Long COVID is a recently described entity that is responsible for significant morbidity and that has consequences ranging from mild to life-threatening. The underlying mechanisms are not completely understood, and treatment options are currently limited, as existing data focus more on risk factors and predictors. Smoking has been reported as a risk factor for poor outcomes of acute SARS-CoV-2 infection and seems to also play a role in mediating post-COVID-19 symptoms. We aimed to review relevant work addressing the interaction between smoking and long COVID in order to characterize smoking’s role as a risk factor and possibly identify new research directions. Methods: The PubMed/MEDLINE database was searched using the keywords ‘smoking’, ‘long COVID’, and ‘post-acute COVID’ to identify relevant English-language articles published up to October 2023. Results and conclusions: From the 374 initial hits, a total of 36 papers were deemed relevant to the aim of the review. There was significant variability concerning the ways in which tobacco usage was quantified and reported; still, there is compelling evidence linking smoking to an increased risk of developing manifestations of post-acute-COVID disease. Some clinical conditions, such as dyspnea, cardiovascular symptoms, and cognitive or mental-health impairment, seem to be relatively strongly associated with smoking, while the connection between smoking and upper-airway involvement seems less certain. The available data support recommending smoking cessation as a clinical tool for the prevention of long COVID.

(1) Background: Many studies suggest that Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is associated with a higher prevalence of anemia. The aim of this study is to explore this fact for a pediatric population from the northeast of Romania; (2) Methods: A correlational retrospective study between infection with H. pylori and anemia was performed on a group of 542 children in a pediatric gastroenterology regional center in Northeast Romania; (3) Results: Out of 542 children with confirmed H. pylori infection, microcytic hypochromic anemia was present in 48 children, of whom 7 (14.5%) also had iron deficiency.; (4) Conclusions: The study results demonstrate a significant association of H. pylori infection with iron-deficiency anemia and iron deficiency in children in accordance with the results established in the published literature. Although the direct relationship between them it is not clear yet, prevention represents one of the first clinical measures that need to be implemented when encountering a refractory moderate to severe iron-deficiency anemia and, especially, when associated with gastrointestinal tract symptoms.

Background: Nowadays it is considered that a specific causal relationship exists between asthma and gastroesophageal reflux (GER), because of the aspiration of gastric refluate which leads to and maintain spasticity even real crisis of paroxystic expiratory dyspnea. This study explores this relationship and evaluates the results after treatment. Methods: 56 children diagnosed with asthma, hospitalized in a regional center of pediatric gastroenterology in Northeast Romania, underwent 24-hour continuous esophageal pH monitoring in order to establish the presence of GER. The Boix-Ochoa score was used to interpret the results. Proton pump inhibitors were administered to those with GER and the patients were reevaluated after 2 months. Results: 39 patients (69.64%) had GER, with a Boix-Ochoa score above normal (N < 11.99), and 17 patients (30.36%) had normal score. After administering proton pump inhibitors for 2 months, 7 patients still had high Boix-Ochoa score (17.95%). The result of this analysis shows that the presence of asthma increases the chance of GER by 2.86 times. Conclusions: In children with asthma we have to look for GER in order to treat, because it can help the treatment of asthma or even solve some cases resistant to standard treatment.

Introduction: Neonatal early onset sepsis assessment is based on the history of pregnancy and delivery and nonspecific clinical signs. None of the biomarkers currently in use for clinical practice has adequate prognostic value, so it is not possible to clearly distinguish neonates with culture-proven sepsis from those with only risk factors or clinical suspicion. Endocan is an endothelial mediator involved in the inflammatory response that is present in low concentrations in the serum of healthy subjects, and in much higher concentrations in patients with SIRS and septic shock. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the utility of serum endocan serum levels as a biomarker for the diagnosis of neonatal early onset sepsis (EOS). Methodology: Serum endocan concentration was measured in newborns with clinical suspicion of EOS admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit on day 1, 3 and 7. Results: Serum endocan levels were significantly increased in septic compared to non-septic neonates in the early stages of sepsis (2.43 ± 0.95 vs. 1.77 ± 0.57, p = 0.004), continued to rise up to 72 hours from onset and then decreased by the seventh day under treatment. Conclusions: These results suggest a potential role for endocan as an early marker for diagnosis and follow-up in neonatal EOS. Studies on a larger number of cases are needed in order to establish the practical utility of this molecule as a diagnostic tool for clinical practice.

Interstitial lung diseases are respiratory diseases, which affect the normal lung parenchyma and can lead to significant pulmonary fibrosis, chronic respiratory failure, pulmonary hypertension, and ultimately death. Reuniting more than 200 entities, interstitial lung diseases pose a significant challenge to the clinician, as they represent rare diseases with vague and insidious respiratory symptoms. As such, there are many diagnostic errors that can appear along the journey of the patient with ILD, which leads to significant delays with implications for the prognosis and the quality of life of the patient.

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation status assessment has become increasingly important given the significant impact of tyrosine kinase inhibitors in lung cancer management. Our aim was to compare real life operational characteristics for three EGFR mutation assays - two targeted approaches and a next generation sequencing (NGS) technique. EGFR mutation status was assessed for lung adenocarcinoma samples (formalin fixed- paraffin embedded samples) using qPCR, SNaPshot and NGS (Ion Torrent™) techniques. A total of 15 high clinical significance mutations were identified by at least one technique from the total of 64 samples. All mutations were identified by the TaqMan qPCR technique while SNaPshot in conjunction with fragment analysis identified 11 EGFR mutations. The NGS approach followed by an automatic analysis using the default calling parameters identified 10 mutations from the SNaPshot/qPCR panel and other three insertions, five point mutations and 58 silent variants; manual data review identified all 15 high significance mutations. Performance was similar for high tumor content samples but careful data analysis and post hoc variant calling filter alterations were necessary in order to obtain robust results from low tumor content samples by NGS. NGS is able to generate a comprehensive mutational profile albeit at a higher cost and workload. Result interpretation should take into account not only general run parameters such as mean read depth but also relative coverage and read distribution; currently there is an acute need to define firm recommendations/standards concerning NGS data interpretation and quality control.