Value of systemic inflammation markers for the detection of minimal and prediction of overt hepatic encephalopathy after TIPS insertion.

Development of overt hepatic encephalopathy (oHE) is a particularly feared complication when considering treatment with transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS). However, the pathophysiology of HE, in particular after TIPS-insertion, is complex and valid predictors remain scarce. We aimed to investigate whether systemic inflammation markers (SIM) are linked to minimal (mHE) and overt HE (oHE) development before and after TIPS.

An Arteriovenous Bioreactor Perfusion System for Physiological In Vitro Culture of Complex Vascularized Tissue Constructs.

Background: The generation and perfusion of complex vascularized tissues in vitro requires sophisticated perfusion techniques. For multiscale arteriovenous networks, not only the arterial, but also the venous, biomechanical and biochemical conditions that physiologically exist in the human body must be accurately emulated. For this, we here present a modular arteriovenous perfusion system for the in vitro culture of a multi-scale bioartificial vascular network.

TIPS insertion leads to sustained reversal of systemic inflammation in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis.

Background And Aims: Systemic Inflammation (SI) is considered a key mechanism in disease progression and development of complications in decompensated liver cirrhosis. SI is mainly driven by portal hypertension and bacterial translocation. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS)-insertion represents an effective treatment for portal hypertension.

No value of non-selective beta-blockers after TIPS-insertion.

Background And Aims: Non-selective beta-blockers (NSBB) are a well-established treatment in patients with clinically significant portal hypertension. However, their potential role after insertion of a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) still needs to be determined. Of note, recent studies suggested that favourable anti-inflammatory effects of NSBB might be independent from pressure reduction.

Prognostic and predictive impact of NOTCH1 in early breast cancer.

Purpose: Systemic therapy plays a major part in the cure of patients with early breast cancer (eBC). However, personalized treatment concepts are required to avoid potentially harmful overtreatment. Biomarkers are pivotal for individualized therapy.

Pre-hospital heparin is not associated with infarct vessel patency and mortality in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Background: Pre-hospital heparin administration has been reported to improve prognosis in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). This beneficial effect may be limited to the subgroup of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients.

Methods: To assess the impact of pre-hospital heparin loading on TIMI (Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction) flow grade and mortality in STEMI patients with OHCA, we analyzed data from 2,566 consecutive patients from two hospitals participating in the prospective Feedback Intervention and Treatment Times in ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (FITT-STEMI) trial.

High Prevalence and Clinical Relevance of Intrapulmonary Vascular Dilatations in Patients Undergoing TIPS Implantation.

Background & Aims: Considerate patient selection is vital to ensure the best possible outcomes after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) insertion. However, data regarding the impact of intrapulmonary vascular dilatations (IPVDs) or hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) on the clinical course after TIPS implantation is lacking. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the relevance of IPVD and HPS in patients undergoing TIPS implantation.

Real-world experience of water vapour therapy (Rezum) in patients with benign prostatic enlargement: a retrospective single-center study.

Background: Water vapor thermal therapy (Rezum) is a minimally invasive treatment for benign prostatic enlargement (BPE). Studies reporting urodynamic results regarding the procedure are rare. Our study aimed to assess the effectiveness of Rezum on urinary outcome parameters in a consecutive series of patients and compare urodynamic data before and after treatment.

Prospective Evaluation of the Prediction Score for a Mild Course of Crohn's Disease (PreMiCC) in Newly Diagnosed Patients With Crohn's Disease: The PROGNOS Study.

Background And Aims: The course of Crohn's disease (CD) is highly variable. The Prospektive Evaluation eines Score zur Vorhersage eines milden Verlaufsbei neu diagnostizierten Morbus Crohn-Patienten in gastroenterologischen Fachpraxen (PROGNOS) study aimed to determine the frequency of a mild disease course and validate a proposed prediction score.

Methods: The PROGNOS study is a prospective study of CD patients who were newly diagnosed and, except for 1 course of 5-aminosalicylic acid or steroids for ≤10 days, therapy-naïve.

Image Quality and Radiation Exposure in Abdominal Angiography: A Head-to-Head Comparison of Conventional Detector-Dose-Driven Versus Contrast-to-Noise Ratio-Driven Exposure Control at Various Source-to-Image Receptor Distances and Collimations in a Pilot Phantom and Animal Study.

Objectives: This phantom and animal pilot study aimed to compare image quality and radiation exposure between detector-dose-driven exposure control (DEC) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR)-driven exposure control (CEC) as functions of source-to-image receptor distance (SID) and collimation.

Materials And Methods: First, an iron foil simulated a guide wire in a stack of polymethyl methacrylate and aluminum plates representing patient thicknesses of 15, 25, and 35 cm. Fluoroscopic images were acquired using 5 SIDs ranging from 100 to 130 cm and 2 collimations (full field of view, collimated field of view: 6 × 6 cm).

Fabrication and biomechanical characterization of a spider silk reinforced fibrin-based vascular prosthesis.

With fibrin-based vascular prostheses, vascular tissue engineering offers a promising approach for the fabrication of biologically active regenerative vascular grafts. As a potentially autologous biomaterial, fibrin exhibits excellent hemo- and biocompatibility. However, the major problem in the use of fibrin constructs in vascular tissue engineering, which has so far prevented their widespread clinical application, is the insufficient biomechanical stability of unprocessed fibrin matrices.

Development, comparative structural analysis, and first in vivo evaluation of acellular implanted highly compacted fibrin tubes for arterial bypass grafting.

The generation of small-caliber vascular grafts remains a significant challenge within the field of tissue engineering. In pursuit of this objective, fibrin has emerged as a promising scaffold material. However, its lack of biomechanical strength has limited its utility in the construction of tissue engineered vascular grafts.

Mutated IKZF1 is an independent marker of adverse risk in acute myeloid leukemia.

Genetic lesions of IKZF1 are frequent events and well-established markers of adverse risk in acute lymphoblastic leukemia. However, their function in the pathophysiology and impact on patient outcome in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains elusive. In a multicenter cohort of 1606 newly diagnosed and intensively treated adult AML patients, we found IKZF1 alterations in 45 cases with a mutational hotspot at N159S.

Impact of BMI on patient outcome in acute myeloid leukaemia patients receiving intensive induction therapy: a real-world registry experience.

Background: Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is treated with intensive induction chemotherapy (IT) in medically fit patients. In general, obesity was identified as a risk factor for all-cause mortality, and there is an ongoing debate on its impact on outcome and optimal dosing strategy in obese AML patients.

Methods: We conducted a registry study screening 7632 patients and assessed the impact of obesity in 1677 equally IT treated, newly diagnosed AML patients on the outcome (OS, EFS, CR1), comorbidities, toxicities and used dosing strategies.

Prophylactic clipping using the over-the-scope clip (OTSC) system after complex ESD and EMR of large colon polyps.

Background: Delayed bleeding is the most frequent complication after endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) and endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) of large colon polyps. Today, prophylactic clipping with through-the-scope clips (TTSCs) is commonly used to reduce the risk of bleeding. However, the over-the-scope clip (OTSC) system might be superior to TTSCs in achieving hemostasis.

Infarct-Related Artery as a Donor of Collaterals in ST-Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction With Concomitant Chronic Total Occlusion: Challenge of the Double-Jeopardy Thesis.

BACKGROUND In ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), a concomitant chronic total occlusion (CTO) in a non-infarct-related artery (NIRA) is associated with adverse outcome. In the case of the infarct-related artery (IRA) as a donor vessel for collaterals to the CTO, the IRA occlusion may lead to an acute threat to both the immediate IRA and the collaterally supplied CTO area, which has been described as a double-jeopardy effect. METHODS AND RESULTS We investigated the role of preformed intercoronary collaterals to the CTO originating from either the IRA or NIRA.

Alterations of cohesin complex genes in acute myeloid leukemia: differential co-mutations, clinical presentation and impact on outcome.

Functional perturbations of the cohesin complex with subsequent changes in chromatin structure and replication are reported in a multitude of cancers including acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Mutations of its STAG2 subunit may predict unfavorable risk as recognized by the 2022 European Leukemia Net recommendations, but the underlying evidence is limited by small sample sizes and conflicting observations regarding clinical outcomes, as well as scarce information on other cohesion complex subunits. We retrospectively analyzed data from a multi-center cohort of 1615 intensively treated AML patients and identified distinct co-mutational patters for mutations of STAG2, which were associated with normal karyotypes (NK) and concomitant mutations in IDH2, RUNX1, BCOR, ASXL1, and SRSF2.

The potential impact of coagulation factor XIII in trauma-induced coagulopathy - a retrospective case series analysis.

Background: The role of factor XIII (FXIII) in trauma-induced coagulopathy (TIC) is not fully understood.

Methods: We evaluated FXIII supplementation in severely injured patients with persistent bleeding. This was a retrospective case series analysis.

Prognostic Value of Tumour-Infiltrating Lymphocytes in an Unselected Cohort of Breast Cancer Patients.

Tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are considered to have prognostic and predictive value for patients with early breast cancer. We examined 1166 breast cancer patients from a prospective, multicentre cohort (Prognostic Assessment in Routine Application (PiA), = 1270, NCT01592825) following recommendations from the International TILs Working Group. TIL quantification was performed using predefined groups and as a continuous variable in 10% increments.

PIK3CA-mutations in breast cancer.

Purpose: Phosphatidylinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) regulates proliferation and apoptosis; somatic PIK3CA-mutations may activate these processes. Aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of PIK3CA-mutations in a cohort of early stage breast cancer patients and the association to the course of disease.

Patients And Methods: From an unselected cohort of 1270 breast cancer patients (PiA, Prognostic Assessment in routine application, NCT01592825) 1123 tumours were tested for the three PIK3CA hotspot-mutations H1047R, E545K, and E542K by qPCR.

Intensified cytarabine dose during consolidation in adult AML patients under 65 years is not associated with survival benefit: real-world data from the German SAL-AML registry.

Purpose: Higher doses of cytarabine appear to improve long-term outcome in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), in particular for younger patients. To this end, the optimal dosage of single-agent cytarabine in consolidation therapy remains elusive. Here, we assessed the impact of different dosages of cytarabine consolidation after 7 + 3 induction on outcome in a large real-world data set from the German Study Alliance Leukemia-Acute Myeloid Leukemia (SAL-AML) registry.

Mechanical Stimulation Induces Capillary Alignment in a Fibrin-Based .

Generation of bioartificial blood vessels with a physiological three-layered wall architecture is a long pursued goal in vascular tissue engineering. While considerable advances have been made to resemble the physiological and morphology and function in bioartificial vessels, only very few studies have targeted the generation of a , including its characteristic vascular network known as the which are essential for graft nutrition and integration. In healthy native blood vessels, capillary are aligned longitudinally to the vessel axis.