[The winning works of the Scientific Council of the Israel Medical Association (IMA) Award for Excellence in Basic Sciences for 2024].

The winning works of the Scientific Council of the Israel Medical Association (IMA) Award for Excellence in Basic Sciences for 2024.

Thyroid nodule characterization using Spectral Detector Computed Tomography (SDCT) in comparison to ultrasound.

Objective: To characterize thyroid nodules seen on Spectral Detector computed tomography (SDCT) in respect to their Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TI-RADS) category on Ultrasound (US).

Methods: We included patients that underwent US examination for the evaluation of thyroid nodules and contrast-enhanced SDCT examination of the neck/thorax, between the years 2018-2020. The SDCT and US were performed within 6 months of each other.

Validation of Lung EpiCheck, a novel methylation-based blood assay, for the detection of lung cancer in European and Chinese high-risk individuals.

Aim: Lung cancer screening reduces mortality. We aim to validate the performance of Lung EpiCheck, a six-marker panel methylation-based plasma test, in the detection of lung cancer in European and Chinese samples.

Methods: A case-control European training set (n=102 lung cancer cases, n=265 controls) was used to define the panel and algorithm.

Novel extra cellular-like matrices to improve human ovarian grafting.

Purpose: To investigate if human ovarian grafting with pure virgin human recombinant collagen type-1 from bioengineered plant lines (CollPlant™) or small intestine submucosa (SIS) yields better implantation results for human ovarian tissue and which method benefits more when combined with the host melatonin treatment and graft incubation with biological glue + vitamin E + vascular endothelial growth factor-A.

Methods: Human ovarian tissue wrapped in CollPlant or SIS was transplanted into immunodeficient mice with/without host/graft treatment. The tissue was assessed by follicle counts (including atretic), for apoptosis evaluation by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase assay and for immunohistochemical evaluation of neovascularization by platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule (PECAM) expression, and for identification of proliferating granulosa cells by Ki67 expression.

Extracellular-like matrices and leukaemia inhibitory factor for in vitro culture of human primordial follicles.

The possibility of maturing human primordial follicles in vitro would assist fertility restoration without the danger of reseeding malignancies. Leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and certain culture matrices may promote human follicular growth. The present study compared human primordial follicular growth on novel culture matrices, namely human recombinant vitronectin (hrVit), small intestine submucosa (SIS), alginate scaffolds and human recombinant virgin collagen bioengineered in tobacco plant lines (CollPlant).

Morbidity and mortality after major pulmonary resections in patients with locally advanced stage IIIA non-small cell lung carcinoma who underwent induction therapy.

Background: The optimal treatment for patients with locally advanced stage IIIA non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) remains controversial, but induction therapy is increasingly used. The aim of this study was to evaluate mortality, morbidity, hospital stay and frequency of postoperative complications in stage IIIA NSCLC patients that underwent major pulmonary resections after neoadjuvant chemotherapy or chemoradiation.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of all patients who underwent major pulmonary resections after induction therapy for locally advanced NSCLC from October 2009 to February 2014.

Lobectomy for non-small cell lung cancer: differences in morbidity and mortality between thoracotomy and thoracoscopy.

Objective: Until the last decade, lobectomy by thoracotomy (TL) was the "gold standard" for treatment of patients with operable lung carcinoma. Today, video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy (VATS-L) has become accepted as a safe and effective procedure to treat early-stage lung cancer. We analyzed and compared postoperative complications, hospital stay, morbidity, and mortality after TL and VATS-L in patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC).

Normal and elevated HbA1C levels correlate with severity of hypoxemia in patients with obstructive sleep apnea and decrease following CPAP treatment.

Purpose: Sleep apnea is associated with higher HbA1C levels in patients with and without diabetes but whether its severity correlates with HbA1C levels ranging from normal to abnormal is less clear. Also, the effect of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment on HbA1C levels in patients with sleep apnea is controversial.

Methods: Thirty consecutive patients with obstructive sleep apnea were studied.

Thoracic empyema in high-risk patients: conservative management or surgery?

We retrospectively analyzed the data of 119 patients who were treated for empyema thoracis from 1999 to 2007. There were 87 men with a mean age of 63.9 years (range, 19-79 years) and 32 women with a mean age 55.

Cervical mediastinoscopic lymphadenectomy for accurate staging in lung cancer.

Accurate preoperative staging of the mediastinum is important in the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer. Enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes on chest computed tomography are positive for malignancy on mediastinoscopy in only half of these patients. After negative mediastinoscopy, some positive nodes are found at thoracotomy.

Three years of pulmonary rehabilitation: inhibit the decline in airflow obstruction, improves exercise endurance time, and body-mass index, in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Pulmonary rehabilitation is known to be a beneficial treatment for COPD patients. To date, however, there is no agreement for how long a rehabilitation program should be implemented. In addition, current views are that pulmonary rehabilitation does not improve FEV1 or even slow its decline in COPD patients.

Effect of N-acetylcysteine on air trapping in COPD: a randomized placebo-controlled study.

Background: FEV(1) is used for the classification of disease severity and is a good predictor of COPD mortality. However, it is a poor predictor of clinical symptoms, exercise tolerance, and response to bronchodilators in COPD. Progressive reduction in inspiratory capacity (IC) during exercise reflects dynamic hyperinflation and is a good predictor of decreased exercise ability as well as increased exertional dyspnea.

Gene expression subtraction of non-cancerous lung from smokers and non-smokers with adenocarcinoma, as a predictor for smokers developing lung cancer.

Background: Lung cancer is the commonest cause of cancer death in developed countries. Adenocarcinoma is becoming the most common form of lung cancer. Cigarette smoking is the main risk factor for lung cancer.

[Ophthalmoplegia and blindness associated with necrotizing sarcoid granuloma].

A 65 year old male, presented with ophthalmoplegia and reduced vision in his left eye. The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain revealed three hyperintensity areas located in the left parasellar area, left lacrimal gland and right frontal bone. Chest CT revealed bilateral pulmonary masses.

Prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among smokers aged 45 and up in Israel.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is an increasing cause of chronic morbidity and mortality around the world. The major cause of the disease is smoking. Despite the gravity of the problem there is no knowledge of its rate in the Israeli smoking population.

Usefulness of CDK5RAP3, CCNB2, and RAGE genes for the diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma.

We used oligonucleotide microarrays with probe sets to 22,283 genes to analyze the gene expression profile of lung adenocarcinoma. Cancerous and noncancerous tissue samples were obtained from 23 patients with stage I or II lung cancer; 18 tissue pairs and 5 cancerous tissues. A list of 2065 genes that differentiate between cancerous and noncancerous tissues was generated using Winsorized paired t-tests.

Large solitary fibrous tumour of the pleura: analysis of six cases.

Background: A large solitary fibrous tumour of the pleura (SFTP) is a very rare occurrence. The aim of this study was to retrospectively review the clinical characteristics, surgical treatment and outcome of patients with a large SFTP operated on in our General Thoracic Surgery Unit.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of the clinical records of six patients who underwent surgery for a huge SFTP between 1998 and 2004.

A pilot prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of bilevel positive airway pressure in acute asthmatic attack.

Study Objective: Noninvasive ventilation has been shown to be effective in patients with acute respiratory failure due to pulmonary edema and exacerbations of COPD. Its role in an acute asthmatic attack, however, is uncertain. The purpose of this pilot study was to compare conventional asthma treatment with nasal bilevel pressure ventilation (BPV) [BiPAP; Respironics; Murrysville, PA] plus conventional treatment in patients with a severe asthmatic attack admitted to the emergency department.

High-dose intravenous isosorbide-dinitrate is safer and better than Bi-PAP ventilation combined with conventional treatment for severe pulmonary edema.

Objective: To determine the feasibility, safety and efficacy of bilevel positive airway ventilation (BiPAP) in the treatment of severe pulmonary edema compared to high dose nitrate therapy.

Background: Although noninvasive ventilation is increasingly used in the treatment of pulmonary edema, its efficacy has not been compared prospectively with newer treatment modalities.

Methods: We enrolled 40 consecutive patients with severe pulmonary edema (oxygen saturation <90% on room air prior to treatment).

Predictive value of response to treatment of T-lymphocyte subpopulations in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

T-cell types are important in maintaining immune homeostasis in the lung and their imbalance may be associated with several diseases. We examined the relationship between bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) T-cell subset profiles and the clinical course of 46 patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). A flow cytometry cell sorter (FACS) was used to analyse the T-cell subsets.

Asthma mortality in Israel 1971-1990.

Background: One of the enigmas in asthma is that our improved understanding of the pathophysiology and the introduction of new modalities to treat asthma has not led to a parallel decrease in asthma mortality. On the contrary, morbidity and mortality from asthma have increased since the mid-seventies in most of the western countries. This trend of increased asthma mortality rate was not observed in Israel in a survey that examined the changes in asthma mortality rate in Israel during 1960-1986.

IL-13 results in differential regulation of the complement proteins C3 and factor B in tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-stimulated fibroblasts.

IL-13, like IL-4, a product of activated T cells, has multiple biological actions, primarily on B cells and monocytes. The purpose of the present study was to compare the effects of IL-13 with those of IL-4 on the synthesis of complement proteins in fibroblasts. Dermal fibroblasts were developed from skin biopsies.