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Kintrilis N, Kontaxakis A, Philippou A. EFFECT OF RESISTANCE TRAINING THROUGH IN-PERSON AND TELECONFERENCING SESSIONS IN REHABILITATION OF ACUTE STROKE PATIENTS. J Rehabil Med Clin Commun 2024; 7:18647. [PMID: 38328738 PMCID: PMC10847974 DOI: 10.2340/jrmcc.v7.18647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Objective To determine whether application of a strength training regimen yields measurable results on stroke survivors and compare different methods for the proposed intervention. Design Patients and Methods Ninety stroke patients were recruited from the neurological clinic of a local third-level clinic. Sixty patients participated in a strength training regimen with trainings taking place 3 times a week for 12 weeks with the use of resistance bands. Thirty of these patients were given face-to-face sessions and 30 patients were given trainings through an on-line platform. The last 30 patients who comprised the control group only followed usual care after the stroke. Results The applied strength regimen had a statistically significant effect on Visual Analog Scale scores of stroke patients who received it (p = 0.009), as well as in the teleconferencing group (p = 0.004). The measured arteriovenous oxygen difference was elevated for stroke patients who received the intervention as a whole (p = 0.007). Patients who were trained in person and the ones who were trained via teleconferencing yielded similar results as evaluated through the VAS index. Discussion and Conclusion Administration of strength training 3 times weekly for 12 weeks to stroke patients yielded measurable results in terms of general function and quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaos Kintrilis
- Department of Physiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Antonis Kontaxakis
- Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine Department, 414 Military Hospital of Special Diseases, Penteli, Greece
| | - Anastasios Philippou
- Department of Physiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
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Kintrilis N, Galinos I. Outpatient Intravenous Remdesivir to Prevent Progression to Severe COVID-19: An Observational Study from a Greek Hospital. Recent Adv Antiinfect Drug Discov 2024; 19:173-178. [PMID: 36999701 DOI: 10.2174/2772434418666230331083714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Remdesivir, a viral RNA polymerase inhibitor, has been a powerful weapon in the battle against the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Originally approved for use in hospitalized patients, remdesivir improves clinical outcomes in patients with moderate to severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). After proving efficacious in hospitalized patients, its use was approved in early disease for symptomatic, non-hospitalized patients that present risk factors for progression to severe disease. OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether administration of the antiviral medication remdesivir at an outpatient basis has an effect on hospital admissions of patients presenting with SARSCoV- 2 infection. METHODS We conducted an observational clinical trial involving 107 non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients who attended the emergency department of a third-level greek hospital seeking care for symptoms appearing within the previous 5 days and who had at least one risk factor for progression to severe disease. After arterial blood gas evaluation, eligible patients received intravenous remdesivir at a dose of 200 mg on day 1 and 100 mg on days 2 and 3. The efficacy endpoint was set as COVID-19-related hospitalization or death in the next 14 days. RESULTS A total of 107 patients (57.0% men) participated in the study, 51 (47.7%) of them fully vaccinated. Most prevalent were age ≥ 60 years old, cardiovascular/cerebrovascular disease, immunosuppression or malignancy, obesity, diabetes mellitus, and chronic lung disease. All patients enrolled completed the 3-day course, with a total of 3 out of 107 patients (2.8%) eventually having a COVID-19-related hospitalization by day 14, while no deaths were reported by day 14. CONCLUSION Among non-hospitalized patients with at least one risk factor for progression to severe COVID-19, a 3-day course of intravenous remdesivir yielded favourable results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaos Kintrilis
- Infectious Diseases Unit, 401 General Military Hospital of Athens, Athens, Greece
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Iosif Galinos
- Infectious Diseases Unit, 401 General Military Hospital of Athens, Athens, Greece
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Kintrilis N, Blek N, Blek S, Olkiewicz A, Ladny JR, Szarpak L. Effect of the pandemic on prehospital management of patients with mental and behavioral disorders: a retrospective cohort study. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1174693. [PMID: 37780449 PMCID: PMC10535562 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1174693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) infection and the accompanying coronavirus disease (Covid-19) have shifted the priority of human and technical resources toward their handling, thus affecting the usual standards of care for populations diagnosed with other clinical entities. The phenomenon becomes even more apparent in patients with presenting symptoms of mental and behavioral disorders, a category already vulnerable and underrepresented in regard to its prehospital approach and management. For the purposes of the current retrospective cohort study, we used records of the Polish National Emergency Medical Service Command Support System for the time period between April 1, 2019 and April 30, 2021, the official register of medical interventions delivered in Poland by Emergency Medical Services (EMS). We aimed to examine the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic across the Masovian Voivodeship on individuals seeking medical care for mental and behavioral disorders pertaining in the "F" category of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision (ICD-10). We examined the individuals' baseline characteristics, prehospital vital parameters and EMS processing times in a population of 59,651 adult patients (04/2019-03/2020, 28,089 patients, 04/2020-03/2021, 31,562 patients) handled by EMS teams. Compared to pre-COVID-19, EMS personnel handled fewer patients, but more patients required mental and behavioral care. Throughout the duration of the pandemic, all prehospital time periods were significantly delayed due to the increased time needed to prepare crew, vehicles, and technical equipment to ensure COVID-19 prevention and overcrowding in Emergency Departments (EDs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaos Kintrilis
- Infectious Disease Unit, General Military Hospital of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Natasza Blek
- Institute of Outcomes Research, Maria Sklodowska-Curie Medical Academy in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
- Department of Neurology, Wolski Hospital, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Sergiusz Blek
- Research Unit, Polish Society of Disaster Medicine, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Jerzy Robert Ladny
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Bialystok Medical University, Białystok, Poland
| | - Lukasz Szarpak
- Henry J.N. Taub Department of Emergency Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine Houston, Houston, TX, United States
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Kintrilis N. Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis presenting as Vasculitis in the Temporal Artery. Mediterr J Rheumatol 2023; 34:377-380. [PMID: 37941858 PMCID: PMC10628877 DOI: 10.31138/mjr.20230727.eg] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
A 59-year-old man presented to the Emergency Department with vision disturbance, presenting concurrently bronchial asthma and pansinusitis, with complete blood count showing marked eosinophilia (32,420/mL at 79% of white blood cells). Clinical, laboratory, and imaging investigations were unremarkable except for persisting eosinophilia. A histological examination of a biopsied temporal artery showed vasculitis in the temporal artery and concomitant granulomatous inflammation, with lymphocytes, eosinophils, and multinucleated giant cells. Based on the biopsy and a positive anti-myeloperoxidase antibody (anti-MPO/p-ANCA) result, a diagnosis of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) was made. The patient was initially treated with methylprednisolone pulses and recovered vision. We consider the present case as EGPA manifesting as temporal arteritis with vision loss and treated it as such, with the patient making a full recovery without further symptomatology occurrences. The current case underlines how ANCA-associated vasculitides can rarely manifest in the form of temporal arteritis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaos Kintrilis
- Infectious Diseases Unit, 401 General Military Hospital of Athens, Greece
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Kintrilis N. Viral Shedding and Persistence of Anosmia and Ageusia in an Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infection. Cureus 2023; 15:e36574. [PMID: 37095813 PMCID: PMC10122416 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.36574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), first identified in the region of Wuhan, China is responsible for the ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) that has been a part of our life for almost three years now. Although there have been multiple reports of prolonged viral shedding in people with severe disease, viral shedding lasting for extended periods can occur in patients with less serious clinical insults or even asymptomatic individuals. Herein, we report a case of a female patient that, although otherwise asymptomatic, remained positive on nasopharyngeal viral testing for a prolonged period, alongside persisting complaints of anosmia and ageusia. The patient may well have been one of the first individuals to be infected in the Greek territory; we followed up on her long-term COVID sequelae from the time of proof of infection up until the present day.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaos Kintrilis
- Internal Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, GRC
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Kintrilis N, Gravani F, Rapti A, Papaioannou M, Flessa CM, Nezos A, Antypa E, Papadaki I, Karageorgas Τ, Moutsopoulos HM, Mavragani CP. Subclinical atherosclerosis profiles in rheumatoid arthritis and primary Sjögren's syndrome: the impact of BAFF genetic variations. Rheumatology (Oxford) 2023; 62:958-968. [PMID: 35689637 DOI: 10.1093/rheumatology/keac337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES RA and primary SS carry increased atherosclerotic risk, while B-cell activating factor holds a vital role in disease pathogenesis and atherosclerosis. We aimed to compare subclinical atherosclerosis profiles between the two clinical entities and define whether BAFF genetic variants alter atherosclerotic risk. METHODS DNA from 166 RA, 148 primary SS patients and 200 healthy controls of similar age and sex distribution was subjected to PCR-based assay for the detection of five single nucleotide polymorphisms of the BAFF gene (rs1224141, rs12583006, rs9514828, rs1041569 and rs9514827). Genotype and haplotype frequencies were determined by SNPStats software and statistical analysis was performed by SPSS and Graphpad Software. Subclinical atherosclerosis was defined by the presence of carotid/femoral plaque formation and arterial wall thickening. RESULTS Atherosclerotic plaque formation was more frequently detected in the RA vs primary SS group (80.7% vs 62.2%, P-value <0.001), along with higher rates of family CVD history, current steroid dose and serum inflammatory markers. The TT genotype of the rs1224141 variant was more prevalent in RA but not primary SS patients with plaque and arterial wall thickening vs their counterparts without. Regarding the rs1014569 variant, among RA patients the TT genotype increased the risk for plaque formation while in primary SS patients the AT genotype conferred increased risk. Haplotype GTTTT was protective in the RA cohort, while TATTT and TTCTT haplotypes increased susceptibility for arterial wall thickening in the primary SS cohort. CONCLUSIONS Increased inflammatory burden, higher steroid doses and distinct BAFF gene variations imply chronic inflammation and B-cell hyperactivity as key contributors for the augmented atherosclerotic risk among autoimmune patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaos Kintrilis
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
| | | | - Anna Rapti
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.,Department of Rheumatology
| | - Myrto Papaioannou
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
| | - Christina-Maria Flessa
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
| | - Adrianos Nezos
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
| | - Eleni Antypa
- Department of Radiology, G. Gennimatas General Hospital of Athens
| | | | - Τheofanis Karageorgas
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
| | | | - Clio P Mavragani
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.,Joint Academic Rheumatology Program, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Medicine, Athens, Greece
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Kintrilis N, Nezos A, Theodorou E, Koutsilieris M, Mavragani CP. B-cell Activating Factor Polymorphisms in Rheumatoid Arthritis-Associated Atherosclerosis. Mediterr J Rheumatol 2021; 32:179-181. [PMID: 34447918 PMCID: PMC8369273 DOI: 10.31138/mjr.32.2.179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a common chronic inflammatory disorder affecting 0,5-1% of the population, characterised by intense cellular activation and inflammation in the affected joints ultimately leading to bone and cartilage destruction. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among patients suffering from RA, with chronic inflammation and genetic background emerging as major predisposing factors. Although the pathogenetic events leading to an increased rate of atherosclerosis in the affected group are not precisely described, several genetic variations have been suggested as possible mediators of this process. The aim of the current research proposal is to investigate the role of B-cell activating factor (BAFF) variants in the pathogenesis of RA-related atherosclerosis. Stored DNA samples from the Biobank in the Department of Physiology of the Medical School of the University of Athens from RA individuals and healthy controls will be analysed for polymorphisms of B-cell activating factor (BAFF) by polymeric chain reaction (PCR) based assays. Detection of plaque formation and calculation of the mean intima media thickness (mIMT) of the vessel wall will be performed in RA patients by using carotid and femoral artery ultrasonography. Complete personal and family history, biochemical and serological markers will be obtained from the RA group and associated with the genetic and IMT data. The results will be compared across the different subgroups in order to determine whether any particular genetic variants can act as prognostic markers for RA-related cardiovascular disease giving eventually new insights to atherosclerotic processes in the context of chronic inflammatory diseases. Such a result would invariably lead to a possible new treatment approach and/or prevention method to benefit this group of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaos Kintrilis
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.,Second Internal Medicine Unit, 401 General Military Hospital of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Adrianos Nezos
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | | | - Michalis Koutsilieris
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Clio P Mavragani
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.,Rheumatology Outpatient Unit, Department of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Laikon Hospital, Athens, Greece
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