Erratum to: Guidance for the treatment of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism

Journal of Thrombosis and Thrombolysis -     

Assessment of volume preservation performed before or after partial nephrectomy accurately predicts postoperative renal function: Results from a prospective multicenter study

Purpose

Partial nephrectomy (PN) is standard for small renal masses, improving renal function by preserving renal parenchyma compared with radical nephrectomy. Recent work demonstrated that postoperative surgeon assessment of volume preservation (SAVP) and 3D imaging measurements agree and correlate with postoperative function. We hypothesize preoperative assessment of volume preservation (PAVP) with PN based on preoperative imaging will reliably indicate postoperative renal function.

Rolle,Arbeitsweise und Empfehlungen der Ständigen Impfkommission (STIKO) im Kontext der COVID-19-Pandemie

Bundesgesundheitsblatt - Gesundheitsforschung - Gesundheitsschutz - Die Ständige Impfkommission (STIKO) ist ein ehrenamtliches Gremium, dessen 18 ExpertInnen vom Bundesministerium...     

Can a threshold for 11‐nor‐9‐carboxy‐Δ9 ‐tetrahydrocannabinol in hair be derived when its respective concentration in blood serum indicates regular use?

A 100 μg/L or higher concentration of 11‐nor‐9‐carboxy‐Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinol (THC‐COOH) in blood serum is generally assumed to be associated with regular and/or heavy use of cannabis. At present, determination of the extent of cannabis use by means of the concentration of THC‐COOH in hair has not been assessed. Therefore, we aimed at establishing a threshold for THC‐COOH concentrations in hair to prove frequent consumption by comparing THC‐COOH concentrations in 129 corresponding serum and hair samples, respectively. The concentration of THC‐COOH in the serum was analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and in the hair by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Data were statistically evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curves and contingency tables. Our results suggest that a THC‐COOH concentration of ≥4.2 pg/mg in hair was always accompanied by a THC‐COOH concentration of at least 100 μg/L in blood serum. Should this be confirmed by further studies of a larger study population, a hair concentration of 4.2 pg/mg THC‐COOH can be set as a threshold to predict regular and/or heavy consumption of cannabis even if no corresponding blood sample is available for analysis.     

Epithelial barrier and oral bacterial infection

The oral epithelial barrier separates the host from the environment and provides the first line of defense against pathogens, exogenous substances and mechanical stress. It consists of underlying connective tissue and a stratified keratinized epithelium with a basement membrane, whose cells undergo terminal differentiation resulting in the formation of a mechanically resistant surface. Gingival keratinocytes are connected by various transmembrane proteins, such as tight junctions, adherens junctions and gap junctions, each of which has a specialized structure and specific functions. Periodontal pathogens are able to induce inflammatory responses that lead to attachment loss and periodontal destruction. A number of studies have demonstrated that the characteristics of pathogenic oral bacteria influence the expression and structural integrity of different cell–cell junctions. Tissue destruction can be mediated by host cells following stimulation with cytokines and bacterial products. Keratinocytes, the main cell type in gingival epithelial tissues, express a variety of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, including interleukin‐1alpha, interleukin‐1beta, interleukin‐6, interleukin‐8 and tumor necrosis factor‐alpha. Furthermore, the inflammatory mediators that may be secreted by oral keratinocytes are vascular endothelial growth factor, prostaglandin E₂, interleukin‐1 receptor antagonist and chemokine (C‐C motif) ligand 2. The protein family of matrix metalloproteinases is able to degrade all types of extracellular matrix protein, and can process a number of bioactive molecules. Matrix metalloproteinase activities under inflammatory conditions are mostly deregulated and often increased, and those mainly relevant in periodontal disease are matrix metalloproteinases 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 13 and 24. Viral infection may also influence the epithelial barrier. Studies show that the expression of HIV proteins in the mucosal epithelium is correlated with the disruption of epithelial tight junctions, suggesting a possible enhancement of human papilloma virus infection by HIV‐associated disruption of tight junctions. Altered expression of matrix metalloproteinases was demonstrated in keratinocytes transformed with human papilloma virus‐16 or papilloma virus‐18,. To summarize, the oral epithelium is able to react to a variety of exogenous, possibly noxious influences.