Quality of Life and Work Ability among Healthcare Personnel with Chronic Viral Hepatitis. Evaluation of the Inpatient Rehabilitation Program of the Wartenberg Clinic.

The aim of this study was to research the impact of inpatient rehabilitation on work ability and health-related quality of life factors for healthcare personnel (HP) with chronic hepatitis B and C virus (HBV and HCV) infection. A prospective evaluation study with three data collection times without an external control group was conducted. HP ( = 163) with an occupational acquired chronic hepatitis B/C infection who participated in an inpatient rehabilitation program were surveyed.

Real-world outcomes of endovascular treatment in a non-selected population with peripheral artery disease - prospective study with 2-year follow-up.

The study aimed to evaluate the outcomes of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) in lower-extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD) patients. A multi-centre, observational study was performed with 32 German and Austrian centres contributing data to the PTA registry. Data of 1,781 patients with lower-leg and pelvic PAD who were suitable for endovascular PTA treatment were contributed from participating centres.

Concurrence of chromosome 3 and 4 aberrations in human uveal melanoma.

Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary intraocular malignancy with a very poor prognosis. The most frequent chromosome aberration in UM is the monosomy of chromosome 3. Previously, we demonstrated that ~50% of UMs express type-I receptor for luteinizing hormone‑releasing hormone (LH-RH-R).

Immune cell subsets, cytokine and cortisol levels during the first week of life in neonates born to pre-eclamptic mothers.

Problem: To address the hypothesis that pre-eclampsia (PE) impacts the fetal immune system, we investigated the prevalence of distinct immune cell subsets along with plasma cortisol and cytokine levels in pre-term newborns of PE mothers.

Method Of Study: Cord blood and peripheral blood samples on the 1st, 3rd and 7th postnatal days of life were collected from 14 pre-term infants affected by PE and 14 non-PE pregnancies. We measured plasma cortisol and cytokine levels with immunoassays and assessed the prevalence of T, NK and DC subsets using flow cytometry.

Predictive values derived from lower wisdom teeth developmental stages on orthopantomograms to calculate the chronological age in adolescence and young adults as a prerequisite to obtain age-adjusted informed patient consent prior to elective surgical procedures in young patients with incomplete or mismatched personal data.

Surgical procedures require informed patient consent, which is mandatory prior to any procedure. These requirements apply in particular to elective surgical procedures. The communication with the patient about the procedure has to be comprehensive and based on mutual understanding.

Expression of lymphocyte activation markers of preterm neonates is associated with perinatal complications.

Background: Inappropriate activation of T lymphocytes plays an important role in perinatal complications. However, data on T lymphocyte activation markers of preterm infants is scarce. We investigated the association between gender, gestational and postnatal age, preeclampsia (PE), premature rupture of membranes (PROM) as well as prenatal steroid treatment (PS) and the frequency of activated T lymphocyte subsets (HLA-DR+, CD69+, CD25+, CD62L+) and major T lymphocyte subpopulations (CD4, CD8, Th1, Th2, naïve, memory) in peripheral blood during the first postnatal week in preterm infants.

Plasma vitamin D levels at birth and immune status of preterm infants.

Background: Vitamin D has an important immunomodulatory role. We investigated whether vitamin D levels at birth may associate with immune status in preterm infants.

Methods: Cord blood samples were collected from 28 preterm infants born ≤30 weeks of gestation.

Skin conductance in neonates suffering from abstinence syndrome and unexposed newborns.

Unlabelled: The aims of this study were to compare the skin conductance (SC) of newborns with opiate-induced neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) to that of unexposed newborns and to evaluate the potential of SC readings to detect distress in the context of NAS objectively. The SC of 12 newborns with NAS and 12 unexposed newborns was measured at nine specific times during their first 6 weeks of life. The number of SC fluctuations per second (NSCF/s), the amplitude of SC fluctuation, and the mean level of SC were recorded and analyzed.

Post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome (PI-IBS) after infection with Shiga-like toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O104:H4: A cohort study with prospective follow-up.

Background: In May/June 2011, the new Shiga-like toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strain O104:H4 caused the severest outbreak ever recorded of hemorrhagic enterocolitis in 3842 patients in Germany.

Objectives: As bacterial enterocolitis is an established risk factor of subsequent irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), we aimed to estimate prevalence and incidence of post-infectious (PI)-IBS after six and 12 months in a cohort of STEC O104:H4 patients and to prospectively identify associated somatic and psychometric risk factors.

Methods: A total of 389 patients were studied prospectively at baseline and at six and 12 months after STEC infection using STEC disease-related questionnaires and validated instruments for IBS (Rome III) and psychological factors.

Impact of Complete Versus Incomplete Circumferential Lines Around the Pulmonary Veins During Catheter Ablation of Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation: Results From the Gap-Atrial Fibrillation-German Atrial Fibrillation Competence Network 1 Trial.

Background: Ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) is an established treatment option for symptomatic patients. It is not known whether complete pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is superior to incomplete PVI with regard to the patients' clinical outcome.

Methods And Results: Patients with drug-refractory, symptomatic paroxysmal AF were randomly assigned to either incomplete (group A) or complete PVI (group B).

A Single Nucleotide Polymorphism near the CYP17A1 Gene Is Associated with Left Ventricular Mass in Hypertensive Patients under Pharmacotherapy.

Cytochrome P450 17A1 (CYP17A1) catalyses the formation and metabolism of steroid hormones. They are involved in blood pressure (BP) regulation and in the pathogenesis of left ventricular hypertrophy. Therefore, altered function of CYP17A1 due to genetic variants may influence BP and left ventricular mass.

Use of vitamin K antagonists for secondary stroke prevention depends on the treating healthcare provider in Germany - results from the German AFNET registry.

Background: Anticoagulation using vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) significantly reduces the risk of recurrent stroke in stroke patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and is recommended by guidelines.

Methods: The German Competence NETwork on Atrial Fibrillation established a nationwide prospective registry including 9,574 AF patients, providing the opportunity to analyse AF management according to German healthcare providers.

Results: On enrolment, 896 (9.

Impact of Severe Extracranial ICA Stenosis on MRI Perfusion and Diffusion Parameters in Acute Ischemic Stroke.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of a coexisting internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis on lesion volumes as well as diffusion and perfusion parameters in acute ischemic stroke resulting from middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion.

Material And Methods: Magnetic resonance imaging data of 32 patients with MCA occlusion with or without additional ICA stenosis imaged within 4.5 h of symptom onset were analyzed.

Polymorphism in NFKBIA gene is associated with recurrent acute rejections in liver transplant recipients.

The nuclear factor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer B-cells inhibitor-alpha (NFKBIA) gene encodes a member of the nuclear factor-kappa-B inhibitor family. Polymorphisms in this gene might be associated with a susceptibility to acute rejection episodes following liver transplantation, as they may cause an increased activation level of the proinflammatory transcription factor nuclear factor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B-cells (NFκB). The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the NFKBIA polymorphisms -297 C/T (rs2233409), -826 C/T (rs2233406) and 126 G/A (rs696) affect the incidence of acute liver graft rejection.

Sustained and "sleeper" effects of group metacognitive training for schizophrenia: a randomized clinical trial.

Importance: Cognitive interventions increasingly complement psychopharmacological treatment to enhance symptomatic and functional outcome in schizophrenia. Metacognitive training (MCT) is targeted at cognitive biases involved in the pathogenesis of delusions.

Objective: To examine the long-term efficacy of group MCT for schizophrenia in order to explore whether previously established effects were sustained.

German multicenter real-world registry of stenting for superficial femoral artery disease: clinical results and predictive factors for revascularization.

Purpose: To investigate nitinol stent treatment of superficial femoral artery (SFA) lesions and the impact of different risk factors on the need for clinically driven target lesion revascularization (TLR) in a large, real-world population of claudicants.

Methods: Patients presenting with symptomatic SFA stenosis >70% were consecutively enrolled in the 13-center MARIS prospective registry (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01067885).

Impact of biatrial defragmentation in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: results from a randomized prospective study.

Background: Single procedure success rates of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) are still unsatisfactory. In patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF), ablation of complex fractionated atrial electrograms (CFAEs) after PVI results in improved outcomes.

Objective: We aimed to investigate if PAF-patients with intraprocedurally sustained AF after PVI might benefit from additional CFAE ablation.

Morbidity and treatment in patients with atrial fibrillation and chronic kidney disease.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality but there are few studies available about atrial fibrillation, the most frequent arrhythmia in CKD, and the applied treatment. Based on the prospective German Competence NETwork on Atrial Fibrillation, data of 3138 patients with atrial fibrillation were analyzed and categorized by their estimated glomerular filtration rate (stages 1-3 and 4 plus 5). With advanced CKD, significantly more patients suffered from a more severe form of atrial fibrillation.

Prognosis in human glioblastoma based on expression of ligand growth hormone-releasing hormone, pituitary-type growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor, its splicing variant receptors, EGF receptor and PTEN genes.

Purpose: Glioblastoma (GB) is the most frequent brain tumor. Despite recent improvement in therapeutic strategies, the prognosis of GB remains poor. Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) may act as a growth factor; antagonists of GHRH have been successfully applied for experimental treatment of different types of tumors.

Investigation of the role of the jumping-to-conclusions bias for short-term functional outcome in schizophrenia.

Symptom severity and neuropsychological deficits negatively influence functional outcomes in patients with schizophrenia. Recent research implicates specific types of biased thinking styles (e.g.

Targeting class IA PI3K isoforms selectively impairs cell growth, survival, and migration in glioblastoma.

The phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway is frequently activated in human cancer and plays a crucial role in glioblastoma biology. We were interested in gaining further insight into the potential of targeting PI3K isoforms as a novel anti-tumor approach in glioblastoma. Consistent expression of the PI3K catalytic isoform PI3K p110α was detected in a panel of glioblastoma patient samples.

Psychological outcome, fatigue, and quality of life after infection with shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O104.

Background & Aims: From May through July 2011 in northern Germany, there was a large outbreak of hemolytic uremic syndrome and bloody diarrhea, which was related to infections from Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O104 (STEC). We investigated the depression, posttraumatic symptoms, fatigue, and health-related quality of life among patients within the first 6 months after STEC infection and aimed to identify factors associated with poor outcome.

Methods: In a cohort study, we performed baseline assessments of 389 patients (69% female) 3 months after STEC infection (82 ± 36 days) and follow-up assessments of 308 of the patients 6 months afterward (199 ± 17 days).

Magnetically guided capsule versus conventional gastroscopy for upper abdominal complaints: a prospective blinded study.

Objectives: Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is mostly performed under sedation and has a low yield of relevant gastric lesions in patients without alarm symptoms. Simpler screening tests such as capsule endoscopy could be helpful, but gastric visualization is insufficient with the current passive capsules. A magnetically guided gastric capsule was prospectively evaluated in patients with routine indications for gastroscopy.

Effect of cardiac rehabilitation on functional and emotional status in patients after transcatheter aortic-valve implantation.

Background: Transcatheter aortic-valve implantation (TAVI) is an established alternative therapy in patients with severe aortic stenosis and a high surgical risk. Despite a rapid growth in its use, very few data exist about the efficacy of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) in these patients. We assessed the hypothesis that patients after TAVI benefit from CR, compared to patients after surgical aortic-valve replacement (sAVR).

MYCN amplification predicts poor outcome for patients with supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumors of the central nervous system .

Background: Primitive neuroectodermal tumors of the central nervous system (CNS-PNETs) are a rare group of neoplasms occurring in the CNS that includes supratentorial CNS-PNETs, medulloepitheliomas, and ependymoblastomas. While ependymoblastomas frequently carry chromosome 19q13.41 amplification and show aggressive clinical behavior, the biological mechanisms and molecular alterations contributing to the pathogenesis of supratentorial CNS-PNETs remain poorly understood.