First detection of human coronavirus hku1 in greece, in an immunocompromised patient with severe lower respiratory tract infection [Pirmasis žmogaus koronaviruso HKU1 atvejis Graikijoje, nustatytas pacientui, turinčiam imuninės sistemos sutrikimą ir sergančiam sunkia apatinių kvėpavimo takų infekcija]

Human coronavirus HKU1 (HCoV-HKU1) is a RNA virus which gets in the human cells by binding to the receptor of N-acetyl-9-O-acetylneuraminic acid. Human Coronaviruses (HCoVs), including HCoV-HKU1, are globally found. HCoV-HKU1 is responsible for upper and lower respiratory tract infections, usually with mild symptoms. In severe cases, HCoV-HKU1 can cause life-threatening respiratory illness especially in vulner-able hosts such as elderly, children and immunocompromised patients. In Greece, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and influenza are the most common viruses causing respiratory tract infections. Traditionally, HCoVs are responsible for less than 3% of respiratory infections in Greek population. HCoVs 229E and OC43 have been shown to circulate in Greece. We report the first case of lung infection in an immunocompromised woman due to HCoV-HKU1, that has never been before detected in Greece. HCoV-HKU1 is related to severe disease even in healthy individuals and must be considered in the differential diagnosis of severe respiratory infections. © 2021 Vasiliki Epameinondas Georgakopoulou, Georgios Petsinis, Konstantinos Mantzouranis, Christos Damaskos, Despoina Melemeni, Aikaterini Gkoufa, Serafeim Chlapoutakis, Nikolaos Garmpis, Pagona Sklapani, Nikolaos Trakas, Xanthi Tsiafaki. Published by Vilnius University Press

Characteristics and outcomes of cancer patients who develop pulmonary embolism: A cross-sectional study

Pulmonary embolism (PE), along with deep vein thrombosis, are collectively known as venous thromboembo- lism (VTE). Predisposing factors for PE include post-operative conditions, pregnancy, cancer and an advanced age; of note, a number of genetic mutations have been found to be associ- ated with an increased risk of PE. The association between cancer and VTE is well-established, and cancer patients present a higher risk of a thrombotic event compared to the general population. In addition, PE is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality among cancer patients. The aim of the present study was to illustrate the clinical characteristics, laboratory findings, radiology features and outcomes of cancer patients who developed PE, collected from an anticancer hospital. For this purpose, adult cancer patients diagnosed with PE by imaging with computed tomography pulmonary angiography were enrolled. The following data were recorded: Demographics, comorbidities, type of cancer, time interval between cancer diagnosis and PE occurrence, the type of therapy received and the presence of metastases, clinical signs and symptoms, predisposing factors for PE development, laboratory data, radiological findings, electrocardiography findings, and the type of therapy received for PE and outcomes in a follow-up period of 6 months. In total, 60 cancer patients were enrolled. The majority of the cancer patients were males. The most common type of cancer observed was lung cancer. The majority of cases of PE occurred within the first year from the time of cancer diagnosis, while the majority of patients had already developed metastases. In addition, the majority of cancer patients had received chemotherapy over the past month, while they were not receiving anticoagulants and had central obstruction. A large proportion of patients had asymptomatic PE. The in-hospital mortality rate was 13.3% and no relapse or mortality were observed during the follow-up period. The present study demonstrates that elevated levels of lactic acid and an increased platelet count, as well as low serum levels of carcinoembryonic antigen, albumin and D-dimer, may be potential biomarkers for asymptomatic PE among cancer patients. © 2021 Spandidos Publications. All rights reserved