Clinical features and rehabilitation outcome after surgical treatment of spinal meningioma.

Study Design: Retrospective analysis of clinical routine data.

Objectives: Spinal meningioma is a common type of benign spinal tumor. Surgical removal is the standard therapeutic approach.

Accuracy of retrospective pain measurement in patients with chronic pain.

The use of pain scales that refer to a past time period is thereby based on the assumption that patients accurately remember their 'average', 'greatest' and 'least' pain. The present study addresses the validity of numerical pain rating scales that refer to a past period of time (herein, the past 7 days). Routine data from 94 patients with chronic pain were retrospectively analysed.

Auditing Practices of the Medical Service Regarding Hospitalizations of Patients With a Secondary Diagnosis of Obesity.

Background: It has been observed that the Medical Service (Medizinischer Dienst, an auditing body of the German statutory health insurance system) is more likely to audit the bill for a hospitalization in a psychosomatic clinic if the patient carries a secondary diagnosis of obesity.

Methods: In an exploratory study, we retrospectively analyzed 771 datasets collected in 2019 as part of the standard documentation of acute psychosomatic hospitalizations.

Results: In 2019, the Medical Service audited bills for psychosomatic hospital - izations much more often in obese than in non-obese patients (odds ratio [OR] 2.

Conservative In-Patient Treatment of Specific Back Pain Before and During the Coronavirus Disease Pandemic.

Background: The measures taken in the coronavirus disease pandemic have had major structural and financial effects on orthopaedics and trauma surgery as many surgeries in this field. Experience Appropriate reports from non-surgical orthopaedics are not yet available.

Aims Of The Study: The study aimed to provide information on the changes that occurred in a group of patients with spinal diseases undergoing conservative in-patient treatment during the coronavirus disease pandemic, with regard to the number of cases, patient structure and course of treatment.

Ascertaining minimal clinically meaningful changes in symptoms of depression rated by the 15-item Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale.

Rationale, Aims And Objectives: In clinical practise and in clinical studies on depression it is important to estimate whether changes in symptomatology measured by self-rating instruments are, in fact, clinically relevant. Therefore, the aim of the study was to estimate the clinical relevance of changes on the 15-item version of the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D-15) based on the concept of the minimal clinically important difference (MCID).

Methods: Data was acquired from 4781 patients with depression symptoms from a German psychosomatic hospital who have been assessed using the CES-D-15 before and after treatment.

Clinical Relevance of Changes in Pain Intensity in Patients with Specific Back Pain.

Background: Pain intensity is frequently measured on the 11-point numerical pain rating scale (NRS-PI), ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 points (worst imaginable pain). However, it is difficult to interpret the clinical importance of changes from baseline to endpoint on this instrument.

Objectives: To estimate the minimal detectable change (MDC) and the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) for average pain intensity in patients with specific back pain.

[Evaluation of Inpatient Conservative Management of Acute, Subacute, and Chronic Back Pain].

Background: Backache is very common in the German population. It is a common reason for people to seek medical advice and specific back pain programs have been developed. The intention of this study is to evaluate the short and long term effects of conservative management of back pain in a German general hospital.

Epidermal Rac1 regulates the DNA damage response and protects from UV-light-induced keratinocyte apoptosis and skin carcinogenesis.

Non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is the most common type of cancer. Increased expression and activity of Rac1, a small Rho GTPase, has been shown previously in NMSC and other human cancers; suggesting that Rac1 may function as an oncogene in skin. DMBA/TPA skin carcinogenesis studies in mice have shown that Rac1 is required for chemically induced skin papilloma formation.

Deletion of epidermal Rac1 inhibits HPV-8 induced skin papilloma formation and facilitates HPV-8- and UV-light induced skin carcinogenesis.

Overexpression and increased activity of the small Rho GTPase Rac1 has been linked to squamous cell carcinoma of the epidermis and mucosa in humans. Targeted deletion of Rac1 or inhibition of Rac1 activity in epidermal keratinocytes reduced papilloma formation in a chemical skin carcinogenesis mouse model. However, a potential role of Rac1 in HPV- and UV-light induced skin carcinogenesis has not been investigated so far, solar UV radiation being an important carcinogen to the skin.

[Anchor-based ascertaining of meaningful changes in depressive symptoms using the example of the German short form of the CES-D].

Background And Objectives: Depression is frequently measured on the 15 item version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D-15). Up to now, there are no data based estimates for minimal clinically important differences (MCID) in depression scales.

Methods: Data on 5241 subjects with depressive symptoms from a German psychosomatic hospital were used.

Using ICT to Support Individual Guidance in Health Promotion Programs for Increased Physical Activity.

Introduction: We report on experiences in implementing a system to support the individual guidance of training in health promotion programs aiming to increase participants' regular level of physical activity.

Methods: We used an iterative development approach considering data privacy and security aspects, followed by a phase of field testing and continuous further development.

Results: Our preliminary results comprise identified clinically relevant parameters, suitable data collection methods, experienced privacy and security challenges and a glance on our developed prototype system.

Epidermal RelA specifically restricts contact allergen-induced inflammation and apoptosis in skin.

Strong inhibition of NF-κB signaling in the epidermis results in spontaneous skin inflammation in mice and men. As there is evidence for linkage between polymorphisms within the NF-κB signaling pathway and human inflammatory skin phenotypes, we asked whether partial functional inhibition of NF-κB signaling in epidermal keratinocytes can modulate clinically relevant skin inflammation. We therefore mutated rela specifically in the epidermis of mice (RelA(E-MUT) mice).

Mechanisms regulating skin immunity and inflammation.

Immune responses in the skin are important for host defence against pathogenic microorganisms. However, dysregulated immune reactions can cause chronic inflammatory skin diseases. Extensive crosstalk between the different cellular and microbial components of the skin regulates local immune responses to ensure efficient host defence, to maintain and restore homeostasis, and to prevent chronic disease.

Tumor necrosis factor receptor signaling in keratinocytes triggers interleukin-24-dependent psoriasis-like skin inflammation in mice.

Psoriasis is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease with a prevalence of about 2% in the Caucasian population. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) plays an essential role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, but its mechanism of action remains poorly understood. Here we report that the development of psoriasis-like skin inflammation in mice with epidermis-specific inhibition of the transcription factor NF-κB was triggered by TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1)-dependent upregulation of interleukin-24 (IL-24) and activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling in keratinocytes.

CCR2 recruits an inflammatory macrophage subpopulation critical for angiogenesis in tissue repair.

Monocytes/macrophages are critical in orchestrating the tissue-repair response. However, the mechanisms that govern macrophage regenerative activities during the sequential phases of repair are largely unknown. In the present study, we examined the dynamics and functions of diverse monocyte/macrophage phenotypes during the sequential stages of skin repair.

A function for Rac1 in the terminal differentiation and pigmentation of hair.

The small GTPase Rac1 is ubiquitously expressed in proliferating and differentiating layers of the epidermis and hair follicles. Previously, Rac1 was shown to regulate stem cell behaviour in these compartments. We have asked whether Rac1 has, in addition, a specific, stem-cell-independent function in the regulation of terminal hair follicle differentiation.

The adaptor protein FADD protects epidermal keratinocytes from necroptosis in vivo and prevents skin inflammation.

Epidermal keratinocytes provide an essential structural and immunological barrier forming the first line of defense against potentially pathogenic microorganisms. Mechanisms regulating barrier integrity and innate immune responses in the epidermis are important for the maintenance of skin immune homeostasis and the pathogenesis of inflammatory skin diseases. Here, we show that epidermal keratinocyte-restricted deficiency of the adaptor protein FADD (FADD(E-KO)) induced severe inflammatory skin lesions in mice.

An open-label pilot study of the efficacy and safety of anakinra in patients with psoriatic arthritis refractory to or intolerant of methotrexate (MTX).

Only limited data have been published about the therapeutic use of anakinra in patients with psoriatic arthritis. We undertook this study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of anakinra in patients with active psoriatic arthritis. In a prospective open-label single-center study, 20 patients were treated with 100 mg anakinra everyday either alone or in combination with ongoing methotrexate over 6 months.

Establishment of spontaneously immortalized keratinocyte lines from wild-type and mutant mice.

A considerable number of transgenic or knockout mice in which epidermal keratinocytes have been targeted die shortly after birth due to barrier defects. In this case, recovery and cultivation of keratinocytes from these animals provide an opportunity for in vitro studies. Working with isolated keratinocytes is also interesting for certain experiments which cannot be performed in live animals.

ALX4 dysfunction disrupts craniofacial and epidermal development.

Genetic control of craniofacial morphogenesis requires a complex interaction of numerous genes encoding factors essential for patterning and differentiation. We present two Turkish families with a new autosomal recessive frontofacial dysostosis syndrome characterized by total alopecia, a large skull defect, coronal craniosynostosis, hypertelorism, severely depressed nasal bridge and ridge, bifid nasal tip, hypogonadism, callosal body agenesis and mental retardation. Using homozygosity mapping, we mapped the entity to chromosome 11p11.

Impact of Rac1 and Cdc42 signaling during early herpes simplex virus type 1 infection of keratinocytes.

Keratinocytes of the skin or mucosa are the primary entry portals for herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) in vivo. We hypothesized that dynamics of cell motility and adhesion contribute to the initial steps of HSV-1 infection of epithelial cells, and thus, we investigated the impact of Rac1 and Cdc42, which serve as key regulators of actin dynamics. Measurement of endogenous Rac1 and Cdc42 in the human keratinocyte cell line HaCaT indicated temporary changes in activity levels of Rac1/Cdc42 upon HSV-1 infection.

A comparison of mycophenolate mofetil with ciclosporine for the treatment of chronic plaque-type psoriasis.

Aims: To compare the efficacy of ciclosporine (CsA) versus mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) in psoriasis, a randomized trial was conducted.

Methods: A prospective multicenter randomized open-label clinical trial was performed to compare two parallel groups of patients with chronic plaque psoriasis undergoing different treatments. Therefore, a total of 54 patients with psoriasis were randomly assigned to treatment with either CsA (2.

Epidermal insulin/IGF-1 signalling control interfollicular morphogenesis and proliferative potential through Rac activation.

The lifelong self-renewal of the epidermis is driven by a progenitor cell population with high proliferative potential. To date, the upstream signals that determine this potential have remained largely elusive. Here, we find that insulin and insulin-like growth factor receptors (IR and IGF-1R) determine epidermal proliferative potential and cooperatively regulate interfollicular epidermal morphogenesis in a cell autonomous manner.