Correlational analysis of the regulatory interplay between molecules and cellular components mediating angiogenesis in wound healing under normal and hyperglycemic conditions.

Aim: The aim of this study was to correlate the content of cells with regulatory molecules associated with angiogenesis in wound healing in a rat model of hyperglycemia. We hypothesize that blood neutrophils are the main VEGF source and can stimulate FLT-1 receptor expression, which is the perquisite for efficient neoangiogenesis.

Materials And Methods: Kinetic studies of the healing dynamics (3, 7, 14, 21 days) of burn wounds on the skin were conducted in white adult male rats.

Special Issue "Cardiovascular Genetics".

Since the beginnings of cardiovascular genetics, it became evident in thousands of clinical cases that many cardiomyopathies, channelopathies, aortopathies as well as complex multifactorial diseases such as coronary artery disease, atherosclerosis or atrial fibrillation (AF) have a genetic etiology [...

Attenuation correction in CZT myocardial perfusion imaging comparison of supine-prone and low-dose CT-corrected supine acquisitions.

Aims: The study aimed to investigate whether additional prone imaging delivers comparable results to supine imaging with low-dose computed tomography (CT) attenuation correction (CTAC) in cadmium, zinc and telluride (CZT) myocardial perfusion imaging.

Methods And Results: Thirty-four patients with an indication for myocardial perfusion imaging were studied with a CZT camera in the supine and then prone position. Furthermore, a low-dose CT was acquired.

Case Report: Early Transplant Rejection of a Methanol-Intoxicated Donor Heart in a Young Female Patient. A Diagnostic Approach With CMR, Cardiac Biopsy, and Genetic Risk Assessment.

This case report describes the contributions of multimodality imaging, cardiac biopsy, and genetic sequencing to the diagnosis and management of heart transplant rejection in a 23-year old patient with dilated cardiomyopathy.

First German Guideline on Diagnostics and Therapy of Clinically Non-Functioning Pituitary Tumors.

Although non-functioning pituitary tumors are frequent, diagnostic and therapeutic concepts are not well standardized. We here present the first German multidisciplinary guideline on this topic. The single most important message is to manage the patients by a multidisciplinary team (consisting at least of an endocrinologist, a neurosurgeon, and a (neuro-) radiologist).

Norovirus Infections in Kidney Transplant Recipients.

Background: Norovirus (NoV) infection frequently progresses to chronic disease after kidney transplant (KTx). This study aims to assess potential risk factors helping to determine patients at risk of chronic NoV infection and to analyze the effect of NoV on allograft outcome. Additionally, we assessed the effectiveness of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) therapy for chronic NoV infection.

Assessment of the effects of a work-related allergy to seafood on the reduction of earning capacity in the context of BK No. 5101.

Fish, crustaceans, and mollusks are among the most potent allergenic foods of animal origin and are thus important triggers of work-related immediate-food allergies. In Germany, work-related seafood allergies are of great importance in the fishing and processing industries as well as in the areas of food preparation, food control, and food sales. There is no causal therapy of seafood allergy, only the strict and lifelong avoidance of allergens remains.

The Desmin () Mutation p.A337P Is Associated with Left-Ventricular Non-Compaction Cardiomyopathy.

Here, we present a small Russian family, where the index patient received a diagnosis of left-ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy (LVNC) in combination with a skeletal myopathy. Clinical follow-up analysis revealed a LVNC phenotype also in her son. Therefore, we applied a broad next-generation sequencing gene panel approach for the identification of the underlying mutation.

Generation of HBsAg-reactive T- and B-cells following HBV vaccination in serological non-responders under hemodialysis treatment.

HBV vaccination is recommend for hemodialysis patients, but only 50-60% of the patients show seroconversion. HBV vaccine-induced generation of HBV reactive T and B cells could be detected regardless of their capacity to mount a serological response, indicating that patients without seroconversion are potentially protected by their HBV-reactive T cell pool.

Impact of chronic kidney disease in 29 893 patients undergoing transcatheter or surgical aortic valve replacement from the German Aortic Valve Registry.

Objectives: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a key risk factor in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) or surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). We analysed the impact of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and CKD stages on their mid-term survival.

Methods: Data from 29 893 patients enrolled in the German Aortic Valve registry from January 2011 to December 2015 receiving TAVI (n = 12 834) or SAVR (n = 17 059) at 88 sites were included.

The intratumoral CXCR3 chemokine system is predictive of chemotherapy response in human bladder cancer.

Chemotherapy has direct toxic effects on cancer cells; however, long-term cancer control and complete remission are likely to involve CD8 T cell immune responses. To study the role of CD8 T cell infiltration in the success of chemotherapy, we examined patients with muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) who were categorized on the basis of the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). We identified the intratumoral CXCR3 chemokine system (ligands and receptor splice variants) as a critical component for tumor eradication upon NAC in MIBC.

Functional characterization of novel alpha-helical rod domain desmin (DES) pathogenic variants associated with dilated cardiomyopathy, atrioventricular block and a risk for sudden cardiac death.

Background: Desmin is the major intermediate filament (IF) protein in human heart and skeletal muscle. So-called 'desminopathies' are disorders due to pathogenic variants in the DES gene and are associated with skeletal myopathies and/or various types of cardiomyopathies. So far, only a limited number of DES pathogenic variants have been identified and functionally characterized.

T cell receptor repertoires within liver allografts are different to those in the peripheral blood.

Background & Aims: T cells are the main mediators of allogeneic immune responses. Specific T cell clones can be tracked by their unique T cell receptor (TCR), but specificity and function remain elusive and have not been investigated in human liver biopsies thus far.

Methods: TCR repertoire analysis of CD4, CD8, and regulatory T cells of the peripheral blood and liver graft was performed in 7 liver transplant recipients with either stable course (non-rejector, NR), subclinical cellular rejection (SCR), or acute cellular rejection (ACR) during an observation period from pre-transplant to 6 years post-transplant.

Dilated cardiomyopathy impairs mitochondrial biogenesis and promotes inflammation in an age- and sex-dependent manner.

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) belongs to the myocardial diseases associated with a severe impairment of cardiac function, but the question of how sex and age affect this pathology has not been fully explored. Impaired energy homeostasis, mitochondrial dysfunction, and systemic inflammation are well-described phenomena associated with aging. In this study, we investigated if DCM affects these phenomena in a sex- and age-related manner.

The Novel Desmin Variant p.Leu115Ile Is Associated With a Unique Form of Biventricular Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy.

Background: Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (AC) is a heritable myocardial disorder and a major cause of sudden cardiac death. It is typically caused by mutations in desmosomal genes. Desmin gene (DES) variants have been previously reported in AC but with insufficient evidence to support their pathogenicity.

Atypical Presentation of Neurobrucellosis as Infection of Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt.

Brucellosis is a frequent zoonosis in some regions of the world and may cause various symptoms. Neurobrucellosis is a rare but serious complication of the infection. Our case report describes the course of neurobrucellosis in a patient who had received a ventriculoperitoneal shunt in his native country 13 years prior to diagnosis of brucellosis.

COVID-19-Induced ARDS Is Associated with Decreased Frequency of Activated Memory/Effector T Cells Expressing CD11a.

Preventing the progression to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in COVID-19 is an unsolved challenge. The involvement of T cell immunity in this exacerbation remains unclear. To identify predictive markers of COVID-19 progress and outcome, we analyzed peripheral blood of 10 COVID-19-associated ARDS patients and 35 mild/moderate COVID-19 patients, not requiring intensive care.

The role of soluble mediators in the clinical course of EBV infection and B cell homeostasis after kidney transplantation.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) reactivation can lead to serious complications in kidney transplant patients, including post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD). Here, we have assessed the impact of EBV on B cell homeostasis at cellular and humoral level. In a multicenter study monitoring 540 kidney transplant patients during the first post-transplant year, EBV reactivation was detected in 109 patients.

Mechanical circulatory support does not reduce advanced myocardial fibrosis in patients with end-stage heart failure.

Aims: Mechanical unloading by ventricular assist devices (VADs) has become increasingly important for the therapy of end-stage heart failure during the last decade. However, VAD support was claimed to be associated with partial reverse remodelling. Unfortunately, the literature describes the contradictory effects of VAD systems on cardiac fibrosis, a hallmark of cardiac remodelling.

Impact of cleft-like indentations on procedural outcome of percutaneous edge-to-edge mitral valve repair.

Objectives And Background: Percutaneous edge-to-edge mitral valve (MV) repair (PMVR) is broadly applied in high-risk patients with relevant mitral regurgitation (MR). We investigated the incidence of cleft-like indentations (CLI) and their impact on PMVR.

Methods And Results: In a retrospective single center analysis including 263 patients undergoing PMVR with the MitraClip®-system between 11/2012 and 7/2016, MV anatomy was assessed by 3-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography.

SARS-CoV-2 infects and induces cytotoxic effects in human cardiomyocytes.

Aims: Coronavirus disease 2019 is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and has emerged as a global pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 infection can lead to elevated markers of cardiac injury associated with higher risk of mortality. It is unclear whether cardiac injury is caused by direct infection of cardiomyocytes or is mainly secondary to lung injury and inflammation.

Impaired Cytotoxic CD8 T Cell Response in Elderly COVID-19 Patients.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection induces a T cell response that most likely contributes to virus control in COVID-19 patients but may also induce immunopathology. Until now, the cytotoxic T cell response has not been very well characterized in COVID-19 patients. Here, we analyzed the differentiation and cytotoxic profile of T cells in 30 cases of mild COVID-19 during acute infection.

Robust T Cell Response Toward Spike, Membrane, and Nucleocapsid SARS-CoV-2 Proteins Is Not Associated with Recovery in Critical COVID-19 Patients.

T cell immunity toward SARS-CoV-2 spike (S-), membrane (M-), and nucleocapsid (N-) proteins may define COVID-19 severity. Therefore, we compare the SARS-CoV-2-reactive T cell responses in moderate, severe, and critical COVID-19 patients and unexposed donors. Overlapping peptide pools of all three proteins induce SARS-CoV-2-reactive T cell response with dominance of CD4 over CD8 T cells and demonstrate interindividual immunity against the three proteins.