Molecular profiling and clinical implications of patients with acute myeloid leukemia and extramedullary manifestations.

Background: Extramedullary manifestations (EM) are rare in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and their impact on clinical outcomes is controversially discussed.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed a large multi-center cohort of 1583 newly diagnosed AML patients, of whom 225 (14.21%) had EM.

An encapsulated fibrin-based bioartificial tissue construct with integrated macrovessels, microchannels, and capillary tubes.

Facilitating sufficient nutrient and oxygen supply in large-scale bioartificial constructs is a critical step in organ bioengineering. Immediate perfusion not only depends on a dense capillary network, but also requires integrated large-diameter vessels that allow vascular anastomoses during implantation. These requirements set high demands for matrix generation as well as for in vitro cultivation techniques and remain mostly unsolved challenges up until today.

Identifying High-Risk Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Patients by Molecular Subtyping.

Introduction: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is considered the most aggressive type of breast cancer (BC) with limited options for therapy. TNBC is a heterogeneous disease and tumors have been classified into TNBC subtypes using gene expression profiling to distinguish basal-like 1, basal-like 2, immunomodulatory, mesenchymal, mesenchymal stem-like, luminal androgen receptor (LAR), and one nonclassifiable group (called unstable).

Objectives: The aim of this study was to verify the clinical relevance of molecular subtyping of TNBCs to improve the individual indication of systemic therapy.

Learning in one minute: survey of the One Minute Wonder Network.

Background: Continuous education of clinicians improves quality of care. One Minute Wonder (OMW) summarize best practice knowledge on one page that can be hung on a wall and can be read during waiting times of just one minute. OMW are a fast, efficient and easy-to-adapt educational method and can easily be shared.

Circulating microRNAs in Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Carotid Stenosis.

Specific microRNAs (miRs) have been implicated in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis and may represent interesting diagnostic and therapeutic targets in carotid stenosis. We hypothesized that the levels of specific circulating miRs are altered in patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis (sCS) in comparison to those in patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis (aCS) planned to undergo carotid endarterectomy (CEA). We also studied whether miR levels are associated with plaque vulnerability and stability over time after CEA.

Effects of COVID-19 Lockdown on Weight, Body Composition, and Behavior of Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults with Prader-Willi Syndrome.

To reduce transmission of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), many countries implemented lockdowns, causing the closure of childcare services. This study was designed to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown in March-April 2020 on children, adolescents, and young adults with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) living in Germany. We recruited 180 participants with a genetically confirmed PWS.

Establishment of a Modular Hemodynamic Simulator for Accurate In Vitro Simulation of Physiological and Pathological Pressure Waveforms in Native and Bioartificial Blood Vessels.

Purpose: In vitro stimulation of native and bioartificial vessels in perfusable systems simulating natural mechanical environments of the human vasculature represents an emerging approach in cardiovascular research. Promising results have been achieved for applications in both regenerative medicine and etiopathogenetic investigations. However, accurate and reliable simulation of the wide variety of physiological and pathological pressure environments observed in different vessels still remains an unmet challenge.

Transluminal compression increases mechanical stability, stiffness and endothelialization capacity of fibrin-based bioartificial blood vessels.

Fibrin is used successfully as a biological matrix in various bioengineering approaches. Its unique combination of autologous availability, hemocompatibility and biological activity makes it an almost ideal matrix material for vascular tissue engineering. However, clinical application of fibrin-based bioartificial blood vessels is still limited due to insufficient mechanical stability and stiffness of fibrin matrices.

Chemically induced hypoxia by dimethyloxalylglycine (DMOG)-loaded nanoporous silica nanoparticles supports endothelial tube formation by sustained VEGF release from adipose tissue-derived stem cells.

Inadequate vascularization leading to insufficient oxygen and nutrient supply in deeper layers of bioartificial tissues remains a limitation in current tissue engineering approaches to which pre-vascularization offers a promising solution. Hypoxia triggering pre-vascularization by enhanced vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression can be induced chemically by dimethyloxalylglycine (DMOG). Nanoporous silica nanoparticles (NPSNPs, or mesoporous silica nanoparticles, MSNs) enable sustained delivery of molecules and potentially release DMOG allowing a durable capillarization of a construct.

Satisfaction with and reliability of in-hospital video-EEG monitoring systems in epilepsy diagnosis - A German multicenter experience.

Objective: To analyze satisfaction with and reliability of video-electroencephalography-monitoring systems (VEMS) in epilepsy diagnostics.

Methods: A survey was conducted between December 2020 and January 2021 among German epilepsy centers using well-established customer satisfaction (CS) and quality assurance metrics.

Results: Among 16 participating centers, CS with VEMS was low, with only 13% of customers actively recommending their system.

Patient delay and benefit of timely reperfusion in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

Background: In patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), it is unknown how patient delay modulates the beneficial effects of timely reperfusion.

Aims: To assess the prognostic significance of a contact-to-balloon time of less than 90 min on in-hospital mortality in different categories of symptom-onset-to-first-medical-contact (S2C) times.

Methods: A total of 20 005 consecutive patients from the Feedback Intervention and Treatment Times in ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (FITT-STEMI) programme treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were included.

A 3-Layered Bioartificial Blood Vessel with Physiological Wall Architecture Generated by Mechanical Stimulation.

The generation of cellularized bioartificial blood vessels resembling all three layers of the natural vessel wall with physiological morphology and cell alignment is a long pursued goal in vascular tissue engineering. Simultaneous culture of all three layers under physiological mechanical conditions requires highly sophisticated perfusion techniques and still today remains a key challenge. Here, three-layered bioartificial vessels based on fibrin matrices were generated using a stepwise molding technique.

Distinct systemic cytokine networks in symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid stenosis.

Inflammatory processes are crucial in atherosclerosis and atherothrombosis. This study aimed to identify a cytokine-pattern that is associated with plaque-vulnerability or symptomatic state in comprehensively investigated patients with symptomatic (sCS) and asymptomatic carotid stenosis (aCS). Twenty-two patients with sCS and twenty-four patients with aCS undergoing carotid endarterectomy (CEA) were considered.

Early start of growth hormone is associated with positive effects on auxology and metabolism in Prader-Willi-syndrome.

Background: Prader-Willi-Syndrome (PWS) is characterized by hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction. Recent research suggests starting growth hormone-treatment (GHT) as soon as possible. The aim of this study is to analyze possible differences in auxological parameters, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism between two groups of children with PWS that started GHT either during or after their first year of life.

Long-term effects of a standardized feedback-driven quality improvement program for timely reperfusion therapy in regional STEMI care networks.

Aims: Current European Society of Cardiology guidelines state that repetitive monitoring and feedback should be implemented for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treatment, but no evidence is available supporting this recommendation. We aimed to analyze the long-term effects of a formalized data assessment and systematic feedback on performance and mortality within the prospective, multicenter Feedback Intervention and Treatment Times in STEMI (FITT-STEMI) study.

Methods: Regular interactive feedback sessions with local STEMI management teams were performed at six participating German percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) centers over a 10-year period starting from October 2007.

Impact of COVID-19 outbreak on regional STEMI care in Germany.

Aims: To assess the impact of the lockdown due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on key quality indicators for the treatment of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients.

Methods: Data were obtained from 41 hospitals participating in the prospective Feedback Intervention and Treatment Times in ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (FITT-STEMI) study, including 15,800 patients treated for acute STEMI from January 2017 to the end of March 2020.

Results: There was a 12.

Fixed or adjustable sling in the treatment of male stress urinary incontinence: results from a large cohort study.

Background: Fixed and adjustable male slings for the treatment of male urinary stress incontinence became increasingly popular during the last decade. Although fixed slings are recommended for the treatment of mild to moderate stress urinary incontinence, there is still a lack of evidence regarding the precise indication for an adjustable male sling. Furthermore, there is still no evidence that one type of male sling is superior to another.

Sleep-Disordered Breathing in Children with Prader-Willi Syndrome in Relation to Growth Hormone Therapy Onset.

Objective: The aim of this study was to consider sleep apnea in Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) children depending on age at growth hormone (GH) therapy onset.

Study Design: We analyzed longitudinally cardiorespiratory polygraphy of 62 PWS children (aged 0-2.5 years at baseline).

Aberrant CD3-Positive, CD8-Low, CD7-Negative Lymphocytes May Appear During Viral Infections and Mimic Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma.

Flow cytometry (FC) facilitates diagnosis of peripheral T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (T-NHL), but overlapping features between reactive and neoplastic T-cell proliferations often hamper a rapid assessment. One hundred forty peripheral blood samples submitted to diagnostic FC for T-cell immunophenotyping were retrospectively analyzed. A T-cell population with a conspicuous aberrant surface epitope expression pattern was observed in 18 cases and diagnostic follow up was performed.

Artificial Urinary Sphincter Cuff Size Predicts Outcome in Male Patients Treated for Stress Incontinence: Results of a Large Central European Multicenter Cohort Study.

Purpose: The aim was to study the correlation between cuff size and outcome after implantation of an AMS 800 artificial urinary sphincter.

Methods: A total of 473 male patients with an AMS 800 sphincter implanted between 2012 and 2014 were analyzed in a retrospective multicenter cohort study performed as part of the Central European Debates on Male Incontinence (DOMINO) Project.

Results: Single cuffs were implanted in 54.

Peritoneal metastasis in gastric cancer: results from the German database.

Background: Patients with peritoneal metastases of gastric cancer have a poor prognosis with a median survival of 7 months. A benefit of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) could be shown in several selected patient cohorts but remains controversial. The aim of this study was, to reflect the results of a national German HIPEC registry initiated by the German Society of General and Visceral Surgery (DGAV).

Specific allelic variants of SNPs in the and genes are associated with earlier tumor onset and progression in Caucasian breast cancer patients.

Background: Genetic factors play a substantial role in breast cancer etiology. Genes encoding proteins that have key functions in the DNA damage response, such as p53 and its inhibitors MDM2 and MDMX, are most likely candidates to harbor allelic variants that influence breast cancer susceptibility. The aim of our study was to comprehensively analyze the impact of SNPs in the , , and genes in conjunction with mutational status regarding the onset and progression of breast cancer.