[F]SiTATE-PET/CT for detection of pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas: comparison of biochemical secretion, genotype and imaging metrics.

Background: Somatostatin-receptor (SSTR)-targeting PET/CT is widely used for diagnosis and disease monitoring of pheochromocytoma / paraganglioma (PPGL). The aim of this study was to assess the potential of the novel SSTR-targeting tracer [F]SiTATE in diagnosing PPGL by comparing imaging parameters to tumor marker levels and secretory activity in a small cohort of patients diagnosed with this rare tumor type.

Methods: This retrospective study included 34 patients with histologically confirmed PPGL who underwent [F]SiTATE-PET/CT at LMU University Hospital Munich between 10/2020 and 02/2024 as well as hormonal laboratory analysis within up to 100 days.

TGF-β1 Induces Mucosal Mast Cell Genes and is Negatively Regulated by the IL-3/ERK1/2 Axis.

Mast cells develop from the myeloid lineage and are released from the bone marrow as immature cells, which then differentiate at the destination tissue based on cues from the local environment. In the liver, mast cells are recruited in diseased states to fibrogenic surroundings rich in TGF-β1. The aim of this study was to investigate TGF-β1 signaling in primary and permanent mast cells to identify common and unique mechanisms.

Prognostic role of lymph node micrometastasis in oral and oropharyngeal cancer: A systematic review.

Background: An estimated 20% of patients with oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OOSCC) have micrometastases (Mi) or isolated tumor cells (ITC) in the cervical lymph nodes that evade detection by standard histological evaluation of lymph node sections. Lymph node Mi and ITC could be one reason for regional recurrence after neck dissection. The aim of this study was to review the existing data regarding the impact of Mi on the survival of patients with OOSCC.

Cyto R-CNN and CytoNuke Dataset: Towards reliable whole-cell segmentation in bright-field histological images.

Background And Objective: Cell segmentation in bright-field histological slides is a crucial topic in medical image analysis. Having access to accurate segmentation allows researchers to examine the relationship between cellular morphology and clinical observations. Unfortunately, most segmentation methods known today are limited to nuclei and cannot segment the cytoplasm.

Development and validation of a cadaveric porcine Pseudotumor model for Oral Cancer biopsy and resection training.

Objective: The gold standard of oral cancer (OC) treatment is diagnostic confirmation by biopsy followed by surgical treatment. However, studies have shown that dentists have difficulty performing biopsies, dental students lack knowledge about OC, and surgeons do not always maintain a safe margin during tumor resection. To address this, biopsies and resections could be trained under realistic conditions outside the patient.

Amitriptyline inhibits bronchoconstriction and directly promotes dilatation of the airways.

Introduction: The standard therapy for bronchial asthma consists of combinations of acute (short-acting ß-sympathomimetics) and, depending on the severity of disease, additional long-term treatment (including inhaled glucocorticoids, long-acting ß-sympathomimetics, anticholinergics, anti-IL-4R antibodies). The antidepressant amitriptyline has been identified as a relevant down-regulator of immunological T2-phenotype in asthma, acting-at least partially-through inhibition of acid sphingomyelinase (ASM), an enzyme involved in sphingolipid metabolism. Here, we investigated the non-immunological role of amitriptyline on acute bronchoconstriction, a main feature of airway hyperresponsiveness in asthmatic disease.

Dose-Related Effectiveness of Andexanet Alfa for Reversal of Apixaban Anticoagulation in a Porcine Polytrauma Model.

Background:  Andexanet alfa (andexanet) is a reversal agent for use in patients with life-threatening or uncontrolled bleeding treated with oral factor Xa (FXa) inhibitors. There are limited data on the dose-response relationship of andexanet and FXa inhibitor-related bleeding.

Objective:  The aim of this study was to assess the dose-related effectiveness of andexanet in reducing blood loss, improving survival, and reversing apixaban anticoagulation in a porcine polytrauma model.

Experimental Liver Cirrhosis Inhibits Restenosis after Balloon Angioplasty.

The effect of liver cirrhosis on vascular remodeling in vivo remains unknown. Therefore, this study investigates the influence of cholestatic liver cirrhosis on carotid arterial remodeling. A total of 79 male Sprague Dawley rats underwent bile duct ligation (cirrhotic group) or sham surgery (control group) and 28 days later left carotid artery balloon dilatation; 3, 7, 14 and 28 days after balloon dilatation, the rats were euthanized and carotid arteries were harvested.

Cirrhotic Cardiomyopathy Following Bile Duct Ligation in Rats-A Matter of Time?

Cirrhotic patients often suffer from cirrhotic cardiomyopathy (CCM). Previous animal models of CCM were inconsistent concerning the time and mechanism of injury; thus, the temporal dynamics and cardiac vulnerability were studied in more detail. Rats underwent bile duct ligation (BDL) and a second surgery 28 days later.

Mast cell deficiency prevents BCR::ABL1 induced splenomegaly and cytokine elevation in a CML mouse model.

The persistence of leukemic stem cells (LSCs) represents a problem in the therapy of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Hence, it is of utmost importance to explore the underlying mechanisms to develop new therapeutic approaches to cure CML. Using the genetically engineered ScltTA/TRE-BCR::ABL1 mouse model for chronic phase CML, we previously demonstrated that the loss of the docking protein GAB2 counteracts the infiltration of mast cells (MCs) in the bone marrow (BM) of BCR::ABL1 positive mice.

A Deep-Learning-Computed Cancer Score for the Identification of Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Area Based on a Six-Colour Multiplex Immunofluorescence Panel.

Liver cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed and fatal cancers worldwide, with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) being the most common primary liver cancer. Hundreds of studies involving thousands of patients have now been analysed across different cancer types, including HCC, regarding the effects of immune infiltrates on the prognosis of cancer patients. However, for these analyses, an unambiguous delineation of the cancer area is paramount, which is difficult due to the strong heterogeneity and considerable inter-operator variability induced by qualitative visual assessment and manual assignment.

KIT D816V Mast Cells Derived from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Recapitulate Systemic Mastocytosis Transcriptional Profile.

Mast cells (MCs) represent a population of hematopoietic cells with a key role in innate and adaptive immunity and are well known for their detrimental role in allergic responses. Yet, MCs occur in low abundance, which hampers their detailed molecular analysis. Here, we capitalized on the potential of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells to give rise to all cells in the body and established a novel and robust protocol for human iPS cell differentiation toward MCs.

IRAK2 Downregulation in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells Decreases Cellular Growth In Vitro and Delays Tumour Progression in Murine Models.

Breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) are responsible for tumour recurrence and therapy resistance. We have established primary BCSC cultures from human tumours of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), a subgroup of breast cancer likely driven by BCSCs. Primary BCSCs produce xenografts that phenocopy the tumours of origin, making them an ideal model for studying breast cancer treatment options.

[Neuroendocrine tumors in head and neck].

Introduction: NETs are benign or malign tumors, which originate from cells of the endocrine (hormonal) and nervous systems. 0,5-2 % of the neoplasms are neuroendocrine tumors, which are mostly located in the gastrointestinal or bronchopulmonal tract. Die incidence is about 9000/100000.

Digital breast tomosynthesis-guided vacuum-assisted biopsy of suspicious calcifications at different sites within one breast: Is biopsy of more than one location needed?

Objective: To investigate how often biopsy of two sites of morphologically similar or equally suspicious calcifications within the same breast yield differing histopathologic results, and how this may affect clinical management.

Materials And Methods: We identified patients with two or more sites of calcifications categorized as Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) ≥ 4b within the same breast who underwent digital breast tomosynthesis-guided vacuum-assisted biopsy (DBT-guided VAB). We analyzed how often biopsy of two distinct sites yielded the same or differing histopathologic findings.

Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB regulates the airway tone via activation of MAP2K, thromboxane, actin polymerisation and Ca-sensitisation.

Background: PDGFR-inhibition by the tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) nintedanib attenuates the progress of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). However, the effects of PDGF-BB on the airway tone are almost unknown. We studied this issue and the mechanisms beyond, using isolated perfused lungs (IPL) of guinea pigs (GPs) and precision-cut lung slices (PCLS) of GPs and humans.

Depletion of Lipocalin 2 (LCN2) in Mice Leads to Dysbiosis and Persistent Colonization with Segmented Filamentous Bacteria.

Lipocalin 2 (LCN2) mediates key roles in innate immune responses. It has affinity for many lipophilic ligands and binds various siderophores, thereby limiting bacterial growth by iron sequestration. Furthermore, LCN2 protects against obesity and metabolic syndrome by interfering with the composition of gut microbiota.

Automated PD-L1 Scoring Using Artificial Intelligence in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) represent a new therapeutic approach in recurrent and metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The patient selection for the PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor therapy is based on the degree of PD-L1 expression in immunohistochemistry reflected by manually determined PD-L1 scores. However, manual scoring shows variability between different investigators and is influenced by cognitive and visual traps and could therefore negatively influence treatment decisions.

Acute myocardial injury secondary to severe acute liver failure: A retrospective analysis supported by animal data.

To investigate whether acute liver failure (ALF) leads to secondary acute myocardial injury, 100 ALF patients that were retrospectively identified in a single center based on ICD 10 codes and 8 rats from an experimental study that died early after bile duct ligation (BDL) were examined. Creatine kinase (CK), creatine kinase-MB isoenzyme (CKMB) and cardiac troponin-I (cTnI) were analyzed as markers of myocardial injury. For histological analysis, hematoxylin-eosin (HE), elastic Van Gieson (EVG), CD41 and myeloperoxidase were used to stain rat hearts.

Multisystemic Cellular Tropism of SARS-CoV-2 in Autopsies of COVID-19 Patients.

Multiorgan tropism of SARS-CoV-2 has previously been shown for several major organs. We have comprehensively analyzed 25 different formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues/organs from autopsies of fatal COVID-19 cases ( = 8), using histopathological assessment, detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA using polymerase chain reaction and RNA in situ hybridization, viral protein using immunohistochemistry, and virus particles using transmission electron microscopy. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was mainly localized in epithelial cells across all organs.