allergy is considered as a strong contra-indication for performing sialography. There is little evidence to support this approach.

Objective: To evaluate the rate of iodinated contrast media (ICM) allergy in subjects undergoing sialography and to assess the risk for allergic responses in patients with a previous diagnosis of allergy.

A Novel Tool for Nasal Polyp Investigation: An Ex vivo Organ Culture System.

Background: Nasal polyps are three-dimensional structures arising from the mucosa of the upper airway. Due to their complexity, the reliability of single-layer cell cultures and animal systems as research models is limited.

Objectives: To evaluate the feasibility of an ex vivo organ culture of human polyps, preserving tissue structure and function.

Mean platelet volume and clinical outcomes of patients with chest pain discharged from internal medicine wards.

Background: Currently, there are no clinical scores for risk stratification of low-risk patients with chest pain. We aimed to examine the association between mean platelet volume (MPV) and risk for adverse clinical outcomes in patients with chest pain discharged from internal medicine wards following acute coronary syndrome (ACS) rule-out.

Patients And Methods: Included were patients who were admitted to internal medicine wards and were discharged following an ACS-rule-out during 2010-2016.

Characterization of chronic urticaria and associated conditions in a large population of adolescents.

Background: Although chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) affects all age groups, data regarding CSU in adolescents is scarce.

Objective: To characterize the epidemiology, demographics, and comorbidities associated with CSU in a large, cross-sectional nationwide population of adolescents.

Methods: Medical records of 16-year-old candidate conscripts to the Israeli Defense Forces were reviewed.

A practical approach to infarction of the spleen as a rare manifestation of multiple common diseases.

Introduction: There are insufficient data on the aetiologic factors underlying splenic infarction (SI). Therefore, there is no consensus regarding the appropriate diagnostic approach.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of all patients admitted with SI from January 2004 to December 2014.

Physical Training in a Medical Fitness Room for Patients with Chronic Diseases: Functional and Metabolic Outcomes.

Background: Physical inactivity is a pivotal factor in the development and progression of various chronic diseases. However, most fitness facilities exclude unhealthy individuals. Therefore, an exercise program that admits such patients is imperative.

Iodinated Contrast Media Allergy in Patients Hospitalized for Investigation of Chest Pain.

Background: Iodinated contrast media (ICM) allergy may entail severe adverse events in patients who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Premedication protocols and low-osmolality contrast media have been thought to improve the outcomes of these individuals.

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence and severity of allergic reactions during PCI in patients admitted for investigation of chest pain.