A machine learning tool for early identification of celiac disease autoimmunity.

Identifying which patients should undergo serologic screening for celiac disease (CD) may help diagnose patients who otherwise often experience diagnostic delays or remain undiagnosed. Using anonymized outpatient data from the electronic medical records of Maccabi Healthcare Services, we developed and evaluated five machine learning models to classify patients as at-risk for CD autoimmunity prior to first documented diagnosis or positive serum tissue transglutaminase (tTG-IgA). A train set of highly seropositive (tTG-IgA > 10X ULN) cases (n = 677) with likely CD and controls (n = 176,293) with no evidence of CD autoimmunity was used for model development.

Maternal periconception hyperglycemia, preconception diabetes, and risk of major congenital malformations in offspring.

Study Question: What are the roles of maternal preconception diabetes and related periconceptional hyperglycemia on the risk of major congenital malformations (MCMs) in offspring?

Summary Answer: Maternal periconceptional glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels over 5.6% were associated with an increased risk of congenital heart defects (CHD) in the offspring, and maternal preconception diabetes was associated with an increased risk of CHD, including when HbA1c levels were within euglycemic ranges.

What Is Known Already: Maternal preconception diabetes has been linked with MCMs in the offspring.

Validation Assessment of Privacy-Preserving Synthetic Electronic Health Record Data: Comparison of Original Versus Synthetic Data on Real-World COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness.

Purpose: To assess the validity of privacy-preserving synthetic data by comparing results from synthetic versus original EHR data analysis.

Methods: A published retrospective cohort study on real-world effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines by Maccabi Healthcare Services in Israel was replicated using synthetic data generated from the same source, and the results were compared between synthetic versus original datasets. The endpoints included COVID-19 infection, symptomatic COVID-19 infection and hospitalization due to infection and were also assessed in several demographic and clinical subgroups.

Intake of Proton Pump Inhibitors Is Associated with a Shorter Time to First Treatment in Early-Stage Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.

Introduction: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are one of the most widely used drugs worldwide [Gut Liver. 2017;11(1):27-37]. The use of PPI has become a common practice and is overprescribed for all patients with cancer including patients with hematological malignancies.

Real-world treatment patterns in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: associations with comorbidities and damage.

Objective: To assess treatment patterns and the association between long-term glucocorticoid (GC) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) use and damage accrual in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods: A retrospective study including patients with SLE using the computerised database of a large health maintenance organisation. Patients were matched with subjects from the general population.

Adopting the new iStopMM-based criteria for light-chain monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance: an ongoing debate.

Not available.

The Prevalence and Characteristics of Inflammatory Bowel Disease-related Ocular Involvement in Children.

Background: Ocular manifestations (OMs) in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are uncommon, particularly in children. We aimed to explore the prevalence and characteristics of IBD-associated OM in a large cohort study.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed using the Maccabi Healthcare Services (MHS) database.

Revealing misattributed parentage through the integration of genetic information into the electronic health record.

The integration of genetic information (GI) into the electronic health record (EHR) seems inevitable as the mainstreaming of genomics continues. Such newly provided accessibility to GI could be beneficial for improving health care, as well as for supporting clinical decision-making and health management. Notwithstanding these promising benefits, the automatic integration of GI into the EHR, allowing unrestricted access to one's GI through patient portals, carries various knowledge-related risks for patients.

Paternal Use of Metformin During the Sperm Development Period Preceding Conception and Risk for Major Congenital Malformations in Newborns.

Background: Metformin is the most used oral antidiabetic medication. Despite its established safety profile, it has known antiandrogenic and epigenetic modifying effects. This raised concerns about possible adverse developmental effects caused by genomic alterations related to paternal use of metformin during the spermatogenesis period preceding conception.

Epidemiology and Treatment Patterns of Patients with Vitiligo: A Real-World Analysis.

Introduction: Vitiligo, a chronic autoimmune skin depigmentation disease with an unpredictable course, has been associated with several comorbid autoimmune and psychological conditions. Our current understanding of vitiligo burden and management in the real world is limited. This real-world analysis presents data on vitiligo epidemiology, comorbidities, and treatment of patients in Israel.

Changes in behavior and biomarkers during the diagnostic decision period for COVID-19, influenza, and group A streptococcus (GAS): a two-year prospective cohort study in Israel.

Background: Limited knowledge exists regarding behavioral and biomarker shifts during the period from respiratory infection exposure to testing decisions (the diagnostic decision period), a key phase affecting transmission dynamics and public health strategy development. This study aims to examine the changes in behavior and biomarkers during the diagnostic decision period for COVID-19, influenza, and group A streptococcus (GAS).

Methods: We analyzed data from a two-year prospective cohort study involving 4795 participants in Israel, incorporating smartwatch data, self-reported symptoms, and medical records.

Vitamin D supplement for patients with early-stage chronic lymphocytic leukemia is associated with a longer time to first treatment.

Low levels of vitamin D are associated with a shorter time to first treatment (TTFT) and inferior overall survival in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). But whether vitamin D supplement affects the clinical course of patients with CLL, remains an open question. In this study, we aimed to retrospectively explore the clinical benefit of vitamin D supplement or one of its analogs, on TTFT and treatment-free survival (TFS) in a large cohort of patients with asymptomatic CLL, who were under watch-and-wait approach.

Improved Survival of Patients With Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Between 1998-2022, Including the Era of Target Therapies With BCL2 and BTK Inhibitors.

Background/aim: The treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) has changed dramatically over the last two decades. The current study aimed to investigate the impact on overall survival (OS) and time to next treatment (TTT) among CLL patients from 1998 to 2022.

Patients And Methods: The cohort was based on data obtained from electronic medical records of Maccabi, the second largest healthcare organization in Israel.

Infant screen media and child development: A prospective community study.

The current study examined longitudinal associations between early screen media exposure (assessed at 6, 12, and 24 months) and the child's motor and language/communication development at the ages of 24 and 36 months. We also aimed to study whether these associations varied by socioeconomic status (SES). Participants were 179 parent-infant dyads, recruited from well-baby clinic services during routine visits.

An Outbreak of Parvovirus B19 in Israel.

Human parvovirus B19 (B19V) has a wide clinical spectrum, ranging from an asymptomatic infection to a life threatening one. During pregnancy, it can lead to fetal loss and hydrops fetalis. This retrospective study examined the incidence rates of B19V in Israel, analyzing anonymized electronic medical records of 2.

Whole exome germline sequencing in early-onset prostate cancer patients: Genomic findings and clinical outcomes.

Background: Whole exome sequencing (WES) furthered our understanding of various tumors. We assessed the occurrence of germline likely pathogenic/pathogenic (LP/P) variants, disease features, and clinical outcomes in early-onset prostate cancer.

Methods: This retrospective study (N = 134) included consecutive prostate cancer patients who donated blood samples for research purposes to the Kahn-Sagol-Maccabi biobank.