Surgical treatment of acute intestinal obstruction in the infectious department environment for covid-19 patients.

Surgical care in a mono-hospital for patients with COVID-19 leads to a number of organisational problems due to the lack of specialised departments. The article presents the experience of surgical treatment in a mono-hospital obtained from one and a half years of work in this mode. In total, approximately 400 surgeries were performed. The experience of treatment of 7 patients with acute intestinal obstruction has been summarised. In the abdominal cavity, a significant number of hematomas of varied localisation were found under the parietal and visceral peritoneum, as well as in the subcutaneous fat. This is possibly associated with anticoagulant therapy included in the treatment regimen for patients with COVID-19 according to the methodical recommendations by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. As an illustration, a successful case of treating COVID-19 patient with strangulated hernia of the abdominal white line complicated by acute intestinal obstruction is presented.Copyright © 2022, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University. All rights reserved.

Adipose tissue, systematic inflammation, and neurodegenerative diseases

Obesity is associated with several diseases, including mental health. Adipose tissue is distributed around the internal organs, acting in the regulation of metabolism by storing and releasing fatty acids and adipokine in the tissues. Excessive nutritional intake results in hypertrophy and proliferation of adipocytes, leading to local hypoxia in adipose tissue and changes in these adipokine releases. This leads to the recruitment of immune cells to adipose tissue and the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. The presence of high levels of free fatty acids and inflammatory molecules interfere with intracellular insulin signaling, which can generate a neuroinflammatory process. In this review, we provide an up-to-date discussion of how excessive obesity can lead to possible cognitive dysfunction. We also address the idea that obesity-associated systemic inflammation leads to neuroinflammation in the brain, particularly the hypothalamus and hippocampus, and that this is partially responsible for these negative cognitive outcomes. In addition, we discuss some clinical models and animal studies for obesity and clarify the mechanism of action of anti-obesity drugs in the central nervous system.Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications. All rights reserved.

Application of chest low-dose CT screening of Corona Virus Disease 2019 with a third-generation dual-source scanner.

Objective: To investigate the application value of third-generation dual-source CT(3-G DSCT) low-dose scan mode combined with iterative reconstruction technology in the screening of COVID-19 and to evaluate the radiation dose. Method(s): One hundred and twenty patients suspected of COVID-19 from December 2019 to February 2020 were retrospectively analysed and randomly divided into two groups (test group and conventional group, 60 patients in each). The parameters for test group included 3-G DSCT, Turbo Flash scan mode, CARE kV, with reference 90 kV, pitch 2.0, and ADMIRE algorithm, while those parameters for conventional group included the 128-slice CT, conventional spiral scan mode, 120 kV, pitch 1.2, and FBP algorithm. The CT values of aorta, spinal posterior muscle, and subcutaneous fat, the aortic noise, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and contrast noise ratio (CNR) were compared to evaluate the image quality between two groups. Two experienced doctors scored the image quality using a double-blind method, and compared the CT dose index volume (CTDIvol), dose-length product (DLP), and effective dose (E) of the two groups. Result(s): The CT value of the aorta and spinal posterior muscle and the aortic SNR in the test group were (45.38+/-4.77), (53.41+/-8.44) HU, and 2.82+/-0.59, and significantly higher than those in the conventional group [(39.68+/-6.26), (42.66+/-6.32) HU, 2.58+/-0.61, t=5.608, 7.897, 2.162, P<0.05]. The aortic noise, CNR and subjective scores between the two groups had no significant difference( P>0.05). The CTDIvol, DLP, and E in the test group were (3.09+/-1.02) mGy, (107.57+/-32.81) mGy*cm, (1.51+/-0.46) mSv, significantly lower than those in the conventional group [(7.00+/-1.80) mGy, (261.65+/-73.93) mGy*cm, (3.66+/-1.03) mSv;t=-14.680, -14.756, -14.756, P<0.05]. Conclusion(s): In the screening of COVID-19, using low-dose scanning mode of 3-G DSCT combined with iterative reconstruction technology would provide diagnostic quality images and meanwhile effectively reduce the radiation dose and improve the SNR of the image.Copyright © 2020 by the Chinese Medical Association.

Central cicatricial centrifugal alopecia or something else?

A 58-year-old African woman was referred for the management of scalp alopecia that had started in her thirties over the vertex of her scalp and had progressively involved > 90% of her scalp over the years. She was diagnosed with central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia of many years' duration and was being managed with annual wigs. On further questioning in the clinic, her chief complaint was a painful area over the vertex of the scalp, which had been affecting her sleep for years. She admitted to having used hair treatments in the past, after her hair loss had started. Clinical examination revealed a soft, tender, boggy swelling at the site of pain;however, the rest of her scalp felt like palpating cotton wool. Trichoscopic examination showed no remnant follicular openings, and histology showed end-stage alopecia. Her body mass index (BMI) was noted to be > 45 and there was an associated ichthyosiform rash on her shins bilaterally. Magnetic resonance imaging of her brain was requested for suspected lipoedematous scalp alopecia. Radiological findings led to a diagnosis by demonstrating 24-mm-thick subcutaneous adipose tissue - the highest recorded for this condition. Normal scalp thickness is suggested to be 6 mm. The patient declined a trial of intralesional steroids and topical Dermovate was unsuccessful. Lipoedematous scalp is a rare disease marked by a soft thickening of the scalp, first recorded in 1935 (Cornbleet T. Cutis verticis gyrata? Lipoma? Arch Dermatol Syphilol 1935;32: 688). A similar clinicopathological entity associated with nonscarring but permanent acquired alopecia was described in 1961 (Coskey RJ, Fosnaugh RP, Fine G. Lipedematous alopecia. Arch Dermatol 1961;84: 619-22) and termed lipoedematous alopecia. Our case was associated with a raised BMI and also with an ichthyosiform rash on her shins, which started when she was in her teens and needs further evaluation after the COVID-19 pandemic. It was also associated with scarring alopecia rather than nonscarring alopecia, as seen in other cases. We wonder if there is a genetic cause as the disease predominantly occurs in African patients. Also, lipoedematous alopecia may be associated with nonscarring alopecia, as well as scarring alopecia, as seen in our case.

SARS-CoV-2 Host Receptors Expression in Human Pancreatic Islets Revealed Upregulation of ACE2 in Diabetic subjects

Background: It is well established that diabetic patients infected with COVID-19- are at higher risk of developing severe symptoms that may lead to death. Such observation argues for the possibility that SARS-CoV-2 may target and infect pancreatic islets. SARSCoV- 2 is thought to enter the cells through the binding of viral spike S1 protein to ACE2. The cellular entry process includes priming of the S protein by TMPRSS2 and ADAM17, which facilitate the binding and promote ACE2 shedding. To date, no conclusive evidence has emerged to address the expression of TMPRSS2 and ADMA17 or the interaction between SARS-CoV-2 and human pancreatic islets. Method(s): Microarray and RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) expression data from human islets were used to profile the expression pattern of ACE2, ADAM17, and TMPRSS2 in diabetic and non-diabetic subjects. Result(s): Pancreatic islets express all three receptors regardless of diabetes status. ACE2 expression was significantly elevated in diabetic islets than non-diabetic. Female donors showed to have higher ACE2 expression compared to males, whereas ADAM17 and TMPRSS2 were not affected by gender. No difference in the expression of the three receptors in young (<=40 years old) compared to old (>=60 years old) islets. Obese donors (BMI>30) showed significantly higher expression levels of ADAM17 and TMPRSS2 as compared to non-obese (BMI<25). Expression of TMPRSS2 was associated positively with HbA1c and inversely with age, while ADAM17 and TMPRSS2 were associated positively with BMI. Muscle and subcutaneous adipose tissues showed similar expression of the three receptors in diabetic and nondiabetic donors. Conclusion(s): ACE2 expression is increased in diabetic human islets. More studies are warranted to understand the permissiveness of human pancreatic beta-cells to SARS-Cov-2 and whether variations of ACE2 expression could explain the severity of COVID-19 infection between diabetics and non-diabetic patients.

Comparison of Thorax Computed Tomography Based Body Composition Parameters Between COVID-19 Positive and Negative Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective: To compare body fat-muscle and visceral obesity indices that can be measured with thorax computed tomography (CT) between reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) positive and negative patients. Material(s) and Method(s): This ret-rospective, comparative study included 141 PCR (+) and 150 PCR (-) patients who applied to our hospital with flu-like symptoms without having the comorbid diseases and undergone thoracic CT between April 1, 2020-July 1, 2020. For the each patient, the ratio of thoracic subcutaneous adipose tissue thickness to pectoralis major muscle thickness (TSAT/PMJ), epicardial adipose tissue thickness (EAT), liver density (LD), abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue thickness to psoas major muscle thickness ratio (ASAT/ PSM), subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue thickness to erector spinae muscle thickness ratio (ASAT/ESM) was measured. The comparison was made between the subgroups in terms of age, gender, and measured parameters. Result(s): Statistically significant difference was found between PCR (+) and (-) individuals in terms of EAT mean (p<0.05). TSAT/PMJ, ASAT/PSM and ASAT/ESM ratios were higher in women (p <0.05). The mean EAT in men was increased in the PCR (+) group (p<0.05). In PCR (+) group, LD decreased, EAT increased with increasing age (p<0.05). PCR (+) and PCR (-) groups didn't show significant difference (p>0.05) in terms of TSAT/PMJ, ASAT/PSM, LD, ASAT/ESM. Conclusion(s): Higher EAT values can increase the risk of getting coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) infection. Peripheral fat-muscle indices don't increase the risk of contracting COVID-19 infection.Copyright © 2023 by Turkiye Klinikleri.

Anthropometry indicators that are most related to metabolic profiles in female college students

Metabolic syndrome is not a disease but is a set of several disorders and causes an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus complications. Several studies have shown that non-invasive approaches such as anthropometric measurements can be used for the early detection of metabolic syndrome. This study aimed to analyse the anthropometric indicators related to metabolic syndrome in female college students. The design of this research was cross sectional, with the number of subjects involved were as many as 163 female college students aged 19 to 24 years old. Purposive sampling was used in the sampling of this research. The independent variables in this study were the Waist-to-Height Ratio (WHtR), Waist-Hip Ratio (WHR), Body Mass Index (BMI), Sagittal Abdominal Diameter (SAD), and hip circumference. The dependent variable in this study is the metabolic syndrome component that has been converted into a metabolic syndrome score (cMetS). The analysis results showed that all anthropometric indicators, namely WHtR, BMI, SAD, waist circumference, hip circumference and WHR have a strong positive relationship with the metabolic syndrome score (p<0.001). BMI was the anthropometric indicator that is most associated with the metabolic profiles, such as systolic blood pressure (p<0.001), blood sugar (p<0.05), and HDL (p<0.001). Waist circumference was the anthropometric indicator that is most associated with triglycerides and metabolic syndrome score (p<0.001). Metabolic syndrome in female college students can be identified using anthropometric measurements, one of which is BMI and WHR which are very easy to measure and efficient. BMI and WHR have the strongest relationship and can be used to detect early risk of metabolic syndrome in female college students.

SEPTAL PANNICULITIS AS A MANIFESTATION of COVID-19 INFECTION

Objectives: to study the clinical and laboratory features of septal panniculitis in the form of erythema nodosum (EN) in a cohort of patients with COVID-19 referred to a rheumatological center. Methods: In 2020-2021 we examined 21 patients (18 women and 3 men, average age 43.2±11.4 years) with EN and polyarthralgia/arthritis. Depending on the time of EN and articular syndrome associated with COVID-19 development, patients were divided into three groups: 1) up to 4 weeks-acute COVID (symptoms potentially associated with infection);2) from 4 to 12 weeks-ongoing symptomatic COVID and 3) more than 12 weeks-post-COVID syndrome (persistent symptoms not associated with an alternative diagnosis). All patients underwent a comprehensive clinical, laboratory and instrumental examination, including ultrasound of the joints and chest computed tomography (CT), as well as pathomorphological examination of skin and subcutaneous adipose tissue from the node area (in 9 cases). Results: Based on the history data, COVID-19 in the study cohort had mild (in 3 patients), moderate (12) and severe (6) severity. Two patients (21 and 23 years old) with a mild severity of the disease on the 2nd-3rd day of the development of the respiratory symptom for the frst time noted red painful (45 mm on a visual analogue scale) nodes on the legs and polyarthralgia. In 9 patients (52.3%), similar skin changes were detected 24.5 ± 7. 6 days after stopping active COVID-19, i.e. during the period of ongoing symptomatic COVID. In 8 patients (38%), including 6 with moderate severity of the disease, nodules appeared after 85.6 ± 12.3 days, which corresponded to post-COVID syndrome. At the time of examination, 100 and 71.4% of patients complained of skin rashes and joint pain, respectively. Shortness of breath, weakness, cough, sweating and myalgia disturbed 67% of patients. An increase in body temperature to subfebrile was observed in 43% of cases, mainly with ongoing symptomatic COVID. In the overwhelming majority of cases (86%), UE was located on the anterior and lateral surfaces of the legs, less often on the posterior and medial surfaces. It is noteworthy that the lesion of more than 50% of the surface of the lower and upper extremities was associated with the number of nodes (p <0.02), CRP level (p <0.03) and post-COVID syndrome (p <0.2). Sixteen patients (76.1%) had signs of arthralgia, mainly ankle (81%) and knee (56%) joints. In a laboratory study, the median ESR was 39 [14;62] mm/h, the level of CRP was 17 [2;79] mg/l. The results of the polymerase chain reaction for SARS-CoV-2 were negative in 90.4 % of patients. In 90.4 % of cases, IgG antibodies were detected and in 52.3%-IgM to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. At CT of the chest, ≤25% of lung lesions were detected in 51% of patients, from 25 to 50%-in 33% and from 50% to 75%-in 9.5 % of cases. Pathomorphological examination of the nodes showed signs of septal panniculitis. Conclusion: When EN associated with SARS-CoV-2 appears it is important to timely suspect a post-infectious manifestation, based on the clinical picture of the disease and to determine the scope of further examination and adequate treatment.

Abdominal Wall Fungal Co-infection-Mucormycosis Associated with COVID-19: A Case Report

Aim and objective: To present a rare case of abdominal wall fungal coinfection with Mucormycosis in a patient of COVID-19. Materials and methods: A 33-year-old female operated case of laparoscopic ectopic pregnancy removal with salpingectomy and tubectomy, at postoperative day 5 had redness and pus discharge from the operative site and was diagnosed with abdominal wall cellulitis. She underwent local exploration and wound wash. On postoperative day 21, the patient came to the emergency room with cellulitis, and pain at the port insertion site. On examination, we highlight BP 90/50 mm Hg and blood test analysis with HB-8.3, leucocyte count 29.91 × 109/L, CRP 333 mg/L. Results: CT scan revealed necrotizing fasciitis. She underwent wide local excision and debridement. Post debridement the next day during dressing, the wound showed a cotton fluffy appearance at the edges and part of the base with black necrotic areas. A wound swab was sent for fungal culture, KOH mount, pus culture, and tissue for histopathology. In the meantime, she was started on empirical antifungal amphotericin B, meropenem, and minocycline antibiotics. On history, the patient remarked that she did have fever, sore throat, and cough for 5 days, 4 weeks before laparoscopic ectopic pregnancy removal. Also one of her family members had tested positive for COVID-19. COVID antibodies test was done which were reactive: 1.96. Tissue histopathology revealed mucormycosis. MRI abdomen findings showed a 15 cm large defect involving the entire thickness of subcutaneous fat. A high degree of suspicion and promptness in starting antifungal treatment prevented the fatal outcome. Conclusion: COVID-19 is associated with immune dysregulation and consequently life-threatening infections. The prolonged and indiscriminate use of steroids for the treatment of COVID-19 could contribute to this problem of fungal superinfection of mucormycosis. It seems prudent to have a very high suspicion supplemented with thorough clinical examination and low threshold for imaging in order to diagnose secondary fungal infections, such as mucormycosis. Early so that the treatment can be instituted as soon as possible.

ECTOPIC FAT DEPOSITION IN THE LIVER AND PANCREAS AND THE PRESENCE OF EXCESS VISCERAL ADIPOSE TISSUE SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE HOSPITALISATION RISK FOLLOWING COVID-19

Background and Aims: In patients with COVID-19, obesity may increase risk of hospitalisation, use of mechanical ventilation and patient mortality. High liver fat, body mass index (BMI) and male sex are significant predictors of hospitalisation risk following COVID-19. However, BMI is a poor indicator of body fat distribution. Here, we studied ectopic fat accumulation within the liver and pancreas and body composition through multiparametric magnetic resonance (mpMR) and compared participants with and without hospitalisation for COVID-19. Method: Participants with laboratory-confirmed or clinically suspected SARSCoV- 2 infection were recruited to the COVERSCAN study (NCT04369807;median time from initial symptoms = 177 days) and underwent a multi-organ mpMR scan (CoverScan®, Perspectum Ltd). Measures of liver and pancreatic fat (PDFF), liver fibroinflammation (cT1) and body composition [visceral adipose tissue (VAT), subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), skeletal muscle index (SMI)] were analysed. Differences between participants hospitalised (n = 59) and not hospitalised (n = 348) for COVID-19 were assessed using Wilcoxon signedrank tests. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed on all biomarkers to assess the hospitalisation risk. Data presented are median values. Results: Approximately 6-months after initial symptoms, participants hospitalised following COVID-19 had significantly elevated pancreatic fat (3.8 % vs 2.8 %, p < 0.01), liver fat (3.8 % vs 2.4 %, p < 0.01) and liver cT1 (735ms vs 706ms, p < 0.01) compared to those who convalesced at home. Though hospitalised participants had a significantly elevated BMI (27 kg/m2 vs 25 kg/m2, p = 0.014), it was VAT, but not SAT, that was significantly elevated (132 cm2 vs 86 cm2, p < 0.01). Univariate analysis revealed that male sex, advanced age and elevated BMI, VAT, pancreatic fat, liver fat, and liver cT1 were all significantly predictive of hospitalisation following COVID- 19. In multivariate analysis, only age remained significantly predictive of hospitalisation. In hospitalised people with obesity (³ 30 kg/m2), VAT, liver cT1 and liver fat, but not BMI nor pancreatic fat, remained significantly elevated [VAT: 220 cm2 vs 152cm2, p = 0.01 (Figure 1);liver fat: 9.9 % vs 4.2 %, p = 0.003;liver cT1: 782ms vs 742ms, p = 0.012]. Conclusion: mpMR revealed significantly elevated visceral and ectopic fat deposition within the liver and pancreas in hospitalised participants following COVID-19. In obese participants, BMI was not significantly different in hospitalised, and non-hospitalised patients, whereas visceral fat, liver fibroinflammation and liver fat were significantly elevated. Our work highlights body fat distribution an important consideration for COVID-19 risk profiling, which cannot be sufficiently evaluated based on BMI alone. (Figure Presented) Figure 1. Comparison of liver fat (left), pancreatic fat (middle) and visceral adipose tissue (right) between participants hospitalised and not hospitalised following COVID-19.

MACROPHAGES IN EPICARDIAL ADIPOSE TISSUE AND SERUM NT-proBNP IN PATIENTS WITH STABLE CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is widely considered a chronic inflammatory disorder, and dysfunction of epicardial adipose tissue could be an important source of the inflammation. Amino-terminal fragment of pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is a known marker of cardiovascular disorders of cardiac origin. Recent studies show that inflammatory stimuli may influence its secretion. Our purpose was to evaluate NT-proBNP serum concentration in relation to immune cell ratios in epicardial adipose tissue (EAT), and cytokine levels in the patients with stable CAD. Patients with stable CAD and heart failure classified into classes II-III, according to the New York Heart Association (NYHA) scale, scheduled for the coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, were recruited into the study (n = 10;59.5 (53.0-65.0) y. o.;50% males). The EAT and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) specimens were harvested in the course of CABG surgery. Immunostaining with anti-CD68, anti-CD45, anti-IL-1β and anti-TNFα monoclonal antibodies was performed to evaluate cell composition by differential counts per ten fields (400 magnification). Fasting venous blood was obtained from patients before CABG. Blood was centrifuged at 1500g, aliquots were collected and stored frozen at -40 °С until final analysis. Concentrations of NT-proBNP, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, TNFα were determined in serum samples by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We have found increased production of IL-1β and TNFα cytokines in EAT compared to SAT. Concentrations of NT-proBNP exceeded 125 pg/ml in 4 patients, and correlations between the CD68+ macrophage counts in both EAT and SAT samples (rs = 0.762;p = 0.010 and rs = 0.835;p = 0.003, respectively). NT-proBNP levels showed positive relations with CD45+ leukocyte counts (rs = 0.799;p = 0.006), and with IL-1β+ cell numbers (rs = 0.705;p = 0.023) in EAT samples only. As for the serum biomarkers, NT-proBNP levels showed negative correlation with fasting glucose levels (rs = -0.684;p = 0.029), and positive correlation with serum IL-6 concentrations (rs = 0.891;p = 0.001). Increased serum concentrations of NT-proBNP in CAD patients correlate with accumulation of macrophages in EAT, which is associated with increased production of IL-1β in EAT and correlates with some metabolic parameters.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ADIPOSITY/SARCOPENIA AND DEATH AMONG PATIENTS WITH COVID-19 DIFFERS BASED ON THE PRESENCE OF GASTROINTESTINAL SYMPTOMS

Background: Patients with SARS-CoV-2 who initially present with gastrointestinal (GI) symp-toms, with or without respiratory symptoms, have a milder clinical course than those who do not have GI complaints. Risk factors for severe COVID-19 disease include increased adiposity and sarcopenia, but whether these risk factors are similarly associated with worse outcomes among patients with GI symptoms has not been established. Methods: This was a retrospective study of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 who underwent abdominal CT scan for clinical indications within 30 days of positive SARS-COV-2 test. Abdominal body composition measures including skeletal muscle index (SMI), intramuscular adipose tissue index (IMATI), visceral adipose tissue index (VATI), subcutaneous adipose tissue index (SATI), and visceral-to-subcutaneous adipose tissue ratio (VAT/SAT Ratio) were measured on a single axial CT slice at the L3 vertebral level. Hepatic steatosis was measured by absolute liver attenuation and by liver/spleen attenuation ratio. Clinical characteristics and outcomes were collected from the electronic medical record. GI symptoms were classified at time of first positive SARS-CoV-2 test. The association between body composition measurements and the primary outcome of death or discharge to hospice within 30 days after positive SARS-CoV-2 test was tested. Results: Of 190 patients with COVID-19 who had abdominal CT scans, 117 (62%) had GI symptoms including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or abdominal pain. Among those without GI symptoms at presentation, the most common reasons for abdominal CT scan were as part of a multi-organ evaluation of fever/sepsis, evaluation of GI symptoms that developed later during the hospital course, and evaluation for retroperitoneal hemorrhage. There were no differences in baseline patient characteristics comparing those with or without GI symptoms (Table 1). Patients with GI symptoms were less likely to be admitted to the ICU than patients without GI symptoms (16% versus 37% respectively;p <0.01) but had similar 30-day mortality (15% versus 18% respectively;p=0.66). Among patients with GI symptoms, those who died or were discharged to hospice had significantly increased IMATI (unadjusted p=0.025) and no differences in other measures (Table 2). On the other hand, among patients without GI symptoms, those who died or were discharged to hospice within 30 days had increased IMATI (p=0.049), reduced SMI (p=0.010), and increased VAT/SAT Ratio that was not statistically significant (p=0.419). Conclusions: Among patients with COVID-19, the relationship between measures of adiposity/sarcopenia and death differs in patients with and without GI symptoms.(Table Presented)Table 1. Clinical Characteristics among 190 patients hospitalized for COVID-19 based on presence of GI symptoms.(Table Presented)Table 2. Body composition measurements among 117 patients with GI symptoms and 73 patients with no GI symptoms based on death/hospice at 30 days.

Eosinophils and COVID-19-clinical case of COVID-19 infection in a patient with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. COVID-19 is caused by a virus called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 or SARS-CoV-2. The impact of the pandemic has led to significant research on all aspects of the disease, including diagnostic biomarkers, related risk factors and strategies that could be used for its treatment and prevention. To this end, eosinopenia has been identified as one of many factors that could facilitate diagnosis and have prognostic value in cases of severe COVID-19. While eosinophil-associated conditions have been misdiagnosed as COVID-19 and others are among the reported complications, patients with pre-existing eosinophil-associated diseases (e.g. asthma, eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases) do not appear to be at increased risk of severe disease. Interestingly, several recent studies have shown that a diagnosis of asthma may be associated with some degree of protection. We present a 42-year-old patient with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Church-Strauss vasculitis) known for 4 years, who in March 2021 was diagnosed with COVID-19 infection. The disease was presented with manifestations of acute viral infection, with observed post-COVID transient migrating nodules of subcutaneous adipose tissue on the limbs, percentage of eosinophils over 50 and complete recovery.

Prognostic Role of Subcutaneous and Visceral Adiposity in Hospitalized Octogenarians with COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: We investigated the prognostic significance of visceral and subcutaneous adiposity in octogenarians with COVID-19. METHODS: This paper presents a monocentric retrospective study that was conducted in acute geriatric wards with 64 hospitalized patients aged 80+ who had a diagnosis of COVID-19 and who underwent a chest CT scan. A quantification of the subcutaneous, visceral, and total fat areas was performed after segmentations on the first abdominal slice caudal to the deepest pleural recess on a soft-tissue window setting. Logistic regression models were applied to investigate the association with in-hospital mortality and the extent of COVID-19 pneumonia. RESULTS: The patients had a mean age of 86.4 ± 6.0 years, and 46.9% were male, with a mean BMI of 24.1 ± 4.4Kg/m2 and mortality rate of 32.8%. A higher subcutaneous fat area had a protective effect against mortality (OR 0.416; 0.183-0.944 95% CI; p = 0.036), which remained significant after adjustments for age, sex, and BMI (OR 0.231; 0.071-0.751 95% CI; p = 0.015). Inversely, higher abdominal circumference, total fat area, subcutaneous fat area, and visceral fat were associated with worse COVID-19 pneumonia, with the latter presenting the strongest association after adjustments for age, sex, and BMI (OR 2.862; 1.523-5.379 95% CI; p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Subcutaneous and visceral fat areas measured on chest CT scans were associated with prognosis in octogenarians with COVID-19.

Visceral fat is associated to the severity of COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Excess visceral fat (VF) or high body mass index (BMI) is risk factors for severe COVID-19. The receptor for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is expressed at higher levels in the VF than in the subcutaneous fat (SCF) of obese patients. AIM: To show that visceral fat accumulation better predicts severity of COVID-19 outcome compared to either SCF amounts or BMI. METHODS: We selected patients with symptomatic COVID-19 and a computed tomography (CT) scan. Severe COVID-19 was defined as requirement for mechanical ventilation or death. Fat depots were quantified on abdominal CT scan slices and the measurements were correlated with the clinical outcomes. ACE 2 mRNA levels were quantified in fat depots of a separate group of non-COVID-19 subjects using RT-qPCR. RESULTS: Among 165 patients with a mean BMI of 26.1 ±â€¯5.4 kg/m2, VF was associated with severe COVID-19 (p = 0.022) and SCF was not (p = 0.640). Subcutaneous fat was not different in patients with mild or severe COVID-19 and the SCF/VF ratio was lower in patients with severe COVID-19 (p = 0.010). The best predictive value for severe COVID-19 was found for a VF area ≥128.5 cm2 (ROC curve), which was independently associated with COVID-19 severity (p < 0.001). In an exploratory analysis, ACE 2 mRNA positively correlated with BMI in VF but not in SCF of non-COVID-19 patients (r2 = 0.27 vs 0.0008). CONCLUSION: Severe forms of COVID-19 are associated with high visceral adiposity in European adults. On the basis of an exploratory analysis ACE 2 in the visceral fat may be a trigger for the cytokine storm, and this needs to be clarified by future studies.

Visceral adipose tissue area predicts intensive care unit admission in COVID-19 patients.

We retrospectively investigated, in 62 consecutive hospitalised COVID-19 patients (aged 70 ± 14 years, 40 males), the prognostic value of CT-derived subcutaneous adipose tissue and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) metrics, testing them in four predictive models for admission to intensive care unit (ICU), with and without pre-existing comorbidities. Multivariate logistic regression identified VAT score as the best ICU admission predictor (odds ratios 4.307-12.842). A non-relevant contribution of comorbidities at receiver operating characteristic analysis (area under the curve 0.821 for the CT-based model, 0.834 for the one including comorbidities) highlights the potential one-stop-shop prognostic role of CT-derived lung and adipose tissue metrics.

Covid-19: Fat, Obesity, Inflammation, Ethnicity, and Sex Differences.

Although obesity is known to be a risk factor for COVID-19 severity, there is an urgent need to distinguish between different kinds of fat-visceral and subcutaneous fat-and their inflammation status in COVID-19. These different fat types have partially diverging biochemical roles in the human body, and they are differentially associated with SARS-CoV-2, which targets the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) for cell entry. ACE2 is highly expressed in adipose tissue, especially in visceral fat, suggesting an important role for this tissue in determining COVID-19 disease severity. In this perspective article, we discuss group differences in the amount of visceral fat levels and the extent of inflammation in adipocytes of visceral fat tissue, which may, in part, drive population, cross-national, ethnic, and sex differences in COVID-19 disease. It is vital to steer the scientific community's attention to the effects of visceral fat in creating individual and population differences in COVID-19 severity. This can help researchers unravel the reasons for the reported population, ethnic, and sex differences in COVID-19 severity and mortality.