Ichthyotherapy as Alternative Treatment for Patients with Psoriasis: A Pilot Study

Ichthyotherapy (therapy with the so-called ‘Doctorfish of Kangal’, Garra rufa) has been shown to be effective in patients with psoriasis in the Kangal hot springs in Turkey. This study evaluates the efficacy and safety of ichthyotherapy in combination with short-term ultraviolet A sunbed radiation in the treatment of psoriasis under controlled conditions. We retrospectively analyzed 67 patients diagnosed with psoriasis who underwent 3 weeks of ichthyotherapy at an outpatient treatment facility in Lower Austria between 2002 and 2004. Main outcome measures are as follows: overall relative reduction in Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) score; proportion of patients with an improvement in their PASI score of ≥75% (PASI-75) and ≥50% (PASI-50); patient-reported outcomes assessed with a custom questionnaire; and patient follow-up with a questionnaire sent out in March 2005. Safety was evaluated by reviewing adverse events and vital signs. Overall there was a 71.7% reduction in PASI score compared to baseline (P < 0.0001). Of the 67 patients studied, 31 (46.3%) achieved PASI-75 and 61 patients (91%) achieved at least PASI-50. Patients reported substantial satisfaction with the treatment. The reported mean remission period was 8.58 months [95% confidence interval (CI) 6.05–11.11]. A total of 87.5% of patients reported a more favorable outcome with ichthyotherapy, when asked to compare ichthyotherapy to other previously tried therapies. Sixty-five percent stated that after the relapse their symptoms were less severe than before treatment. There were no significant adverse events. The benefit demonstrated in this study along with the favorable safety profile suggests that ichthyotherapy could provide a viable treatment option for patients with psoriasis

Dreidimensionale Morphologie von Ventrikelseptumdefekten - echokardiographische Rekonstruktionen

Sicherlich steht mit der zweidimensionalen Echokardiographie zur Zeit ein diagnostisches Verfahren zur Verfügung, mit dem alle Arten von Ventrikelseptumdefekten sehr präzise dargestellt werden können und das für das gegenwärtige medizinische und chirurgische Management dieser Gruppe von Herzfehlern ausreicht Die in dieser Arbeit erläuterten dreidimensionalen Darstellungen der verschiedenen Typen von Ventrikelseptumdefekten bieten allerdings eine Reihe von Lösungen für einige Probleme der zweidimensionalen Echokardiographie bei der Darstellung von Ventrikelseptumdefekten. Es liegt auf der Hand, dass eine komplexe dreidimensionale Struktur wie das interventrikuläre Septum mit seinen verschiedenen Untereinheiten nicht vollständig in einem zweidimensionalen Schnittbild erfasst werden kann. Das Septum erscheint in den zweidimensionalen Schnittbildern als homogene Struktur- die morphologische Unterscheidung in die verschiedenen Untereinheiten gelingt nicht. Die Generierung einer Vielzahl von Schnittebenen ist nötig, die dann im Kopf des Untersuchers oder Betrachters zu einem virtuellen dreidimensionalen Bild zusammengesetzt werden müssen. Wenn der größte Durchmesser des Defektes nicht in einer der zur Verfügung stehenden Schnittebenen liegt, kann die Defektgröße zudem unterschätzt werden. Die in dieser Arbeit angewandte dreidimensionale Darstellung kommt pro Patient mit Ventrikelseptumdefekt hingegen nur mit zwei Abbildungen des Defektes aus- der Aufblick auf die Oberfläche des interventrikulären Septums von der rechts- und der linksventrikulären Seite, die jeweils die Form des Defektes und seinen gesamten Umfang zeigen. Durch Optimierung der Methodik wurde eine sehr wirklichkeitsgetreue Darstellung erreicht, wie der Vergleich mit pathologischen Präparaten und dem intraoperativen Situs zeigt. Beispielsweise erfolgte die Akquisition aller gezeigten dreidimensionalen Darstellungen ausschließlich transthorakal über das subkostale Schallfenster. Die Diagnosestellung ist also nicht von einer Vielzahl verschiedener Schnittebenen abhängig, von denen je nach individuellen anatomischen Verhältnissen auch nicht immer jede verfügbar ist. Der subkostale Zugangsweg ist im Kindesalter hingegen leicht einzustellen und nicht durch Strukturen der Thoraxwand eingeengt. Durch Verbesserung der Akquisitionsbedingungen und optimale Kombination der zur Verfügung stehenden 3-D Algorithmen wurden die offline- Nachbearbeitung der Rohdatensätze optimiert. Bei allen Arten von Ventrikelseptumdefekten war die akkurate dreidimensionale Darstellung möglich, es zeigte sich ein zusätzlicher Informationsgewinn im Vergleich zur 2-D Echokardiographie bei 73% der akquirierten Datensätze. Eine dreidimensionalen Darstellung genügt, um den Defekt einer der Untereinheiten des Ventrikelseptums zuzuordnen. Durch die Analyse seiner Beziehung zu den benachbarten Strukturen des Septums in der gleichen Darstellung konnten die Defekte noch detaillierter beschrieben werden. Die Vorteile der dreidimensionalen Darstellung von Ventrikelseptumdefekten liegt in der Verbesserung der Kommunikation zwischen den Klinikern und der besseren Planbarkeit interventioneller und operativer Eingriffe. Alle nicht operativ tätigen Ärzte bekommen durch die dreidimensionale Echokardiographie Einblicke in das Herz wie sie nur der Herzchirurg oder der Pathologe hat. Die Darstellung des gesamten Defektes in einem Bild macht zusätzlich die Unter- oder Überschätzung der Defektgröße unwahrscheinlicher. Die Nachteile der dreidimensionalen Echokardiographie liegen in ihrem hohen logistischen und zeitlichen Aufwand. In dieser Arbeit zeigte sich die Notwendigkeit zur Sedierung der pädiatrischen Patienten. Im Vergleich zur online generierten zweidimensionalen Echokardiographie bedeutete dies einen höheren logistischen Aufwand. Der zeitliche Aufwand der offline erfolgende Bearbeitung der gewonnenen Daten variiert sehr je nach Qualität des aufgenommenen Datensatzes und der vorliegenden Anatomie. Hinzu kommt die Akquisitionszeit von durchschnittlich 2- 5 Minuten hinzu, sodass ein zeitlicher und logistischer Mehraufwand im Vergleich zur zweidimensionalen Echokardiographie vorliegt. Dies verhinderte bislang den routinemäßigen Einsatz der dreidimensionalen Echokardiographie. Mit der Real- Time 3-D Echokardiographie steht allerdings seit kurzem ein Verfahren zur Verfügung, dass dreidimensionale Bilder online liefert und dem Nachteil des zeitlichen und organisatorischen Mehraufwandes stark limitieren wird. Dies zeigen erste Erfahrungen auf diesem Gebiet

Hip arthroscopy versus total hip arthroplasty-A study on patients with obesity above 40 years of age

Patients older than 40 years with a body-mass-index (BMI) >30 kg/m$^{2}$ , a femoroacetabular-impingement (FAI) and little cartilage damage are a challenge for hip surgeons. Hip-arthroscopy (HAS) or conservative therapy until a total hip arthroplasty (THA) is needed are possible treatments. Our research purpose was to compare the clinical results and complication/reoperation rate after HAS and THA in patients with obesity over 40 years. This retrospective study includes a consecutive series of patients with obesity (BMI >30 kg/m$^{2}$ ) who underwent HAS (19 hips) and THA (37 hips) over 40 years of age between 2007 and 2013 at our institution with a minimum of 12-months follow-up. Outcome measures were WOMAC (Western Ontario und McMaster Universities Arthritis Index), subjective-hip-value (SHV), residual complaints and the reoperation rate. Patient data and scores were collected pre-operative, 12 months post-operatively and at the last follow-up. Both groups showed a comparable age (mean 48 years). Regarding SHV-Scores the THA-group shows continuous significant improvements. Reaching 87% (range 50%-100%), the HAS-group showed in case of the SHV no significant change after 1 year and an improvement from preoperative to the last follow-up reaching 72% (range 30%-100%) at the last follow-up. Residual groin pain was significant higher in the HAS-group. Two deep infections (5.4%) requiring reoperations were reported in the THA-group. The conversion rate to THA after a mean time of 60 months was 26% (5 of 19). Patients with obesity over 40 years demonstrated inferior SHV, more often residual pain and revision surgery after HAS, when compared to THA at short-term, with conversions rate of one fourth. However, THA in this patient group showed high infection rate of 5%. This information is relevant for counselling above-mentioned patients

A bottom-up quantification of foliar mercury uptake fluxes across Europe

The exchange of gaseous elemental mercury, Hg(0), between the atmosphere and terrestrial surfaces remains poorly understood mainly due to difficulties in measuring net Hg(0) fluxes on the ecosystem scale. Emerging evidence suggests foliar uptake of atmospheric Hg(0) to be a major deposition pathway to terrestrial surfaces. Here, we present a bottom-up approach to calculate Hg(0) uptake fluxes to aboveground foliage by combining foliar Hg uptake rates normalized to leaf area with species-specific leaf area indices. This bottom-up approach incorporates systematic variations in crown height and needle age. We analyzed Hg content in 583 foliage samples from six tree species at 10 European forested research sites along a latitudinal gradient from Switzerland to northern Finland over the course of the 2018 growing season. Foliar Hg concentrations increased over time in all six tree species at all sites. We found that foliar Hg uptake rates normalized to leaf area were highest at the top of the tree crown. Foliar Hg uptake rates decreased with needle age of multiyear-old conifers (spruce and pine). Average species-specific foliar Hg uptake fluxes during the 2018 growing season were 18 ± 3 µg Hg m−2 for beech, 26 ± 5 µg Hg m−2 for oak, 4 ± 1 µg Hg m−2 for pine and 11 ± 1 µg Hg m−2 for spruce. For comparison, the average Hg(II) wet deposition flux measured at 5 of the 10 research sites during the same period was 2.3 ± 0.3 µg Hg m−2, which was 4 times lower than the site-averaged foliar uptake flux of 10 ± 3 µg Hg m−2. Scaling up site-specific foliar uptake rates to the forested area of Europe resulted in a total foliar Hg uptake flux of approximately 20 ± 3 Mg during the 2018 growing season. Considering that the same flux applies to the global land area of temperate forests, we estimate a foliar Hg uptake flux of 108 ± 18 Mg. Our data indicate that foliar Hg uptake is a major deposition pathway to terrestrial surfaces in Europe. The bottom-up approach provides a promising method to quantify foliar Hg uptake fluxes on an ecosystem scale

Dendritic polyglycerol nanoparticles show charge dependent bio-distribution in early human placental explants and reduce hCG secretion

A thorough understanding of nanoparticle bio-distribution at the feto-maternal interface will be a prerequisite for their diagnostic or therapeutic application in women of childbearing age and for teratologic risk assessment. Therefore, the tissue interaction of biocompatible dendritic polyglycerol nanoparticles (dPG-NPs) with first- trimester human placental explants were analyzed and compared to less sophisticated trophoblast-cell based models. First-trimester human placental explants, BeWo cells and primary trophoblast cells from human term placenta were exposed to fluorescence labeled, ∼5 nm dPG-NPs, with differently charged surfaces, at concentrations of 1 µM and 10 nM, for 6 and 24 h. Accumulation of dPGs was visualized by fluorescence microscopy. To assess the impact of dPG-NP on trophoblast integrity and endocrine function, LDH, and hCG releases were measured. A dose- and charge- dependent accumulation of dPG-NPs was observed at the early placental barrier and in cell lines, with positive dPG-NP-surface causing deposits even in the mesenchymal core of the placental villi. No signs of plasma membrane damage could be detected. After 24 h we observed a significant reduction of hCG secretion in placental explants, without significant changes in trophoblast apoptosis, at low concentrations of charged dPG-NPs. In conclusion, dPG-NP’s surface charge substantially influences their bio-distribution at the feto- maternal interface, with positive charge facilitating trans-trophoblast passage, and in contrast to more artificial models, the first-trimester placental explant culture model reveals potentially hazardous influences of charged dPG-NPs on early placental physiology

From bench to bedside - current clinical and translational challenges in fibula free flap reconstruction.

Fibula free flaps (FFF) represent a working horse for different reconstructive scenarios in facial surgery. While FFF were initially established for mandible reconstruction, advancements in planning for microsurgical techniques have paved the way toward a broader spectrum of indications, including maxillary defects. Essential factors to improve patient outcomes following FFF include minimal donor site morbidity, adequate bone length, and dual blood supply. Yet, persisting clinical and translational challenges hamper the effectiveness of FFF. In the preoperative phase, virtual surgical planning and artificial intelligence tools carry untapped potential, while the intraoperative role of individualized surgical templates and bioprinted prostheses remains to be summarized. Further, the integration of novel flap monitoring technologies into postoperative patient management has been subject to translational and clinical research efforts. Overall, there is a paucity of studies condensing the body of knowledge on emerging technologies and techniques in FFF surgery. Herein, we aim to review current challenges and solution possibilities in FFF. This line of research may serve as a pocket guide on cutting-edge developments and facilitate future targeted research in FFF

The role of immune checkpoint inhibitors in clinical practice: an analysis of the treatment patterns, survival and toxicity rates by sex.

PURPOSE Our aim is to describe the role of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) in clinical practice by providing the patient and tumor characteristics as well as survival and toxicity rates by sex. METHODS We used electronic health records to identify patients treated at the Cancer Center of the University Hospital Bern, Switzerland between January 1, 2017 and June 16, 2021. RESULTS We identified 5109 patients, 689 of whom (13.5%) received at least one dose of ICI. The fraction of patients who were prescribed ICI increased from 8.6% in 2017 to 22.9% in 2021. ICI represented 13.2% of the anticancer treatments in 2017 and increased to 28.2% in 2021. The majority of patients were male (68.7%), who were older than the female patients (median age 67 vs. 61 years). Over time, adjuvant and first line treatments increased for both sexes. Lung cancer and melanoma were the most common cancer types in males and females. The incidence of irAEs was higher among females (38.4% vs. 28.1%) and lead more often to treatment discontination in females than in males (21.1% vs. 16.8%). Independent of sex, the occurrence of irAEs was associated with greater median overall survival (OS, not reached vs. 1.1 years). Female patients had a longer median OS than males (1.9 vs. 1.5 years). CONCLUSIONS ICI play an increasingly important role in oncology. irAEs are more frequent in female patients and are associated with a longer OS. More research is needed to understand the association between patient sex and toxicity and survival