Publications by authors named "R Battikh"

On March 13, 2021, Tunisia started a widespread immunization program against SARS-CoV-2 utilizing different vaccinations that had been given emergency approval. Herein, we followed prospectively a cohort of participant who received COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer BioNTech and Sputnik-Gameleya V). The goal of this follow-up was to define the humoral and cellular immunological profile after immunization by assessing neutralizing antibodies and IFN- γ release.

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As elevated levels of the soluble CXCL16 (sCXCL16) chemokine have been reported in severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, this study examined whether sCXCL16 concentration on the first day of hospitalization predicted death in COVID-19 patients. A total of 76 patients with COVID-19 were admitted to the Military Hospital of Tunis, Tunisia, between October 2020 and April 2021, and later classified as survivors or nonsurvivors based on their outcomes. At admission, the groups were matched by age, gender, comorbidities, and the percentage of patients with moderate conditions.

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Introduction: Since December 2019, a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has triggered a global pandemic with a heavy medical and societal-economic toll. The health consequences were not similar during the successive waves that affected several countries. The aim of our study was to compare the sociodemographic, clinical and evolutionary features of COVID-19 patients hospitalized at the Military Hospital of Tunis (HMPIT) during the 2 and 3 waves that affected the country.

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Objectives: This study aims to assess the efficacy of a combination treatment of doxycycline and zinc in the primary prevention of COVID-19 infection in Tunisian health care workers compared with two control groups.

Methods: We conducted a prospective, randomized, double-blind clinical trial over 5 months to determine the efficacy of a preventive combination treatment dose of doxycycline (100 mg/day) and zinc (15 mg/day), compared with a single-dose treatment with doxycycline versus placebo. The effectiveness of preventive treatment was measured by the significant decline in the number of cases of COVID-19 infection and/or a decrease in the viral load as determined by SARS-CoV-2 cycle threshold value using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction tests.

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Pyogenic arthritis of the atlantoaxial joint is scarce. It can lead to several complications, such as spinal cord compression and cerebral vein thrombosis. A 51-year-old man presented with a twenty-day history of inflammatory neck pain.

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