Early arrhythmia recurrence after cryoballoon ablation in atrial fibrillation: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Early arrhythmia recurrence within the 3-month blanking period is a common event that historically has been attributed to reversible phenomena. While its mechanistic links remain obscure, accumulating evidence support the argument of shortening the blanking period. We aimed to elucidate the association between early and late arrhythmia recurrence after atrial fibrillation cryoablation.

Soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1, placental growth factor and procalcitonin as biomarkers of gram-negative sepsis: Analysis through a derivation and a validation cohort.

Further improvement of the diagnostic and prognostic performance of biomarkers for the critically ill is needed. Procalcitonin (PCT), placental growth factor (PlGF) and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 raise interest for sepsis diagnosis and prognosis.Serum samples from 2 cohorts of 172 patients (derivation cohort) and of 164 patients (validation cohort) comprising only patients with microbiologically confirmed gram-negative infections were analyzed.

Cardiovascular complications after COVID-19 in chronic kidney disease, dialysis and kidney transplant patients.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with increased mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), dialysis patients and kidney transplant recipients (KTR). Cardiovascular complications, such as sudden arrhythmias, thromboembolic events, coronary events, cardiomyopathies and heart failure, may present in about 10-20% of patients with COVID-19. Patients with CKD, dialysis patients and KTR are all at increased cardiovascular risk and present with more cardiovascular complications after COVID-19 compared to the general population.

Clinical and radiographic outcomes of total shoulder arthroplasty with a partially cemented all-polyethylene pegged bone-ingrowth glenoid component: a systematic review.

Background: Several articles have been published reporting on the clinical performance of a novel pegged, all-polyethylene glenoid component design which features a central peg, circumferentially fluted, interference-fit peg for tissue integration and three small peripheral pegs for cementing. However, no systematic review exists to this date.

Methods: The US National Library of Medicine (PubMed/MEDLINE), EMBASE, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were queried for publications up to May 2020.

HIV continuum of care: bridging cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses.

Objective: The aim of this study was to propose a unified continuum-of-care (CoC) analysis combining cross-sectional and longitudinal elements, incorporating time spent between stages.

Design: The established 90-90-90 target follows a cross-sectional four-stage CoC analysis, lacking information on timing of diagnosis, antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation, and viral suppression durability.

Methods: Data were derived from the Athens Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (AMACS).

Immunologic Dysregulation and Hypercoagulability as a Pathophysiologic Background in COVID-19 Infection and the Immunomodulating Role of Colchicine.

In 2020, SARS-COV-2 put health systems under unprecedented resource and manpower pressure leading to significant number of deaths. Expectedly, researchers sought to shed light on the pathophysiologic background of this novel disease (COVID-19) as well as to facilitate the design of effective therapeutic modalities. Indeed, early enough the pivotal role of inflammatory and thrombotic pathways in SARS-COV-2 infection has been illustrated.

Redox Balance in Male Infertility: Excellence through Moderation-"Μέτρον ἄριστον".

Male infertility, a relatively common and multifactorial medical condition, affects approximately 15% of couples globally. Based on WHO estimates, a staggering 190 million people struggle with this health condition, and male factor is the sole or contributing factor in roughly 20-50% of these cases. Nowadays, urologists are confronted with a wide spectrum of conditions ranging from the typical infertile male to more complex cases of either unexplained or idiopathic male infertility, requiring a specific patient-tailored diagnostic approach and management.

Outcomes of posterior component separation with transversus abdominis release (TAR) in large and other complex ventral hernias: a single-surgeon experience.

Purpose: Over the last years, great advances in the repair of abdominal wall hernias have dramatically improved patients' outcomes. Especially for large and other complex ventral hernias, the application of component separation techniques has been a landmark in their successful management. The aim of this study is to present our experience with the posterior component separation with transversus abdominis release (TAR) in patients with these demanding ventral hernias.

Immunogenicity of the BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 vaccine in elderly people over 85 years of age in Greece: the GREVAXIMO study.

Background: Elderly people aged over 85 years were among the first groups to receive the BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 vaccine in Greece according to the national priority assignment policy.

Aim: The aim of this study was to provide useful insight into the antibody generation taking place post-immunization in elderly individuals aged over 85.

Methods: In the first phase of our study, antibody levels were monitored in a total of 400 participants, while our final sample consisted of 297 subjects.

Molecular Insights in Atrial Fibrillation Pathogenesis and Therapeutics: A Narrative Review.

The prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) is bound to increase globally in the following years, affecting the quality of life of millions of people, increasing mortality and morbidity, and beleaguering health care systems. Increasingly effective therapeutic options against AF are the constantly evolving electroanatomic substrate mapping systems of the left atrium (LA) and ablation catheter technologies. Yet, a prerequisite for better long-term success rates is the understanding of AF pathogenesis and maintenance.

Dysfunctional elimination syndrome: a short review of the literature.

The combination of the functional disorders of urination and defecation constitutes the Dysfunctional Elimination Syndrome (DES). DES refers to an abnormal pattern of elimination of unknown etiology characterized by bowel and bladder incontinence and withholding, with no underlying anatomic or neurologic abnormalities. Essential precondition for a child to be subsumed under this entity is the exclusion of either anatomical or neurological causative factors.

Early treatment of COVID-19 with anakinra guided by soluble urokinase plasminogen receptor plasma levels: a double-blind, randomized controlled phase 3 trial.

Early increase of soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) serum levels is indicative of increased risk of progression of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) to respiratory failure. The SAVE-MORE double-blind, randomized controlled trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of anakinra, an IL-1α/β inhibitor, in 594 patients with COVID-19 at risk of progressing to respiratory failure as identified by plasma suPAR ≥6 ng ml, 85.9% (n = 510) of whom were receiving dexamethasone.

Immunogenicity after the first dose of the BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 vaccine: real-world evidence from Greek healthcare workers.

Real-world data regarding the effectiveness, safety and immunogenicity of the Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine are accumulating in the literature, suggesting that this vaccine generates high titres of S1-binding IgG antibodies that exhibit potent virus neutralization capacity. This is the first phase IV immunogenicity study to recruit a large number of Greek healthcare workers (=425) including 63 previously-infected subjects. We measured titres of neutralizing IgGs against the receptor-binding domain of the S1 subunit of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 14 days post-immunization with the first dose, employing the SARS-CoV-2 IgG II Quant assay.

Incidental Detection of Preputial Calculus in a Patient with Partial Phimosis: Is it as Rare as We Believed?

Summary Background: Preputial stone disease is the rarest type of urolithiasis. Adult males with severe phimosis and poor hygiene are mainly affected.

Case Presentation: A 90-year-old male sought treatment for steadily worsening urinary frequency, intermittency, incontinence, and pain at the tip of his penis of 3-days duration.

Hidden Patterns of Anti-HLA Class I Alloreactivity Revealed Through Machine Learning.

Detection of alloreactive anti-HLA antibodies is a frequent and mandatory test before and after organ transplantation to determine the antigenic targets of the antibodies. Nowadays, this test involves the measurement of fluorescent signals generated through antibody-antigen reactions on multi-beads flow cytometers. In this study, in a cohort of 1,066 patients from one country, anti-HLA class I responses were analyzed on a panel of 98 different antigens.

Second dose of the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine: Value of timely administration but questionable necessity among the seropositive.

This study monitored titers of neutralizing IgG against the receptor-binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 S1 subunit 14 days post-injection of each dose of the BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 vaccine in 401 Greek healthcare workers aged 20-67. After the first dose, titers varied upon age and history of infection, being lower in the 50+ age group and significantly higher among the seropositive. After the second dose, immunogenicity was significantly boosted in the age 50+ and SARS-CoV-2-naïve individuals, indicating the effectuality of its timely administration, yet questioning its value among the seropositive.

Outcomes of ICU patients with and without perceptions of excessive care: a comparison between cancer and non-cancer patients.

Background: Whether Intensive Care Unit (ICU) clinicians display unconscious bias towards cancer patients is unknown. The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of critically ill patients with and without perceptions of excessive care (PECs) by ICU clinicians in patients with and without cancer.

Methods: This study is a sub-analysis of the large multicentre DISPROPRICUS study.

Partial deletion of chromosome 6p causing developmental delay and mild dysmorphisms in a child: molecular and developmental investigation and literature search.

Background: The interstitial 6p22.3 deletions concern rare chromosomal events affecting numerous aspects of both physical and mental development. The syndrome is characterized by partial deletion of chromosome 6, which may arise in a number of ways.

Middle Ear Adenomatous Neuroendocrine Tumor: A Rare Entity.

Middle ear adenomatous neuroendocrine tumors (MEANT) are rare, mainly benign neoplasms and account for less than 2% of the middle and inner ear neoplasms. There are no specific radiological or clinical findings; therefore, the diagnosis is often difficult. Biopsy prior to surgery is often proposed.

Hook-wire assisted localization of a completely endophytic renal mass during three-dimensional laparoscopic partial nephrectomy: Presentation of our technique.

Introduction: Totally endophytic renal masses may be invisible during laparoscopic partial nephrectomy, posing challenge to surgeons regarding tumor's identification and resection.

Case Presentation: A 22-year-old male was incidentally diagnosed with a completely endophytic, cT1a renal mass. Percutaneous Computed Tomography-guided insertion of a hook-wire was performed prior to laparoscopic partial nephrectomy.

Synchronous bilateral testicular cancer with discordant histopathology occurring in a 20-year-old patient: A case report and review of the literature.

Introduction: Bilateral testicular tumors are very rare, accounting for 1%-5% of all testicular germ-cell tumors (TGCTs). The vast majority of primary bilateral TGCTs are metachronous, with synchronous tumors comprising approximately 0.5%-1% of all cases.

Obstructive lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) as the initial presentation of penile paraffinoma: a case report and literature review.

Penile paraffinoma is a rare condition after penile injection of liquid paraffin or other mineral oils, with well-documented debilitating complications. Nevertheless, such injections are still performed by people of Eastern European and Asian descent for cosmetic penile augmentation. We report a case of penile paraffinoma in an otherwise healthy, 30-year-old male, with obstructive lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) as the sole complaint at presentation in the emergency department and a conservative approach.

Analysis of Prevalence and Risk Factors of Contact Sensitization with respect to the Occupational Profiles in a Greek Patient Cohort: A Retrospective Analysis of a Greek Referral Centre and Future Perspectives.

Contact dermatitis is a frequent skin disorder related to environmental and occupational etiological factors, which could potentially affect all age groups, as well as both genders. The current study is aimed at exploring the patterns of contact sensitization with respect to the population's occupational patterns in Greece. A retrospective analysis was performed in a cohort of 1978 patients from 2014 to 2016.