Is preoperative imaging of sentinel lymph node in breast cancer necessary? A retrospective case control study.

Objective: The necessity of preoperative lymphoscintigraphy before intraoperative sentinel lymph node (SLN) identification is still unclear. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of SLN imaging on intraoperative SLN detection in breast cancer patients.

Methods: Retrospective, comparative, single center study of patients with breast cancer stage pT1 and pT2 who underwent axillary staging.

Post-coronavirus disease 2019-associated symptoms among children and adolescents in the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron era.

Purpose: Lack of a control group(s) and selection bias were the main criticisms of previous studies investigating the prevalence of post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) syndrome (PCS). There are insufficient data regarding paediatric PCS, particularly in the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron era. As such, our study investigated PCS-associated symptoms in a representative control-matched cohort.

Investigation of Possible Sources of Electrodermal Activity in Surgical Personnel to Assess Workplace Stress Levels.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate alternative measurement points to assess stress levels during surgery, given that taking electrodermal activity (EDA) measurements from the palms, a commonly used standard, is impractical in surgical contexts.

Methods: A combination of mentally challenging tasks on a laparoscopy trainer (LapSim) and physically challenging sports exercises were performed by a group of participants. During these tasks, EDA was measured at three different locations: the fingers, toes, and shoulder/neck area.

Identification and functional characterization of multiple haemadins and an oligomeric decorsin in the Asian land leech Haemadipsa interrupta.

Haematophagous leeches rely on a broad variety of bioactive compounds to secure a sufficient blood meal from their vertebrate prey. Both the primary (platelet aggregation) and secondary (blood coagulation) haemostasis are the main targets of action. The platelet aggregation inhibitor decorsin was first described in the North American leech, Macrobdella decora Say, 1824, whereas the bivalent thrombin inhibitor hirudin was originally identified in the European medicinal leech, Hirudo medicinalis Linnaeus, 1758.

Enhanced platelet sensitization is accompanied by increased expression of the transporter MRP4 and elevated plasma S1P levels in mild COVID-19 convalescents.

Viral infections can lead to platelet activation and hemostatic complications. However, the extent to which platelet reactivity remains altered after convalescence, contributing to long-term health impairments as observed after COVID-19 is not yet fully understood. Therefore, we conducted a cohort study (DRKS00025217) to determine platelet function in individuals convalesced from mild COVID-19.

Small cell transformation in EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer: DLL3 expression and efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors or tyrosine kinase inhibitors combined with chemotherapy.

Introduction: Small cell transformation (SCT) is a typical mechanism of adaptive resistance to third generation epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors (EGFRi) which have become the standard of care for EGFR-driven non-small cell lung cancer (EGFR+ NSCLC). Little is known about the optimal management of SCT patients. This study aimed to compare outcomes under platinum/etoposide chemotherapy alone (chemo) or in combination with EGFR inhibitors (EGFRi+chemo) or immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI+chemo).

A validated heart-specific model for splice-disrupting variants in childhood heart disease.

Background: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common congenital anomaly. Almost 90% of isolated cases have an unexplained genetic etiology after clinical testing. Non-canonical splice variants that disrupt mRNA splicing through the loss or creation of exon boundaries are not routinely captured and/or evaluated by standard clinical genetic tests.

Bone turnover: the role of lipoproteins in a population-based study.

Background: Dyslipidemia has been associated with reduced bone mineral density and osteoporotic fractures, but the relation between lipid and bone metabolism remains poorly understood. Analysing the effects of lipoprotein subclasses on bone turnover may provide valuable insights into this association. We therefore examined whether lipoprotein subclasses, measured by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (H-NMR) spectroscopy, are associated with bone turnover markers (BTMs) and with the ultrasound-based bone stiffness index.

IVDCheckR - simplifying documentation for laboratory developed tests according to IVDR requirements by introducing a new digital tool.

Objectives: A recent challenge for clinical laboratories is the lack of clear guidelines for handling significant modifications of CE-marked assays. The modifications may involve, for example, extending measurement intervals, changing dilution procedures or using non-validated sample materials. The challenge arises due to the amended Regulation (EU) 2017/746 on diagnostic medical devices (IVDR), which is now poised for implementation, despite the extended transition periods.

Dose-dependent inactivation of Plasmodium falciparum in red blood cell concentrates by treatment with short-wavelength ultraviolet light.

Background And Objectives: Plasmodium species are naturally transmitted by Anopheles mosquitos. The parasite infects red blood cells (RBCs) and can be transfused with blood products. In non-endemic areas, the main risk of infection arises from travellers coming back and people immigrating from malaria-endemic regions.

Innovative modified T-shape oncoplastic technique for early-stage breast cancer: multicenter retrospective study.

Inadequate tissue volume at the lower pole of the breast following tumor excision can compromise aesthetic outcomes when employing the conventional inverted-T reconstruction technique. With the aim of reducing postoperative deformities, we have refined this technique. A total of 104 patients underwent the T technique, while 32 underwent the modified T technique and 72 underwent the traditional T technique.

Comparative analysis of tabelecleucel and current treatment in patients with Epstein-Barr virus-positive post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease following hematopoietic cell transplant or solid organ transplant.

Aims: With recent European Union marketing authorization, tabelecleucel is the first off-the-shelf, allogeneic Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-specific T-cell immunotherapy approved for the treatment of relapsed/refractory EBV-positive post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (EBV PTLD). In the absence of a control arm, real-world evidence can provide a comparative benchmark for single-arm studies in ultra-rare populations. This study assessed the treatment effect of tabelecleucel in the single-arm phase 3 ALLELE study (NCT03394365) versus a treatment group from a multinational, multicenter retrospective chart review study (RS002) of patients with EBV PTLD.

West Nile and Usutu viruses are efficiently inactivated in platelet concentrates by UVC light using the THERAFLEX UV-Platelets system.

Background And Objectives: West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) are mosquito-borne flaviviruses (Flaviviridae) that originated in Africa, have expanded their geographical range during the last decades and caused documented infections in Europe in the last years. Acute WNV and USUV infections have been detected in asymptomatic blood donors by nucleic acid testing. Thus, inactivation of both viral pathogens before blood transfusion is necessary to ensure blood product safety.

Mobocertinib in Patients with EGFR Exon 20 Insertion-Positive Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (MOON): An International Real-World Safety and Efficacy Analysis.

EGFR exon 20 (EGFR Ex20) insertion mutations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are insensitive to traditional EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Mobocertinib is the only approved TKI specifically designed to target EGFR Ex20. We performed an international, real-world safety and efficacy analysis on patients with EGFR Ex20-positive NSCLC enrolled in a mobocertinib early access program.

Checkpoint Inhibitor Monotherapy in Potentially Trial-Eligible or Trial-Ineligible Patients With Metastatic NSCLC in the German Prospective CRISP Registry Real-World Cohort (AIO-TRK-0315).

Introduction: Patients with metastatic NSCLC (mNSCLC) treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors in clinical practice may often not meet the strict inclusion criteria of clinical trials. Our aim was to assess the trial eligibility of patients with mNSCLC treated with pembrolizumab monotherapy in real-world and to compare the outcome of "trial-ineligible" and "potentially trial-eligible" patients.

Methods: Data from the prospective, clinical research platform CRISP were used to compare patient characteristics, treatment, and outcome of patients with programmed cell death-ligand 1 tumor proportion score greater than or equal to 50% tumors treated with pembrolizumab monotherapy who are deemed either "potentially trial-eligible" or "trial-ineligible" according to inclusion and exclusion criteria of the registrational studies (KEYNOTE-024 and -042).

Development and Validation of Staging Systems for AA Amyloidosis.

Key Points: Patients with AA amyloidosis and age ≥65 years, eGFR <45 ml/min per 1.73 m, and -terminal type-B natriuretic peptide >1000 ng/L and/or type-B natriuretic peptide >130 ng/L at diagnosis have poorer survival. Proteinuria >3.

Natural and hybrid immunity after SARS-CoV-2 infection in children and adolescents.

Purpose: In contrast to adults, immune protection against SARS-CoV-2 in children and adolescents with natural or hybrid immunity is still poorly understood. The aim of this study was to analyze different immune compartments in different age groups and whether humoral immune reactions correlate with a cellular immune response.

Methods: 72 children and adolescents with a preceding SARS-CoV-2 infection were recruited.

Evolutionary trajectories of small cell lung cancer under therapy.

The evolutionary processes that underlie the marked sensitivity of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) to chemotherapy and rapid relapse are unknown. Here we determined tumour phylogenies at diagnosis and throughout chemotherapy and immunotherapy by multiregion sequencing of 160 tumours from 65 patients. Treatment-naive SCLC exhibited clonal homogeneity at distinct tumour sites, whereas first-line platinum-based chemotherapy led to a burst in genomic intratumour heterogeneity and spatial clonal diversity.