Inflammatory biomarkers and severity of COVID-19: Cross sectional study among Egyptian patients.

The newly emerging coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is characterized by multisystem inflammatory syndrome. The development of SARS-CoV-2 complications usually starts within few days following infection, and the severity of the disease determines its outcome. Vitamin D insufficiency is associated with risk of lung infections, also cell-based studies reported the ability of vitamin D to control enveloped virus growth. We aimed to investigate the relationship between the most eminent inflammatory biomarkers and the level of vitamin D aiming to provide a tool for early diagnosis and prediction of disease progression. The current study was approved by Research Ethics Committee (REC), Kasr Al-Ainy. After confirmation of being COVID-19 by PCR, the admitted patients were categorized as mild-moderate, and severe-critically ill based on clinical and radiologic data. The total levels of serum 25(OH)D, as well as other pro-inflammatory biomarkers were measured and were analyzed by receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis for detection of their association with COVID-19 disease severity and to determine their sensitivity and specificity at optimum cutoff points. The area under the curve (AUC) ROC for predicting COVID-19 disease severity was the highest (of 0.97) for vitamin D, inflammatory cytokines, liver enzymes, ferritin, and D-Dimer. In addition, high serum levels of creatinine, and elevated liver enzymes associated with severe-critical COVID-19. The low 25(OH)D was associated with the disease severity.

A study of the possible effects of repeated intracorporeal self-injection of vasoactive drugs in patients with elevated end diastolic velocity during pharmacopenile duplex ultrasonography.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of the work is to evaluate the effect of repeated intracavernosal self-injection of vasoactive drugs in patients with elevated End Diastolic Velocity (>5 cm/sec) during pharmacopenile duplex ultrasonography (PPDU). METHODS: Duplex evaluation was performed to the patients on self-injection therapy for comparison of end diastolic velocity and resistive index before and after completing the eight doses of IC self-injection. RESULTS: After the 8 trials of home therapy, 21 (52.5%) patients showed improvement in the duplex parameters regarding the end diastolic velocity, ten of them showed improvement in the EDV to the level of <5 cm/sec. The effect of different factors that may contribute to the improvement in EDV to <5 cm/sec are shown in the table 2. Age was the only predictive factor for successful response to home therapy intracavernous injection (ICI). Improvement in erectile response was assessed before and after the course of the therapy. Erection response to ICI during penile duplex improved in only six patients (E4 & E4-5)) to the point that it was sufficient for satisfactory sexual performance, 3 of them (7.5%) regained spontaneous erection and stopped using ICI (table 3). The IIEF score was 10.6 ±2.8 before the home therapy and it became 14 ±3.9 one month after completing the treatment course (P value <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Early rehabilitation of the patients with venous leakage ED using ICI may help to regain normal erection and avoid unnecessary penile prosthesis surgeries.