An optimized, robust and reproducible protocol to generate well-differentiated primary nasal epithelial models from extremely premature infants

Extremely premature infants are prone to severe respiratory infections, and the mechanisms underlying this exceptional susceptibility are largely unknown. Nasal epithelial cells (NEC) represent the first-line of defense and adult-derived ALI cell culture models show promising results in mimicking in vivo physiology. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop a robust and reliable protocol for generating well-differentiated cell culture models from NECs of extremely premature infants. Nasal brushing was performed in 13 extremely premature infants at term corrected age and in 11 healthy adult controls to obtain NECs for differentiation at air-liquid interface (ALI). Differentiation was verified using imaging and functional analysis. Successful isolation and differentiation was achieved for 5 (38.5%) preterm and 5 (45.5%) adult samples. Preterm and adult ALI-cultures both showed well-differentiated morphology and ciliary function, however, preterm cultures required significantly longer cultivation times for acquiring full differentiation (44 +/- 3.92 vs. 23 +/- 1.83 days; p <0.0001). Moreover, we observed that recent respiratory support may impair successful NECs isolation. Herewithin, we describe a safe, reliable and reproducible method to generate well-differentiated ALI-models from NECs of extremely premature infants. These models provide a valuable foundation for further studies regarding immunological and inflammatory responses and respiratory disorders in extremely premature infants.Peer reviewe

MR-based morphometry of the posterior fossa in fetuses with neural tube defects of the spine.

OBJECTIVES: In cases of "spina bifida," a detailed prenatal imaging assessment of the exact morphology of neural tube defects (NTD) is often limited. Due to the diverse clinical prognosis and prenatal treatment options, imaging parameters that support the prenatal differentiation between open and closed neural tube defects (ONTDs and CNTDs) are required. This fetal MR study aims to evaluate the clivus-supraocciput angle (CSA) and the maximum transverse diameter of the posterior fossa (TDPF) as morphometric parameters to aid in the reliable diagnosis of either ONTDs or CNTDs. METHODS: The TDPF and the CSA of 238 fetuses (20-37 GW, mean: 28.36 GW) with a normal central nervous system, 44 with ONTDS, and 13 with CNTDs (18-37 GW, mean: 24.3 GW) were retrospectively measured using T2-weighted 1.5 Tesla MR -sequences. RESULTS: Normal fetuses showed a significant increase in the TDPF (r = .956; p<.001) and CSA (r = .714; p<.001) with gestational age. In ONTDs the CSA was significantly smaller (p<.001) than in normal controls and CNTDs, whereas in CNTDs the CSA was not significantly smaller than in controls (p = .160). In both ONTDs and in CNTDs the TDPF was significantly different from controls (p<.001). CONCLUSIONS: The skull base morphology in fetuses with ONTDs differs significantly from cases with CNTDs and normal controls. This is the first study to show that the CSA changes during gestation and that it is a reliable imaging biomarker to distinguish between ONTDs and CNTDs, independent of the morphology of the spinal defect

Der 'feine Herr' von Treblinka

Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Lebensgeschichte des Lagerkommandanten von Sobibor und Treblinka, Franz Paul Stangl, der 1970 in Düsseldorf zu einer lebenslangen Haftstrafe verurteilt wurde. Anhand seines Werdegangs und seines Prozesses wird in dieser Arbeit dargelegt, wie sich die strafrechtliche und damit eng verknüpft die gesellschaftspolitische Aufarbeitung von NS-Verbrechen in den 1950er und 1960er Jahren gestaltet hat. Auf Basis von Franz Stangls Gesprächen mit der Journalistin Gitta Sereny, die 1971 während seines Revisionsverfahrens im Düsseldorfer Untersuchungsgefängnis stattgefunden haben, werden darüber hinaus die Beweggründe und Motive eines NS-Täters herausgearbeitet, der sich bis zuletzt keiner persönlicher Schuld und individuellen Verantwortung an der Ermordung der Juden im Rahmen der sogenannten ‚Aktion Reinhardt‘ bewusst war, der annähernd zwei Millionen Menschen zum Opfer fielen

Kritische Reflexionen zu Präventionsprogrammen zum sexuellen Mißbrauch

Lohaus A, Schorch S. Kritische Reflexionen zu Präventionsprogrammen zum sexuellen Mißbrauch. In: Amann G, Wipplinger R, eds. Sexueller Mißbrauch. Überblick zu Forschung, Beratung und Therapie ; ein Handbuch. Tübingen: DGVT-Verlag; 1997: 679-696

Stressbewältigung im Grundschulalter. Eine vergleichende Evaluation unterschiedlicher Programmvarianten

Lohaus A, Klein-Heßling J. Stressbewältigung im Grundschulalter. Eine vergleichende Evaluation unterschiedlicher Programmvarianten. In: Amann G, Wipplinger R, eds. Gesundheitsförderung. Ein multidimensionales Tätigkeitsfeld. Tübingen: Dgvt-Verlag; 1998: 407-425

Clear cell sarcoma of the kidney in Austrian children: Long-term survival after relapse

Introduction: Clear cell sarcoma of the kidney (CCSK) is a rare malignant childhood renal tumour. Recently, the central nervous system (CNS) was found to be the most frequent site of relapse associated with a poor outcome. Optimal treatment strategies are scarce. Patients and Methods: Retrospective data analysis of all Austrian children with CCSK. They were enrolled in the Austrian-Hungarian Wilms Tumour Study (AHWTS) 1989, the SIOP93-01 or the SIOP2001 study between 1990 and 2019. Demographic, diagnostic, treatment-related variables and survival data were analysed. Results: We identified 12 children with CCSK (M = 7, F = 5; median age 1.6 years). All had localised disease (stage I: 2; stage II: 2; stage III: 8) at diagnosis, and a first complete remission (CR1) was achieved in 12/12. Six patients are in an ongoing CR1 (median follow-up 10 years). Six other patients had a relapse (local 1; brain 5) a median time of 2.4 years from diagnosis. Two patients died of the disease 4 months and 2.8 years after first relapse. Four of five patients with CNS relapse are in CR2 with a median followup time of 9.3 years after relapse diagnosis. Relapse treatment included a combination of chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. Two children received high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell rescue, and one child received intrathecal mafosphamide. Long-term side effects after treatment were impaired tubular renal function (n = 4), cardiomyopathy (n = 1) and growth disorders (n = 1). Conclusions: In this series, the brain was the most common site of relapse. Long-term survival after recurrence was achievable with intensive multimodal therapy

Autonomic Renal Denervation Ameliorates Experimental Glomerulonephritis

Increasing evidence indicates that inflammation of visceral organs is significantly affected by the autonomic nervous system. Such neuroimmune interactions have not been studied in the kidney. Here, we show that the rat kidney is innervated by both tyrosine hydroxylase–positive sympathetic efferent nerve fibers and calcitonin gene-related peptide–positive primary afferent nerve fibers, both of which are found in proximity to macrophages and dendritic cells. Complete surgical bilateral renal denervation was performed 2 d before glomerulonephritis was induced by injecting the monoclonal anti–Thy-1.1 antibody OX-7. Denervation significantly reduced albuminuria, mesangiolysis, formation of microaneurysms, deposition of glomerular collagen IV, and expression of TGF-β compared with sham-operated controls. Accordingly, inflammation, identified by accumulation of interstitial macrophages and renal expression of TNF-α, and mesangial cell proliferation were significantly reduced. These findings indicate that autonomic renal denervation ameliorates and, by inference, innervation exacerbates acute inflammation in the kidney; therefore, neurotransmitters or neuropeptides and their receptors might represent novel targets for the treatment of acute glomerulonephritis