Publications by authors named "Lev-Tov H"

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the axilla, inframammary folds, buttocks, inner thighs, and anogenital regions. Patients with moderate to severe HS often seek care in the emergency department and may require hospitalization; however, the lack of clear admission criteria and management guidelines presents significant challenges. To address these issues, we conducted a clinical review aimed at hospitalists and consulting dermatologists considering hospital admission for patients experiencing severe HS flares.

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Background: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) affects different patient populations that require unique considerations in their management. However, no HS guidelines for these populations exist.

Objective: To provide evidence-based consensus recommendations for patients with HS in 7 special patient populations: (i) pregnancy, (ii) breastfeeding, (iii) pediatrics, (iv) malignancy, (v) tuberculosis infection, (vi) hepatitis B or C infection, and (vii) HIV disease.

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Article Synopsis
  • The exact cause of hidradenitis suppurativa is unclear, which makes treatment challenging.
  • Current treatment options, both medications and surgeries, come with limitations related to patient preferences, effectiveness, safety, and costs.
  • Integrative strategies that include smoking cessation, diet changes, exercise, and mental health support are emerging as valuable additions to traditional treatments, aiming to improve overall management of the condition.
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  • Caring for hard-to-heal wounds requires understanding both medical and personal factors that affect each patient's condition.
  • Wound care providers must consider comorbidities, psychosocial challenges, and individual experiences related to pain, odor, and drainage to tailor effective treatment.
  • The review emphasizes collaboration among wound care professionals, researchers, and the healthcare industry to improve accountability and meet the diverse needs of patients.
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Venous leg ulcers (VLUs) represent one of the most prevalent types of chronic wounds characterised by perturbed microbiome and biofilm-forming bacteria. As one of the most abundant skin-commensal, Staphylococcus epidermidis is known as beneficial for the host, however, some strains can form biofilms and hinder wound healing. In this study, S.

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Objective: The aim of this systematic review was to identify and qualify the current available evidence of the wound exudate handling capabilities and the cost-effectiveness of hydration response technology (HRT). HRT combines physically modified cellulose fibres and gelling agents resulting in wound dressings that absorb and retain larger quantities of wound exudate.

Method: A systematic search was conducted in MEDLINE (via PubMed and PubMed Central) according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA).

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We report the first clinical evaluation of a new enzymatic wound debridement product containing tarumase in venous leg ulcer patients. As a first-in-human study, this was a prospective, open-label, multi-centre, dose escalation study across five dose cohorts and involving a total of 43 patients treated three times weekly for up to 4 weeks (12 applications). The primary and secondary endpoints of the study were to assess the systemic safety, local tolerability, and early proof of concept both for wound debridement and healing.

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This article describes the contemporary bioengineering theory and practice of evaluating the fluid handling performance of foam-based dressings, with focus on the important and clinically relevant engineering structure-function relationships and on advanced laboratory testing methods for pre-clinical quantitative assessments of this common type of wound dressings. The effects of key wound dressing material-related and treatment-related physical factors on the absorbency and overall fluid handling of foam-based dressings are thoroughly and quantitively analysed. Discussions include exudate viscosity and temperature, action of mechanical forces and the dressing microstructure and associated interactions.

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Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, inflammatory skin condition. HS disease management has proven difficult owing to an insufficient understanding of the immunological processes that drive its pathogenesis. We have demonstrated that misregulation of caveolae perturbs inflammatory responses, inhibits cutaneous wound healing, and contributes to immune privilege collapse in other hair follicle-related diseases.

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The aim of this article is to identify and describe clinical practice performance characteristics for bordered foam dressings in the treatment of complex wounds. Our recently published systematic review of outcomes and applied measurement instruments for the use of bordered foam dressings in complex wounds has led to us identifying a range of important clinical and patient-centred issues related to this dressing class. Specifically, here, we focus on an overview of performance criteria in the areas of application, adhesion, exudate management and debridement functions of bordered foam dressings.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Monoclonal antibodies are becoming essential treatments for skin conditions like hidradenitis suppurativa, with a need for improved strategies to quickly identify treatment failures and optimize therapies.
  • - The review analyzed randomized controlled trials from 1979 to 2020 that focused on therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of biologics used for conditions like inflammatory bowel disease and psoriasis, finding varying results on the effectiveness of TDM.
  • - Results indicated that proactive TDM for anti-TNF-α biologics showed greater success in IBD studies, suggesting that similar approaches could enhance dermatologic treatments in the future.
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  • The project aimed to create a core outcome set (COS) for evaluating bordered foam dressings in treating complex wounds by following the COMET initiative.
  • The research included systematic reviews and consensus meetings, ultimately identifying seven key outcomes to measure effectiveness, including factors like pain and overall satisfaction.
  • The findings emphasize the importance of collaboration in wound dressing research and suggest future work on measurement tools and endpoints for improved clinical practice.
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The objective of this study is to characterize breath-hold (BH)-induced oxygenation changes in diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) and develop an oxygenation flow index (OFI) to discern nonhealing from healing DFUs. The imaging approach utilizes an innovative BH stimulus that induces vasoconstriction and measures for altering oxygenation flow in and around the tissues of DFUs and controls. The modified Beer-Lambert law was utilized to calculate hemoglobin-based spatiotemporal oxygenation maps in terms of oxygen saturation.

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Venous leg ulcers (VLU) are the most common chronic wounds characterized by bacterial biofilms and perturbed microbiome. is primarily known as skin commensal beneficial for the host, however, some strains can form biofilms and cause infections. By employing shotgun metagenomic sequencing we show that genetic signatures of antimicrobial resistance, adhesion and biofilm formation in VLU isolates correlate with bacterial traits.

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Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder that is characterized by painful nodules, abscesses and tunnels in skin folds. Current management of HS often requires a multidisciplinary approach, including medical, procedural, surgical, and psychosocial intervention. Here we review surgical techniques for the treatment of HS.

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Article Synopsis
  • Diabetes mellitus (DM) leads to a significant increase in blood-borne microparticles (MPs) that are positive for F-actin, which may contribute to DM-related inflammation.* -
  • F-actin-coated MPs activate neutrophils through specific receptors and mechanisms, indicating a novel pathway for inflammation in DM.* -
  • The study identifies NOS1AP as a critical link between PS-binding receptors and intracellular proteins, suggesting that these F-actin positive MPs could serve as potential biomarkers or therapeutic targets in DM-related inflammatory conditions.*
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In the treatment of acute and chronic wounds, the clinical performance of a given foam-based dressing, and, ultimately, the wound healing and cost of care outcomes are strongly influenced by the mechanical performance of the foam material/s within that dressing. Most aspects of the mechanical performance of foam materials, for example, their stiffness, frictional properties, conformability, swelling characteristics and durability, and the overall mechanical protection provided by a foam-based dressing to a wound strongly depend on the microstructure of the foam components, particularly on their microtopography, density and porosity. This article, therefore, provides, for the first time, a comprehensive, self-inclusive compilation of clinically relevant theoretical and practical considerations, based on published analytical and experimental research as well as clinical experience related to the mechanical performance of foams in foam-based wound dressings.

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The goal of this multicentre study was to evaluate whether circulating endothelial precursor cells and microparticles can predict diabetic foot ulcer healing by the 16th week of care. We enrolled 207 subjects, and 40.0% (28.

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