miRNA Expression Profiling in Human Breast Cancer Diagnostics and Therapy.

Breast cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancer types worldwide. Regarding molecular characteristics and classification, it is a heterogeneous disease, which makes it more challenging to diagnose. As is commonly known, early detection plays a pivotal role in decreasing mortality and providing a better prognosis for all patients.

The Challenge to Stabilize, Extract and Analyze Urinary Cell-Free DNA (ucfDNA) during Clinical Routine.

Background: The "Liquid Biopsy" has become a powerful tool for cancer research during the last decade. Circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) that originates from tumors has emerged as one of the most promising analytes. In contrast to plasma-derived cfDNA, only a few studies have investigated urinary cfDNA.

Evidence-based cutoffs for total and adjusted calcium: a major factor in detecting severe hypo- and hypercalcemia.

Objectives: Severe hypo- and hypercalcemia are common and urgent treatment is recommended. Free calcium (fCa) is the gold standard but needs blood gas tests with challenging preanalytics. Total calcium (tCa) and calculated adjusted calcium (aCa) are readily available, but their interpretation is hampered by identical tCa and aCa cutoffs, laborious local aCa calculation and difficult comparability of calcium biomarkers.

Impact of anaemia and iron deficiency on outcomes in cardiogenic shock complicating acute myocardial infarction.

Aims: Anaemia and iron deficiency (ID) are common comorbidities in cardiovascular patients and are associated with a poor clinical status, as well as a worse outcome in patients with heart failure and acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Nevertheless, data concerning the impact of anaemia and ID on clinical outcomes in patients with cardiogenic shock (CS) are scarce. This study aimed to assess the impact of anaemia and ID on clinical outcomes in patients with CS complicating AMI.

Evaluation of five multisteroid LC‒MS/MS methods used for routine clinical analysis: comparable performance was obtained for nine analytes.

Objectives: A mass spectrometry (LC‒MS/MS)-based interlaboratory comparison study was performed for nine steroid analytes with five participating laboratories. The sample set contained 40 pooled samples of human serum generated from preanalyzed leftovers. To obtain a well-balanced distribution across reference intervals of each steroid, the leftovers first underwent a targeted mixing step.

Long-Term Course of Circulating Elastin, Collagen Type I, and Collagen Type III in Patients with Spontaneous Cervical Artery Dissection: a Prospective Multicenter Study.

An impaired integrity of vascular elements and the extracellular matrix (ECM) has been discussed to play a critical role in the pathophysiology of spontaneous cervical artery dissection (sCAD). This study aimed to explore the temporal course of circulating elastin, collagen type I, and collagen type III in patients with sCAD and evaluated their eligibility as diagnostic biomarkers. Patients with sCAD were prospectively enrolled in four German stroke centers.

Cassia Angustifolia Primed ASCs Accelerate Burn Wound Healing by Modulation of Inflammatory Response.

Background: Thermal traumas impose a huge burden on healthcare systems. This merits the need for advanced but cost-effective remedies with clinical prospects. In this context, we prepared a regenerative 3D-construct comprising of Cassia angustifolia extract (SM) primed adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) laden amniotic membrane for faster burn wound repair.

Relevance of GLP-1 receptor agonists or SGLT-2 inhibitors on the recruitment for clinical studies in patients with NAFLD.

Introduction: Guidelines increasingly recommend the use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA) or sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) to prevent cardiovascular and cardiorenal endpoints. Both drugs also show beneficial effects in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Preexisting GLP-1 RA and SGLT2i therapies are frequently defined as exclusion criterion in clinical studies to avoid confounding effects.

Prebiotic diet changes neural correlates of food decision-making in overweight adults: a randomised controlled within-subject cross-over trial.

Objective: Animal studies suggest that prebiotic, plant-derived nutrients could improve homoeostatic and hedonic brain functions through improvements in microbiome-gut-brain communication. However, little is known if these results are applicable to humans. Therefore, we tested the effects of high-dosed prebiotic fibre on reward-related food decision-making in a randomised controlled within-subject cross-over study and assayed potential microbial and metabolic markers.

Injectable Decorin/Gellan Gum Hydrogel Encapsulating Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Enhances Anti-Inflammatory Effect in Cartilage Injury via Autophagy Signaling.

Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) are employed as a promising alternative in treating cartilage injury. Regulating the inflammatory "fingerprint" of ADSCs to improve their anti-inflammatory properties could enhance therapy efficiency. Herein, a novel injectable decorin/gellan gum hydrogel combined with ADSCs encapsulation for arthritis cartilage treatment is proposed.

Development, Design and Utilization of a CDSS for Refeeding Syndrome in Real Life Inpatient Care-A Feasibility Study.

Background: The refeeding syndrome (RFS) is an oftentimes-unrecognized complication of reintroducing nutrition in malnourished patients that can lead to fatal cardiovascular failure. We hypothesized that a clinical decision support system (CDSS) can improve RFS recognition and management.

Methods: We developed an algorithm from current diagnostic criteria for RFS detection, tested the algorithm on a retrospective dataset and combined the final algorithm with therapy and referral recommendations in a knowledge-based CDSS.

An atlas of genome-wide gene expression and metabolite associations and possible mediation effects towards body mass index.

Investigating the cross talk of different omics layers is crucial to understand molecular pathomechanisms of metabolic diseases like obesity. Here, we present a large-scale association meta-analysis of genome-wide whole blood and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) gene expressions profiled with Illumina HT12v4 microarrays and metabolite measurements from dried blood spots (DBS) characterized by targeted liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in three large German cohort studies with up to 7706 samples. We found 37,295 associations comprising 72 amino acids (AA) and acylcarnitine (AC) metabolites (including ratios) and 8579 transcripts.

Association between TGFβ1 Levels in Cord Blood and Weight Progress in the First Year of Life.

Transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGFβ1) is an adipokine secreted from adipose tissue, placental tissue and immune cells with a role in cell proliferation, cell apoptosis and angiogenic proliferation. The role of TGFβ1 in pregnancy and child growth and the source of cord TGFβ1 are yet unknown. In this study, we sought to clarify the correlation of TGFβ1 levels with parameters of intrauterine growth and child growth during the first year of life, and to determine whether their source is primarily of fetal or maternal origin.

Leptin, but not ghrelin, is associated with food addiction scores in a population-based subject sample.

Background: Ghrelin and leptin are both peptide hormones and act as opposing players in the regulation of hunger, satiety and energy expenditure. Leptin reduces appetite and feelings of hunger and is secreted mainly by adipocytes, while ghrelin increases appetite and food intake and reduces metabolic rate. Both hormones have been implicated in addictive disorders.

Illustrated State-of-the-Art Capsules of the ISTH 2023 Congress.

This year's Congress of the International Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) took place in person in Montréal, Canada, from June 24-28, 2023. The conference, held annually, highlighted cutting-edge advances in basic, translational, population and clinical sciences relevant to the Society. As for all ISTH congresses, we offered a special, congress-specific scientific theme; this year, the special theme was immunothrombosis.

Tracking of serum lipids in healthy children on a year-to-year basis.

Objectives: To assess the stability of lipid profiles throughout childhood and evaluate their onset and dynamic.

Materials And Methods: Lipid markers were longitudinally measured in more than 1300 healthy children from the LIFE Child study (Germany) and categorized into normal, at-risk, or adverse. Year-to-year intra-person persistence of the categories during follow-ups was examined and Pearson's correlation coefficient was calculated.

Low BAU/ml values with 4 of 5 SARS CoV-2 spike-specific monoclonal antibodies in the Roche Elecsys antibody assay.

Background: The Abbott SARS-CoV-2 IgG Quant II assay and the Roche Elecsys double antigen sandwich (DAgS) immunoassay measure SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD)-specific antibodies in serum samples in different ways. The IgG Quant II assay uses an antigen in combination with a secondary antibody and the DAgS assay uses two antigens. The aim of the study was to investigate whether the assays give comparable results with monoclonal antibodies.

The Role of Activation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR and RAF/MEK/ERK Pathways in Aggressive Pituitary Adenomas-New Potential Therapeutic Approach-A Systematic Review.

Pituitary tumors (PT) are mostly benign, although occasionally they demonstrate aggressive behavior, invasion of surrounding tissues, rapid growth, resistance to conventional treatments, and multiple recurrences. The pathogenesis of PT is still not fully understood, and the factors responsible for its invasiveness, aggressiveness, and potential for metastasis are unknown. RAF/MEK/ERK and mTOR signaling are significant pathways in the regulation of cell growth, proliferation, and survival, its importance in tumorigenesis has been highlighted.

Cold Shock Domain Protein DbpA Orchestrates Tubular Cell Damage and Interstitial Fibrosis in Inflammatory Kidney Disease.

DNA-binding protein A (DbpA) belongs to the Y-box family of cold shock domain proteins that exert transcriptional and translational activities in the cell via their ability to bind and regulate mRNA. To investigate the role of DbpA in kidney disease, we utilized the murine unilateral ureter obstruction (UUO) model, which recapitulates many features of obstructive nephropathy seen in humans. We observed that DbpA protein expression is induced within the renal interstitium following disease induction.

Development of a rapid and specific MALDI-TOF mass spectrometric assay for SARS-CoV-2 detection.

We have developed a rapid and highly specific assay for detecting and monitoring SARS-CoV-2 infections by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). As MALDI-TOF mass spectrometers are available in a clinical setting, our assay has the potential to serve as alternative to the commonly used reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Sample preparation prior to MALDI-TOF-MS involves the tryptic digestion of SARS-CoV-2 proteins, followed by an enrichment of virus-specific peptides from SARS-CoV-2 nucleoprotein via magnetic antibody beads.

Revising the MELD Score to Address Sex-Bias in Liver Transplant Prioritization for a German Cohort.

(1) Background: Prioritization of patients for liver transplantation in Germany relies on the MELD (model for end-stage liver disease) scoring system that does not consider the patient's sex. Many studies have shown that women are disadvantaged by the MELD score. Using a large patient cohort from a German liver transplant centre, we investigated options to reduce gender inequality in the patient prioritization for liver transplantation.