Neuroblastoma is a childhood developmental cancer; however, its embryonic origins remain poorly understood. Moreover, in-depth studies of early tumor-driving events are limited because of the lack of appropriate models. Herein, we analyzed RNA sequencing data obtained from human neuroblastoma samples and found that loss of expression of trunk neural crest-enriched gene associates with advanced disease and worse outcome.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Evidence for effectiveness of radiotherapy for Ledderhose disease was demonstrated in the LedRad-study. However, the health economic impact of Ledderhose disease is unclear. Therefore, an economic evaluation alongside the LedRad-study was planned.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: The authors investigated tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) and influenza vaccination during pregnancy following Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' (ACIP's) recommendation for antenatal pertussis vaccination.
Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed in 2019 of women receiving prenatal care at our institution between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2018. Receipt of ACIP-recommended vaccines were examined using Current Procedural Terminology codes to identify initiation of prenatal care, then administration of Tdap and influenza vaccines.
The pediatric extra-cranial tumor neuroblastoma displays a low mutational burden while recurrent copy number alterations are present in most high-risk cases. Here, we identify SOX11 as a dependency transcription factor in adrenergic neuroblastoma based on recurrent chromosome 2p focal gains and amplifications, specific expression in the normal sympatho-adrenal lineage and adrenergic neuroblastoma, regulation by multiple adrenergic specific (super-)enhancers and strong dependency on high SOX11 expression in adrenergic neuroblastomas. SOX11 regulated direct targets include genes implicated in epigenetic control, cytoskeleton and neurodevelopment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHalf of the children diagnosed with neuroblastoma (NB) have high-risk disease, disproportionately contributing to overall childhood cancer-related deaths. In addition to recurrent gene mutations, there is increasing evidence supporting the role of epigenetic deregulation in disease pathogenesis. Yet, comprehensive cis-regulatory network descriptions from NB are lacking.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis technical report describes the making of cervical exam models that can be used to teach cervical dilation and effacement, with the versatility to teach additional obstetrical skills including artificial rupture of membranes (AROM) and fetal scalp electrode (FSE) placement. These models, primarily constructed from materials that are low cost and/or easily accessible within a healthcare setting, can be used to educate nurses, medical students, residents, and other healthcare professionals to improve the evaluation of the labor progress.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCancer therapy frequently fails due to the emergence of resistance. Many tumors include phenotypically immature tumor cells, which have been implicated in therapy resistance. Neuroblastoma cells can adopt a lineage-committed adrenergic (ADRN) or an immature mesenchymal (MES) state.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is clinical-neuroradiologically defined and potentially reversible, so there are limited data about histopathological findings. We aimed to describe the clinical and paraclinical features of patients with PRES with regard to its reversibility.
Methods: This retrospective case series encompasses 15 PRES cases out of 1300 evaluated patients from a single German center between January 1, 2010, and June 15, 2020.
Objective: Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an imaging technique that uses the light-backscattering properties of different tissue types to generate an image. In an earlier feasibility study the authors showed that it can be applied to visualize human peripheral nerves. As a follow-up, this paper focuses on the interpretation of the images obtained.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: Patients with neuroblastoma in molecular remission remain at considerable risk for disease recurrence. Studies have found that neuroblastoma tissue contains adrenergic (ADRN) and mesenchymal (MES) cells; the latter express low levels of commonly used markers for minimal residual disease (MRD). We identified MES-specific MRD markers and studied the dynamics of these markers during treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTo evaluate fetomaternal bleeding following routine cesarean delivery compared with cesarean delivery involving transplacental transection. A prospective cohort study evaluating cesarean delivery in which the placenta was transected (cases) versus controls (placenta not transected) from January 2016 to April 2018. A maternal Kleihauer-Betke's (KB) test and newborn hematocrit were performed shortly after delivery.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTransition between differentiation states in development occurs swift but the mechanisms leading to epigenetic and transcriptional reprogramming are poorly understood. The pediatric cancer neuroblastoma includes adrenergic (ADRN) and mesenchymal (MES) tumor cell types, which differ in phenotype, super-enhancers (SEs) and core regulatory circuitries. These cell types can spontaneously interconvert, but the mechanism remains largely unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Analysis of urinary catecholamine metabolites is one of the primary modalities to diagnose patients with neuroblastoma. Although catecholamine excretion patterns have been recognised in the past, their biological rationale and clinical relevance remain largely unknown. Therefore, this study was designed to identify unique catecholamine excretion patterns and elucidate their underlying biology and clinical relevance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChromosome 17q gains are almost invariably present in high-risk neuroblastoma cases. Here, we perform an integrative epigenomics search for dosage-sensitive transcription factors on 17q marked by H3K27ac defined super-enhancers and identify TBX2 as top candidate gene. We show that TBX2 is a constituent of the recently established core regulatory circuitry in neuroblastoma with features of a cell identity transcription factor, driving proliferation through activation of p21-DREAM repressed FOXM1 target genes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe occurrence of medulloblastoma (MB) in the elderly is an absolutely rare event. Concerning this issue we report on two MB patients beyond the 70th year of life. Two patients older than 70 years presented with a mass in the posterior fossa without evidence of a preexisting malignant tumor.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn the central nervous system, distinguishing primary leptomeningeal melanocytic tumors from melanoma metastases and predicting their biological behavior solely using histopathologic criteria may be challenging. We aimed to assess the diagnostic and prognostic value of integrated molecular analysis. Targeted next-generation sequencing, array-based genome-wide methylation analysis, and BAP1 IHC were performed on the largest cohort of central nervous system melanocytic tumors analyzed to date, including 47 primary tumors of the central nervous system, 16 uveal melanomas, 13 cutaneous melanoma metastases, and 2 blue nevus-like melanomas.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) is considered standard of care for patients with multiple brain metastases or unfit for radical treatment modalities. Recent studies raised discussion about the expected survival after WBRT. Therefore, we analysed survival after WBRT for brain metastases 'in daily practice' in a large nationwide multicentre retrospective cohort.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The United States currently has an opioid use disorder epidemic and research evaluating ways to minimize the use of opioids postsurgery are needed. One of these options is intravenous acetaminophen. If the use of preoperative intravenous acetaminophen was found to be effective for cesarean delivery, this would be beneficial for both the mother and breast-feeding neonate.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrimary leptomeningeal melanocytic tumors (PLMTs) are rare. They usually arise along the spinal cord and at the skull base. Here we report on a patient with a very rare intraventricular melanocytoma.
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