Bratisl Med J
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Since the date of declaring the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic by the World Health Organization (March 11, 2020), vaccine studies have been initiated. In this article, we aimed to investigate highly cited articles on vaccines and guide researchers for future studies. ⋯ Vaccine studies play a pivotal role in the warfare against COVID-19. Our results revealed that under the leadership of the USA, China and India, the number of scientists focusing on vaccines is increasing and gratifying results are obtained from vaccine studies (Tab. 3, Ref. 40).
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Non-communicable diseases are estimated to account for 90 % of total deaths and 19 % of premature deaths in Slovakia. Major preventable risk factors of premature mortality are overweight, obesity and alcohol consumption. ⋯ An anonymous questionnaire is a useful screening tool for searching for the risks of NAFLD and AFLD in general practice. Recommendation of a screening schedule for general practitioners is implemented (Tab. 2, Fig. 4, Ref. 36).
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The study was aimed at the characterization of humoral immunity in acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. ⋯ Severe course of COVID-19 is associated with significant changes of phenotypes of circulating B-lymphocytes and elevated circulating plasmablasts correlate with decreased SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG antibodies (Tab. 2, Fig. 3, Ref. 14).
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This study is aimed to determine the relationship between 25-OH vitamin D levels, inflammatory parameters of neutrophil‑to‑lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet‑to‑lymphocyte ratio (PLR), c‑reactive protein (CRP) levels and the disease severity of COVID-19 infection. ⋯ There is no relationship between the severity of COVID-19 infection and 25-OH vitamin D deficiency. Inflammatory parameters are associated with the disease severity, while NLR is an independent predictor of severe COVID-19. There was no correlation between 25-OH vitamin D and inflammatory markers (Tab. 4, Fig. 1, Ref. 38).
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Cardiac valvular calcification (CVC) is the main cause of cardiovascular disease and all-cause death in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, the relationship between Neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and CVC in patients with CKD is not clear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the prevalence of CVC in newly diagnosed patients with non-dialysis CKD stage 3-5 and evaluate the correlation between NLR and CVC. ⋯ CVC is not uncommon in newly diagnosed patients with non-dialysis CKD stage 3-5, and NLR is an independent risk factor for CVC (Tab. 4, Fig. 1, Ref. 34).