Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with NMO spectrum disorders and MOG-antibody-associated diseases: COPANMO(G)-Study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the life of patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated diseases (MOGAD). METHODS: This multicenter, cross-sectional study included data of 187 patients recruited from 19 different German and Austrian Neuromyelitis Optica Study Group (NEMOS) centers between July 2021 and March 2022. The effects of the pandemic on immunotherapeutic treatment and access to care, the possible severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, and the potential effect of vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 on disease incidence and relapse risk were assessed using a patient questionnaire. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was measured with the EuroQoL Group 5-Dimension 5-Level Scale (EQ-5D-5L). Demographic and clinical characteristics were retrieved from the NEMOS database. RESULTS: One hundred eighty-seven patients (75% women; median age 47 [range 21-86] years; median disease duration 5.5 [range 0-67] years; median Expanded Disability Status Scale 2.0 [range 0-8.0]; 51% aquaporin-4 immunoglobulin G (AQP4-IgG)-positive, 36% myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)-IgG-positive 13% double-seronegative) were analyzed. Most patients maintained excellent access to healthcare services throughout the pandemic. Immunotherapy was not changed in 88% of patients. Ninety-one percent of all patients were satisfied with medical care during the pandemic. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of patients rated their risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2 as low or moderate. Among this study sample, 23 patients (12%) knowingly acquired an infection with SARS-CoV-2 and predominantly had a nonsevere course of illness (n = 22/23, 96%). The SARS-CoV-2 vaccination rate was 89%, with 4 cases of confirmed attack or first manifestation of NMOSD/MOGAD occurring in temporal association with the vaccination (range 2-9 days). The reported HRQoL did not decline compared with a prepandemic assessment (mean EQ-5D-5L index value 0.76, 95% bootstrap confidence interval [CI] 0.72-0.80; mean EQ-VAS 66.5, 95% bootstrap CI 63.5-69.3). DISCUSSION: This study demonstrates that, overall, patients with NMOSD/MOGAD affiliated with specialized centers received ongoing medical care during the pandemic. Patients' satisfaction with medical care and HRQoL did not decrease

Maxillary distraction resulting in facial advancement at Le Fort III level in cleft lip and palate patients: a report of two cases.

An 18-year-old female and a 14-year-old male who had previously received surgery for primary repair of a nonsyndromic cleft lip and palate (including alveolar defect bone grafting) unintentionally developed facial advancement at the Le Fort III level after surgical correction of their maxillary hypoplasia. The Le Fort I osteotomy, originally performed for their maxillary dentoalveolar hypoplasia, was an incomplete osteotomy. It was performed without down-fracture, leaving the pterygomaxillary and septal junctions intact. The gradual advancement of the maxilla during distraction osteogenesis was planned to correct the hypoplastic maxilla, and also prevent subsequent hypernasality; however, during the distraction procedure by means of a rigid external device both patients developed an unintentional facial advancement at the Le Fort III level

Highly sensitive and specific novel biomarkers for the diagnosis of transitional bladder carcinoma

10.18632/oncotarget.3841Oncotarget61513539-1354

Familie: zwischen Elternrechten und Kindeswohl

Vor dem Hintergrund der These, dass in der Kinder- und Jugendhilfe nicht mehr länger nur einer Familien-Orientierung, sondern zugleich auch einer Kindfokussierten-Orientierung gefolgt wird, die bestimmte Vorstellungen von Familie, Elternrechten, der staatlichen Verantwortung für die Wahrung des Kindeswohls und der gesellschaftlichen Positionierung von Kindern beinhaltet, werden in diesem Beitrag nachfolgend zunächst die historischen Bemühungen, Kinder vor Gefährdungen ihres Wohls in Familien zu schützen, die damit einhergehenden rechtlichen Reformen sowie die Verständnisse und gesellschaftspolitischen Positionierungen von Kindern, Eltern und Familie in Deutschland erörtert. Diese Befunde werden daran anschließend theoretisch reflektiert, kritisch analysiert und in Bezug zu ausgewählten aktuellen Forschungsbefunden gesetzt, um hierüber das Verhältnis von Elternrechten und Kindeswohl zu eruieren