Cold atmospheric plasma for local infection control and subsequent pain reduction in a patient with chronic post-operative ear infection.

Following surgery of cholesteatoma, a patient developed a chronic infection of the external auditory canal, including extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing Escherichia coli, which caused severe pain. The application of cold atmospheric plasma resulted in a significant reduction in pain and clearance of bacterial carriage, allowing antibiotics and analgesics to be ceased.

Continuous selective intra-arterial application of nimodipine in refractory cerebral vasospasm due to aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Background: Cerebral vasospasm is one of the leading courses for disability in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Effective treatment of vasospasm is therefore one of the main priorities for these patients. We report about a case series of continuous intra-arterial infusion of the calcium channel antagonist nimodipine for 1-5 days on the intensive care unit.

W.A.R. scores in patients with chronic leg ulcers: results of a multicentre study.

Objective: To assess the individual patient's risk of wound infection using the wounds-at-risk (W.A.R.

Five patients with melanosis of the nipple and areola clinically mimicking melanoma.

Background: Pigmented lesions on the nipple and areola concern patients and physicians as melanoma and pigmented mammary Paget's disease must be considered in the differential diagnoses. There have been only six case reports of melanosis of the nipple and areola in the medical literature yet five cases presented to our department in a 26-month period.

Method: Five women aged between 26 and 34 years presented with pigmentation of the areola and/or nipple.

Cold atmospheric plasma devices for medical issues.

Cold atmospheric plasma science is an innovative upcoming technology for the medical sector. The plasma composition and subsequent effects on cells, tissues and pathogens can vary enormously depending on the plasma source, the plasma settings and the ambient conditions. Cold atmospheric plasmas consist of a highly reactive mix of ions and electrons, reactive molecules, excited species, electric fields and to some extent also UV radiation.

Successful and safe use of 2 min cold atmospheric argon plasma in chronic wounds: results of a randomized controlled trial.

Background: The development of antibiotic resistance by microorganisms is an increasing problem in medicine. In chronic wounds, bacterial colonization is associated with impaired healing. Cold atmospheric plasma is an innovative promising tool to deal with these problems.

A randomized two-sided placebo-controlled study on the efficacy and safety of atmospheric non-thermal argon plasma for pruritus.

Background: To look into new potential indications for physical plasma and because some reports suggest plasma having antipruritic effects, we investigated the treatment of pruritus that often represents a therapeutic challenge.

Objectives: To assess the efficacy and safety of cold atmospheric argon plasma as add-on-therapy in pruritic diseases.

Methods: We treated 46 patients with various pruritic diseases with cold plasma for 2 min daily in addition to standard treatment.

Development of a targeted risk-group model for skin cancer screening based on more than 100,000 total skin examinations.

Background: Skin cancer screening aims to detect potentially metastasizing skin cancers at an early and surgically curable stage. This may take the form of mass screening, as currently occurs in Germany, or of targeted screening of those at greatest risk.

Objective: To develop a model to identify patients at high risk of developing skin cancer who would benefit from regular skin cancer screening.

Dysplastic melanocytic nevi of the lower leg: sex- and site-specific histopathology.

Site-specific histopathology features have been reported for acral, auricular, flexural, and genital melanocytic nevi, however, to the best of our knowledge, site- and sex-specific histology of dysplastic nevi on the lower leg (between knee and ankle) of women (DN-LW) has not been reported. In this retrospective histopathology study, we compared DN-LW (N = 42) with appropriate control groups of (1) DN of the lower leg of men (N = 20; DN-LM), (2) DN from the back of women (N = 20), (3) common nevi of the lower leg of women (N = 40), and (4) levels 1-2 superficial spreading melanoma of the lower leg of women (N = 20). Compared with dysplastic nevi on the back, DN-LW were smaller in diameter and exhibited a significantly higher score for pagetoid spread (P < 0.

Quality of life in localised malignant melanoma.

Background: The incidence of melanoma is still increasing in fair-skinned populations. At least 80% of patients have localised disease and expect a 5-year relative survival of >90%.

Patients And Methods: In 2003-2004, disease-free patients with localised melanoma were recruited from the Munich Cancer Registry to answer quality-of-life (QoL) questionnaires 2 years after treatment.

A first prospective randomized controlled trial to decrease bacterial load using cold atmospheric argon plasma on chronic wounds in patients.

Background: Bacterial colonization of chronic wounds slows healing. Cold atmospheric plasma has been shown in vitro to kill a wide range of pathogenic bacteria. Objectives To examine the safety and efficiency of cold atmospheric argon plasma to decrease bacterial load as a new medical treatment for chronic wounds.

The risk of emergency room treatment due to overdose in injection drug users.

This cohort study was conducted to identify risk factors for lifetime emergency room treatment due to overdose in injection drug users. Data of 1049 patients on admission for opioid detoxification were analyzed. More than every third injection drug user (34.

Chromium in metabolic and cardiovascular disease.

Chromium is an essential mineral that appears to have a beneficial role in the regulation of insulin action, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. There is growing evidence that chromium may facilitate insulin signaling and chromium supplementation therefore may improve systemic insulin sensitivity. Tissue chromium levels of subjects with diabetes are lower than those of normal control subjects, and a correlation exists between low circulating levels of chromium and the incidence of type 2 diabetes.

Two Caucasian families with the hepatocyte nuclear factor-1alpha mutation Tyr218Cys.

We report on the first two Caucasian families with the MODY3 HNF-1alpha mutation Tyr218Cys. Clinical and laboratory examinations are shown in detail. Patients with HNF-1alpha related MODY may develop the full spectrum of diabetic complications.

Wolfram syndrome-associated mutations lead to instability and proteasomal degradation of wolframin.

Wolfram syndrome is caused by mutations in WFS1 encoding wolframin, a polytopic membrane protein of the endoplasmic reticulum. Here, we investigated the molecular pathomechanisms of four missense and two truncating mutations in WFS1. Expression in COS-7 cells as well as direct analysis of patient cells revealed that WFS1 mutations lead to drastically reduced steady-state levels of wolframin.

Factors associated with exposure to hepatitis B virus in injection drug users.

This study was undertaken to describe factors associated with exposure to the hepatitis B virus (HBV) in treated injection drug users to better aim prevention and care in high risk subgroups. The naturalistic study was conducted in Munich, Germany, and 1,018 patients who ever shared needles admitted for opioid detoxification were included. Sociodemographic, drug and drug treatment related variables and the virological status (HCV, HIV) were included in the bivariate and multiple logistic regression analysis.

Functional and mutational characterization of human MIA40 acting during import into the mitochondrial intermembrane space.

A first component involved in import into the mitochondrial intermembrane space, named Mia40, has been described recently in yeast. Here, we identified the human MIA40 as a novel and ubiquitously expressed component of human mitochondria. It belongs to a novel protein family whose members share six highly conserved cysteine residues constituting a -CXC-CX9C-CX9C- motif.

Risk Factors and predictors of human immunodeficiency virus infection among injection drug users.

Background/aim: Injection drug users (IDUs) have a high risk of acquiring an infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). To improve counseling and prevention, a better understanding of risk factors and predictors for an infection must be gained. This retrospective study has the aim to determine the risk factors for acquisition of HIV infection other than sharing of needles/syringes.

Hepatitis C virus infection and injection drug users: prevention, risk factors, and treatment.

Injection drug users (IDUs) are the largest group of persons infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV), with a prevalence of 50%-90%. The transmission of HCV is not the effect of the drug injected but of sharing contaminated equipment. For the sake of prevention, we have to know which factors are more likely to lead to HCV seroconversion and which particular situations and environments are risk factors for equipment sharing.

Infrequent reinfection after successful treatment for hepatitis C virus infection in injection drug users.

We followed-up 18 injection drug users for a mean of 33.8 months (range, 4-55 months) after successful treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Fifteen (83%) of the patients remained HCV RNA-negative, 1 patient was not tested, and 2 patients had test results positive for HCV RNA.

The molecular basis of the Rhesus antigen Ew.

Background: The Rhesus antigen Ew (ISBT designation 004 011) was first described in 1955. It is defined by a specific antibody, but its molecular genetic basis has not yet been resolved.

Study Design And Methods: Two individuals serologically characterized to express the rare Rhesus antigen Ew were analyzed by sequencing of all 10 exons of the RHCE gene.