Distinct clinical characteristics of paraneoplastic optic neuropathy

ObjectiveParaneoplastic optic neuropathy (PON) is relatively uncommon, and the visual outcomes and prognosis of this disease have not been well documented. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical features and prognosis of antibody-mediated PON.MethodsClinical data were retrospectively collected from hospitalised patients diagnosed with PON at the Neuro-Ophthalmology Department at the Chinese People’s Liberation Army General Hospital from January 2015 to June 2017.ResultsA total of seven patients (four females and three males, 13 involved eyes) were included with a mean age of 56.28±11.32 years (36–70 years). Simultaneous or early sequential bilateral eye involvement (5/7, 71.4%) was common in the patients with PON. Severe vision loss (≤0.1) was seen in 76.9% (10/13) of the eyes. There were 13 eyes in the acute phase of the disease, and six eyes presented with optic disc oedema. All patients had definite evidence of paraneoplastic-associated antibodies (three with serum positive for antiamphilphysin, one for anti-PNMA2 (Ma2/Ta), one for anti-Yo, one for anti-Ma2 and one for anti-CV2). All of the serum samples were negative for myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody and two patients companied with seropositive for the aquaporin-4 antibody. Five patients had history of primary malignancy, including thyroid cancer, type B thymoma, testicular seminoma, cervical cancer and lung carcinoma. Two patients had positive paraneoplastic syndrome antibodies (anti-Yo and antiamphiphysin), but the solid tumour had not been found through a PET scan. Visual acuity in 9/13 (69.2%) eyes was below 0.1, and all of the patients survived to the follow-up with no metastatic lesions.ConclusionsPON is relative rare, with a predominance of bilateral involvement and more with a poor visual prognosis. Paraneoplastic antibody testing can contribute to the diagnosis of PON, distinct from other types of optic neuropathies, which can help doctors to find the primary cancer earlier to guide further treatment.

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Case Report: Central Retinal Artery Occlusion in a COVID-19 Patient

Frontiers in Pharmacology ◽

10.3389/fphar.2020.588384 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

Author(s):

Andrea Montesel ◽

Claudio Bucolo ◽

Victoria Mouvet ◽

Emmanuelle Moret ◽

Chiara M. Eandi

Keyword(s):

Vision Loss ◽

Previous History ◽

Central Retinal Artery Occlusion ◽

Retinal Artery Occlusion ◽

Artery Occlusion ◽

Central Retinal Artery ◽

History Of ◽

Severe Vision Loss ◽

Retinal Artery ◽

Vascular Occlusions

We report a case of central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) in a patient with a previous history of severe COVID-19 disease. This disease has been associated with inflammatory-induced homeostasis changes leading to endothelial dysfunction and a procoagulant state with multi-organ involvement, but the burden of thromboembolic complications in COVID-19 patients is currently unknown. The pathogenesis of retinal artery occlusions is a multifactorial process where inflammation and hypercoagulation state are established risk factors. Even if our experience may represent a coincidental relationship, it is likely that COVID-19 patients could be at risk of developing retinal vascular occlusions. A focused ophthalmological surveillance is advisable to prevent and manage this possible cause of severe vision loss that has an important impact in health care system.

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A Rare Case of Steroid-Resistant Neurosarcoidosis of the Cavernous Sinus With Optic Neuropathy: A Case Report

The Neurohospitalist ◽

10.1177/1941874421993644 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 194187442199364

Author(s):

Shiva Barforoshi ◽

Nikhil A. Patel ◽

Alvin P. Singh ◽

Terrence Li ◽

Benjamin Mba

Keyword(s):

Nervous System ◽

Combination Therapy ◽

Cavernous Sinus ◽

Optic Neuropathy ◽

Vision Loss ◽

Clinical Manifestations ◽

Mediastinal Lymphadenopathy ◽

Mri Findings ◽

History Of ◽

The Right

Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease that presents with nervous system involvement in 5-10% of cases, commonly known as neurosarcoidosis.1 While there are no randomized controlled trials for the treatment of neurosarcoidosis, expert opinion supports initial treatment with corticosteroids and the use of steroid-sparing or anti-TNF agents in refractory or severe cases. We report a case of a 48-year-old African American male with a past medical history of biopsy-proven hepatic and renal sarcoidosis and progressive headache, dizziness, and blurry vision for 5 months, presenting with an acute exacerbation of right-sided vision loss over one day. MRI of the brain revealed a dural-based mass extending into the right cavernous sinus and compressing the right optic nerve. Given the pathological confirmation of systemic granulomatous disease consistent with sarcoidosis, clinical manifestations, bilateral hilar and mediastinal lymphadenopathy, MRI findings typical of central nervous system inflammation, and exclusion of other possible etiologies, the patient was diagnosed with probable neurosarcoidosis. Corticosteroids initially resolved his symptoms; however, he suffered an acute relapse. Combination therapy with corticosteroids plus mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) led to the eventual resolution of his symptoms. Only 8 cases of neurosarcoidosis involving the cavernous sinus have been reported. Our patient represents the only reported case of probable neurosarcoidosis of the cavernous sinus with optic neuropathy successfully treated with corticosteroid plus MMF combination therapy. We highlight the need to consider early, aggressive treatment in cases of neurosarcoidosis with optic neuropathy and to develop criteria to guide treatment strategy based on neurolocalization and the degree of neurological disability.

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Frequency of Toxocara Antibodies in Patients Clinically Suspected to Ocular Toxocariasis, Northeast of Iran

Iranian Journal of Parasitology ◽

10.18502/ijpa.v16i2.6312 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Abdolmajid Fata ◽

Seyedeh Maryam Hosseini ◽

Se Joon Woo ◽

Mohammad Zibaei ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Vision Loss ◽

Toxocara Canis ◽

Elisa Test ◽

Posterior Uveitis ◽

Serum Samples ◽

Igg Antibody ◽

Ocular Toxocariasis ◽

Clinical Presentations ◽

Severe Vision Loss ◽

Important Disease

Background: Human toxocariasis is a neglected parasitic disease in most countries including Iran. Among different clinical forms of toxocariasis, ocular toxocariasis (OT) is an important disease resulting in severe vision loss. However, the prevalence and incidence of OT are currently unclear in Iran. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of ocular toxocariasis among patients with uveitis in the Northeast of Iran. Methods: From 2015 to 2017, 510 patients with uveitis referred to Khatam-al-Anbia, a tertiary eye hospital at Mashhad, Iran were examined for OT. Serum samples of the suspected patients were obtained and evaluated for IgG against Toxocara canis using ELISA test. Anti-Toxocara IgG positive serums were further investigated using confirmatory Western blotting (WB) analysis. Results: Twenty patients had pathologic changes and clinical presentations in the anterior and posterior segments of their eyes and they were clinically diagnosed ocular toxocariasis. Among the 20 patients, 2 (10%) patients showed IgG antibody against Toxocara canis on ELISA as well as on WB test. The calculated prevalence of ocular toxocariasis was about 0.4%. Conclusion: Ocular toxocariasis can be diagnosed both clinically and serologically in Mashhad, northeastern Iran. Although OT is a rare pathologic eye disease, it should be considered as one of the important cause of infectious posterior uveitis.

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Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy

Neuro-Ophthalmology ◽

10.1093/med/9780190603953.003.0005 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 25-28

Author(s):

Matthew J. Thurtell ◽

Robert L. Tomsak

Keyword(s):

Optic Neuropathy ◽

Vision Loss ◽

Treatment Options ◽

Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy ◽

Dna Mutations ◽

History Of ◽

Eye Involvement ◽

Promising Treatment ◽

Almost All ◽

Hereditary Optic Neuropathy

Leber hereditary optic neuropathy in an important cause of acute painless monocular vision loss. It most often occurs in young men. Almost all patients develop fellow eye involvement within a few months, resulting in severe irreversible binocular vision loss. In this chapter, we begin by reviewing the differential diagnosis of acute optic neuropathy. We next discuss the genetic basis for Leber hereditary optic neuropathy and list the three common mitochondrial DNA mutations that cause it. We then review the clinical features and natural history of Leber hereditary optic neuropathy. Lastly, we discuss the treatment approach for this condition and review promising treatment options.

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Vaccination strategy and anti - SARS-CoV-2 S titers in healthcare workers of the INT – IRCCS “Fondazione Pascale” Cancer Center (Naples, Italy)

Infectious Agents and Cancer ◽

10.1186/s13027-021-00375-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Ernesta Cavalcanti ◽

Maria Antonietta Isgrò ◽

Domenica Rea ◽

Lucia Di Capua ◽

Giusy Trillò ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Immune Response ◽

Immune Responses ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Geometric Mean ◽

Vaccination Strategy ◽

Antibody Responses ◽

Cancer Center ◽

Serum Samples ◽

Humoral Immune ◽

History Of

Abstract Background Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and the resulting disease, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), have spread to millions of people globally, requiring the development of billions of different vaccine doses. The SARS-CoV-2 spike mRNA vaccine (named BNT162b2/Pfizer), authorized by the FDA, has shown high efficacy in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection after administration of two doses in individuals 16 years of age and older. In the present study, we retrospectively evaluated the differences in the SARS-CoV-2 humoral immune response after vaccine administration in the two different cohorts of workers at the INT - IRCCS “Fondazione Pascale” Cancer Center (Naples, Italy): previously infected to SARS-CoV-2 subjects and not infected to SARS-CoV-2 subjects. Methods We determined specific anti-RBD (receptor-binding domain) titers against trimeric spike glycoprotein (S) of SARS-CoV-2 by Roche Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S immunoassay in serum samples of 35 healthcare workers with a previous documented history of SARS-CoV-2 infection and 158 healthcare workers without, after 1 and 2 doses of vaccine, respectively. Moreover, geometric mean titers and relative fold changes (FC) were calculated. Results Both previously infected and not infected to SARS-CoV-2 subjects developed significant immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 after the administration of 1 and 2 doses of vaccine, respectively. Anti-S antibody responses to the first dose of vaccine were significantly higher in previously SARS-CoV-2-infected subjects in comparison to titers of not infected subjects after the first as well as the second dose of vaccine. Fold changes for subjects previously infected to SARS-CoV-2 was very modest, given the high basal antibody titer, as well as the upper limit of 2500.0 BAU/mL imposed by the Roche methods. Conversely, for naïve subjects, mean fold change following the first dose was low ($$ \overline{x} $$ x ¯ =1.6), reaching 3.8 FC in 72 subjects (45.6%) following the second dose. Conclusions The results showed that, as early as the first dose, SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals developed a remarkable and statistically significant immune response in comparison to those who did not contract the virus previously, suggesting the possibility of administering only one dose in previously SARS-CoV-2-infected subjects. FC for previously infected subjects should not be taken into account for the generally high pre-vaccination values. Conversely, FC for not infected subjects, after the second dose, were = 3.8 in > 45.0% of vaccinees, and ≤ 3.1 in 19.0%, the latter showing a potential susceptibility to further SARS-CoV-2 infection.

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Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies Among Health Care Personnel at a Health Care System in Pakistan

Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1177/10105395211011010 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 101053952110110

Author(s):

Salma Abbas ◽

Aun Raza ◽

Ayesha Iftikhar ◽

Aamir Khan ◽

Shahzaib Khan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Control Measures ◽

Health Care Personnel ◽

Test Results ◽

Antibody Testing ◽

Chain Reaction ◽

Past Infection ◽

Infection Control Measures ◽

History Of ◽

Polymerase Chain

Health care personnel (HCP) are at high risk for coronavirus disease-2019 acquisition. Serum antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) indicate past infection. Our institution offered SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing to HCP. We surveyed HCP with positive test results to explore past exposure to SARS-CoV-2, details of symptoms during the preceding 6 months, and a history of SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction testing. A total of 2162 HCP underwent antibody testing. Eight hundred fifty-seven (39.6%) employees tested positive and, of these, 820 (95.7%) participated in the survey. When adjusted for age, males had higher odds of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies compared with females (OR = 1.68; 95% CI = 1.37-2.05; P = .00) and clinical staff had higher odds of SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity compared with nonclinical staff (OR = 1.273; 95% CI = 1.06-1.53; P = .01). Implementation of effective infection control measures is essential to protect HCP from coronavirus disease-2019.

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Mortality and high risk of major adverse events in patients with COVID-19 and history of cardiovascular disease

Open Heart ◽

10.1136/openhrt-2020-001526 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. e001526

Author(s):

Elena Tessitore ◽

David Carballo ◽

Antoine Poncet ◽

Nils Perrin ◽

Cedric Follonier ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hospital Mortality ◽

Male Gender ◽

Hospital Death ◽

Chronic Obstructive ◽

University Hospitals ◽

Adverse Cardiovascular Event ◽

Risk Of Death ◽

Hospitalised Patients ◽

Increased Risk ◽

History Of

ObjectiveHistory of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) may influence the prognosis of patients hospitalised for COVID-19. We investigated whether patients with previous CVD have increased risk of death and major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) when hospitalised for COVID-19.MethodsWe included 839 patients with COVID-19 hospitalised at the University Hospitals of Geneva. Demographic characteristics, medical history, laboratory values, ECG at admission and medications at admission were collected based on electronic medical records. The primary outcome was a composite of in-hospital mortality or MACE.ResultsMedian age was 67 years, 453 (54%) were males and 277 (33%) had history of CVD. In total, 152 (18%) died and 687 (82%) were discharged, including 72 (9%) who survived a MACE. Patients with previous CVD were more at risk of composite outcomes 141/277 (51%) compared with those without CVD 83/562 (15%) (OR=6.0 (95% CI 4.3 to 8.4), p<0.001). Multivariate analyses showed that history of CVD remained an independent risk factor of in-hospital death or MACE (OR=2.4; (95% CI 1.6 to 3.5)), as did age (OR for a 10-year increase=2.2 (95% CI 1.9 to 2.6)), male gender (OR=1.6 (95% CI 1.1 to 2.3)), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR=2.1 (95% CI 1.0 to 4.2)) and lung infiltration associated with COVID-19 at CT scan (OR=1.9 (95% CI 1.2 to 3.0)). History of CVD (OR=2.9 (95% CI 1.7 to 5)), age (OR=2.5 (95% CI 2.0 to 3.2)), male gender (OR=1.6 (95% CI 0.98 to 2.6)) and elevated C reactive protein (CRP) levels on admission (OR for a 10 mg/L increase=1.1 (95% CI 1.1 to 1.2)) were independent risk factors for mortality.ConclusionHistory of CVD is associated with higher in-hospital mortality and MACE in hospitalised patients with COVID-19. Other factors associated with higher in-hospital mortality are older age, male sex and elevated CRP on admission.

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Population (Antibody) Testing for COVID-19—Technical Challenges, Application and Relevance, an English Perspective

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines9060550 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. 550

Author(s):

Peter A. C. Maple

Keyword(s):

National Level ◽

Herd Immunity ◽

Population Based ◽

Biological Properties ◽

Limited Extent ◽

Antibody Testing ◽

Serum Samples ◽

Oral Fluids ◽

Antibody Assays ◽

The Uk

In the UK, population virus or antibody testing using virus swabs, serum samples, blood spots or oral fluids has been performed to a limited extent for several diseases including measles, mumps, rubella and hepatitis and HIV. The collection of population-based infection and immunity data is key to the monitoring of disease prevalence and assessing the effectiveness of interventions such as behavioural modifications and vaccination. In particular, the biological properties of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its interaction with the human host have presented several challenges towards the development of population-based immunity testing. Measuring SARS-CoV-2 immunity requires the development of antibody assays of acceptable sensitivity and specificity which are capable of accurately detecting seroprevalence and differentiating protection from non-protective responses. Now that anti-COVID-19 vaccines are becoming available there is a pressing need to measure vaccine efficacy and the development of herd immunity. The unprecedented impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in the UK in terms of morbidity, mortality, and economic and social disruption has mobilized a national scientific effort to learn more about this virus. In this article, the challenges of testing for SARS-CoV-2 infection, particularly in relation to population-based immunity testing, will be considered and examples given of relevant national level studies.

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Seroprevalence of Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in Children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis a Case-Control Study

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm10081771 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (8) ◽

pp. 1771

Author(s):

Violetta Opoka-Winiarska ◽

Ewelina Grywalska ◽

Izabela Korona-Glowniak ◽

Katarzyna Matuska ◽

Anna Malm ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis ◽

Disease Activity ◽

Disease Activity Score ◽

Juvenile Arthritis ◽

Activity Score ◽

Control Group ◽

Healthy Children ◽

Serum Samples ◽

History Of ◽

Novel Coronavirus

There is limited data on the effect of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) on pediatric rheumatology. We examined the prevalence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and a negative history of COVID-19 and the correlation of the presence of these antibodies with disease activity measured by juvenile arthritis disease activity score (JADAS). In total, 62 patients diagnosed with JIA, under treatment with various antirheumatic drugs, and 32 healthy children (control group) were included. Serum samples were analyzed for inflammatory markers and antibodies and their state evaluated with the juvenile arthritis disease activity score (JADAS). JIA patients do not have a higher seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies than healthy subjects. We found anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in JIA patients who did not have a history of COVID-19. The study showed no unequivocal correlation between the presence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and JIA activity; therefore, this relationship requires further observation. We also identified a possible link between patients’ humoral immune response and disease-modifying antirheumatic treatment, which will be confirmed in follow-up studies.

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419 STOP-Bang Score and History of Radiation Predicts Risk of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Cancer Patients: A Machine Learning Study

SLEEP ◽

10.1093/sleep/zsab072.418 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 44 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. A166-A166

Author(s):

Ankita Paul ◽

Karen Wong ◽

Anup Das ◽

Diane Lim ◽

Miranda Tan

Keyword(s):

Machine Learning ◽

Obstructive Sleep Apnea ◽

Sleep Apnea ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Prediction Accuracy ◽

Screening Tools ◽

Cancer Type ◽

Sleep Study ◽

Obstructive Sleep ◽

History Of

Abstract Introduction Cancer patients are at an increased risk of moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The STOP-Bang score is a commonly used screening questionnaire to assess risk of OSA in the general population. We hypothesize that cancer-relevant features, like radiation therapy (RT), may be used to determine the risk of OSA in cancer patients. Machine learning (ML) with non-parametric regression is applied to increase the prediction accuracy of OSA risk. Methods Ten features namely STOP-Bang score, history of RT to the head/neck/thorax, cancer type, cancer stage, metastasis, hypertension, diabetes, asthma, COPD, and chronic kidney disease were extracted from a database of cancer patients with a sleep study. The ML technique, K-Nearest-Neighbor (KNN), with a range of k values (5 to 20), was chosen because, unlike Logistic Regression (LR), KNN is not presumptive of data distribution and mapping function, and supports non-linear relationships among features. A correlation heatmap was computed to identify features having high correlation with OSA. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was performed on the correlated features and then KNN was applied on the components to predict the risk of OSA. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) - Area Under Curve (AUC) and Precision-Recall curves were computed to compare and validate performance for different test sets and majority class scenarios. Results In our cohort of 174 cancer patients, the accuracy in determining OSA among cancer patients using STOP-Bang score was 82.3% (LR) and 90.69% (KNN) but reduced to 89.9% in KNN using all 10 features mentioned above. PCA + KNN application using STOP-Bang score and RT as features, increased prediction accuracy to 94.1%. We validated our ML approach using a separate cohort of 20 cancer patients; the accuracies in OSA prediction were 85.57% (LR), 91.1% (KNN), and 92.8% (PCA + KNN). Conclusion STOP-Bang score and history of RT can be useful to predict risk of OSA in cancer patients with the PCA + KNN approach. This ML technique can refine screening tools to improve prediction accuracy of OSA in cancer patients. Larger studies investigating additional features using ML may improve OSA screening accuracy in various populations Support (if any):

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