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As the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic evolved and became a global health threat, the safety of immunosuppression in antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (AAV) became of utmost important for clinicians and patients. Although timely initiation of immunosuppressive therapy is critical to quell the acute inflammation and prevent AAV-associated mortality and morbidity, concerns for increased susceptibility to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), delayed viral clearance, and decreased humoral response to infection led to speculation about modification in induction therapy practices may be deployed by physicians caring for patients with AAV. This international retrospective cohort study investigated the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on AAV induction therapy and patient outcomes in different parts of the world by studying differences in treatment regimens in the United States, United Kingdom, and Europe.

Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is a dialysis modality used in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury (AKI). Although most dialysate and replacement fluids are dextrose-containing, CRRT-associated hypophosphatemia sometimes warrants the use of phosphorus-containing solutions which are dextrose free. The other less commonly used dextrose-free dialysate solutions are certain formulations of Prismasol and Prismasate. As glucose is a small molecule, which is readily cleared with dialysis, use of these solutions can result in increased caloric loss, net glucose deficit, and shifting of the metabolic pathway towards gluconeogenesis and ketogenesis. Starvation ketosis is usually a benign entity, however when combined with factors such as stress of critical illness, can produce metabolic acidosis which at times can be severe. We describe five patients who developed worsening metabolic acidosis despite adequate clearance from CRRT and were diagnosed with CRRT-associated ketoacidosis. Administration of dextrose-containing fluids or tube feeds promptly resulted in resolution of ketonemia and acidosis. Recognition of this entity is of great importance as the reflexive reaction to increase the prescribed dose of CRRT to improve the acidosis, in fact worsens the problem.

Introduction: The prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is high among kidney neoplasm patients because of the overlapping risk factors. Our purpose is to identify kidney cancer survivors with higher CKD risk. Methods: We studied a retrospective cohort of 361 kidney tumor patients with partial or radical nephrectomy. Linear mixed model was performed. Results: Of patients with follow-up >3 months, 84% were identified retrospectively to fulfill criteria for CKD diagnosis, although CKD was documented in only 15%. Urinalysis was performed in 205 (57%) patients at the time of nephrectomy. Multivariate analysis showed interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy (IFTA) >25% ( p = 0.005), severe arteriolar sclerosis ( p = 0.013), female gender ( p = 0.024), older age ( p = 0.012), BMI ⩾ 25 kg/m2 ( p < 0.001), documented CKD ( p < 0.001), baseline eGFR ⩽ 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 ( p < 0.001), and radical nephrectomy ( p < 0.001) were independent risk factors of lower eGFR at baseline and during follow-up. Average eGFR decreased within 3 months post nephrectomy. However, patients with different risk levels showed different eGFR time trend pattern at longer follow-ups. Multivariate analysis of time × risk factor interaction showed BMI, radical nephrectomy and baseline eGFR had time-dependent impact. BMI ⩾ 25 kg/m2 and radical nephrectomy were associated with steeper eGFR decrease slope. In baseline eGFR > 90 ml/min/1.73 m2 group, eGFR rebounded to pre-nephrectomy levels during extended follow-up. In partial nephrectomy patients with baseline eGFR ⩾ 90 ml/min/1.73 m2 ( n = 61), proteinuria ( p < 0.001) and BMI ( p < 0.001) were independent risk factors of decreased eGFR during follow up. Conclusions: As have been suggested by others and confirmed by our study, proteinuria and CKD are greatly under-recognized. Although self-evident as a minimum workup for nephrectomy patients to include SCr, eGFR, urinalysis, and proteinuria, the need for uniform applications of this practice should be reinforced. Non-neoplastic histology evaluation is valuable and should include an estimate of global sclerosis% (GS) and IFTA%. Patients with any proteinuria and/or eGFR ⩽ 60 at the time of nephrectomy or in follow-up with urologists, and/or >25% GS or IFTA, should be referred for early nephrology consultation.

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative disorder with clonal proliferation of all myeloid cell lines. The disease typically manifests in three phases: chronic course followed by an accelerated phase and finally a terminal blast crisis. A blast crisis is defined as the presence of > 20% blasts in the peripheral blood or bone marrow. The blasts could be characterized as either myeloid (60-80% of cases) resulting in acute myeloblastic leukemia or lymphoid (20-30% of cases) resulting in acute lymphoblastic leukemia. In rare instances, a blast crisis could present with biphenotypic expression for both myeloid and lymphoid blasts. In such cases, about 6-10% of the time, the course of the disease is more aggressive and renders a poorer prognosis especially if there is evidence of extramedullary involvement. We present a case of a 41-year-old woman with history of CML who presented with acute biphenotypic blast crisis with extramedullary involvement in the context of aggressive chemotherapy. Literature review reveals < 10 reported cases of CML with biphasic transformation and only three cases of CML with acute leukemia on presentation. Most cases described are in pediatric patients with varied presentations and none involving extramedullary sites. Mortality rates in such cases are near 100% despite aggressive chemotherapy.

Medullary carcinoma (MC) of the colon is a rare and unique histologic subtype of colorectal cancer. It is commonly associated with deficient mismatch repair proteins and has a strong association with Lynch syndrome. Diagnosis is challenging as it does not have the usual immunohistochemical stains on pathology seen in colorectal adenocarcinoma. Here, we discuss an interesting case of MC of the colon that was metastatic on presentation and constituted a diagnostic challenge.

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in female worldwide. BRCA 1 is located predominantly in nucleus. BRCA 1 is associated with breast cancer. Materials and Methods: This was retroprospective study, 50 known cases of breast carcinoma were analysed in Muzaffarnagar Medical College, Muzaffarnagar. Observation and Results: The age range of patients was from 28-70 years and mean age of patients was 50.24 years. Majority of breast carcinoma were above 45 years of age (64%) and of upper outer quadrant (52%) and of grade II (48%). Invasive carcinoma of no special type (NST) formed the majority of cases (82%) followed by Invasive lobular carcinoma (6%). Altered BRCA 1 expression was seen in ER, PR and HER 2 negative cases. Conclusions: Invasive Carcinoma of no special type was the commonest morphological type. Majority of cases of breast carcinoma were of grade II. Keywords: BRCA 1, Invasive Carcinoma NST, ER, PR, Her 2 neu, IHC.

There continues to be rapid advancement in our understanding of the pathogenesis of immune-mediated kidney disease. This progress has culminated in the development of multiple therapeutic agents that have consistently improved renal and patient outcomes. The focus of this review is to discuss these recent advancements in immune-mediated kidney disease via the lens of direct and indirect immune-mediated mechanisms. In the direct immune-mediated disease, recently described antigens in anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) disease and membranous nephropathy are discussed, along with new therapeutic regimens in membranous nephropathy and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. From an indirect immune-mediated disease standpoint, recent pivotal trials in antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody vasculitis, lupus nephritis, and IgA nephropathy are examined from a real-world practice perspective. New molecular pathways in various disorders of alternate complement pathway are described, which in turn have led to development of various experimental therapies. In addition, pivotal and ongoing therapeutic trials in the aforementioned diseases are presented.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common among hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), with the occurrence of AKI ranging from 0.5% to 80%. An improved knowledge of the pathology of AKI in COVID-19 is crucial to mitigate and manage AKI and to improve the survival of patients who develop AKI during COVID-19. In this review, we summarize the published cases and case series of various kidney pathologies seen with COVID-19. Both live kidney biopsies and autopsy series suggest acute tubular injury as the most commonly encountered pathology. Collapsing glomerulopathy and thrombotic microangiopathy are other encountered pathologies noted in both live and autopsy tissues. Other rare findings such as anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody vasculitis, anti-glomerular basement membrane disease and podocytopathies have been reported. Although direct viral infection of the kidney is possible, it is certainly not a common or even widespread finding reported at the time of this writing (November 2020).

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemic caused by a novel coronavirus that has been identified to belong to the β-coronavirus family.1 As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, more aspects of this illness are being defined and described. In the United States, the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 has been reported to be around 37%.2 Different autopsy and kidney biopsy series have revealed acute tubular injury (ATI) to be the most common renal pathology lesion in these patients.3,S1 Although cases of collapsing glomerulopathy and thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) with COVID-19 have been reported,4,5 an association between COVID-19 and crescentic glomerulonephritis (GN) has rarely been described.6 Herein, we report 2 cases of pauci immune GN with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, who clinically improved with treatment of COVID-19 and cautious use of immunosuppressants.

Lan is a high prevalence red blood cell antigen present in the majority of the populations that belong to the Lan (Langereis) blood group system. Anti-Lan antibody is an immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody that is known to cause delayed hemolytic transfusion reactions in adults as well as hemolytic disease in fetuses and newborns, however with variable clinical significance ranging from mild to severe. We present a 58-year-old woman with diffuse abdominal pain and a large gastric ulcer causing gastric outlet obstruction. She underwent antrectomy and Billroth I reconstruction surgery without complications. The patient’s hemoglobin upon presentation was 10g/dL and dropped acutely post-operatively to 6.4 g/dL requiring blood transfusion. The patient developed acute respiratory distress within minutes of starting a packed red blood cell (pRBC) transfusion, requiring discontinuation. Laboratory testing demonstrated pan-reactivity with additional reference testing demonstrating an anti-Lan antibody. The rarity of Lan negative pRBC units is a challenge in managing such patients requiring blood transfusions. Autologous blood donation or donation by a compatible family member is another option to consider in these rare cases.

Given the high risk of infection-related mortality, patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) may be at increased risk with COVID-19. To assess this, we compared outcomes of patients with and without ESKD, hospitalized with COVID-19. This was a retrospective study of patients admitted with COVID-19 from 13 New York. hospitals from March 1, 2020, to April 27, 2020, and followed through May 27, 2020. We measured primary outcome (in-hospital death), and secondary outcomes (mechanical ventilation and length of stay), Of 10,482 patients with COVID-19, 419 had ESKD. Patients with ESKD were older, had a greater percentage self-identified as Black, and more comorbid conditions. Patients with ESKD had a higher rate of in-hospital death than those without (31.7% vs 25.4%, odds ratio 1.38, 95% confidence interval 1.12 - 1.70). This increase rate remained after adjusting for demographic and comorbid conditions (adjusted odds ratio 1.37, 1.09 - 1.73). The odds of length of stay of seven or more days was higher in the group with compared to the group without ESKD in both the crude and adjusted analysis (1.62, 1.27 - 2.06; vs 1.57, 1.22 - 2.02, respectively). There was no difference in the odds of mechanical ventilation between the groups. Independent risk factors for in-hospital death for patients with ESKD were increased age, being on a ventilator, lymphopenia, blood urea nitrogen and serum ferritin. Black race was associated with a lower risk of death. Thus, among patients hospitalized with COVID-19, those with ESKD had a higher rate of in-hospital death compared to those without ESKD., Graphical abstract

The rate of acute kidney injury (AKI) associated with patients hospitalized with Covid-19, and associated outcomes are not well understood. This study describes the presentation, risk factors and outcomes of AKI in patients hospitalized with Covid-19. We reviewed the health records for all patients hospitalized with Covid-19 between March 1, and April 5, 2020, at 13 academic and community hospitals in metropolitan New York. Patients younger than 18 years of age, with end stage kidney disease or with a kidney transplant were excluded. AKI was defined according to KDIGO criteria. Of 5,449 patients admitted with Covid-19, AKI developed in 1,993 (36.6%). The peak stages of AKI were stage 1 in 46.5%, stage 2 in 22.4% and stage 3 in 31.1%. Of these, 14.3% required renal replacement therapy (RRT). AKI was primarily seen in Covid-19 patients with respiratory failure, with 89.7% of patients on mechanical ventilation developing AKI compared to 21.7% of non-ventilated patients. 276/285 (96.8%) of patients requiring RRT were on ventilators. Of patients who required ventilation and developed AKI, 52.2% had the onset of AKI within 24 hours of intubation. Risk factors for AKI included older age, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, black race, hypertension and need for ventilation and vasopressor medications. Among patients with AKI, 694 died (35%), 519 (26%) were discharged and 780 (39%) were still hospitalized. AKI occurs frequently among patients with Covid-19 disease. It occurs early and in temporal association with respiratory failure and is associated with a poor prognosis., Graphical abstract

We present an interesting case of a 31-year-old female with recurrent Staphylococcus lugdunensis bacteremia in the setting of a coronary artery fistula (CAF). Over the course of several months, the patient was admitted to the hospital on three separate occasions with an unclear source of bacteremia. She suffered from numerous complications, including cavitary pneumonia, osteomyelitis, synovitis and septic emboli. On each admission, the patient received intravenous (IV) antibiotic therapy. CT scan of the chest with contrast on the third admission revealed a prominent tortuous vessel coursing from the ascending aorta and main pulmonary artery to the left atrium. Coronary CT angiogram confirmed the presence of a fistula connecting the left circumflex artery to the coronary sinus. Common complications of CAF include infective endocarditis and myocardial ischemia; however, we report a novel case of recurrent bacteremia in the context of an anomalous coronary artery. Two months after diagnosis, surgical closure of the CAF was performed. This case illustrates the importance of utilizing different cardiac imaging modalities in order to diagnose congenital cardiac anomalies in a timely fashion and intervene appropriately.

Oxidative stress due to hypobaric hypoxia at extreme altitudes causes severe neuronal damage and irreversible cognitive loss. Owing to contraindications of current drug therapies, the aim of the study was to investigate memory enhancing potential of aqueous extract of Ganoderma lucidum (GLAQ) and underlying neuroprotective mechanism using rat hypobaric hypoxia test model. Rats exposed to hypobaric hypoxia showed deranged spatial memory in morris water maze test with hippocampal damage and vasogenic cerebral edema. All these changes were prevented with GLAQ treatment. Blood and biochemical analysis revealed activation of hypoxic ventilatory response, red blood cells induction, reversal of electrolyte and redox imbalance, and restoration of cellular bioenergetic losses in GLAQ treated animals. Notably, GLAQ treatment ameliorated levels of neurotransmitters (catecholamines, serotonin, glutamate), prevented glucocorticoid and α-synuclein surge, improved neuroplasticity by upregulating CREB/p-CREB/BDNF expression via ERK1/ERK2 induction. Further, restoration of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor with stabilization of hypoxia inducible factors and inflammatory markers were evidenced in GLAQ treated rats which was additionally established in gene reporter array using an alternative HT22 cell test model. Conclusively, our studies provide novel insights into systemic to molecular level protective mechanism by GLAQ in combating hypobaric hypoxia induced oxidative stress and memory impairment.

Background Reports show that AKI is a common complication of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in hospitalized patients. Studies have also observed proteinuria and microscopic hematuria in such patients. Although a recent autopsy series of patients who died with severe COVID-19 in China found acute tubular necrosis in the kidney, a few patient reports have also described collapsing glomerulopathy in COVID-19. Methods We evaluated biopsied kidney samples from ten patients at our institution who had COVID-19 and clinical features of AKI, including proteinuria with or without hematuria. We documented clinical features, pathologic findings, and outcomes. Results Our analysis included ten patients who underwent kidney biopsy (mean age: 65 years); five patients were black, three were Hispanic, and two were white. All patients had proteinuria. Eight patients had severe AKI, necessitating RRT. All biopsy samples showed varying degrees of acute tubular necrosis, and one patient had associated widespread myoglobin casts. In addition, two patients had findings of thrombotic microangiopathy, one had pauci-immune crescentic GN, and another had global as well as segmental glomerulosclerosis with features of healed collapsing glomerulopathy. Interestingly, although the patients had confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection by RT-PCR, immunohistochemical staining of kidney biopsy samples for SARS-CoV-2 was negative in all ten patients. Also, ultrastructural examination by electron microscopy showed no evidence of viral particles in the biopsy samples. Conclusions The most common finding in our kidney biopsy samples from ten hospitalized patients with AKI and COVID-19 was acute tubular necrosis. There was no evidence of SARS-CoV-2 in the biopsied kidney tissue.

Eribulin is a non-taxane microtubule inhibitor approved for the treatment of metastatic breast carcinoma after two prior chemotherapeutic regimens. We report a patient with extended progression-free survival (PFS) of more than 57 months with metastatic breast carcinoma treated with eribulin in the third-line setting. A 48-year-old lady was diagnosed with stage IIA (pT2N0M0), high grade, triple-negative, invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) of the left breast on core needle biopsy. She underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy with adriamycin, and cyclophosphamide followed by a negative sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy. Subsequent mastectomy and axillary lymph node dissection revealed a 2.5 cm, high grade, triple-negative IDC with three additional lymph nodes negative for metastatic carcinoma, consistent with the initial diagnosis. Eight months into the surveillance program, the patient developed a 2.8 cm right lower lobe (RLL) lung mass with standard uptake value (SUV) of 27 on positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT). Core needle biopsy of the lung lesion revealed sheets of poorly differentiated carcinoma, immunophenotypically compatible with the initial diagnosis of breast pathology. She then commenced single-agent paclitaxel in the 1st line metastatic setting with a significant decrease in RLL lung mass to less than 1 cm with an SUV of 1.7 noted. The patient developed progression after seven months and started 2nd line gemcitabine noting initial improvement and subsequent stable disease for a period of 12 months. Eventual progression of RLL lung nodule measuring 2.1 cm with SUV of 10 noted. Initiated 3rd line eribulin with a notable response on imaging studies within three months and with no evidence of disease (NED) on scans over the subsequent 57 months. Eribulin related mild neuropathy superimposed on previous paclitaxel associated grade 2 neuropathy required a 20% eribulin dose reduction. The patient is currently clinically and radiographically stable with plateaued serum tumor markers. Our patient has shown excellent response and tolerance to eribulin with PFS of over 57 months (nineteen times the norm) which is rare.

Acclimatization is a major pathophysiological concern during ascent to high altitude and may cause mortality in unacclimatized individuals. Absence of target drugs, especially prophylactics, emphasizes the need for development of herbal agents. Present study revealed that animals pre-administered with aqueous extract of Ganoderma lucidum (GLAQ) dose dependently (50, 100, 200 mg/kg) delayed onset of convulsion following severe hypoxia (SH) and restored rectal temperature post-cold restraint (CR) and hypobaric hypoxia (HBH). The compromised antioxidant status (MDA, GSH, SOD, GPx), biochemical (ALT, AST, glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, urea), and hematological parameters (red blood cells, white blood cells) were ameliorated with GLAQ treatment. Further, extract modulated inflammatory and thermogenic response by attenuating pro-inflammatory cytokines (NFĸB, TNFα, IL6) and restoring UCP1, SIRT1, respectively. Notably, extract did not produce any noxious effects subchronically in rats of both sexes with GLAQ administered at 100, 500, and 1,000 mg/kg in a single dose/day for 90 days, deeming it fit for therapeutic purpose. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: GLAQ exhibited better efficacy compared to internal control (gallic acid) suggest that array of bioactive compounds in extract might contribute toward efficacy. Further, antistress properties of GLAQ against multiple stressors including SH, CR, and HBH demonstrate its therapeutic potential for inducing rapid acclimatization and preventing mountain sickness. Conclusively, the present study based on Ganoderma lucidum extract intents to fill the lacunae behind development of nontoxic therapeutic agent for controlling high altitude-related maladies.

Adult T cell lymphoma (ATL), is a peripheral T cell neoplasm associated with infection by human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV). This is a case of a 28-year-old lady who presented with back pain for the past month and recent onset weakness in her lower extremities bilaterally. She has a history of T-cell lymphoma secondary to HTLV-1 under remission since 2014 and systemic lupus erythematosus complicated by lupus nephritis. On physical examination patient had hyper-reflexia in both knees, ankle clonus bilaterally and spasticity in both her lower extremities. She also had a diffuse, scaly, macular rash in her upper and lower extremities and ulcer-like lesions on the plantar surface of both feet. Her lumbar puncture showed lymphocyte predominance. The Western Blot test was positive for HTLV antibodies in the CSF. The patient was started on IV Methylprednisone which considerably improved her symptoms. The biopsy of her skin lesions showed an immunophenotype of T-cells similar to the cells in the bone marrow at the time of diagnosis of the lymphoma. HTLV infection is an etiologic agent for ATL as well as for tropical spastic paresis. One should have a high degree of suspicion for tropical spastic paresis in patients with HTLV-1 infection as it can easily go undiagnosed. Indolent forms of ATL can also present in the form of skin lesions in later stages. It is also important to distinguish between skin manifestations of ATL and cutaneous T cell lymphomas, and the importance of skin biopsies for the same cannot be undermined.

e12554 Background: Breast cancer is a frequently diagnosed malignancy in the United States accounting for approximately 266,000 cases and 40,000 deaths annually. Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is a surface protein shown to affect cell proliferation, migration and survival - the hallmarks of neoplastic cells. HER2 is overexpressed in 20-35% of breast cancer cases and has a strong prognostic and therapeutic significance. This discovery led to development of therapeutic agents targeting HER 2 receptor. In 2013, College of American Pathologists (CAP) updated their recommendations for HER2 testing by incorporating an algorithm with immunohistochemistry (IHC) and In situ hybridization (ISH). The primary objective of our study was to assess for variance in HER2 interpretation by applying the updated 2013 criteria to all diagnosed cases in our hospital for the immediate previous three years. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed charts of patients diagnosed with invasive breast carcinoma from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2012 at our hospital. The new American college of pathology criteria assessing FISH HER2 copy number and HER2/CEP ratio for each patient was compared to the old criteria to assess for variance in HER2 interpretation. Categorical variables are presented as percentages and kappa statistic was used to assess for variance. Results: We reviewed 526 charts with an invasive breast cancer diagnosis over a 3-year period. 10.83% of patients were HER2 amplified, 86.12% were non-amplified and 3.04% were equivocal. Applying the updated 2013 CAP criteria, we found that 11.21% were amplified, 74.33% were non amplified, and 14.44% remained equivocal. Kappa statistic indicated substantial agreement (0.804) between the old and new criteria. A review of our cohort revealed an overall lower level of HER2 positive cases at 10.83% (old criteria) and 11.21% (updated criteria) when compared to historical studies. The increase in equivocal cases from 3.04% to 14.44% with the new criteria suggests under diagnosis of HER2 positive cases. Due to the lack of IHC performed (as per old standards), further classification of equivocal cases (based on new criteria) was not possible. While we saw some movement in our data from non-amplified to equivocal, our analysis indicated substantial statistical agreement between the old and the new diagnostic criteria Conclusions: Our study did not show a variance in HER2 interpretation between the 2007 and 2013 CAP criteria which is reassuring. An increase of 11.4% cases in the equivocal category was noted and may reveal a significant difference if further delineation is feasible. This variance could be important given the prognostic and therapeutic implications in HER2 positive breast cancer.[Table: see text]

COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the novel coronavirus. It presents as an acute respiratory illness, however, it also affects multiple other organ systems. One such unique manifestation is systemic coagulopathy involving arterial and venous systems. We present a 29-year-old woman with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, who was diagnosed with COVID-19 infection prior to initiating chemotherapy. Two months after resolution of symptoms and testing negative for COVID-19, she presented with multiple acute thromboembolic complications of the infection, including bilateral jugular venous thrombosis, right atrial clot and arterial emboli in the brain resulting in cerebrovascular injury. These were thought to be delayed manifestations of the systemic coagulopathy secondary to infection. Also, some of these thromboembolic phenomena occurred while the patient was on anticoagulation, which emphasises the extensive hyperinflammatory state caused by the virus. This case highlights the importance of thromboprophylaxis especially in high-risk patients with this infection.

A 24-year-old male with metastatic desmoplastic round cell tumor was admitted for fatigue and weakness after chemotherapy. The patient was found to be hypotensive, pancytopenic, and bacteremic. Early treatment with intravenous antibiotics and fluids was efficacious. The hospital course was complicated by recurrent hypoglycemia that was refractory to the standard hypoglycemia protocol. Initial workup revealed low serum insulin and normal C-peptide. Further evaluation revealed elevated IGF-II levels consistent with non-islet cell tumor-induced hypoglycemia. Euglycemia was subsequently achieved with aggressive and continuous infusion of intravenous 10% dextrose.

High energy laser, particularly 532 nm, is widely used in defense and medical applications and there is need to address its occupational safety. Thermal and non-thermal effects of 532 nm high energy laser on skin are cause of concern. This study indicates impact of 532 nm laser on rat skin and first of its kind of attempt to understand transcriptional activation of genes as an early response following laser exposure. Skin of experimental rats were exposed to 532 nm radiance at 0.1, 0.25 and 0.50 W/cm2 for 10 sec. Thermographic changes of skin exposed to 532 nm laser exhibited increased Tmax temperature in radiance dependent manner. After thermal imaging, skin of experimental rats was collected 1 h post laser exposure for studying differential gene expression. The skin exposed to lower power density (0.1 W/cm2) did not show significant changes in expression of gene pathways studied. At moderate radiance (0.25 W/cm2), predominantly canonical wnt/B-catenin pathway genes notch1, axin2, ccdn1, wnt5a and redox homeostasis genes; txn1, nqo1 and txnrd1 were expressed. At higher radiance (0.5 W/cm2), significant repression of genes related to wound healing process particularly notch/wnt pathway viz. hes5, wnt1, wn3b with higher expression of dab2 was recorded. The data obtained from these studies would help in drawing safety limits for skin exposure to 532 nm laser. Further, genes expressed at moderate and high level of radiance exposure to skin were distinct and differential and provide new avenue to configure pathway to counteract laser induced delay in tissue injury and hair follicular damage.

A 36-year-old female with no significant past medical history presented with sudden onset of crushing substernal chest pain. When the emergency medical services (EMS) arrived, she had a cardiac arrest requiring defibrillation two times in the field prior to arriving at the hospital. In the emergency department (ED), the electrocardiogram (ECG) was significant for ST-elevation that suggested acute anterolateral infarct. Her laboratory evaluation also showed a platelet count of 1095 x 103/ul. Also, her troponin levels were at 0.16 ng/ml at the time of arrival and peaked at 42.8 ng/ml. She immediately underwent a cardiac catheterization which showed 100% occlusion of her left anterior descending (LAD) artery by a thrombus, which was then treated with a thrombectomy and a single drug-eluting stent was placed. Upon further work-up of her thrombocytosis, the patient had a bone marrow biopsy showing megakaryocytic hyperplasia which no evidence of fibrosis. She was tested for Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) mutation which was positive. The patient was diagnosed with essential thrombocytosis (ET) and was started on cytoreduction therapy with hydroxyurea. Her platelet counts responded appropriately and dropped to less than 500 x 103 at the time of discharge.

We present a case of a 55-year-old lady with intermittent twitching of the left side of her face, involving her left eyelid and the angle of the mouth, ongoing for two years. She failed multiple trials of botulinum toxin injections as well as oral anti-spasmodic medications. The patient was diagnosed with an ectatic left vertebral artery, causing a compression of cranial nerve VII on the same side on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain. She underwent neurosurgery with a microvascular decompression of the ectatic artery with a resolution of hemifacial spasms. However, her postoperative course was complicated by headaches and low-grade fevers. She also had leukocytosis on a laboratory evaluation. The postoperative computed tomography (CT) scan of her head was normal. The patient had a lumbar puncture done, which showed an elevated white cell count in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis and the CSF culture was positive for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria. She was diagnosed with MRSA meningitis as a postoperative complication following microvascular decompression. The patient had a revision surgery of the decompression site, including wound debridement and did well postoperatively.

Rationale & Objective Outcomes of patients hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and acute kidney injury (AKI) are not well understood. The goal of this study was to investigate the survival and kidney outcomes of these patients. Study Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting & Participants Patients (aged ≥18 years) hospitalized with COVID-19 at 13 hospitals in metropolitan New York between March 1, 2020, and April 27, 2020, followed up until hospital discharge. Exposure AKI. Outcomes Primary outcome: in-hospital death. Secondary outcomes: requiring dialysis at discharge, recovery of kidney function. Analytical Approach Univariable and multivariable time-to-event analysis and logistic regression. Results Among 9,657 patients admitted with COVID-19, the AKI incidence rate was 38.4/1,000 patient-days. Incidence rates of in-hospital death among patients without AKI, with AKI not requiring dialysis (AKI stages 1-3), and with AKI receiving dialysis (AKI 3D) were 10.8, 31.1, and 37.5/1,000 patient-days, respectively. Taking those without AKI as the reference group, we observed greater risks for in-hospital death for patients with AKI 1-3 and AKI 3D (HRs of 5.6 [95% CI, 5.0-6.3] and 11.3 [95% CI, 9.6-13.1], respectively). After adjusting for demographics, comorbid conditions, and illness severity, the risk for death remained higher among those with AKI 1-3 (adjusted HR, 3.4 [95% CI, 3.0-3.9]) and AKI 3D (adjusted HR, 6.4 [95% CI, 5.5-7.6]) compared with those without AKI. Among patients with AKI 1-3 who survived, 74.1% achieved kidney recovery by the time of discharge. Among those with AKI 3D who survived, 30.6% remained on dialysis at discharge, and prehospitalization chronic kidney disease was the only independent risk factor associated with needing dialysis at discharge (adjusted OR, 9.3 [95% CI, 2.3-37.8]). Limitations Observational retrospective study, limited to the NY metropolitan area during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions AKI in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 was associated with significant risk for death.

Background: Professional educators are facing various workplace issues, which can aggravate the non-communicable disease like hypertension (HTN). Work pressure, stress, work load, and sedentary lifestyle are major factors reported. This study was aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors of HTN with new guidelines among professional medical educators of Vadodara city. Aim and Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of HTN with new guidelines and its correlation with associated factors in professional educators. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in 220 professional medical educators in Vadodara city. Data on socio-demographic profile, different risk factors, and blood pressure (BP) were recorded. HTN was recorded according to pre-defined criteria’s and described by new AHA guidelines. Factors associated with HTN analyzed by Chi-square test (χ2). Results: The prevalence of elevated BP among professional educators was approximately 80% as per new AHA guidelines. The mean systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, mean blood pressure, and pulse pressure were found to be 126.73±6.02, 82.02±3.02, 96.32±3.46, and 42.05±4.99, respectively. HTN was found to be associated with age and body mass index (BMI) (χ2 P < 0.05). Author also found that 41–50 years of age group BP were found to be elevated in more than 55% of population. Conclusion: Study found that BP found to be elevated in more than 50% subjects even with normal BMI. The percentage we found for Stage I HTN cannot be ignored even in such a small group. Studies in large group or longer time are recommended and prevalence data need to be revised for prevention and management of HTN as per the American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines.

A 63-year-old man presented with intermittent, progressively worsening dyspnoea associated with cough and blood-tinged sputum. Initial work-up showed left axis deviation on ECG, chest X-ray with an elevated left hemidiaphragm and a non-contrast CT chest that showed a multilobulated mass in the proximal trachea. Bronchoscopy showed a whitish-appearing lesion, which was then sampled and partially resected with pathology showing a schwannoma with no malignant cells. He felt partial relief post procedure; however, he presented a month later with similar symptoms of dyspnoea and a repeat CT scan showed enlargement of the mass in the same location. The patient underwent another flexible bronchoscopy and resection with argon plasma coagulation (APC)/electrocautery snare. APC/electrocautery is an effective interventional bronchoscopy technique that can be used to resect endoluminal lesions or extraluminal lesions that have infiltrated into the airway using flexible/rigid bronchoscopy. It is more cost-effective, safe, works well with vascular lesions and achieves excellent haemostasis as compared with Nd:YAG lasers.

28-year-old African American female with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) presented with blurry vision for 4-5 days prior to presentation associated with right-sided headaches. Patient was on treatment for the CML but never had hematological remission. Patient saw an ophthalmologist who told her that she has bilateral optic disc swelling and advised her to get an MRI of the brain. She came to the ER due to worsening headache and blurry vision. The funduscopic examination showed significant bilateral papilledema. Laboratory evaluation revealed a leukocytosis of 240 × 103/uL with platelet count of 1,202 × 103. The white cell differential count showed 17% blasts along with myelocytes and meta-myelocytes. MRI of brain revealed non-specific CSF flair signal. Lumbar puncture (LP) showed significantly elevated opening pressures. The CSF composition was however normal. The patient felt much relief of her symptoms following the LP. The papilledema was thought to be due to benign intracranial hypertension (ICH), which was attributed to poor CSF absorption due to resistance to flow of CSF caused by the high WBC count. She received 2 cycles of leukopheresis which dropped her WBC count. She was also started on acetazolamide for the benign ICH and her symptoms improved considerably. Patients with CML can thus present with symptoms mimicking CNS involvement of the disease such as headaches and blurry vision, but that could be attributed to the poor CSF resorption given the leukocytosis rather than spread of the disease itself.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection confers an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, including acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Patients with perinatally acquired HIV may be at increased risk due to the viral infection itself and exposure to HAART in utero or as part of treatment. A 20-year-old female with transplacentally acquired HIV infection presented with symptoms of transient aphasia, headache, palpitations, and blurry vision. She was admitted for hypertensive emergency with blood pressure 203/100 mmHg. Within a few hours, she complained of typical chest pain, and ECG showed marked ST depression. Troponin I levels escalated from 0.115 to 10.8. She underwent coronary angiogram showing 95% stenosis of the right coronary artery (RCA) and severe peripheral arterial disease including total occlusion of both common iliacs and 95% infrarenal aortic stenosis with collateral circulation. She underwent successful percutaneous intervention with a drug-eluting stent to the mid-RCA. Patients with HIV are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Of these, coronary artery disease is one of the most critical complications of HIV. Perinatally acquired HIV infection can be a high-risk factor for cardiovascular disease. A high degree of suspicion is warranted in such patients, especially if they are noncompliant to their ART.

Background Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a serious complication of diabetes seen commonly in autoimmune Type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM), however patients with Type 2 diabetes are also at risk. Diabetic ketoacidosis may be precipitated by the catabolic stress of acute illness such as trauma, surgery, or infections. Recent studies have suggested that sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors precipitate DKA in Type 2 diabetes. We present a case series of four patients on SGLT-2 inhibitors who presented with DKA. Methods Medical records were reviewed and patients who were admitted with diabetic ketoacidosis in the last one year at our institute were identified. The charts of such patients were reviewed and we were able to identify 4 patients who were admitted with DKA and were on SGLT-2 inhibitors at the time of admission for the management of their diabetes. Results The age group of the four patients was between 45-65 years. Interestingly, all four patients were female. The admission blood glucose levels of these patients ranged from 203 to 400(mg/dl). The pH at the time of admission was in the acidotic range with anion gap ranging from 19 to 24. Two of these four patients had symptoms of a localized infection at the time of admission, which was confirmed by laboratory and radiological evaluation. Three of these patients required management in the intensive care unit. Conclusion Ketoacidosis is a rare but serious side effect of SGLT2 inhibitors. It is being increasingly reported as these drugs are now commonly being prescribed in the primary care setting. Awareness that DKA can occur in the setting of relative euglycemia is critical to recognize this life-threatening complication of diabetes. More research is needed to better understand the underlying pathophysiology and precipitating factors leading to ketoacidosis in SGLT-2 inhibitor treated patients.

In Schools, canteens play a crucial role in ensuring nutritional well-being of adolescents. Regular consumption of unhealthy food items purchased from the school canteens may add to the existing burden of malnutrition in children, especially adolescents. A narrative review was conducted to comprehensively summarize the nutritional quality of food products served in South Asian school canteens. Three electronic scientific databases were searched for articles and selected articles were analyzed. Literature review indicated the absence of school food policy/guidelines, unhygienic school canteens, high availability and accessibility of unhealthy foods in school canteens and lack of awareness regarding healthy school food environment among parents, teachers, students, and principals. Further, well-designed studies to assess the nutritional quality of foods served in school canteens using appropriate indices are required.

e12578Background: Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women. 35% of breast cancer is reported in women older than 70 years. This study was performed with aim to evaluate the clinical...

Chemotherapeutic agents, specifically anthracyclines and trastuzumab are known to cause dose dependent cardiotoxicity ranging from subclinical changes in myocardial strain to overt left ventricular systolic dysfunction and heart failure. We conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Locked-in syndrome (LIS) is a catastrophic condition caused most often by ischemic stroke or hemorrhage, affecting the corticospinal, corticopontine, and corticobulbar tracts in the brainstem. We present a case of a Locked-in Syndrome patient who received communication training with augmentative and alternative communication equipment. The patient was initially given a trial of the basic Dynavox Assistive technology device after which she graduated to using the Tobii C 12 device. The patient’s limited use of her right upper extremity in the form of being able to operate a light writer switch with her thumb aided her use of these devices. The patient was later introduced to the Mega-bee which eliminated the use of a switch as it required only the use of eye-blinks to communicate. At the end of her 2 month stay at the rehab facility she was able to efficiently use the Mega-Bee device and improved tremendously in her communication. Augmentative and alternative communication equipment helps patients of locked-in syndrome to interact with their environment and plays a big role in their recovery.

Background: The study of cells in effusional fluid was among the early domains in cytology to draw interest of clinicians and pathologists. Identification of effusional cells as benign reactive or malignant is a diagnostic primary purpose of evaluation. Clinical history when taken into account while evaluating effusions can avoid erroneous diagnosis. Materials and Methods: It was a prospective type of study. A total of 540 cases of serous effusions were cytologically evaluated following detailed history taking and clinical examination. Out of 540 cases all cases of malignant effusions were segregated and categorized according to sex, site (peritoneal or pleural), and origin (primary or metastatic). Results: A total of 50 cases were positive for malignancy.. Most common primary tumors associated with malignant effusions in males and females were of lung and ovary respectively. Most common cause of malignant pleural effusion in males was lung cancer and in females was breast cancer respectively. Most common cause of malignant peritoneal effusion in males was carcinoma GIT and in females was carcinoma ovary respectively. Conclusion: Malignancy emerged as the third most common cause of serous effusions following inflammatory and reactive causes. Malignant effusions were more common in females. Malignant effusions were mainly due to metastatic cancers, mostly adenocarcinomas. The most common cause of malignant pleural effusion in males was carcinoma lung and in females is carcinoma breast, while the most common cause of malignant peritoneal effusion in males was carcinoma GIT and in females was carcinoma ovary respectively. Keywords: Malignancy, Exudates, Effusion, Cytology

Fibrillary glomerulonephritis (GN) is an uncommon cause of rapidly progressive kidney failure. We report a case of rapidly progressive kidney failure with kidney biopsy showing crescentic GN on light microscopy and immunofluorescence showing linear/globular glomerular basement membrane (GBM) staining for immunoglobulin G and C3, consistent with anti-GBM disease. However, electron microscopy showed fibrillary deposits in the GBM, suggesting a diagnosis of fibrillary GN. As exemplified by this case, it is important to consider fibrillary GN in the differential diagnosis of crescentic GN with linear immunoglobulin G deposits within the GBM. Electron microscopy is crucial to make this diagnosis.