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עמוד בית
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November 2020
Elias Toubi MD and Zahava Vadasz MD PhD

Innate and adaptive immune response dysregulations are equally involved in the induction of autoimmunity. Toll-like receptors play a leading role in the activation of innate immune cells, thus priming auto-reactive T cells. Th17 cells and related cytokines are widely involved in many immune-mediated diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. Thus, the recent introduction of anti-IL-17  therapies should be further evaluated. Janus kinase inhibitors and Fc receptor-targeting drugs are some of the new therapeutic strategies that are being implemented when old classical therapies lack sufficient beneficial outcomes

April 2019
Lazaros I. Sakkas MD PhD, Dimitrios P. Bogdanos MD PhD, Dimitrios Boumpas MD, Zisis Mamouris PhD, Athanasios Gkoutzourelas MD, Athanasios Mavropoulos PhD, Zisis Tsouris PhD, Stamatis-Nickοlaos Liossis MD, Dimitrios Daoussis MD, Dimitrios Vasilopoulos MD, Maria Tektonidou MD, Athanasios Tzioufas MD, George Efthymiou BSc, Efthymios Dardiotis MD, George Kitas MD PhD, Κassem Sharif MD, Miri Blank MD, Dimitrios Karussis MD, Doron Rimar MD, Gleb Slobodin MD, Bat-Sheva Porat-Katz MD, Zahava Vadasz MD PhD, Howard Amital MD MHA, Elias Toubi MD and Yehuda Shoenfeld MD FRCP MaACR
September 2016
Doron Rimar MD, Itzhak Rosner MD, Gleb Slobodin MD, Michael Rozenbaum MD, Lisa Kaly MD, Nina Boulman MD and Zahava Vadasz MD
August 2016
Aharon Kessel MD, Yael Graif MD, Zahava Vadasz MD, Vered Schichter-Konfino MD, Meital Almog MD, Shai Cohen MD, Valery Teplitski MD, Nili Stein MPH, Ilaria Baiardini PhD, Marcus Maurer MD and Elias Toubi MD

Background: Chronic urticaria (CU) is a common disabling disorder. The CU-Q2oL (Chronic Urticaria Quality of Life Questionnaire) is a specific questionnaire for evaluating quality of life in CU patients. It consists of 23 items divided into six quality-of-life dimensions. It was initially developed in Italy and later validated in other countries.

Objectives: To validate and adapt the CU-Q2oL to the Hebrew language in order to make it suitable for use in Israel. 

Methods: The CU-Q2oL questionnaire was translated to Hebrew. A group of 119 CU patients were asked to complete this version, in addition to the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and Urticaria Activity Score (UAS) questionnaires. A factorial analysis was performed to identify CU-Q2oL subscales, internal consistency and convergent validity assessment, as well as factors determining quality-of-life scores.

Results: The factor analysis identified six scales of the Israeli CU-Q2oL: (i) sleep and concentration, (ii) function and mental status, (iii) embarrassment and clothing limitations, (iv) itching, (v) eating behavior and medication side effects, and (vi) swelling, which accounted for 77% of the data variance. Five scales showed good internal consistency over 0.81. The mean ± SD score of CU-Q2oL in our patients with CIU was 41 ± 21.7. We found a strong positive correlation between the overall scores of CU-Q2oL and DLQI questionnaires (r = 0.8, P < 0.01). Additionally, we found a positive correlation between UAS and both CU-Q2oL and DLQI (r = 0.62, P < 0.01, and r = 0.53, P < 0.01, respectively). 

Conclusions: This study demonstrates that the Israeli CU-Q2oL questionnaire is suitable for both clinical use and research in Israel.

 

December 2015
Vered Schichter-Konfino MD, Zahava Vadasz MD and Elias Toubi MD
April 2015
Vered Schichter-Konfino MD, Katalin Halasz, Galia Grushko, Ayelet Snir PhD, Tharwat Haj PhD, Zahava Vadasz MD PhD, Aharon Kessel MD, Israel Potasman MD and Elias Toubi MD

Abstract

Background: The mass influx of immigrants from tuberculosis-endemic countries into Israel was followed by a considerable increase in the incidence of tuberculosis (TB). All contacts of active TB patients are obliged to be screened by tuberculin skin tests (TST) and, if found positive, prophylactic treatment is considered.

Objectives: To assess the utility of interferon-gamma (IFNγ)-release assay with a prolonged follow-up in preventing unnecessary anti-TB therapy in individuals with suspected false positive results.

Methods: Between 2008 and 2012 the QuantiFERON TB gold-in-tube test (QFT-G) was performed in 278 sequential individuals who were mostly TST-positive and/or were in contact with an active TB patient. In all, whole blood was examined by the IFNγ-release assay. We correlated the TST diameter with the QFT-G assay and followed those patients with a negative assay.

Results: The QFT-G test was positive in only 72 (42%) of all 171 TST-positive individuals. There was no correlation between the diameter of TST and QFT-G positivity. Follow-up over 5 years was available in 128 (62%) of all QFT-G-negative individuals. All remained well and none developed active TB.

Conclusions: A negative QFT-G test may obviate the need for anti-TB therapy in more than half of those with a positive TST.

December 2014
Zahava Vadasz MD, Doron Rimar MD and Elias Toubi MD
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