Objective: To characterize associations between exposures within and outside the medical workplace with healthcare personnel (HCP) SARS-CoV-2 infection, including the effect of various forms of respiratory protection. Design: Case-control study. Setting: Data collected via online survey from international participants. Participants: 1130 HCP (244 cases with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19, 886 controls healthy throughout the pandemic) from 67 countries not meeting pre-specified exclusion (healthy but not working, missing workplace exposure data, COVID symptoms without lab confirmation). Methods: Respondents were queried regarding workplace exposures, respiratory protection, and extra-occupational activities. Odds ratios for HCP infection were calculated with multivariable logistic regression and sensitivity analyses controlling for confounders and known biases. Results: HCP infection was associated with non-aerosol-generating contact with COVID-19 patients (adjusted OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.04–1.9, p=0.03) and extra-occupational exposures including gatherings of ten or more, patronizing restaurants or bars, and public transportation (adjusted ORs ranging 3.1-16.2). Respirator use during aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs) was associated with lower odds of HCP infection (adjusted OR 0.4, 0.2 to 0.8, p=0.005), as was exposure to intensive care and dedicated COVID units, negative pressure rooms, and personal protective equipment (PPE) observers (adjusted ORs ranging 0.4-0.7). Conclusions: COVID-19 transmission to HCP was associated with medical exposures currently considered lower-risk and multiple extra-occupational exposures, while exposures associated with proper use of appropriate PPE were protective. Closer scrutiny of infection control measures surrounding healthcare activities and medical settings considered lower risk, and continued awareness of the risks of public congregation, may reduce the incidence of HCP infection.

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SummaryBackgroundUntil now, a proper biomarker(s) to evaluate sarcoidosis activity has not been recognized. The aims of this study were to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the two biomarkers of sarcoidosis activity already in use (serum angiotensin converting enzyme – ACE and serum chitotriosidase) in a population of 430 sarcoidosis patients. The activities of these markers were also analyzed in a group of 264 healthy controls.MethodsFour hundred and thirty biopsy positive sarcoidosis patients were divided into groups with active and inactive disease, and groups with acute or chronic disease. In a subgroup of 55 sarcoidosis patients, activity was also assessed by F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG-PET) scanning. Both serum chitotriosidase and ACE levels showed non-normal distribution, so nonparametric tests were used in statistical analysis.ResultsSerum chitotriosidase activities were almost 6 times higher in patients with active sarcoidosis than in healthy controls and inactive disease. A serum chitotriosidase value of 100 nmol/mL/h had the sensitivity of .5% and specificity of 70.0%. A serum ACE activity cutoff value of 32.0 U/L had the sensitivity of 66.0% and the specificity of 54%. A statistically significant correlation was obtained between the focal granulomatous activity detected on 18F-FDG PET/CT and serum chitotriosidase levels, but no such correlation was found with ACE. The levels of serum chitotriosidase activity significantly correlated with the disease duration (P < 0.0001). Also, serum chitotriosidase significantly correlated with clinical outcome status (COS) categories (ρ =0.272, P =0.001).ConclusionsSerum chitotriosidase proved to be a reliable biomarker of sarcoidosis activity and disease chronicity.

Sarcoidosis significantly reduces patients' health status, both independently and also due to increased BMI. Reduction in BMI may contribute to improved spirometry results and health status of patients with sarcoidosis.

Summary Background The objective of this prospective study was to evaluate whether soluble programmed cell death-1/programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) and serum amyloid A1 (SAA1) are potential diagnostic, predictive or prognostic biomarkers in lung cancer. Methods Lung cancer patients (n=115) with advanced metastatic disease, 101 with non-small cell lung cancer, NSCLC (77 EGFR wild-type NSCLC patients on chemotherapy, 15 EGFR mutation positive adenocarcinoma patients, 9 patients with mPD-L1 Expression ≥50% NSCLC – responders to immunotherapy), and 14 patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) were examined. ELISA method was used to determine sPD-L1 and SAA1 concentrations in patients’ plasma. Results Significantly higher blood concentrations of sPD-L1 and SAA1 were noted in lung cancer patients compared with a healthy control group. In PD-L1+ NSCLC patients, a significantly higher sPD-L1 level was noticed compared to any other lung cancer subgroup, as well as the highest average SAA1 value compared to other subgroups. Conclusions It seems that sPD-1/PD-L1 might be a potential biomarker, prognostic and/ or predictive, particularly in patients treated with immunotherapy. Serum amyloid A1 has potential to act as a good predictor of patients’ survival, as well as a biomarker of a more advanced disease, with possibly good capability to predict the course of disease measured at different time points.

EBTB was more frequent among men, and among people in their fifties in our country. Detailed bronchoscopic examination, correlated with clinical and laboratory findings, will improve diagnostic rate and provide timely therapy.

Summary: Recently published data indicate that vitamin D abnormalities are common in sarcoidosis patients. The purpose of this study was to compare serum vitamin 25(OH)D levels among sarcoidosis patients with different clinical courses of the disease. The study also included the first observations on cognitive functions (i.e. depression and fatigue syndrome) in relation to vitamin D deficiency in sarcoidosis patients. At the Biochemical Laboratory of the Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, vitamin D25(OH)D was measured using the Elecsys ® Vitamin D total test. A total of 226 patients with biopsy-positive sarcoidosis were analyzed. The average median value of serum vitamin D was 9.47 mg/L, suggesting severe deficiency. Statistically significant correlation was found in patients with chronic disease and low levels of serum vitamin 25(OH)D (Chi-Square=6.044; df=2; p=0.014). The patient group with vitamin D serum levels higher than 20 mg/L showed higher levels of the mean forced vi tal capacity (FVC) by 380 mL, and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) by 220 mL, when compared to the patient group with lower serum vitamin D. A statistically significant role was established for serum vitamin 25(OH)D levels as the predictor of fatigue (R 2 =0.878; p=0.038 (b=0.216)) and depression in patients with sarcoidosis (R 2 =0.80; p=0.000 (b=0.391)). The insufficiency of 25(OH)D seems to be an important factor in predicting the course of chronic disease, significant lung function impairments and cognitive failures such as fatigue and depression. The fact that the majo rity of the analyzed sarcoidosis patients had totally deficient serum 25(OH)D levels made this finding even more notable. Keywords: vitamin D, deficiency, sarcoidosisKratak sadr`aj: Nedavno objavljena istra`ivanja kod obole lih od sarkoidoze govore o ~estim abnormalnim vrednostima vitamina D. Cilj ove studije bio je da se uporedi nivo vita mina 25(OH)D kod obolelih od sarkoidoze sa razli~itim klini~kim tokom bolesti. Tako|e, ova studija predstavlja prva za pa `anja o vezi izme|u kognitivnih funkcija (odnosno ose}a ja depresije i zamora) i deficita vitamina D kod obolelih od sarko idoze. U Biohemijskoj laboratoriji Klini~kog centra Srbije vitamin D -25(OH)D meren je kori{}enjem testa Elec sys ® Vitamin D. Analizirano je 226 bolesnika sa sarkoidozom potvr|enom biopsijom. Prose~na srednja vrednost vitamina D u serumu bila je 9,47 mg/L, {to ukazuje na ozbiljan nedostatak. Statisti~ki zna~ajna korelacija na |e na je kod pa cije nata sa hroni~nom formom bolesti i niskim nivoom vitamina 25(OH)D u serumu (Xi-kvad rat=6,044; df=2; p=0,014). Grupa pacijenata sa nivoom vitamina D u serumu ve}im od 20 mg/L pokazuje ve}i nivo srednjeg for siranog vitalnog kapaciteta (FVC) za 380 mL i forsiranog ekspi ratornog volumena u prvoj sekundi (FEV1) za 220 mL u od nosu na grupu pacijenata sa ni`im nivoom D vitamina. Utvr|eno je da nivo vitamina 25(OH)D u serumu ima stati sti~ki zna~ajnu ulogu kao prediktor zamora i depresije kod obolelih od sarkoidoze. Insuficijencija 25(OH)D ...

Emphysema is an incurable and underdiagnosed disease with obstructive ventilatory impairment of lung function. Despite decades of research, medical treatments available so far did not significantly improve the survival benefits. Different bronchoscopic methods for lung volume reduction (LVR) in emphysema were used in the past 2 decades aiming to close the airways serving the hyperinflated lung regions and to allow the gas in the more distal bullas to be absorbed. Sealants and adhesives can be natural/biological, synthetic and semisynthetic. In lung surgery, lung sealants are used to treat prolonged air leak, which is the most common complication. Sealants can also be applied in bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR) as they administer into the peripheral airways where they polymerize and act as tissue glue on the surface of the lung to seal the target area to cause durable permanent absorption atelectasis. Initial studies analyzed the efficacy of bronchoscopic instillation of a fibrinogen–thrombin complex solution in advanced emphysema. Future studies will analyze the effects of adding chondroitin sulfate and poly-L-lysine to thrombin–fibrinogen complex thus promoting fibroblast attachment, proliferation and scarring, causing bronchial fibrostenosis and preventing ventilation of the affected part of the lung. Modifications of these methods were later developed, and the efficacy of BLVR with other sealants was analyzed in clinical studies. Results from current studies using this treatment method are promising showing that it is effective in improving exercise tolerance and quality of life in patients with advanced emphysema. It seems that subjective benefits in dyspnea scores and quality of life are more marked than improvements in lung function tests. The safety profile of sealant techniques in BLVR was mostly acceptable in clinical studies. The definite conclusions about the effectiveness of sealant in BLVR could be difficult because only a small population was involved in the current studies. More randomized large controlled studies are needed in establishing the definite role of biological BLVR in the bronchoscopic treatment of emphysema.