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Simple Summary: This study explores cryopreservation thyroid autotransplantation as an alternative to hormonal replacement therapy for patients who underwent thyroidectomy during childhood or adulthood. The research evaluates the impact of modern cryopreservation techniques on follicular cell integrity through a feasibility study and literature review. Results indicate preserved tissue architecture and cell viability. Animal and human studies demonstrate successful transplantation outcomes. However, long-term follow-up data are lacking. The findings suggest promising viability of cryopreserved thyroid tissue, yet further research is needed to assess hormone secretion and ensure sustained functionality. This alternative therapy could offer tailored hormone production, aligning with physiological needs. Background and aims: This paper aims to study an alternative solution to hormonal replacement therapy in specific groups of patients who underwent thyroidectomy during childhood or adulthood. After cryopreservation, thyroid autotransplantation could be an alternative solution which would allow us to use the ability of the thyroid tissue of producing hormones according to the physiological needs of the body. Materials and methods: A feasibility study about the effects of the most modern cryopreservation techniques on the structural and functional integrity of the follicular cells of the thyroid tissue has been carried out. Patients who could benefit from the treatment have been found for both autotransplant techniques. Additionally, a literature review has been conducted. Results: The histological analysis has shown that cryopreservation does not alter the original architecture, and the culture examination that cell viability is successfully preserved. Moreover, both thyroid autotransplantation studies on animals and those on humans that were found in the literature have shown good results regarding the viability and functionality of the transplant. Conclusions: The viability of cryopreserved thyroid tissue found in this study is encouraging. Further studies to evaluate the levels of FT3, FT4 and thyroglobulin in thyroid tissue after cryopreservation are needed to verify that the secretory properties of the thyrocytes have been maintained intact. Furthermore, autotransplanted cases found in the literature do not have a long-term follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Our aim is to assess the correlation between testicular volume and histological findings in children with unilateral cryptorchidism. Methods: From September 2016 to August 2018, from 60 patients surgically treated for cryptorchidism, 45 children were enrolled in this single-center prospective study. Depending on the degree of testicular volume reduction, patients were divided into Group 1 with <20% reduction and Group 2 with reduction ⩾20%. Patients underwent unilateral orchidopexy and simultaneous biopsy of the undescended testis. Tanner stage was assigned. Tubular Fertility Index was measured. Results: Group 1 included 20 patients (44.4%) and Group 2 included 25 patients (55.5%). Mean age was 2.10 years (range 12 months–3.8 years) in Group 1 and 2.8 years (range 18 months–4.41 years) in Group 2. Although there is a positive correlation between testicular volume and Tubular Fertility Index, no significant association was found between groups (p -value = 0.29). Furthermore, histological patterns did not differ significantly among groups. Conclusions: The degree of volume reduction in undescended testis does not seem to correlate significantly with the severity of histological changes that accompany cryptorchidism. Tubular Fertility Index could serve as objective tool for the assessment of future fertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aim: Blood cysts of cardiac valves are generally seen in newborns and infants and very rarely in adults. Although in most cases they are incidental findings they may be associated to severe cardiac or systemic complications. This study analyzes incidence, presentation, and treatment of valvular blood cysts in adults. Methods: A review of the pertinent literature through a search mainly on PubMed and Medline was performed. Results: In patients ≥18 years of age, our search disclosed 54 patients with mitral blood cysts (mean age, 48 ± 18 years), 9 with a tricuspid valve cyst (mean age, 67 ± 15 years), 3 with a blood cyst on the pulmonary valve (age 31, 43, and 44 years), and 1 aortic valve cyst in a 22‐year‐old man. Most patients were asymptomatic while stroke, syncope, or myocardial infarction occurred in six patients with a mitral valve cyst. Blood cysts were removed surgically in 70% of patients with a mitral cyst, in 55% with a tricuspid cyst, and in all those with a pulmonary or aortic cyst. At histology, the cyst wall was composed mainly by fibrous tissue and with the inner surface lined with typical endothelium. Conclusions: Blood cysts of cardiac valves are rare in adults but may cause life‐threatening complications, particularly when located on the mitral valve. For such reason, surgical removal appears advisable, with low‐risk procedures. Widespread use of multimodality imaging techniques will most likely increase the number of valvular blood cysts diagnosed also in adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The metabolic phenotype of stem cells is increasingly recognized as a hallmark of their pluripotency with mitochondrial and oxygen-related metabolism playing a not completely defined role in this context. In a previous study, we reported the ectopic expression of myoglobin (MB) in bone marrow-derived hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells. Here, we have extended the analysis to mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) isolated from different tissues. Methods: MSCs were isolated from human placental membrane, mammary adipose tissue and dental pulp and subjected to RT-PCR, Western blotting and mass spectrometry to investigate the expression of MB. A combination of metabolic flux analysis and cyto-imaging was used to profile the metabolic phenotype and the mitochondria dynamics in the different MSCs. Results: As for the hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells, the expression of Mb was largely driven by an alternative transcript with the protein occurring both in the monomer and in the dimer forms as confirmed by mass spectrometry analysis. Comparing the metabolic fluxes between neonatal placental membrane-derived and adult mammary adipose tissue-derived MSCs, we showed a significantly more active bioenergetics profile in the former that correlated with a larger co-localization of myoglobin with the mitochondrial compartment. Differences in the structure of the mitochondrial network as well as in the expression of factors controlling the organelle dynamics were also observed between neonatal and adult mesenchymal stem cells. Finally, the expression of myoglobin was found to be strongly reduced following osteogenic differentiation of dental pulp-derived MSCs, while it was upregulated following reprogramming of human fibroblasts to induce pluripotent stem cells. Conclusions: Ectopic expression of myoglobin in tissues other than muscle raises the question of understanding its function therein. Properties in addition to the canonical oxygen storage/delivery have been uncovered. Finding of Mb expressed via an alternative gene transcript in the context of different stem cells with metabolic phenotypes, its loss during differentiation and recovery in iPSCs suggest a hitherto unappreciated role of Mb in controlling the balance between aerobic metabolism and pluripotency. Understanding how Mb contributes through modulation of the mitochondrial physiology to the stem cell biology paves the way to novel perspectives in regenerative medicine as well as in cancer stem cell therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]