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Stigmatization is a major issue for individuals with acne. Using a simple but expressive study design and a large sample representative of the German general population, this study showed that individuals with residual post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) are stigmatized by the general population even in the absence of active lesions, prolonging the mental burden of acne. Considering that PIH can take years to fade, the results of this study underline the importance of preventing and treating PIH to reduce the mental burden for the affected individuals.

Existing literature shows that on average and across countries, men have higher levels of wealth than women. However, very little is known about the gender-specific wealth gap within couples. This paper studies this phenomenon for the first time in Austria. The particular focus of the paper is on the relationship between the socio-demographic characteristics of the couple and the couple’s gender wealth gap. We focus on how age, education, marital status, fertility, migratory background, and the gender of the respondent are related to the wealth gap within a couple. In both bivariate and multivariate analyses, we find evidence in support of the hypothesis that bargaining power plays an important role in the intra-couple gender wealth gap in Austria. Immigrant women living in a couple with native men, and, among natives, couples in which the man is much older on average, have larger gender wealth gaps. Furthermore, couples in which the woman is the “financially most knowledgeable person” in the household have consistently lower gender wealth gaps.

Purpose Kinase inhibitors (KI) are known to increase radiosensitivity, which can lead to increased risk of side effects. Data about interactions of commonly used KI with ionizing radiation on healthy tissue are rare. Patients and methods Freshly drawn blood samples were analyzed using three-color FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization) to measure individual radiosensitivity via chromosomal aberrations after irradiation (2 Gy). Thresholds of 0.5 and 0.6 breaks/metaphase (B/M) indicate moderate or clearly increased radiosensitivity. Results The cohorts consisted of healthy individuals (NEG, n = 219), radiosensitive patients (POS, n = 24), cancer patients (n = 452) and cancer patients during KI therapy (n = 49). In healthy individuals radiosensitivity (≥ 0.6 B/M) was clearly increased in 5% of all cases, while in the radiosensitive cohort 79% were elevated. KI therapy increased the rate of sensitive patients (≥ 0.6 B/M) to 35% significantly compared to 19% in cancer patients without KI (p = 0.014). Increased radiosensitivity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) among patients occurred in six of seven KI subgroups. The mean B/M values significantly increased during KI therapy (0.47 ± 0.20 B/M without compared to 0.50 ± 0.19 B/M with KI, p = 0.047). Conclusions Kinase inhibitors can intensify individual radiosensitivity of PBMCs distinctly in 85% of tested drugs.

Background Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with a multifactorial genesis including genetic predispositions and environmental risk and trigger factors. One of the latter possibly is smoking, indicated by an increased prevalence of AD in adults and children that are actively or passively exposed to cigarette smoke. Objectives In this study AD characteristics and its atopic comorbidities are compared in smoking and nonsmoking AD patients. Methods TREATgermany is a non-interventional clinical registry which includes patients with moderate to severe AD in Germany. Baseline data of patients included into TREATgermany from inception in June 2016 to April 2020 in 39 sites across Germany was analyzed comparing AD disease characteristics and comorbidities in smokers versus non-smokers. Results Of 921 patients, 908 (male: 58.7%) with a mean age of 41.9 ± 14.4 reported their smoking status. The objective Scoring of Atopic Dermatitis (oSCORAD) did not differ between smokers (n=352; 38.8%) and nonsmokers, however lesions' intensity of oozing/crusts and excoriations as well as patient global assessment scores (PGA) of AD severity were higher in smoking as opposed to nonsmoking patients. Smokers reported a lower number of weeks with well-controlled AD and more severe pruritus than nonsmokers. Total IgE levels were more elevated in smokers and they displayed a younger age at initial diagnosis of bronchial asthma. After adjustment for potential confounders, the increased intensity of oozing/crusts, the reduced number of weeks with well-controlled AD and the greater pruritus remained different in smokers compared to nonsmokers. In addition, smoking patients with adult-onset AD showed a 2.5 times higher chance of involvement of the feet. Conclusions German registry data indicate that AD patients who smoke have a higher disease burden with a different distribution pattern of lesions in adult-onset AD.

Diese Arbeit untersucht die passive Nutzung von Social Network Sites (SNS) und das damit verbundenen Auftreten von Neid. Dabei stehen der Einfluss des Depressionsgrades der Rezipienten sowie das Zusammenspiel zwischen Depressionsgrad und Selbstwirksamkeit im Vordergrund. Die Zusammenhänge zwischen den Variablen wurden in einem moderierten Mediationsmodell zusammengefasst. Die Analyse zeigt sowohl einen direkten positiven Effekt des Depressionsgrades auf das Entstehen von Neid als auch einen indirekten positiven Effekt, der durch die passive Nutzung vermittelt wird. Letzterer ist jedoch nur bei mittleren und hohen Ausprägungen der Selbstwirksamkeit signifikant. Depressive, die mindestens eine mittlere oder hohe Selbstwirksamkeit aufweisen, sind besonders gefährdet für Neid auf SNS. Die Befunde verdeutlichen, dass eine genauere Untersuchung des Zusammenspiels von Depressionsgrad und Selbstwirksamkeit neue Erkenntnisse über die Mediennutzung von Depressiven liefern kann und damit womöglich auch für die Therapie potenziell gewinnbringend ist.

Hintergrund Apps begleiten uns zunehmend in unserem Leben. Auch bei der Versorgung von Pruritus könnten Apps einen Beitrag leisten. Ziel der Arbeit Ziel dieses Beitrags ist es, einen Überblick über bereits verfügbare Apps für Pruritus zu vermitteln. Zusätzlich soll dargestellt werden, ob und wie die identifizierten Pruritus-Apps validiert worden sind und welche Angebote womöglich noch fehlen. Material und Methoden Die 2 größten App-Stores sowie PubMed und Google wurden nach Apps mit Bezug zu Pruritus durchsucht. Relevante medizinische Apps wurden dokumentiert und hinsichtlich ihrer Funktionen kategorisiert. Zusätzlich wurde über PubMed recherchiert, welche Apps wissenschaftlich validiert wurden. Ergebnisse Es wurden 21 Apps mit Bezug zu Pruritus identifiziert. Bei 12 dieser Apps stand Pruritus dabei im Vordergrund, während 8 Apps Pruritus im Kontext einer damit einhergehenden Erkrankung thematisierten (insbesondere Ekzeme, Urtikaria). Folgende Einsatzgebiete von Pruritus-Apps wurden identifiziert: Anamneseerhebung bei chronischem Pruritus, Erhebung von Pruritussymptomen in klinischen Studien, Erfassung von nächtlichem Pruritus, Informationen zu Pruritus und Krankheitsbilder, die Pruritus als Symptom beinhalten. Drei der Apps mit Fokus auf Pruritus wurden wissenschaftlich validiert. Diskussion Es stehen verschiedene Apps für Pruritus zur Verfügung. Die meisten Apps mit explizitem Fokus auf Pruritus richten sich jedoch an Behandler oder Wissenschaftler, während bei Apps für zugrunde liegende Erkrankungen eine größere Patientenzentrierung festgestellt wurde. Aufgrund des technologischen Fortschritts könnten Apps und Wearables in Zukunft zu einer besseren Versorgung von Pruritus beitragen. Zusatzmaterial online Die Online-Version dieses Beitrags (10.1007/s00105-020-04603-5) enthält zusätzliche Abbildungen. Beitrag und Zusatzmaterial stehen Ihnen im elektronischen Volltextarchiv auf https://www.springermedizin.de/der-hautarzt zur Verfügung. Sie finden das Zusatzmaterial am Beitragsende unter „Supplementary Material“.

Zusammenfassung Hintergrund Die Krankheitslast von aktinischen Keratosen und Keratinozytenkarzinomen kann durch Primär- und Sekundärprävention gesenkt werden. Allerdings finden diese Maßnahmen oft nur geringen Zuspruch, v. a. bei der Hochrisikogruppe der Außenberufstätigen. Ziel Ziel dieser Folgebefragung war es zu untersuchen, ob sich 1 Jahr nach einer Präventionskampagne zum Thema Sonnenschutz und Wahrnehmung von Hautveränderungen bei der Studienpopulation, insbesondere bei Außenberufstätigen, eine Verbesserung diesbezüglich feststellen ließ. Material und Methoden Alle Teilnehmer, die sich bei einer Studie beim Bayerischen Zentral-Landwirtschaftsfest 2016 bereit erklärten, noch einmal befragt zu werden, wurden 2017 per Post kontaktiert und erhielten den identischen Fragebogen sowie Evaluationsfragen bezüglich möglicher Verhaltensänderungen. Ergebnisse Insgesamt nahmen 400 Personen an der Folgebefragung teil (Response-Rate 52,8 %). Von den 240 Außenberufstätigen gaben 45,0 % an, sich bewusster vor der Sonne zu schützen, und 68,8 %, bewusster auf Hautveränderungen zu achten. Etwa 85,0 % der Außenberufstätigen würden nun früher einen Dermatologen aufsuchen, und 65,8 % wünschten sich weitere Präventionskampagnen zum Thema Hautkrebs und Sonnenschutz. Diskussion Insgesamt gab die Mehrheit der Befragten an, ein verbessertes Sonnenschutzverhalten und eine bessere Wahrnehmung von Hautveränderungen nach der Intervention zu haben. Basierend auf den Eigenangaben, zeigte sich v. a. bei Außenberufstätigen eine Verbesserung, was die Wichtigkeit solcher zielgruppenorientierten Präventionskampagnen für die Senkung der Krankheitslast unterstreicht.

Background Atopic dermatitis (AD) is the most common chronic inflammatory skin disease worldwide and displays many atopic, but also non-atopic comorbidities. Among the latter, mental health disorders such as depression have been extensively studied. However, data on addictions are still rare. Objectives The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of different kinds of addictions in adult AD patients using a single-centre approach. Methods This non-interventional cross-sectional study was performed from 03/2020 to 05/2020 at the Department of Dermatology of a large German university hospital. Participants with a diagnosis of AD confirmed by a dermatologist answered questions about disease severity (patient-oriented eczema measure, POEM), quality of life (Dermatology Life Quality Index, DLQI) and smoking habits. They were screened for problematic alcohol consumption, drug abuse, internet addiction and pathological gambling using internationally established and validated questionnaires. Results 157 patients (56.1% female; mean age of 49.9 ± 20.4) with an average POEM of 13.7 ± 7.5 and DLQI of 6.1 ± 5.4 were evaluated. 14.1% were identified as regular smokers, 12.1% screened positive for alcohol dependency, 6.4% for drug use disorders, 4.5% for Internet addiction and 3.2% for pathological gambling. Co-occurrences of different addictions were observed, and a positive correlation was noted between DLQI scores and smoking. Conclusions In summary, this study hints at elevated positive screening rates for problematic alcohol consumption, drug use disorders, Internet addiction and problem gambling compared with the general population. Screening routinely for addictions may improve patient-centred health care of AD patients.

Simple Summary In radiotherapy for rectal cancer, the treatment is identical for women and men. In recent years, the question has arisen whether there are gender differences in radiochemotherapy. We have investigated, in detail, differences between men and women, especially with regard to radiation sensitivity. We found no evidence for a difference in radiosensitivity between the sexes. Nevertheless, during radiochemotherapy, women experienced increased impairments in the quality of life, which, however, are restored in the subsequent period. One possibility is an increased sensitivity of women to chemotherapy. Abstract Gender is increasingly recognized as an important factor in medicine, although it has long been neglected in medical research in many areas. We have studied the influence of gender in advanced rectal cancer with a special focus on radiosensitivity. For this purpose, we studied a cohort of 495 men (84.1% ≥ T3, 63.6% N1, 17.6%, M1) and 215 women (84.2% ≥ T3, 56.7% N1, 22.8%, M1) who all suffered from advanced rectal cancer and were treated with radiochemotherapy. The energy deposited, DNA double-strand break (dsb) repair, occurrence of chromosomal aberrations, duration of therapy, tumor regression and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, laboratory parameters, quality of life and survival were assessed. The residual DNA dsb damage 24 h after irradiation in lymphocytes was identical in both sexes. Furthermore, chromosomal aberrations accurately reflecting radiosensitivity, were similar in both sexes. There were no gender-dependent differences in tumor regression, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and outcome indicating no differences in the radiosensitivity of cancer cells. The irradiated tumor volume in women was slightly lower than in men, related to body weight, no difference was observed. However, when the total energy deposited was calculated and related to the body weight, women were exposed to higher amounts of ionizing radiation. During radiochemotherapy, decreases in blood lymphocyte counts and albumin and several quality-of-life parameters such as nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, and diarrhea were significantly worse in women. There is no difference in radiation sensitivity between men and women in both normal tissue and tumors. During radiochemotherapy, the quality of life deteriorates more in women than in men. However, women also recover quickly and there are no long-term differences in quality of life.

BACKGROUND Little is known about what people with psoriasis are interested in when they search the web. As the Internet is becoming increasingly relevant as a source of information for health-related questions, the monitoring of online search behavior allows the assessment of interest in a disease on a more representative level by including people outside of medical settings. OBJECTIVE This study aims to reveal relevant aspects regarding psoriasis for people consulting the web. METHODS Google Ads Keyword Planner was used to select and evaluate relevant keywords for ‘psoriasis’ in the study period from September 2016 to August 2020. All keywords were qualitatively reviewed and descriptively analyzed in eleven categories. The study considered the search volume for all of Germany with German as the language preference. One-way analysis of variance, Welch test and Pearson’s correlation coefficient were used to assess differences in the German states, annual search volume and seasons. RESULTS Among 11,170,740 German language Google searches on the topic of psoriasis, the keyword with the overall highest search volume was the German lay term for psoriasis “Schuppenflechte” (n=3,634,000, 32.5%), followed by “psoriasis” (n=2,675,600, 24.0%) and “psoriasis scalp” (n=369,200, 3.3%). In the general category, the most commonly searched for disease aspect related to the possible contagiousness of psoriasis (n=122,040). “Head” (51.1%), followed by “nails” (15.9%), “hands” (8.8%), “feet” (7.8%), and “genital/anal area” (6.1%), was the most frequently searched for localization. Pustular forms of psoriasis were overrepresented in the search volume relative to their frequency in the literature. Almost half of the search terms for therapy were represented by keywords related to alternative care and phytotherapy. Less than one percent of queries on therapy dealt with biologics. Differences between the federal states for search volumes on treatment options (P CONCLUSIONS Queries on pustular forms and difficult-to-treat areas gained high online interest, which suggests a subjectively higher burden of disease or underdiagnosis. Concerning therapy, people most notably consulted the web for alternative therapy options instead of guideline-conform therapies. This suggests possible therapy dissatisfaction, lack of patient information, or lack of access to guideline-conform therapy options. The possible infectiousness of psoriasis seems to remain an issue in the general population and should be continously addressed to reduce stigmatization. CLINICALTRIAL

Zusammenfassung Ziel der Studie Die Teledermatologie bietet Potenziale, um die dermatologische Versorgung in ländlichen Regionen zu verbessern. Ziel dieser Studie war es, die Nutzungsbereitschaft von Teledermatologie in der ländlichen Bevölkerung Bayerns zu erheben und Bedenken zu erfassen. Methodik Die Daten wurden im Rahmen einer Querschnittsstudie im Bayerischen Wald (Q1/2017) sowie einer Follow-up-Erhebung einer laufenden Kohortenstudie (Q1/2018) mithilfe standardisierter Papierfragebögen erhoben. Studienteilnehmer wurden gefragt, ob sie bereit wären, ihrem Dermatologen Fotos von „Hautausschlägen“ oder anderen Hautveränderungen über das Internet zu senden, und falls „nein“, warum nicht. Ergebnisse Insgesamt wurden Daten von 1 116 Personen mit Wohnsitz in Bayern ausgewertet (Altersdurchschnitt 50,2 Jahren, 57,3% weiblich, 80,4% mit Wohnsitz in ländlichen Landkreisen). Die Bereitschaft zur Nutzung von Teledermatologie in der Gesamtstichprobe lag bei 36,6%. Frauen, ältere Studienteilnehmer und Studienteilnehmer, die in ländlichen Regionen lebten, waren weniger offen für die Nutzung von Teledermatologie. Die häufigsten Bedenken gegenüber Teledermatologie waren Unpersönlichkeit, Zweifel an der Qualität der medizinischen Leistung sowie Bedenken hinsichtlich des Datenschutzes und der Privatsphäre. Schlussfolgerung Die Bereitschaft zur Nutzung von Teledermatologie in den ländlichen Regionen Bayerns ist bisher eher gering. Damit die Teledermatologie ihre Potenziale zur Verbesserung der medizinischen Versorgung voll entfalten könnte, wäre eine umfangreiche Aufklärung der ländlichen Bevölkerung über Funktionsweisen und die Möglichkeiten der Teledermatologie sowie eine Sicherstellung des Datenschutzes unerlässlich.

During pandemics, the whole population is simultaneously confronted with the same health threat, resulting in enormous public interest. The current COVID-19 pandemic has left the world in a unique state of crisis. The aim of this analysis was to explore whether Google searches can be used to retrospectively retrace the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany and to detect local outbreaks by reflecting public interest in the virus.Google Trends was used to explore the relative search volume (RSV) related to "coronavirus" from January 2020 to July 2020 in Germany. The RSV ranging between 0-100 was compared to new SARS-CoV-2 infections per day on a national level and to the cumulative infection numbers on a state level, as well as to important infectiological and political events.The most striking search peaks occurred after the first reported SARS-CoV-2 infection in Germany (January 27), during a major local outbreak in Heinsberg (February 25), after school closings (March 13) and the largest peak after nationwide contact restrictions (March 22) were announced. On a state level, peaks in RSV were observed after the first reported infection in each respective state. In addition, a higher RSV was recorded in states with higher numbers of infections (r=0,6, p=0,014) such as in Bavaria (RSV=96, 391 infections/100,000 inhabitants) and Baden-Württemberg (RSV=98, 340 infections/100,000 inhabitants). The lowest RSV (n=83) and lowest number of infections (50 infections/100,000 inhabitants) was observed in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Since the end of May, SARS-CoV-2 related RSV remained at low level even when numbers of infections were temporarily rising due to local outbreaks such as the outbreak in Gütersloh, North Rhine-Westphalia.RSV related to "coronavirus" precisely reflected public interest during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. As public interest has strongly declined, information distribution regarding the newest developments over the entire course of the pandemic will be a major public health challenge.Während Pandemien ist die gesamte Gesellschaft zur gleichen Zeit mit derselben Erkrankung konfrontiert, was zu großem öffentlichen Interesse führt. Die aktuelle COVID-19 Pandemie hat die ganze Welt in einen einmaligen Ausnahmezustand versetzt. Ziel dieser Studie war es zu untersuchen ob das Pandemiegeschehen in Deutschland anhand von Google Suchanfragen retrospektiv rekonstruiert werden kann und ob lokale Ausbrüche mithilfe von Google Daten detektiert werden können.Das relative Google Suchvolumen (RSV) zum Thema "Coronavirus" wurde für den Zeitraum von Januar bis Juli 2020 mit Google Trends analysiert. Das RSV, das zwischen 0 und 100 betragen kann, wurde auf Bundesebene mit den täglich neu gemeldeten SARS-CoV-2 Infektionszahlen und auf Länderebene mit den kumulativen Infektionszahlen pro Bundesland sowie wichtigen infektiologischen und politischen Ereignissen verglichen.Höchstwerte im Google Suchvolumen nach der ersten gemeldeten SARS-CoV-2-Infektion in Deutschland (27. Januar), während des lokalen Ausbruchs in Heinsberg (25. Februar), nach den Schulschließungen (13. März) sowie, der absolute Höchstwert, nach Verkündung der bundesweiten Kontaktbeschränkungen (22. März) verzeichnet worden. Auf Bundesländerebene wurde immer dann ein Anstieg im Suchvolumen beobachtet, wenn die erste SARS-CoV-2 Infektion im jeweiligen Bundesland gemeldet wurde. Zudem wurde ein höheres RSV in Bundesländern mit mehr gemeldeten SARS-CoV-2-Infektionen registriert (r=0,6, p=0,014), wie z. B. in Bayern (RSV=96, 391 Infektionen/100 000 Einwohner) und Baden-Württemberg (RSV=98, 340 Infektionen/100 000 Einwohner). Das niedrigste RSV (n=83) und die niedrigste Anzahl an Infektionen (50 Infektionen/100 000 Einwohner) wurde in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern beobachtet. Seit Ende Mai ist das RSV bezüglich SARS-CoV-2 konstant gering, obwohl die Zahl an Neuinfektionen zwischenzeitlich aufgrund lokaler Ausbrüche gestiegen war wie z. B. der lokale Ausbruch in Gütersloh, Nordrhein-Westfalen. SCHLUßFOLGERUNG: Das RSV zum Thema "Coronavirus" bildeten das öffentliche Interesse während der ersten Monate der COVID-19 Pandemie präzise ab. Da das öffentliche Interesse jedoch stark nachgelassen hat, könnte es eine zentrale Herausforderung im weiteren Verlauf der Pandemie darstellen, die Bevölkerung weiterhin über neueste Entwicklungen und Maßnahmen informiert zu halten.During pandemics, the whole population is simultaneously confronted with the same health threat, resulting in enormous public interest. The current COVID-19 pandemic has left the world in a unique state of crisis. The aim of this analysis was to explore whether Google searches can be used to retrospectively retrace the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany and to detect local outbreaks by reflecting public interest in the virus.Google Trends was used to explore the relative search volume (RSV) related to “coronavirus” from January 2020 to July 2020 in Germany. The RSV ranging between 0-100 was compared to new SARS-CoV-2 infections per day on a national level and to the cumulative infection numbers on a state level, as well as to important infectiological and political events.The most striking search peaks occurred after the first reported SARS-CoV-2 infection in Germany (January 27), during a major local outbreak in Heinsberg (February 25), after school closings (March 13) and the largest peak after nationwide contact restrictions (March 22) were announced. On a state level, peaks in RSV were observed after the first reported infection in each respective state. In addition, a higher RSV was recorded in states with higher numbers of infections (r=0,6, p=0,014) such as in Bavaria (RSV=96, 391 infections/100,000 inhabitants) and Baden-Württemberg (RSV=98, 340 infections/100,000 inhabitants). The lowest RSV (n=83) and lowest number of infections (50 infections/100,000 inhabitants) was observed in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Since the end of May, SARS-CoV-2 related RSV remained at low level even when numbers of infections were temporarily rising due to local outbreaks such as the outbreak in Gütersloh, North Rhine-Westphalia.RSV related to “coronavirus” precisely reflected public interest during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. As public interest has strongly declined, information distribution regarding the newest developments over the entire course of the pandemic will be a major public health challenge.Während Pandemien ist die gesamte Gesellschaft zur gleichen Zeit mit derselben Erkrankung konfrontiert, was zu großem öffentlichen Interesse führt. Die aktuelle COVID-19 Pandemie hat die ganze Welt in einen einmaligen Ausnahmezustand versetzt. Ziel dieser Studie war es zu untersuchen ob das Pandemiegeschehen in Deutschland anhand von Google Suchanfragen retrospektiv rekonstruiert werden kann und ob lokale Ausbrüche mithilfe von Google Daten detektiert werden können.Das relative Google Suchvolumen (RSV) zum Thema „Coronavirus“ wurde für den Zeitraum von Januar bis Juli 2020 mit Google Trends analysiert. Das RSV, das zwischen 0 und 100 betragen kann, wurde auf Bundesebene mit den täglich neu gemeldeten SARS-CoV-2 Infektionszahlen und auf Länderebene mit den kumulativen Infektionszahlen pro Bundesland sowie wichtigen infektiologischen und politischen Ereignissen verglichen.Höchstwerte im Google Suchvolumen nach der ersten gemeldeten SARS-CoV-2-Infektion in Deutschland (27. Januar), während des lokalen Ausbruchs in Heinsberg (25. Februar), nach den Schulschließungen (13. März) sowie, der absolute Höchstwert, nach Verkündung der bundesweiten Kontaktbeschränkungen (22. März) verzeichnet worden. Auf Bundesländerebene wurde immer dann ein Anstieg im Suchvolumen beobachtet, wenn die erste SARS-CoV-2 Infektion im jeweiligen Bundesland gemeldet wurde. Zudem wurde ein höheres RSV in Bundesländern mit mehr gemeldeten SARS-CoV-2-Infektionen registriert (r=0,6, p=0,014), wie z. B. in Bayern (RSV=96, 391 Infektionen/100 000 Einwohner) und Baden-Württemberg (RSV=98, 340 Infektionen/100 000 Einwohner). Das niedrigste RSV (n=83) und die niedrigste Anzahl an Infektionen (50 Infektionen/100 000 Einwohner) wurde in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern beobachtet. Seit Ende Mai ist das RSV bezüglich SARS-CoV-2 konstant gering, obwohl die Zahl an Neuinfektionen zwischenzeitlich aufgrund lokaler Ausbrüche gestiegen war wie z. B. der lokale Ausbruch in Gütersloh, Nordrhein-Westfalen. SCHLUßFOLGERUNG: Das RSV zum Thema „Coronavirus“ bildeten das öffentliche Interesse während der ersten Monate der COVID-19 Pandemie präzise ab. Da das öffentliche Interesse jedoch stark nachgelassen hat, könnte es eine zentrale Herausforderung im weiteren Verlauf der Pandemie darstellen, die Bevölkerung weiterhin über neueste Entwicklungen und Maßnahmen informiert zu halten.

Molekulardiagnostik (MDx) gewinnt in der Dermatologie zunehmend an Bedeutung und ihre Anwendung ist eine Voraussetzung für personalisierte Medizin. Das Ziel dieser Querschnittstudie war es, zu untersuchen, wie oft MDx in dermatologischen Praxen in den drei Bereichen Onkologie, entzündliche Hauterkrankungen und Infektiologie angewendet wird und welche Hürden für niedergelassene Dermatologen bezüglich MDx bestehen.Die ärztlichen Mitglieder des Berufsverbandes der Deutschen Dermatologen e. V. (BVDD) wurden mit Hilfe eines Online-Fragebogens zur MDx befragt.Es gaben 39,6 % der 192 Teilnehmer an, MDx anzuwenden. Von diesen setzte der Großteil MDx ein, um Infektionskrankheiten zu diagnostizieren (86,5 % und 44,3 % der Anwender verwendeten MDx zum Nachweis von Pilzerkrankungen bzw. sexuell übertragbaren Erkrankungen). Nur ein kleiner Anteil nutzte MDx für onkologische oder entzündliche Fragestellungen. Die größten Hürden für die Nichtanwender im Vergleich zu den Anwendern waren Schwierigkeiten bei der Implementierung von MDx, fehlende Expertise sowie zeitliche, personelle und technische Umsetzbarkeit. Die Erstattungsfähigkeit war ein großes Problem für beide Gruppen.Obwohl es Therapiemöglichkeiten gibt, die Präzisionsmedizin erfordern, ist MDx bei niedergelassenen Dermatologen noch nicht sehr verbreitet. Um MDx voranzutreiben, sind Bemühungen zur kontinuierlichen Fortbildung bezüglich MDx, die Verfügbarkeit von zuverlässigen und validen Tests sowie die Erstattungsfähigkeit erforderlich.

Molecular diagnostics (MDx) increasingly gains importance in dermatology and its application is a prerequisite for personalized medicine. The goal of this cross-sectional study was to determine how MDx is implemented in dermatologists' offices in the three fields of oncology, inflammation and infectiology and which hurdles office-based dermatologists face in terms of MDx.Physician members of the Association of the German Dermatologists (Berufsverband der Deutschen Dermatologen e. V.; BVDD) were surveyed via an online questionnaire on MDx.39.6 % of the 192 participants reported using MDx. Of these, the vast majority used MDx for diagnosing infectious diseases (86.5 % and 44.3 % of users perform MDx for detection of funghi and sexually transmitted diseases, respectively). Only a small minority applied MDx to answer oncological or immunological questions. The major obstacles for non-users as compared to users were difficulties in implementation, lack of expertise as well as time, personnel, and technical availability. Reimbursement was a main issue in both groups.Despite availability of specific therapies requiring precision medicine, MDx has not yet been broadly implemented in office-based dermatology. To advance MDx, more needs to be done in terms of continuous education, availability of reliable and valid tests, and reimbursability.

Purpose Prior research on the psychological consequences of skin diseases has focused on assessing mental comorbidities. The aim of this study was to investigate subjective well-being in a large sample of individuals affected by psoriasis, a chronic inflammatory skin disease, and to explore the associations with depression and disease-related parameters such as disease severity. Methods A cross-sectional online survey was conducted from March to June 2019. The link to the questionnaire was shared on websites and Facebook pages of psoriasis patient organizations and campaigns. Participants filled in validated scales measuring subjective well-being—operationalized as positive affect (PA), negative affect (NA) and satisfaction with life (SWL); and depression. Results The data of 722 participants were analyzed. Exploratory factor analysis supported the differentiation of PA, NA, SWL, and depression as four different constructs. The respondents reported lower levels of PA than healthy individuals and judged themselves to be less happy and were less satisfied with their lives than the general population (except age group 65 + years). 40.3% of respondents were screened positive for depression. More severe psoriasis was associated with lower affective well-being and a higher risk for depression. Conclusion The results of this study empirically supported the differentiation of subjective well-being and depression as different constructs in individuals with psoriasis, and underline the large mental burden of the disease which goes beyond a higher risk for depression. Measures of well-being should thus be incorporated in both research and clinical practice in patients with psoriasis in order to achieve a more comprehensive picture of the mental burden of this disease.

Despite numerous information sources and campaigns on sexually transmitted infections (STIs), there has been an increase in STIs in Germany in recent years. The aim was to evaluate the awareness and knowledge level among young students in Bavaria/Germany for STIs with a focus on human papilloma viruses (HPV).In a cross-sectional survey rendered completely and irreversibly anonymous, a total of 4,100 students from Bavaria between the ages of 12 and 17 were interviewed using a multiple choice questionnaire about their knowledge and awareness of STI, on the basis of gender, school education and preventive youth health examinations that had taken place.A total of 3,834 questionnaires were included in the data analysis. Interestingly, the awareness level for HPV is remarkably lower compared to other STIs. Girls and adolescents who had already taken preventive youth health examinations showed a higher knowledge of STIs on average. Additionally, we could show that adolescents of lower educational levels, such as secondary school students, had the least knowledge.The cross-sectional study shows that many young people are still insufficiently informed about STIs. The gaps in information and lack of knowledge underline the necessity of intensive and long-term educational work.

Patients with genital psoriasis show poorer outcomes regarding quality of life and sexual distress than those without. This study aimed to assess the occurrence of genital psoriasis and to determine factors associated with the avoidance of sexual activities due to psoriasis in a non-clinical setting. A cross-sectional, person-centered, and online-based nationwide survey was conducted in Germany between March and June 2019. A multiple logistic regression model was used to analyze the data. Furthermore, free-text answers were provided. Overall, 344 individuals with psoriasis participated. Of these, 198 (57.6%) reported having genital psoriasis and 261 (75.9%) currently received medical care. Duration of psoriasis, subjective overall severity, and pain during sex were associated with the avoidance of sexual activities. Most prevalent reasons to avoid sexual activities were 'shame,' 'pain,' and 'fear of rejection.' Sexual distress was high in this sample and a person-centered care approach needs to be further promoted.

The disease burden of actinic keratoses and keratinocyte carcinoma can be reduced by primary and secondary prevention. However, these measures are often poorly received, especially among the high-risk group of outdoor workers.The aim of this follow-up study was to investigate whether an improvement in sun protection and awareness of skin changes could be observed among the study population, especially outdoor workers, one year after a prevention campaign focusing on this topic.In 2017, all participants who initially participated in a study at the Bavarian Central Agricultural Festival 2016 and agreed to participate in the follow-up study were contacted by mail and received the same questionnaire and evaluation questions regarding possible behavioral changes.A total of 400 people took part in the follow-up study (response rate 52.8%). Of the 240 outdoor workers, 45.0% said they were more conscious of protecting themselves from the sun and 68.8% said they were more aware of skin changes. About 85.0% of outdoor workers indicated that they would consult a dermatologist earlier and 65.8% desired further prevention campaigns regarding skin cancer and sun protection.Overall, the majority of participants reported that they had improved sun protection behavior and awareness of skin changes after the intervention. Based on the participants' self-disclosure, especially outdoor workers tended to use sun protection measure more frequently. These findings underline the importance of target group-oriented awareness and prevention campaigns to reduce the burden of skin cancer.

Die Pravalenz von chronischem und akutem Pruritus in der Allgemeinbevolkerung ist schwer zu ermitteln, da Betroffene haufig nicht zum Arzt gehen. Ziel dieser Studie ist es, mithilfe von Analysen des Google-Suchvolumens Ruckschlusse auf die Haufigkeit sowie die haufigsten Lokalisationen von Pruritus in der internetnutzenden Bevolkerung in Deutschland zu ziehen, die mit 62,4 Mio. Personen einen Grosteil der deutschen Allgemeinbevolkerung umfasst. Mithilfe des Google-AdWords-Keyword-Planner wurden relevante Keywords zum Thema „Juckreiz“ im Zeitraum von Januar 2015 bis Dezember 2016 identifiziert und hinsichtlich des Suchvolumens analysiert. Insgesamt wurden 701 Keywords zum Thema „Juckreiz“ vom Google-AdWords-Keyword-Planner identifiziert, die im Analysezeitraum 7.531.890 Suchanfragen bei Google erzielten. Die haufigsten Suchbegriffe waren dabei „Neurodermitis“ (23,7 %), „Schuppenflechte“ (17,8 %) und „Psoriasis“ (13 %), erst auf Platz 6 folgte der Begriff „Juckreiz“ (3 %). Die meisten Suchanfragen (72 %) thematisierten Einflussfaktoren und dabei v. a. Hauterkrankungen und Hautveranderungen. Die haufigste Lokalisation war Pruritus am ganzen Korper, gefolgt von Juckreiz im Analbereich. Im jahreszeitlichen Verlauf zeigte sich ein hoheres monatliches Suchvolumen zum Thema Pruritus im Winterhalbjahr. Die vorliegende Studie erlaubt mit ihrer unkonventionellen Methodik von Google-Suchmaschinenanalysen erstmalig eine grobe Schatzung des „medical needs“ von Pruritus in Deutschland auf Bevolkerungsebene, der hoher als bisher angenommen erscheint. Dabei wurde v. a. auch Pruritus im Analbereich als „unmet need“ identifiziert.

In general, late side effects after salvage radiotherapy (RT) for prostate cancer are below 10%. Patients with impaired DNA repair ability and genetic instability can have significantly increased reactions after RT. We present a patient who experienced severe side effects after additive RT for prostate cancer and died from the complications 25 months after RT. Imaging (MR) is shown as well as three-color fluorescence in situ hybridization. The blood sample testing revealed that radiosensitivity was increased by 35–55%. We undertook a review of the literature to give an overview over the tests established that are currently considered useful. This case highlights that the identification of patients with increased radiosensitivity is an important task in radiation protection. Groups of patients who should be screened have to be found and corresponding research facilities have to be set up.

Background Individual radiosensitivity is influencing the outcome of radiation therapy. A general ex vivo testing is very work-intensive. It is of interest to see if a significant prediction concerning the sensitivity can be made by in vivo irradiation during radiation treatment. Methods Blood samples of 274 patients with rectal cancer and 43 lung cancer patients receiving radiotherapy were examined after 2 Gy ex vivo and in vivo ionizing radiation. Chromosomes # 1, 2 and 4 were stained by the 3-color-fluorescence in situ hybridization. Chromosomal aberrations were analyzed as breaks per metaphase (B/M). The deposited energy per session was calculated for each patient. Results Weak correlation could be found between the chromosomal aberrations ex and in vivo. Though receiving significantly smaller deposited energy during radiation therapy (RT) the lung cancer cohort displayed B/M values similar to the rectal cancer cohort. Considering the individual deposit energy differences improved slightly the correlation. Conclusions As various factors influence the induction of chromosomal aberrations it seems not feasible to estimate individual radiosensitivity via in vivo irradiation. An ex vivo estimation of individual radiosensitivity should be preferred.

Hintergrund und ziele Das Internet ist eine gangige Informationsquelle bezuglich gesundheitlicher Themen. Soziale Medien ermoglichen es Patienten mit Psoriasis, Informationen uber ihre Erkrankung zu suchen und auszutauschen. Ihre Nutzung geht jedoch auch mit Risiken wie Fehlinformation und Neid einher. Ziel dieser Studie war es, die Relevanz und Eignung von Facebook als Quelle krankheitsbezogener Informationen fur Patienten mit Psoriasis zu untersuchen. Material und methodik Querschnittsstudie in Form einer Online-Befragung (11/2017-01/2018). Der Link wurde auf einer deutschen Psoriasis-Informationswebsite veroffentlicht. Daten uber die allgemeine und krankheitsbezogene Facebook-Nutzung der Teilnehmer sowie deren Einschatzung der Chancen und Risiken von Facebook in Bezug auf Psoriasis wurden erhoben. Ergebnisse 101 Teilnehmer mit Psoriasis haben den Fragebogen vollstandig ausgefullt. 75 % von ihnen berichteten, Facebook mindestens einmal pro Monat zu nutzen, und 72 % der Facebook-Nutzer gaben an, auf Facebook nach krankheitsbezogenen Informationen zu suchen. Aktive Mitglieder von Facebook-Gruppen mit Bezug zu Psoriasis bewerteten Facebook als nutzlicher im Umgang mit der Erkrankung als andere Nutzer. 60 % der Facebook-Nutzer berichteten auf Facebook fragwurdigen Informationen uber Psoriasis und 57 % Werbung mit Bezugen zu Psoriasis ausgesetzt zu sein. Schlussfolgerungen Laut den Ergebnissen dieser Studie ist Facebook eine relevante Informationsquelle fur Patienten mit Psoriasis. Die Qualitat der Informationen erscheint jedoch unzureichend und sollte deshalb verbessert werden.

BACKGROUND According to the World Health Organization, mental health is a state of well-being and not merely the absence of disease. However, studies exploring subjective well-being in patients with skin diseases are very rare. OBJECTIVES To assess subjective well-being, i.e. 'happiness', in patients with different skin diseases and to compare them to other patient groups and healthy controls. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted from 12/2017 to 04/2019. Patients receiving in- or outpatient care for psoriasis, atopic eczema, nummular eczema, mastocytosis, skin cancer (malignant melanoma and keratinocyte carcinoma), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis) were recruited at two hospitals in Bavaria, Germany. Healthy individuals living in or near Munich served as a control group. All participants filled in a questionnaire assessing happiness, measured as positive affect (PA), negative affect and satisfaction with life (SWL; together representing subjective well-being) and a heuristic evaluation of one's own happiness. RESULTS Data from 229 dermatologic patients (53.3 ± 18.5 years, 48% women), 49 patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (48.9 ± 18.7 years, 43% women), 49 patients with HIV (46 ± 10.1 years, 10% women) and 106 healthy controls (38.4 ± 13.4 years, 49% women) were analysed. Compared to the controls, dermatologic patients reported lower heuristic happiness (P = 0.023) and PA (P = 0.001) but higher SWL (P = 0.043). Patients with psoriasis and atopic eczema reported the lowest happiness, as they reported significantly lower PA (P = 0.032 and P

© 2018 Hogrefe Publishing. Prior research has shown an association between Facebook users' likelihood of engaging in social surveillance (i.e., browsing through friends' postings without directly interacting with them), their experience of envy, and their depressive symptoms. Yet the directionality and duration of this effect are unclear. Drawing on the stress generation hypothesis, we postulate that depression increases Facebook surveillance and envy, which may increase depression over time. Using a cross-lagged longitudinal design with two waves spaced 1 year apart, we find that, as expected, depression was associated with more Facebook surveillance and more envy, both initially and 1 year later. However, neither Facebook surveillance nor envy at Time 1 increased depression at Time 2. Instead, depression predicted envy, and envy predicted Facebook surveillance over time. The results show the utility of the stress generation hypothesis in a social media context and have implications for Facebook users' psychological well-being. ispartof: Journal of Media Psychology-Theories Methods and Applications vol:31 issue:4 pages:1-7 status: Published online

Teledermatology has a great potential to improve dermatologic care in rural regions. The aim of this study was to assess the willingness to use teledermatology in the rural population of Bavaria, Southern Germany, and to explore major concerns regarding teledermatology.The data of this cross-sectional study were collected both as part of a health survey conducted in the Bavarian forest region in Q1/2017 and as part of a follow-up survey (Q1/2018) of a running cohort study recruited at a Bavarian agricultural festival. Study participants were asked in a standardized questionnaire whether they would send pictures of skin rashes or other skin changes to their dermatologist via the internet, and if "no", why not.Data on 1,116 participants living in Bavaria were analysed (mean age 50.2 years, 57.3% female, 80.4% living in rural regions). Of the whole sample, 36.6% were willing to use teledermatology. Women, older participants and participants living in rural regions were less open to the use of teledermatology. Major concerns regarding teledermatology were impersonality, doubts about the quality of the service and data safety and privacy concerns.The willingness to use teledermatology in the rural population of Bavaria is still rather low. Before teledermatology can realise its full potential for improving health care in rural regions, the population needs to be educated about the functioning and the advantages of teledermatology, and data safety concerns need to be addressed.Die Teledermatologie bietet Potenziale, um die dermatologische Versorgung in ländlichen Regionen zu verbessern. Ziel dieser Studie war es, die Nutzungsbereitschaft von Teledermatologie in der ländlichen Bevölkerung Bayerns zu erheben und Bedenken zu erfassen.Die Daten wurden im Rahmen einer Querschnittsstudie im Bayerischen Wald (Q1/2017) sowie einer Follow-up-Erhebung einer laufenden Kohortenstudie (Q1/2018) mithilfe standardisierter Papierfragebögen erhoben. Studienteilnehmer wurden gefragt, ob sie bereit wären, ihrem Dermatologen Fotos von „Hautausschlägen“ oder anderen Hautveränderungen über das Internet zu senden, und falls „nein“, warum nicht.Insgesamt wurden Daten von 1 116 Personen mit Wohnsitz in Bayern ausgewertet (Altersdurchschnitt 50,2 Jahren, 57,3% weiblich, 80,4% mit Wohnsitz in ländlichen Landkreisen). Die Bereitschaft zur Nutzung von Teledermatologie in der Gesamtstichprobe lag bei 36,6%. Frauen, ältere Studienteilnehmer und Studienteilnehmer, die in ländlichen Regionen lebten, waren weniger offen für die Nutzung von Teledermatologie. Die häufigsten Bedenken gegenüber Teledermatologie waren Unpersönlichkeit, Zweifel an der Qualität der medizinischen Leistung sowie Bedenken hinsichtlich des Datenschutzes und der Privatsphäre.Die Bereitschaft zur Nutzung von Teledermatologie in den ländlichen Regionen Bayerns ist bisher eher gering. Damit die Teledermatologie ihre Potenziale zur Verbesserung der medizinischen Versorgung voll entfalten könnte, wäre eine umfangreiche Aufklärung der ländlichen Bevölkerung über Funktionsweisen und die Möglichkeiten der Teledermatologie sowie eine Sicherstellung des Datenschutzes unerlässlich.

Background and objectives The Internet is a commonly used source of health-related information. Social media allow psoriasis patients to seek and share information about their disease. However, they also involve risks such as misinformation and envy. The aim of this study was to explore the relevance and suitability of Facebook as a source of disease-related information for patients with psoriasis. Patients and methods Cross-sectional study consisting of an online survey (11/2017-01/2018). The link was published on a German information website focused on psoriasis. We also collected data about the respondents' general and disease-related Facebook habits as well as their assessment of opportunities and risks of Facebook in the context of psoriasis. Results 101 participants with psoriasis completed the questionnaire. Of these, 75 % reported using Facebook at least once a month, and 72 % of Facebook users stated that they had searched for disease-related information on Facebook. Active members of psoriasis-related Facebook groups deemed Facebook more helpful for coping with psoriasis. 60 % of Facebook users reported unreliable information and 57 % reported sales promotions regarding psoriasis when using Facebook. Conclusions We found that Facebook is a relevant source of information for psoriasis patients. However, the quality of information offered seems insufficient and needs to be improved.

BACKGROUND It is difficult to estimate the prevalence of acute and chronic pruritus in the population at large due to a lack of affected persons seeking medical assistance. OBJECTIVE To discover the incidence of pruritus in Germany and determine what the most common related complaints are via an analysis of Google's search volume. METHODS From June 2013 to April 2017, the Google AdWords Keyword Planner was utilized to select and critically assess relevant keywords for 'pruritus'. RESULTS Among a total of 13 691 470 German language Google searches on the topic of pruritus, it was found that the most searched for terms included atopic eczema (24.3%) and the layman's term for psoriasis ('Schuppenflechte'; 17.8%), as well as just psoriasis (13.4%). 'Juckreiz', the German word for pruritus, was determined to be only the sixth most searched for term (2.9%). Anal pruritus and pruritus of the entire body comprised the most searched for localizations. The various factors that impact pruritus, particularly skin conditions and disorders, were established to be among the most searched for terms (72.6%). A decreased monthly search volume was associated with the changing seasons; the summertime had the lowest number of searches for pruritus. CONCLUSION The Google search engine analysis provided insight for this study into the unexpectedly large number of unmet medical needs of those suffering from pruritus within Germany, especially that of specific localizations on the body.

Pruritus can have many different causes and is a very subjective sensation. As dialects show a greater diversity of linguistic expressions than standard languages, the description of the sensation of pruritus in a dialect might carry additional information about the quality of pruritus.This cross-sectional study was carried out in Q1/2016 in the rural Bavarian Forest region in Bavaria, Germany. Participants were recruited in the waiting rooms of local doctors. They were asked to complete four sentences composed in the Bavarian dialect in which one word per sentence that signified the sensation of pruritus had been replaced by a blank space.In total, the 1,007 participants (mean age 49.97 years, SD = 15.76; 58.2% female) named 2,870 expressions, 144 excluding duplicates. 98.7% of the expressions could be matched to 13 underlying terms. The most frequent ones were "jucken" ('to itch'', 59.5%), "brennen" ('to burn', 26.5%), "kribbeln" (no English equivalent, 1.1%), "kratzen" ('to scratch', 0.7%) and "beißen" ('to bite', 0.6%). The use of the different expressions was strongly situational: In 75% of the cases "brennen" ('to burn') was used in the context of contact to a stinging nettle (in German 'Brennnessel'). Two of the 13 expressions ("kribbeln" and "bitzeln", no English equivalents) were even used only in this scenario.In the Bavarian dialect several different expressions for the sensation of pruritus exist. Although "jucken" ('to itch') is the most common expression for the sensation of pruritus, the German medical terms "Pruritus" ('pruritus') and "Juckreiz" ('itch') don't do justice to the situational use of expressions in the dialect.

Background: Experts worldwide agree that skin cancer is a global health issue, but only a few studies have reported on world populations’ interest in skin cancer. Internet search data can reflect the interest of a population in different topics and thereby identify what the population wants to know. Objective: Our aim was to assess the interest of the German population in nonmelanoma skin cancer and melanoma. Methods: Google AdWords Keyword Planner was used to identify search terms related to nonmelanoma skin cancer and melanoma in Germany from November 2013 to October 2017. The identified search terms were assessed descriptively using SPSS version 24.0. In addition, the search terms were qualitatively categorized. Results: A total of 646 skin cancer-related search terms were identified with 19,849,230 Google searches in the period under review. The search terms with the highest search volume were “skin cancer” (n=2,388,500, 12.03%), “white skin cancer” (n=2,056,900, 10.36%), “basalioma” (n=907,000, 4.57%), and “melanoma” (n=717,800, 3.62%). The most searched localizations of nonmelanoma skin cancer were “nose” (n=93,370, 38.99%) and “face” (n=53,270, 22.24%), and the most searched of melanoma were “nails” (n=46,270, 70.61%) and “eye” (n=10,480, 15.99%). The skin cancer‒related category with the highest search volume was “forms of skin cancer” (n=10,162,540, 23.28%) followed by “skin alterations” (n=4,962,020, 11.36%). Conclusions: Our study provides insight into terms and fields of interest related to skin cancer relevant to the German population. Furthermore, temporal trends and courses are shown. This information could aid in the development and implementation of effective and sustainable awareness campaigns by developing information sources targeted to the population’s broad interest or by implementing new Internet campaigns. [J Med Internet Res 2018;20(5):e10327]

Background There is a high prevalence of allergies in Germany, with approximately 20% of the population having at least one allergy and only about 10% of these being treated adequately. We conducted a cross-sectional study in a rural area of Bavaria (Southern Germany) to evaluate the prevalence of allergies and their treatment, because research regarding this topic is currently limited. Methods Data were collected in 10 offices of non-dermatological doctors using a self-filled questionnaire to ask participants about allergies and treatment. Results A total of 641 questionnaires were appropriate for analysis. The prevalence of allergies in the Bavarian countryside was higher than that reported for Germany (37.3% vs. 20.0%). Furthermore, almost a third (30.4%) of allergies were not treated at all. The most frequently consulted therapist was found to be a general practitioner. Conclusions Based on the study results, there is a need for prevention programs and establishment of treatments for certain allergies to minimize long-term health effects. Moreover, more studies are needed to analyze the prevalence of allergies in farmers who had a higher prevalence of allergies compared to previously reported prevalence in literature reviews. Trial registrations The study was approved by the ethical review committee of the Technical University Munich (EC number 548/16S).

Background: Hymenoptera venom sensitization in highly exposed individuals frequently requires risk assessment for future severe sting reactions. In this study, we determined the prevalence of Hymenoptera venom sensitization in individuals who hunt and fish and analyzed possible correlations between the severity of sting reactions and the IgE sensitization profile. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, paper-based, self-filled questionnaires about previous insect stings and sting reactions were obtained from individuals who hunt and fish in Bavaria, Germany. Blood samples were taken and analyzed for the levels of tryptase, total IgE and IgE to honey bee (i1) and wasp (13) venom, the recombinant allergens rApi m 1, rApi m 2, rApi m 3, rApi m 5, rApi m 10, rVes v 1, rVes v 5, and the CCD marker molecule MUXF3. Odd ratios (ORs) for sensitization and anaphylaxis and Pearson's correlations for the different allergens were calculated. Results: Of 257 participants, 50.2% showed a sensitization to honey bee venom (i1), and 58.4% showed sensitization to wasp venom (i3). A total of 98.4% of participants claimed to have been stung at least once. Anaphylaxis was reported in 18.7%, and a local sting reaction was reported in 18.3%. The highest sensitization rates were found for whole venom extracts, sensitization to any of the available recombinant allergens exceeded sIgE levels to honeybee venom (i1) in 28.5% and to wasp venom (i3) in 52.9% of participants. Participants with a history of more than 5 stings showed a higher risk for anaphylaxis. Conclusions: Sensitization to Hymenoptera venom and their recombinant allergens are present in the majority of individuals who hunt and fish. Sensitization to distinct recombinant allergens does not necessarily affect the severity of sting reactions including anaphylaxis. A meticulous medical history of the number of previous stings as well as systemic reactions remains essential. Keywords: Anaphylaxis, Hymenoptera venom sensitization, Outdoor population, Recombinant allergens, Sting reaction

Background: It is known that radiosensitivity is very individual. This can influence the tumor response and side effects in normal tissue after radiotherapy of cancer. Therefore we analyzed the sensitivity of a lung cancer cohort to see if they display a similar radiosensitivity distribution if compared to a healthy individuals and a rectal cancer patients cohort. Methods: Blood samples of 282 individuals were irradiated ex vivo and chromosomes # 1, 2 and 4 were stained by the 3-color fluorescence in situ hybridization. Additionally we analyzed data from 400 partly previous published individuals. Chromosomal aberrations were counted and expressed via breaks per metaphase (B/M). The background chromosomal aberrations were subtracted to obtain solely the radiation induced aberrations. Results: The lung cancer cohort has significantly increased background B/M values (p