Bone-conduction implants are a standard therapeutic option for patients with conductive, unilateral, or mixed hearing loss who either do not tolerate conventional hearing aids or can benefit from surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate long-term medical and technical outcomes, and audiological results with the Bonebridge transcutaneous bone-conduction implant. This retrospective study included all patients implanted with a bone-conduction hearing implant at a tertiary medical referral center between March 2012 and October 2018. Medical and technical outcomes included the mean length of implant usage, medical and technical complications (skin and wound infection, lack of benefit, technical failure), explantations and revisions, coupling approaches, implant failure rate, implant survival and the implant loss for added follow-up years. Auditory results were measured by functional hearing gain and the Freiburger monosyllabic test at 65 dB sound pressure level. Sixty-four patients were included in the study; five of these were implanted bilaterally (69 devices). Five unilaterally implanted patients were lost to follow-up. The mean follow-up was 27.1 months (range: 0.2 months–6.3 years). The mean implant usage was 25.9 months (range: 0.2 months–6.3 years). Fifty-seven implants (89.1%) were in use at the end of the follow-up period. Complications occurred in six ears (9.4%). Five implants (7.8%) were explanted without reimplantation. Device failure occurred in one implant (1.6%), which was possibly caused by recurrent head trauma. The rate of implant loss due to technical device failure (damage to device) was 1 per 72 follow-up years. The mean improvement on the Freiburger monosyllabic test (52.1%, p = 0.0001), and in functional hearing gain across frequencies (26.5 dB, p = 0.0001) was significant. This single-center follow-up reveals the medical and technical reliability of a transcutaneous bone-conduction implant for hearing rehabilitation because complication and revision rates were low. The majority of patients still used the device at the end of the observation period. Implantation resulted in favorable hearing outcomes in comparison to that of unaided conditions. Cautious patient selection mainly regarding co-morbidities, the history of chronic otologic diseases and proper surgical technique seems to be crucial in reducing complications.

The oncogenic potential of the transcriptional repressor Bcl-6 (B-cell lymphoma 6) was originally discovered in non-Hodgkin patients and the soluble Bcl-6 inhibitor 79-6 was developed to treat diffuse large B-cell lymphomas with aberrant Bcl-6 expression. Since we found Bcl-6 and its co-repressor BCoR (Bcl-6 interacting co-repressor) to be regulated in human microvascular endothelium by colorectal cancer cells, we investigated their function in sprouting angiogenesis which is central to tumor growth. Based on Bcl-6/BCoR gene silencing we found that the transcriptional repressor complex in fact constitutes an endogenous inhibitor of vascular sprouting by supporting the stalk cell phenotype: control of Notch target genes (HES1, HEY1, DLL4) and cell cycle regulators (cyclin A and B1). Thus, when endothelial cells were transiently transfected with Bcl-6 and/or BCoR siRNA, vascular sprouting was prominently induced. Comparably, when the soluble Bcl-6 inhibitor 79-6 was applied in the mouse retina model of physiological angiogenesis, endothelial sprouting and branching were significantly enhanced. To address the question whether clinical treatment with 79-6 might therefore have detrimental therapeutic effects by promoting tumor angiogenesis, mouse xenograft models of colorectal cancer and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma were tested. Despite a tendency to increased tumor vessel density, 79-6 therapy did not enhance tumor expansion. In contrast, growth of colorectal carcinomas was significantly reduced which is likely due to a combined 79-6 effect on cancer cells and tumor stroma. These findings may provide valuable information regarding the future clinical development of Bcl-6 inhibitors.

Background The prognostic impact of liver steatosis in obese patients is well established. Limited data on the risk factors for and impact of hepatic steatosis in lean patients are available. Aims Assess risk factors for liver steatosis in lean patients and investigate its impact on survival. Methods Patients without viral hepatitis and with a BMI ≤ 25 kg/m 2 undergoing liver stiffness measurement (LSM) and controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) by transient elastography were retrospectively identified. Clinical characteristics and laboratory test results were obtained at the time of LSM/CAP measurement. National death registry data were obtained in order to assess survival. Results Among n = 218 lean patients, n = 97 (34.5%) showed significant liver steatosis (CAP ≥ 268 dB/m), while n = 184 (65.5%) had no or just mild steatosis (CAP < 268 dB/m). Patients with steatosis had higher GGT (238.0(± 450.3) vs. 112.1(± 180.0) IU/mL; p = 0.013), AST (63(± 67.4) vs. 38.5(± 32.9) IU/mL; p = 0.001), ALT (59.1(± 58.8) vs. 44.3(± 52.7) IU/mL; p = 0.048) and triglyceride levels (120.1(± 80.3) vs. 96.1(± 58.2) mg/dL; p = 0.014), and showed a trend toward more severe fibrosis (LSM 15.6(± 19.5) vs. 12.0(± 15.7) kPa; p = 0.115). In multivariate binary logistic regression analysis, only serum uric acid levels were independently associated with liver steatosis (odds ratio 1.43 per unit mg/dL; 95% CI 1.001-2.054; p = 0.049). During a mean follow-up of 38.9(± 10.6) months, n = 14 patients (5.0%) died. In the absence of advanced fibrosis, survival after 1 year was similar in patients without (98.7%) and with (98.6%) significant steatosis. Patients with advanced fibrosis had worse 1-year survival without concomitant significant steatosis (84.8%) than patients with steatosis (95.8%; log-rank p < 0.001). Conclusions High serum uric acid levels increase the risk of liver steatosis in lean patients. Liver fibrosis but not hepatic steatosis is a risk factor for impaired survival in lean patients.

ZusammenfassungEndokrine Tumoren und hier im Speziellen neuroendokrine Neoplasien des Gastrointestinaltraktes (GEP-NETs), Phäochromozytome (PCs), Paragangliome (PGL) und Schilddrüsentumoren sind Paradebeispiele für die Bedeutung von Molekularpathologie und Molekularbiologie für Diagnostik, Klassifikation und letztendlich auch die (chirurgische) Therapie dieser Erkrankungen. Bei GEP-NETs erfolgt das Grading anhand des Ki-67-Index. Dieser bestimmt die Art der molekularen Bildgebung (DOTA [1,4,7,10-Tetraazacyclododecan‑1,4,7,10-tetraessigsäure]/DOPA [3,4-Dihydroxyphenylalanin]/FDG[Fluordesoxyglukose]-PET[Positronenemissionstomographie]/CT [Computertomographie]), die mögliche Therapie (chirurgisch und/oder Radiopeptidtherapie), antiproliferative und symptomkontrollierende Therapie mit Somatostatinanaloga und letztendlich auch die Prognose. PC/PGL können hereditär auftreten (MEN2A [multiple endokrine Neoplasie Typ 2A], VHL [Von-Hippel-Lindau-Tumorsuppressor], NF1 [Neurofibromatose Typ 1], SDH[Succinat-Dehydrogenase]-Mutationen), was die chirurgische Therapie und die präoperative Medikation maßgeblich beeinflusst. Die molekulare Bildgebung hat einen hohen Stellenwert und kann bei grenzwertiger Biochemie wegweisend sein. Auch Nebennierenrindenkarzinome können genetisch determiniert sein. Bei Schilddrüsentumoren ist v. a. die Pathologie der C‑Zelle (C-Zell-Hyperplasie, medulläres Schilddrüsenkarzinom) hervorzuheben. Bei hereditärer Erkrankung (FMTC [familiäres medulläres Schilddrüsenkarzinom], MEN[multiple endokrine Neoplasie]2) ist häufig eine frühe prophylaktische Operation notwendig und verhindert das Auftreten von fortgeschrittenen Karzinomen. Aber auch die Bestimmung des Resektionsausmaßes bei follikulären Läsionen bzw. die Unterscheidung zwischen „non-invasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features“ (NIFTPs) und follikulären Varianten des papillären Schilddrüsenkarzinoms kann mithilfe spezifischer Marker erfolgen. Insgesamt hat die Molekularpathologie eine zunehmende Bedeutung bei diesen Entitäten und ist auch Inhalt laufender Forschungsprojekte.