@article{WallaschekReuterSilkenatetal.2021,
  author    = {Wallaschek, Nina and Reuter, Saskia and Silkenat, Sabrina and Wolf, Katharina and Niklas, Carolin and {\"O}zge, Kayisoglu and Aguilar, Carmen and Wiegering, Armin and Germer, Christoph-Thomas and Kircher, Stefan and Rosenwald, Andreas and Shannon-Lowe, Claire and Bartfeld, Sina},
  title     = {Ephrin receptor A2, the epithelial receptor for Epstein-Barr virus entry, is not available for efficient infection in human gastric organoids},
  series = {PLoS Pathogens},
  volume    = {17},
  journal   = {PLoS Pathogens},
  number    = {2},
  doi       = {10.1371/journal.ppat.1009210},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-259206},
  pages     = {e1009210},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is best known for infection of B cells, in which it usually establishes an asymptomatic lifelong infection, but is also associated with the development of multiple B cell lymphomas. EBV also infects epithelial cells and is associated with all cases of undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). EBV is etiologically linked with at least 8\% of gastric cancer (EBVaGC) that comprises a genetically and epigenetically distinct subset of GC. Although we have a very good understanding of B cell entry and lymphomagenesis, the sequence of events leading to EBVaGC remains poorly understood. Recently, ephrin receptor A2 (EPHA2) was proposed as the epithelial cell receptor on human cancer cell lines. Although we confirm some of these results, we demonstrate that EBV does not infect healthy adult stem cell-derived gastric organoids. In matched pairs of normal and cancer-derived organoids from the same patient, EBV only reproducibly infected the cancer organoids. While there was no clear pattern of differential expression between normal and cancer organoids for EPHA2 at the RNA and protein level, the subcellular location of the protein differed markedly. Confocal microscopy showed EPHA2 localization at the cell-cell junctions in primary cells, but not in cancer cell lines. Furthermore, histologic analysis of patient tissue revealed the absence of EBV in healthy epithelium and presence of EBV in epithelial cells from inflamed tissue. These data suggest that the EPHA2 receptor is not accessible to EBV on healthy gastric epithelial cells with intact cell-cell contacts, but either this or another, yet to be identified receptor may become accessible following cellular changes induced by inflammation or transformation, rendering changes in the cellular architecture an essential prerequisite to EBV infection.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{WagnerWetzWiegeringetal.2021,
  author    = {Wagner, Johanna C. and Wetz, Anja and Wiegering, Armin and Lock, Johan F. and L{\"o}b, Stefan and Germer, Christoph-Thomas and Klein, Ingo},
  title     = {Successful surgical closure of infected abdominal wounds following preconditioning with negative pressure wound therapy},
  series = {Langenbeck's Archives of Surgery},
  volume    = {406},
  journal   = {Langenbeck's Archives of Surgery},
  number    = {7},
  issn      = {1435-2451},
  doi       = {10.1007/s00423-021-02221-w},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-267541},
  pages     = {2479-2487},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Purpose Traditionally, previous wound infection was considered a contraindication to secondary skin closure; however, several case reports describe successful secondary wound closure of wounds "preconditioned" with negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT). Although this has been increasingly applied in daily practice, a systematic analysis of its feasibility has not been published thus far. The aim of this study was to evaluate secondary skin closure in previously infected abdominal wounds following treatment with NPWT. Methods Single-center retrospective analysis of patients with infected abdominal wounds treated with NPWT followed by either secondary skin closure referenced to a group receiving open wound therapy. Endpoints were wound closure rate, wound complications (such as recurrent infection or hernia), and perioperative data (such as duration of NPWT or hospitalization parameters). Results One hundred ninety-eight patients during 2013-2016 received a secondary skin closure after NPWT and were analyzed and referenced to 67 patients in the same period with open wound treatment after NPWT. No significant difference in BMI, chronic immunosuppressive medication, or tobacco use was found between both groups. The mean duration of hospital stay was 30 days with a comparable duration in both patient groups (29 versus 33 days, p = 0.35). Interestingly, only 7.7\% of patients after secondary skin closure developed recurrent surgical site infection and in over 80\% of patients were discharged with closed wounds requiring only minimal outpatient wound care. Conclusion Surgical skin closure following NPWT of infected abdominal wounds is a good and safe alternative to open wound treatment. It prevents lengthy outpatient wound therapy and is expected to result in a higher quality of life for patients and reduce health care costs.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{SuratVogelWiegeringetal.2021,
  author    = {Surat, G{\"u}zin and Vogel, Ulrich and Wiegering, Armin and Germer, Christoph-Thomas and Lock, Johan Friso},
  title     = {Defining the scope of antimicrobial stewardship interventions on the prescription quality of antibiotics for surgical intra-abdominal infections},
  series = {Antibiotics},
  volume    = {10},
  journal   = {Antibiotics},
  number    = {1},
  issn      = {2079-6382},
  doi       = {10.3390/antibiotics10010073},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-223034},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Background: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of antimicrobial stewardship interventions on surgical antibiotic prescription behavior in the management of non-elective surgical intra-abdominal infections, focusing on postoperative antibiotic use, including the appropriateness of indications. Methods: A single-center quality improvement study with retrospective evaluation of the impact of antimicrobial stewardship measures on optimizing antibacterial use in intra-abdominal infections requiring emergency surgery was performed. The study was conducted in a tertiary hospital in Germany from January 1, 2016, to January 30, 2020, three years after putting a set of antimicrobial stewardship standards into effect. Results: 767 patients were analyzed (n = 495 in 2016 and 2017, the baseline period; n = 272 in 2018, the antimicrobial stewardship period). The total days of therapy per 100 patient days declined from 47.0 to 42.2 days (p = 0.035). The rate of patients receiving postoperative therapy decreased from 56.8\% to 45.2\% (p = 0.002), comparing both periods. There was a significant decline in the rate of inappropriate indications (17.4\% to 8.1 \%, p = 0.015) as well as a significant change from broad-spectrum to narrow-spectrum antibiotic use (28.8\% to 6.5\%, p ≤ 0.001) for postoperative therapy. The significant decline in antibiotic use did not affect either clinical outcomes or the rate of postoperative wound complications. Conclusions: Postoperative antibiotic use for intra-abdominal infections could be significantly reduced by antimicrobial stewardship interventions. The identification of inappropriate indications remains a key target for antimicrobial stewardship programs.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{MuellerKoehlerHendricksetal.2021,
  author    = {M{\"u}ller, Sophie and K{\"o}hler, Franziska and Hendricks, Anne and Kastner, Carolin and B{\"o}rner, Kevin and Diers, Johannes and Lock, Johan F. and Petritsch, Bernhard and Germer, Christoph-Thomas and Wiegering, Armin},
  title     = {Brain metastases from colorectal cancer: a systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis to establish a guideline for daily treatment},
  series = {Cancers},
  volume    = {13},
  journal   = {Cancers},
  number    = {4},
  issn      = {2072-6694},
  doi       = {10.3390/cancers13040900},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-228883},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common malignancy worldwide. Most patients with metastatic CRC develop liver or lung metastases, while a minority suffer from brain metastases. There is little information available regarding the presentation, treatment, and overall survival of brain metastases (BM) from CRC. This systematic review and meta-analysis includes data collected from three major databases (PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase) based on the key words "brain", "metastas*", "tumor", "colorectal", "cancer", and "malignancy". In total, 1318 articles were identified in the search and 86 studies matched the inclusion criteria. The incidence of BM varied between 0.1\% and 11.5\%. Most patients developed metastases at other sites prior to developing BM. Lung metastases and KRAS mutations were described as risk factors for additional BM. Patients with BM suffered from various symptoms, but up to 96.8\% of BM patients were asymptomatic at the time of BM diagnosis. Median survival time ranged from 2 to 9.6 months, and overall survival (OS) increased up to 41.1 months in patients on a multimodal therapy regimen. Several factors including age, blood levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), multiple metastases sites, number of brain lesions, and presence of the KRAS mutation were predictors of OS. For BM diagnosis, MRI was considered to be state of the art. Treatment consisted of a combination of surgery, radiation, or systemic treatment.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{MeirMaurusKuperetal.2021,
  author    = {Meir, Michael and Maurus, Katja and Kuper, Jochen and Hankir, Mohammed and Wardelmann, Eva and Rosenwald, Andreas and Germer, Christoph-Thomas and Wiegering, Armin},
  title     = {The novel KIT exon 11 germline mutation K558N is associated with gastrointestinal stromal tumor, mastocytosis, and seminoma development},
  series = {Genes, Chromosomes \& Cancer},
  volume    = {60},
  journal   = {Genes, Chromosomes \& Cancer},
  number    = {12},
  doi       = {10.1002/gcc.22988},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-257476},
  pages     = {827-832},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Familial gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are dominant genetic disorders that are caused by germline mutations of the type III receptor tyrosine kinase KIT. While sporadic mutations are frequently found in mastocytosis and GISTs, germline mutations of KIT have only been described in 39 families until now. We detected a novel germline mutation of KIT in exon 11 (p.Lys-558-Asn; K558N) in a patient from a kindred with several GISTs harboring different secondary somatic KIT mutations. Structural analysis suggests that the primary germline mutation alone is not sufficient to release the autoinhibitory region of KIT located in the transmembrane domain. Instead, the KIT kinase module becomes constitutively activated when K558N combines with different secondary somatic mutations. The identical germline mutation in combination with an additional somatic KIT mutation was detected in a second patient of the kindred with seminoma while a third patient within the family had a cutaneous mastocytosis. These findings suggest that the K558N mutation interferes with the juxtamembranous part of KIT, since seminoma and mastocystosis are usually not associated with exon 11 mutations.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{MeirKannapinDiefenbacheretal.2021,
  author    = {Meir, Michael and Kannapin, Felix and Diefenbacher, Markus and Ghoreishi, Yalda and Kollmann, Catherine and Flemming, Sven and Germer, Christoph-Thomas and Waschke, Jens and Leven, Patrick and Schneider, Reiner and Wehner, Sven and Burkard, Natalie and Schlegel, Nicolas},
  title     = {Intestinal epithelial barrier maturation by enteric glial cells is GDNF-dependent},
  series = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences},
  volume    = {22},
  journal   = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences},
  number    = {4},
  issn      = {1422-0067},
  doi       = {10.3390/ijms22041887},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-258913},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Enteric glial cells (EGCs) of the enteric nervous system are critically involved in the maintenance of intestinal epithelial barrier function (IEB). The underlying mechanisms remain undefined. Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) contributes to IEB maturation and may therefore be the predominant mediator of this process by EGCs. Using GFAP\(^{cre}\) x Ai14\(^{floxed}\) mice to isolate EGCs by Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), we confirmed that they synthesize GDNF in vivo as well as in primary cultures demonstrating that EGCs are a rich source of GDNF in vivo and in vitro. Co-culture of EGCs with Caco2 cells resulted in IEB maturation which was abrogated when GDNF was either depleted from EGC supernatants, or knocked down in EGCs or when the GDNF receptor RET was blocked. Further, TNFα-induced loss of IEB function in Caco2 cells and in organoids was attenuated by EGC supernatants or by recombinant GDNF. These barrier-protective effects were blunted when using supernatants from GDNF-deficient EGCs or by RET receptor blockade. Together, our data show that EGCs produce GDNF to maintain IEB function in vitro through the RET receptor.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{LehmannKlingerDiersetal.2021,
  author    = {Lehmann, Kai S. and Klinger, Carsten and Diers, Johannes and Buhr, Heinz-Johannes and Germer, Christoph-Thomas and Wiegering, Armin},
  title     = {Safety of anastomoses in colorectal cancer surgery in octogenarians: a prospective cohort study with propensity score matching},
  series = {BJS Open},
  volume    = {5},
  journal   = {BJS Open},
  number    = {6},
  doi       = {10.1093/bjsopen/zrab102},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-265044},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Background Up to 20 per cent of all operations for patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) are performed in octogenarians. Anastomotic leakage is a leading cause of morbidity and death after resection for CRC. The aim of this study was to assess the rate of anastomosis creation, the risk of anastomotic leakage and death in surgery for left-sided CRC in elderly patients. Methods This prospective cohort study compared patients less than 80 and 80 or more years with left-sided CRC resection performed between 2013 and 2019. Data were provided from a risk-adjusted surgical quality-assessment system with 219 participating centres in Germany. Outcome measures were the rate of anastomoses, anastomotic leakages, death at 30 days and 2-year overall survival (OS). Propensity score matching was used to control for selection bias and compare subgroups of patients of less than 80 and 80 or more years. Results Out of 18 959 patients, some 3169 (16.7 per cent) were octogenarians. Octogenarians were less likely to receive anastomoses (82.0 versus 92.9 per cent, P < 0.001; odds ratio 0.50 (95 per cent c.i. 0.44 to 0.58), P < 0.001). The rate of anastomotic leakages did not differ between age groups (8.6 versus 9.7 per cent, P = 0.084), but 30-day mortality rate after leakage was significantly higher in octogenarians (15.8 versus 3.5 per cent, P < 0.001). Overall, anastomotic leakage was the strongest predictor for death (odds ratio 4.95 (95 per cent c.i. 3.66 to 6.66), P < 0.001). In the subgroup with no leakage, octogenarians had a lower 2-year OS rate than younger patients (71 versus 87 per cent, P < 0.001), and in the population with anastomotic leakage, the 2-year OS was 80 per cent in younger and 43 per cent in elderly patients (P < 0.001). After propensity score matching, older age remained predictive for not receiving an anastomosis (odds ratio 0.54 (95 per cent c.i. 0.46 to 0.63), P < 0.001) and for death (odds ratio 2.60 (95 per cent c.i. 1.78 to 3.84), P < 0.001), but not for the occurrence of leakages (odds ratio 0.94 (95 per cent c.i. 0.76 to 1.15), P = 0.524). Conclusion Anastomotic leakage is not more common in octogenarians, but an age of 80 years or older is an independent factor for not receiving an anastomosis in surgery for left-sided CRC. The mortality rate in the case of leakage in octogenarians was reported to exceed 15 per cent.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{KelmGermerSchlegeletal.2021,
  author    = {Kelm, Matthias and Germer, Christoph-Thomas and Schlegel, Nicolas and Flemming, Sven},
  title     = {The revival of surgery in Crohn's disease — early intestinal resection as a reasonable alternative in localized ileitis},
  series = {Biomedicines},
  volume    = {9},
  journal   = {Biomedicines},
  number    = {10},
  issn      = {2227-9059},
  doi       = {10.3390/biomedicines9101317},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-246296},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Crohn's disease (CD) represents a heterogeneous and complex disease with no curative therapeutic option available to date. Current therapy is mainly antibody-based focusing on the immune system while other treatment alternatives such as surgery are considered to be "last options". However, medical therapy for CD results in mild to severe side effects in a relevant amount of patients and some patients do not respond to the medication. Following that, quality of life is often significantly reduced in this patient cohort, thus, therapeutic alternatives are urgently needed. Updated evidence has revealed that surgery such as ileocecal resection (ICR) might be a potential therapeutic option in case of localized terminal ileitis since resection at early time points improves quality of life and significantly reduces the postoperative need for immunosuppressive medication with low rates of morbidity. In addition, new surgical approaches such as Kono-S anastomosis or inclusion of the mesentery result in significantly reduced rates of disease recurrence and reoperation. Based on the new evidence, the goal of this review is to provide an update on the role of surgery as a reasonable alternative to medical therapy in the interdisciplinary treatment of patients with CD.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{KelmAngerEichlingeretal.2021,
  author    = {Kelm, Matthias and Anger, Friedrich and Eichlinger, Robin and Brand, Markus and Kim, Mia and Reibetanz, Joachim and Krajinovic, Katica and Germer, Christoph-Thomas and Schlegel, Nicolas and Flemming, Sven},
  title     = {Early Ileocecal Resection Is an Effective Therapy in Isolated Crohn's Disease},
  series = {Journal of Clinical Medicine},
  volume    = {10},
  journal   = {Journal of Clinical Medicine},
  number    = {4},
  issn      = {2077-0383},
  doi       = {10.3390/jcm10040731},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-228822},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Despite the increasing incidence and prevalence of Crohn's Disease (CD), no curative options exist and treatment remains complex. While therapy has mainly focused on medical approaches in the past, growing evidence reveals that in cases of limited inflammation, surgery can suffice as an alternative primary treatment. We retrospectively assessed the disease course and outcomes of 103 patients with terminal Ileitis who underwent primary surgery (n = 29) or received primary medical treatment followed by surgery (n = 74). Primary endpoint was the need for immunosuppressive medication after surgical treatment (ileocecal resection, ICR) during a two-years follow-up. Rates for laparoscopic ICR were enhanced in case of early surgery, but no differences were seen for postoperative complications. In case of immunosuppressive medication, patients with ICR at an early state of disease needed significantly less anti-inflammatory medication during the two-year postoperative follow-up compared to patients who were primarily treated medically. Furthermore, in a subgroup analysis for patients with localized ileocecal disease manifestation, early surgery consistently resulted in a decreased amount of medical therapy postoperatively. In conclusion primary ICR is safe and effective in patients with limited CD, and the need for immunosuppressive medication during the postoperative follow-up is low compared to patients receiving surgery at a later stage of disease.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{KastnerHendricksDeinleinetal.2021,
  author    = {Kastner, Carolin and Hendricks, Anne and Deinlein, Hanna and Hankir, Mohammed and Germer, Christoph-Thomas and Schmidt, Stefanie and Wiegering, Armin},
  title     = {Organoid Models for Cancer Research — From Bed to Bench Side and Back},
  series = {Cancers},
  volume    = {13},
  journal   = {Cancers},
  number    = {19},
  issn      = {2072-6694},
  doi       = {10.3390/cancers13194812},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-246307},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Simple Summary Despite significant strides in multimodal therapy, cancers still rank within the first three causes of death especially in industrial nations. A lack of individualized approaches and accurate preclinical models are amongst the major barriers that limit the development of novel therapeutic options and drugs. Recently, the 3D culture system of organoids was developed which stably retains the genetic and phenotypic characteristics of the original tissue, healthy as well as diseased. In this review, we summarize current data and evidence on the relevance and reliability of such organoid culture systems in cancer research, focusing on their role in drug investigations (in a personalized manner). Abstract Organoids are a new 3D ex vivo culture system that have been applied in various fields of biomedical research. First isolated from the murine small intestine, they have since been established from a wide range of organs and tissues, both in healthy and diseased states. Organoids genetically, functionally and phenotypically retain the characteristics of their tissue of origin even after multiple passages, making them a valuable tool in studying various physiologic and pathophysiologic processes. The finding that organoids can also be established from tumor tissue or can be engineered to recapitulate tumor tissue has dramatically increased their use in cancer research. In this review, we discuss the potential of organoids to close the gap between preclinical in vitro and in vivo models as well as clinical trials in cancer research focusing on drug investigation and development.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{HendricksLenschowKroissetal.2021,
  author    = {Hendricks, Anne and Lenschow, Christina and Kroiss, Matthias and Buck, Andreas and Kickuth, Ralph and Germer, Christoph-Thomas and Schlegel, Nicolas},
  title     = {Evaluation of diagnostic efficacy for localization of parathyroid adenoma in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism undergoing repeat surgery},
  series = {Langenbeck's Archives of Surgery},
  volume    = {406},
  journal   = {Langenbeck's Archives of Surgery},
  number    = {5},
  issn      = {1435-2451},
  doi       = {10.1007/s00423-021-02191-z},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-267520},
  pages     = {1615-1624},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Purpose Repeat surgery in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) is associated with an increased risk of complications and failure. This stresses the need for optimized strategies to accurately localize a parathyroid adenoma before repeat surgery is performed. However, evidence on the extent of required diagnostics for a structured approach is sparse. Methods A retrospective single-center evaluation of 28 patients with an indication for surgery due to pHPT and previous thyroid or parathyroid surgery was performed. Diagnostic workup, surgical approach, and outcome in terms of complications and successful removement of parathyroid adenoma with biochemical cure were evaluated. Results Neck ultrasound, sestamibi scintigraphy, C11-methionine PET-CT, and selective parathyroid hormone venous sampling, but not MRI imaging, effectively detected the presence of a parathyroid adenoma with high positive predictive values. Biochemical cure was revealed by normalization of calcium and parathormone levels 24-48h after surgery and was achieved in 26/28 patients (92.9\%) with an overall low rate of complications. Concordant localization by at least two diagnostic modalities enabled focused surgery with success rates of 100\%, whereas inconclusive localization significantly increased the rate of bilateral explorations and significantly reduced the rate of biochemical cure to 80\%. Conclusion These findings suggest that two concordant diagnostic modalities are sufficient to accurately localize parathyroid adenoma before repeat surgery for pHPT. In cases of poor localization, extended diagnostic procedures are warranted to enhance surgical success rates. We suggest an algorithm for better orientation when repeat surgery is intended in patients with pHPT.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{FlemmingHankirKusanetal.2021,
  author    = {Flemming, Sven and Hankir, Mohammed K. and Kusan, Simon and Krone, Manuel and Anger, Friedrich and Germer, Christoph-Thomas and Wiegering, Armin},
  title     = {Safety of elective abdominal and vascular surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic: a retrospective single-center study},
  series = {European Journal of Medical Research},
  volume    = {26},
  journal   = {European Journal of Medical Research},
  doi       = {10.1186/s40001-021-00583-x},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-264975},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Background Patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who undergo surgery have impaired postoperative outcomes and increased mortality. Consequently, elective and semi-urgent operations on the increasing number of patients severely affected by COVID-19 have been indefinitely postponed.in many countries with unclear implications on disease progression and overall survival. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the establishment of a standardized screening program for acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is sufficient to ensure high-quality medical and surgical treatment of COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients while minimizing in-hospital SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Methods The screening program comprised polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing of nasopharyngeal swabs and a standardized questionnaire about potential symptoms for SARS-CoV-2 infection. All elective and emergency patients admitted to the surgical department of a tertiary-care hospital center in Lower Franconia, Germany, between March and May 2020 were included and their characteristics were recorded. Results Out of the study population (n = 657), 509 patients (77.5\%) had at least one risk factor for a potentially severe course of COVID-19 and 164 patients (25\%) were active smokers. The average 7-day incidence in Lower Franconia was 24.0/100,000 during the observation period. Preoperative PCR testing revealed four asymptomatic positive patients out of the 657 tested patients. No postoperative SARS-CoV-2 infection or transmission could be detected. Conclusion The implementation of a standardized preoperative screening program to both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients can ensure high-quality surgical care while minimizing infection risk for healthcare workers and potential in-hospital transmission.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{BurkardMeirKannapinetal.2021,
  author    = {Burkard, Natalie and Meir, Michael and Kannapin, Felix and Otto, Christoph and Petzke, Maximilian and Germer, Christoph-Thomas and Waschke, Jens and Schlegel, Nicolas},
  title     = {Desmoglein2 Regulates Claudin2 Expression by Sequestering PI-3-Kinase in Intestinal Epithelial Cells},
  series = {Frontiers in Immunology},
  volume    = {12},
  journal   = {Frontiers in Immunology},
  issn      = {1664-3224},
  doi       = {10.3389/fimmu.2021.756321},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-247059},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Inflammation-induced reduction of intestinal desmosomal cadherin Desmoglein 2 (Dsg2) is linked to changes of tight junctions (TJ) leading to impaired intestinal epithelial barrier (IEB) function by undefined mechanisms. We characterized the interplay between loss of Dsg2 and upregulation of pore-forming TJ protein Claudin2. Intraperitoneal application of Dsg2-stablising Tandem peptide (TP) attenuated impaired IEB function, reduction of Dsg2 and increased Claudin2 in DSS-induced colitis in C57Bl/6 mice. TP blocked loss of Dsg2-mediated adhesion and upregulation of Claudin2 in Caco2 cells challenged with TNFα. In Dsg2-deficient Caco2 cells basal expression of Claudin2 was increased which was paralleled by reduced transepithelial electrical resistance and by augmented phosphorylation of AKT\(^{Ser473}\) under basal conditions. Inhibition of phosphoinositid-3-kinase proved that PI-3-kinase/AKT-signaling is critical to upregulate Claudin2. In immunostaining PI-3-kinase dissociated from Dsg2 under inflammatory conditions. Immunoprecipitations and proximity ligation assays confirmed a direct interaction of Dsg2 and PI-3-kinase which was abrogated following TNFα application. In summary, Dsg2 regulates Claudin2 expression by sequestering PI-3-kinase to the cell borders in intestinal epithelium.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{AngerDoeringvanDametal.2021,
  author    = {Anger, Friedrich and D{\"o}ring, Anna and van Dam, Jacob and Lock, Johann Frisco and Klein, Ingo and Bittrich, Max and Germer, Christoph-Thomas and Wiegering, Armin and Kunzmann, Volker and van Eijck, Casper and L{\"o}b, Stefan},
  title     = {Impact of Borderline Resectability in Pancreatic Head Cancer on Patient Survival: Biology Matters According to the New International Consensus Criteria},
  series = {Annals of Surgical Oncology},
  volume    = {28},
  journal   = {Annals of Surgical Oncology},
  number    = {4},
  issn      = {1068-9265},
  doi       = {10.1245/s10434-020-09100-6},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-235251},
  pages     = {2325-2336},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Background International consensus criteria (ICC) have redefined borderline resectability for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) according to three dimensions: anatomical (BR-A), biological (BR-B), and conditional (BR-C). The present definition acknowledges that resectability is not just about the anatomic relationship between the tumour and vessels but that biological and conditional dimensions also are important. Methods Patients' tumours were retrospectively defined borderline resectable according to ICC. The study cohort was grouped into either BR-A or BR-B and compared with patients considered primarily resectable (R). Differences in postoperative complications, pathological reports, overall (OS), and disease-free survival were assessed. Results A total of 345 patients underwent resection for PDAC. By applying ICC in routine preoperative assessment, 30 patients were classified as stage BR-A and 62 patients as stage BR-B. In total, 253 patients were considered R. The cohort did not contain BR-C patients. No differences in postoperative complications were detected. Median OS was significantly shorter in BR-A (15 months) and BR-B (12 months) compared with R (20 months) patients (BR-A vs. R: p = 0.09 and BR-B vs. R: p < 0.001). CA19-9, as the determining factor of BR-B patients, turned out to be an independent prognostic risk factor for OS. Conclusions Preoperative staging defining surgical resectability in PDAC according to ICC is crucial for patient survival. Patients with PDAC BR-B should be considered for multimodal neoadjuvant therapy even if considered anatomically resectable.},
  language  = {en}
}