The over-expression of POU5F1P1 in prostatic carcinoma in addition to its genomic location and the putative function of its gene product render POU5F1P1 a good candidate to harbour functional genetic variants which modulate prostatic cancer susceptibility.

SummaryThe main causes of acquired auricular defects are surgical treatment of skin tumors and trauma. Due to the complex anatomy of the external ear, surgical reconstruction of defects in this area is challenging for surgeons, especially in case of midhelix-antihelix involvement with significant loss of soft tissue and cartilage.Our purpose is to illustrate the main reconstructive techniques of large midhelix and antihelix defects, as well as the advantages or disadvantages associated with each surgical procedure. Primary closure/wedge technique is mainly used in elderly, multimorbid subjects where single-stage procedures are desirable, but several complex chondrocutaneous, retroauricular, temporoparietal full-thickness flap procedures can also be used to recreate an ear with normal appearance.Auricular reconstruction of large midhelix-antihelix defects requires a good knowledge of auricular anatomy and the various surgical procedures available for such defects.

Background There is limited data regarding postoperative complications after microtia surgery or tympanoplasty; however, complication rates after pinna reconstruction following tumor resection and comorbidities associated with suboptimal outcomes have not been investigated so far. Objective To examine the incidence of postoperative complications after auricular reconstruction surgery following tumor resection and determine the association between postoperative complications and defect size, patients’ comorbidities, and reconstruction type. Methods and Materials In a retrospective case series ( n = 146, January 2014 to October 2018), we examined the surgical outcome and amount of postoperative complications following auricular surgery as well as the association with different comorbidities. SPSS 16.0 was used for statistical analyses. Results The following early postoperative complications were identified: pain (29.5%), hematoma (4.1%), flap congestion (4.8%), infection (3.4%), and flap/graft necrosis (2.7%). Late complications including cartilage step-offs, helical rim sulcus alteration, granulomas, or ear deformities occurred only in 3.6% of subjects. Reconstructions of large defects (>1 cm2) were associated with a higher incidence of early postoperative complications compared to small defects (<1 cm2) ( P < .001). Neither the presence of smoking or diabetes nor immunosuppression was significantly linked to an increased incidence of early complications. Immunosuppression, however, was associated with a higher incidence of postoperative infection ( P < .001) Conclusion The incidence of early and late postoperative complications after skin tumor resection and external ear reconstruction is low. The occurrence of postoperative infection was not linked with smoking or the presence of diabetes, but strongly associated with a state of immunosuppression, which is why a perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis in immune-compromised patients may be considered.

The preoperative assessment of infiltration depth in melanoma and non‐melanoma skin cancer by means of high‐frequency ultrasound (≥18 MhZ) is essential for optimizing the therapeutic approach in our patients. Often, histologically confirmed skin tumors are directly referred to surgical departments for resection, and sonography is increasingly helping us identify those subjects who are no longer candidates for extensive surgical interventions. In cases of deep tumor infiltration, with potential surgical failure e.g. impairment of the quality of life and significant esthetic and functional complications, preoperative sonography can guide the surgeon to withstand from an operation and decide instead in favor of less mutilating radiooncological or medical treatment options. Furthermore, in melanoma patients, the preoperative knowledge of the tumor depth is essential for the determination of the therapeutic approach, the correct safety margins and the need of a sentinelnode biopsy. We herein encourage the use of preoperative sonography in dermatologic surgery whenever possible as it represents an easy, painless, “in vivo” method, which provides clinicians with significant clinical information that can influence the therapy and improve patient compliance.

Bone metabolism is influenced by systemic and local acting hormons. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) as representatives of the latter substances are known to have the ability for ectopic bone formation. Within this study, we investigated the influence of different growth factors on the proliferation- and differentiation rate of osteoblast-like cells. For that purpose, human osteoblast-like cells (HPOC) were incubated in the presence of either recombinant BMP-4 of the genome of xenopus laevis (rxBMP-4), recombinant human BMP 2 (rhBMP-2), transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) or basic fibroblast growth factor (rh-bFGF) in two different concentrations each (10 ng/ml and 50 ng/ml). Cell proliferation was measured within a MTT [3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-Diphenyltetrazolium Bromid] assay, the amount of cell differentiation by the activity of alcaline phosphatase. Rx-BMP-4 induced a differentiation of HPOC to almost the same extent as rhBMP-2, whereas the addition of rh-bFGF, applied at the same concentration, failed to have any influence on cell differentiation. However, rh-bFGF provoked an increase in cell proliferation when compared with unstimulated HPOC, while rhBMP-2 and rxBMP-4 showed no effect on proliferation. TGF-beta influenced bone proliferation as well as differentiation significantly. The equipotent effect of recombinant human BMP-2 and recombinant BMP-4 obtained from Xenopus laevis with regard to differentiation and proliferation of human primary osteoblast-like cells originates either in the fact that target cells have receptors for BMP 2 as well as BMP 4, or that both BMP's link to the same receptor with almost the same affinity.