Death associated protein kinase 1 dampens keratinocyte necroptosis and expression of inflammatory genes in lichen planus.

Lichen planus (LP) is a chronic inflammatory disease (ISD) affecting skin, mucosa, nail, and hair. Previous studies demonstrated a pivotal role of type 1 immunity in LP, as infiltrating T cells trigger apoptosis and necroptosis in the epidermis. In this study, we investigated the role of DAPK1 in LP with special focus on its role in mediating cell death and inflammation.

Orthotopic meningioma rat model exhibits morphological and immunohistochemical congruency and epigenetic concordance with benign primary patient-derived tumors.

Meningiomas are the most common primary central nervous system tumor. Clinical trials have failed to support effective medical treatments, despite initially promising animal studies. A key issue could be that available experimental models fail to mimic the clinical situation.

Cobalt Chromium or Stainless Steel Balloon-Expandable Bare Metal Stents for Iliac Occlusive Disease?

Background: To compare the performance of a new-generation cobalt-chromium balloon-expandable bare metal stent with a stainless steel platform for the treatment of iliac occlusive disease.

Methods: Consecutive patients treated for symptomatic iliac occlusive disease between 2014 and 2021 with the cobalt-chromium Dynetic-35 or the stainless steel Dynamic platform were retrospectively evaluated. Outcome measures included technical success, device- or procedure-related death, clinically-driven target lesion revascularization (CD-TLR), primary patency, and major index limb amputation up to 12 months.

Primary delayed gastric emptying after pylorus-resecting pancreatoduodenectomy: A matched-pair comparison of Roux-en-Y vs. Billroth-II reconstruction.

Background: After pylorus-resecting pancreatoduodenectomy (PrPD), delayed gastric emptying (DGE) might partially be attributed to biliary reflux. We investigated whether the incidence of primary DGE is reduced after Roux-en-Y instead of Billroth-II reconstruction.

Methods: Patients undergoing PrPD from 2016 to 2019 at a high-volume center were identified.

Intravenous Immunoglobulin Therapy for Pyoderma Gangrenosum: A Multicenter Retrospective Analysis in 81 Patients.

Background: Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is rare neutrophil skin disease causing painful, progressively enlarging ulcers. Among the treatment options, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is a therapy of first choice for paraneoplastic PG. Otherwise, it is used in therapy-refractory courses.

Comparative Effectiveness of Biologic Classes in Clinical Practice: Month 12 Outcomes from the International Observational Psoriasis Study of Health Outcomes (PSoHO).

Introduction: Studies directly comparing the effectiveness of different biologics over long observation periods are lacking. As many treatment guidelines are formulated based on drug class, there is a particular need to compare drug classes rather than specific biologic agents.

Methods: This post hoc analysis compares the effectiveness and durability of biologics that target the interleukin (IL)-17 A ligands or the IL-17 receptor A (IL-17RA) relative to other approved drug classes in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, through 12 months in a real-world setting.

Sex dimorphism in kidney health and disease: mechanistic insights and clinical implication.

Sex is a key variable in the regulation of human physiology and pathology. Many diseases disproportionately affect one sex: autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, are more common in women but more severe in men, whereas the incidence of other disorders such as gouty arthritis and malignant cancers is higher in men. Besides the pathophysiology, sex may also influence the efficacy of therapeutics; participants in clinical trials are still predominately men, and the side effects of drugs are more common in women than in men.

Apolipoprotein E aggregation in microglia initiates Alzheimer's disease pathology by seeding β-amyloidosis.

The seeded growth of pathogenic protein aggregates underlies the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), but how this pathological cascade is initiated is not fully understood. Sporadic AD is linked genetically to apolipoprotein E (APOE) and other genes expressed in microglia related to immune, lipid, and endocytic functions. We generated a transgenic knockin mouse expressing HaloTag-tagged APOE and optimized experimental protocols for the biochemical purification of APOE, which enabled us to identify fibrillary aggregates of APOE in mice with amyloid-β (Aβ) amyloidosis and in human AD brain autopsies.

Postnatal management of preterm infants with spinal muscular atrophy: experience from German newborn screening.

Background: The introduction of newborn screening (NBS) for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) has increased the early diagnosis of 5q-associated SMA in presymptomatic and symptomatic preterm infants. National and international recommendations for treating preterms and newborns < 38 weeks of gestational age are unavailable. Our retrospective multicentre study aimed to evaluate the postnatal clinical course of preterm infants with 5q-associated SMA diagnosed since the implementation of NBS in Germany in 2021 and to summarize the German experience regarding the decision-making process for available treatment regimens for preterm infants with ≤ 3 survival of motor neuron 2 (SMN2) copies.

C-X-C Motif Chemokine Receptor 4-Directed Scintigraphy Using [Tc]Tc-Pentixatec in Primary Aldosteronism: A Proof-of-Concept Study.

C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4)-directed imaging has gained clinical interest in aiding clinical diagnostics in primary aldosteronism (PA). We retrospectively evaluated the feasibility of CXCR4-directed scintigraphy using the novel CXCR-4 ligand [Tc]Tc-pentixatec in patients with PA. Six patients (mean age ± SD, 49 ± 15 y) underwent CXCR4-directed scintigraphy (including planar imaging and SPECT/CT) 30, 120, and 240 min after injection of 435 ± 50 MBq of [Tc]Tc-pentixatec.

Translating the theranostic concept to neuro-oncology: disrupting barriers.

Theranostics integrate molecular imaging and targeted radionuclide therapy for personalised cancer therapy. Theranostic treatments have shown meaningful efficacy in randomised clinical trials and are approved for clinical use in prostate cancer and neuroendocrine tumours. Brain tumours represent an unmet clinical need and theranostics might offer effective treatment options, although specific issues need to be considered for clinical development.

End Point Surrogacy in First-Line Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.

Purpose: Surrogate end points are commonly used to estimate treatment efficacy in clinical studies of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). This patient- and trial-level analysis describes the correlation between progression-free survival (PFS) and minimal residual disease (MRD) with overall survival (OS) in first-line trials for CLL.

Patients And Methods: First, patient-level correlation was confirmed using source data from 12 frontline German CLL Study Group (GCLLSG)-trials.

The Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Rhinosinusitis.

Background: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a heterogeneous condition characterized by local chronic inflammation of the mucous membranes of the nose and paranasal sinuses. It affects approximately 5% of the population.

Methods: This review is based on relevant publications retrieved by a selective search of the literature, with particular attention to current national and international guidelines.

Semaphorin heterodimerization in cis regulates membrane targeting and neocortical wiring.

Disruption of neocortical circuitry and architecture in humans causes numerous neurodevelopmental disorders. Neocortical cytoarchitecture is orchestrated by various transcription factors such as Satb2 that control target genes during strict time windows. In humans, mutations of SATB2 cause SATB2 Associated Syndrome (SAS), a multisymptomatic syndrome involving epilepsy, intellectual disability, speech delay, and craniofacial defects.

Catheter-based ablation to improve outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: Rationale and design of the CABA-HFPEF-DZHK27 trial.

Aims: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is common in heart failure (HF) and negatively impacts outcomes. The role of ablation-based rhythm control in patients with AF and HF with preserved (HFpEF) or mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF) is not known. The CABA-HFPEF-DZHK27 (CAtheter-Based Ablation of atrial fibrillation compared to conventional treatment in patients with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction) trial will determine whether early catheter ablation for AF can prevent adverse cardiovascular outcomes in patients with HFpEF or HFmrEF.

The effects of a Teddybear Hospital project on prescool childrens' knowledge and medical students' professionalism: a prospective cohort study.

Background: The Teddybear Hospital (TH) Project is an effort to increase children's knowledge and decrease their anxiety. It is also intended to improve medical students' pediatric communication skills. This study evaluated the educational effects on participating preschool children and medical students.