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Purpose To investigate the expression of the receptor protein ACE-2 alongside the urinary tract, urinary shedding and urinary stability of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Methods Immunohistochemical staining was performed on tissue from urological surgery of 10 patients. Further, patients treated for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at specialized care-units of a university hospital were assessed for detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in urinary samples via PCR, disease severity (WHO score), inflammatory response of patients. Finally, the stability of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in urine was analyzed. Results High ACE-2 expression (3/3) was observed in the tubules of the kidney and prostate glands, moderate expression in urothelial cells of the bladder (0–2/3) and no expression in kidney glomeruli, muscularis of the bladder and stroma of the prostate (0/3). SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in 5/199 urine samples from 64 patients. Viral RNA was detected in the first urinary sample of sequential samples. Viral RNA load from other specimen as nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) or endotracheal aspirates revealed higher levels than from urine. Detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in urine was not associated with impaired WHO score (median 5, range 3–8 vs median 4, range 1–8, p = 0.314), peak white blood cell count (median 24.1 × 1000/ml, range 5.19–48.1 versus median 11.9 × 1000/ml, range 2.9–60.3, p = 0.307), peak CRP (median 20.7 mg/dl, 4.2–40.2 versus median 11.9 mg/dl, range 0.1–51.9, p = 0.316) or peak IL-6 levels (median: 1442 ng/ml, range 26.7–3918 versus median 140 ng/ml, range 3.0–11,041, p = 0.099). SARS-CoV-2 RNA was stable under different storage conditions and after freeze–thaw cycles. Conclusions SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the urine of COVID-19 patients occurs infrequently. The viral RNA load and dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 RNA shedding suggest no relevant route of transmission through the urinary tract.

Alexander Tamalunas,1 Philipp Lenau,1 Leo Federico Stadelmeier,1 Jan-Niclas Mumm,1 Theresa Vilsmaier,2 Henrik Höhn,2 Maja-Lena Mumm,3 Raphaela Waidelich,1 Jozefina Casuscelli,1 Giuseppe Magistro,1 Alexander Buchner,1 Thomas Kolben,2 Christian Stief,1 Martin Hennenberg1 1Department of Urology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany; 2Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany; 3Department of Political and Social Sciences, Institute for Media and Communication Studies, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, GermanyCorrespondence: Alexander Tamalunas, Department of Urology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Marchioninistr. 15, Munich, 81377, Germany, Tel +49 89 4400 – 0, Email alexander.tamalunas@med.uni-muenchen.dePurpose: The present study aimed to investigate the influence of patients’ and urologists’ gender when choosing a urologist. With rising population diversity through immigration and generational differences, patient-centered healthcare has recently moved to the focus of European healthcare systems. As healthcare in urology often concentrates on sensitive topics, and often involves gender-specific diseases, research on the influence of gender on decision-making processes is of high importance. Understanding influence of gender on patients’ choices in real life would provide patients, and physicians alike, with the means to provide better resources to achieve greater satisfaction from visits to a urologist.Patients and Methods: A questionnaire was prepared, and patients at our tertiary referral center were given the opportunity to voluntarily participate in our survey. We collected questionnaires from 1012 patients during their visits from June 2021 to October 2021.Results: Patients were divided into groups according to their gender: male (n=763), female (n=246), and non-binary (n=3). Our patient cohort consisted of more men than women (75% vs 24%), with only three patients identifying as non-binary. Irrespective of the patients’ own gender, patients preferred a male urologist when problems were considered embarrassing, limiting daily activities, or when worrisome. When problems were considered painful, all patients preferred a female urologist. When patients had had a previous positive experience with a female or male urologist, they preferred to be treated by a female or male urologist, respectively. Overall, 65% of patients stated a gender preference for at least one given situation, or consultation scenario.Conclusion: As the majority of our patients stated a gender preference, urological departments should be considerate of potential patients’ preferences for urologist gender that may be based on the individual patient’s history, taking a comprehensive approach to fulfill the patients’ need for same gender urologists in educational hospitals and health care services.Keywords: gender, sex, urologist, health economics, health services research, medical research, patient-centered care, person-centered medicine, public health, decision making

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the factor age at the surgery on long-term postoperative outcomes in patients with postprostatectomy incontinence (PPI) after AdVance XP transobturator male sling implantation. METHODS A total of 115 male patients with PPI, who had undergone AdVance XP sling implantation, were included. Patients had PPI with endoscopically confirmed good sphincteric-contractility and a positive coaptive response. Kruskal-Wallis test with Dunn post-hoc tests were used to analyze the postoperative outcome differences between the patient groups aged less than 66, 66-75, and over greater than 75 years. Outcome measures were the 24 h pad test, the number of daily pads used, the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire short form (ICIQ-SF), International Quality of Life Score (IQOL), Patient Global Impression of Improvement (PGI-I), International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5), International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), and Visual Analog Scale scores. Observation time points were 3, 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, and 84 months after surgery. RESULTS Between the age groups, there was no difference in the success rate of the procedure (defined as 0 pads/24 h and less than 5 g in the 24-h pad test) at any point in time. Subjective parameters measures using the ICIQ-SF, PGI-I, IQOL, and IPSS scores showed no differences between the two cohorts. Only erectile function (IIEF-5 score) was lower in older patients in comparison to the cohort aged less than 66 years (p

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the security, value, and efficacy of the second-generation AdVance male sling XP (Boston Scientific®), after implementation in 2010 with advantageous modifications in the sling structure and needle shape, in a prospective multicenter long-term follow-up study. Methods: In total, 115 patients were included. Exclusion criteria were earlier incontinence (UI) surgery, nocturnal UI, former radiotherapy, or night-time incontinence. We also excluded patients with a functional urethra Results: The 24-month follow-up (114 patients) revealed 64.0% cured and 28.8% improved patients. Mean urine loss was reduced significantly to 19.0 g (p < 0.001). A mean PGI score of 1.5 and a mean VAS score of 0.2 were obtained. The 60-month follow-up (59 patients) revealed 57.6% cured and 25.4% improved patients. Mean urine loss was reduced significantly to 18.3 g (p < 0.001). A mean PGI score of 1.6 and a mean VAS score of 0.2 were obtained. Conclusions: The AdVance XP displays excellent continence results and secure effectiveness over a 5-year period. Moreover, these data are demonstrating low complication rates and improved quality of life in the long-term use of AdVance XP.

Purpose: To assess anxiety, stress level, and perception of safety during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in health care workers (HCWs) of one of Germany’s largest urology university clinics. Methods: A cross-sectional study among urological HCWs was performed. HCWs were surveyed for anxiety about the pandemic, stress level and current workload, fear of coronavirus infection, current perception of safety at work, and attitude towards protective equipment and tests for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Results: Sixty-three HCWs filled in the questionnaire. Overall anxiety of infection with CO­VID-19 is at a median of 4.7 with no statistically significant difference between nurses and physicians (p = 0.0749). Safety at work reaches a median of 6 out of 10. In fact, the highest fear in 56.7% (31/63) of the personnel is to get infected by a colleague tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 despite wearing surgical face masks. A proportion of 55.7 and 74.6% highly favor swabs for SARS-CoV-2 on a regular basis in HCWs and patients, respectively (p = 0.0001). Workload in the urology department is clearly reduced during the pandemic (physicians 39.3% vs. nurses 32.2%, p = 0.0001) and 57.4% do not feel distress at all; only 27.9% express mental distress. Conclusion: During the pandemic, urology HCWs perceive lower burden by workload and deem themselves at low risk of infection. However, the greatest anxiety is related to infection by a SARS-CoV-2-positive colleague, despite reciprocal protection by surgical face masks. This highlights a relevant mental stress and uncertainty towards management of infected HCWs, calling for increased education and psychological support.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) diagnostics on the T stage in final histology specimen of patients undergoing radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) due to upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) at a large tertiary care center. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients who underwent RNU at our center between 2008 and 2020. Inclusion criteria were RNU due to UTUC. Urine cytologies were used for FISH analysis to detect chromosomal abnormalities. Pre-FISH group was defined as patients without access to routine preoperative urinary FISH testing (2008–2014), and FISH group was defined as patients with access to routine FISH testing. Primary outcome was T stage in final histology. Statistical analysis was performed by χ2 test and Mann-Whitney U test. Results: Out of 212 patients who underwent RNU at our center between 2008 and 2020, 155 patients were included into the final analysis. The median age was 71 (range 33–90) years, and 108 (69.7%) patients were male and 47 (30.3%) female. Age and gender were not differently distributed in both groups (age: p = 0.925; gender: p = 0.682). Organ-confined disease was found in 37/72 patients in the pre-FISH cohort and in 48/83 patients in the FISH cohort (p = 0.422). Within organ-confined disease, 18/37 patients revealed a T stage smaller than T1 in the pre-FISH cohort and 35/48 patients in the FISH cohort (p = 0.022). Conclusions: Preoperative FISH diagnostics add important information to preoperative diagnostic workup of patients with UTUC. Within organ-confined disease, a significant shift toward T stages lower than T1 is observed. Further research is required to determine the impact of this shift on survival in UTUC.

Background: This study investigates the effect of classical music, music of patients’ own choice, or no music on pain reduction during elective cystoscopy. Objectives: The aim of the study was to describe the effect of listening to classical music, music of patients’ own choice, or no music on patient’s pain and satisfaction rates when carrying out an elective cystoscopy and the effect on the assessment capability of the performing urologist. Design, Setting, and Participants: This randomized trial included 127 patients undergoing elective cystoscopy at the Urological Department of the University Clinic of Munich between June 2019 and March 2020. Outcome Measurements and Statistical Analysis: Patients were assigned randomly to 3 groups: group I: listening to standardized classical music (n = 35), group II: listening to music according to the patients’ choice (n = 34), and control group III: no music (n = 44). Prior to cystoscopy, anxiety levels were assessed by the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). The Visual Analog Scale (VAS, range 1–100) was used for a self-assessment of pain, discomfort, and satisfaction. Statistical analysis was done with Spearman’s rank correlation and t-tests. Results and Limitations: The median age was 63 (range 27–91) years. The duration of cystoscopy was 5.7 (1–30) min. Patients had undergone a median of 2.3 cystoscopies in the past. Between giving informed consent and cystoscopy, patients had to wait for a median of 64 (0–260) min. The median VAS pain score was significantly lower in group I at 1.7 and group II at 2.3 versus 5.2 in the control group III (p < 0.001). The control group III had significantly worse pain and patient satisfaction rates compared with groups I and II. Group I had a significant lower VAS pain score than groups II and III (p < 0.001). Classical music also increased the assessment capability of the preforming urologist. Conclusions: Listening to music during elective cystoscopy significantly reduces pain and distress and leads to higher patient and surgeon satisfaction. We recommend listening to classical music or music chosen by the patients during outpatient flexible/rigid cystoscopy in daily clinical routine. Patient Summary: In this study, we found that patients who listened to classical music or music of their own choice while undergoing a cystoscopy showed significant reduction of pain and distress.

Background: There are limited data on the use and concern of telemedicine among German urologists, and thus, there are no established guidelines for telemedical diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of urological indications. Methods: An anonymized survey was conducted among German private practice urologists during the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The χ2 test, Mann-Whitney U-test, and Kruskal-Wallis test were used for statistical analysis. Results: 257 urologists were included in the final analysis. Thirty-five (14.0%) of urologists had used telemedicine as part of their consultation, and 221 (86.0%) had not used telemedicine. There was no difference between telemedicine adoption rates between rural and urban settings. Telemedicine users were significantly more satisfied with the information they had received regarding telemedicine issues. Users saw the greatest barrier to telemedicine that patients do not take up the offer of telemedicine. Nonusers were most concerned with unclear indications for telemedicine followed by lesser reimbursements during telemedicine than in-person visitations. Users were significantly more likely to use telemedicine beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. Urologists, who wanted to use the service in the future, wanted an active support by the German society of urology and guidelines for telemedicine. Last, users and nonusers preferred telemedicine for non-acute chronic diseases and follow-up visitations. Conclusion: Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine remains a rarely used service among German private practice urologists. Ultimately, to overcome the current challenges, urologists require an active support for the service through the German Society of Urology and telemedical guidelines.

On 11 March 2020, the WHO declared the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak a pandemic and COVID-19 emerged as one of the biggest challenges in public health and economy in the twenty-first century. The respiratory tract has been the centre of attention, but COVID-19-associated complications affecting the genitourinary tract are reported frequently, raising concerns about possible long-term damage in these organs. The angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor, which has a central role in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) invasion, is highly expressed in the genitourinary tract, indicating that these organs could be at a high risk of cell damage. The detection of SARS-CoV-2 in urine and semen is very rare; however, COVID-19 can manifest through urological symptoms and complications, including acute kidney injury (AKI), which is associated with poor survival, severe structural changes in testes and impairment of spermatogenesis, and hormonal imbalances (mostly secondary hypogonadism). The effect of altered total testosterone levels or androgen deprivation therapy on survival of patients with COVID-19 was intensively debated at the beginning of the pandemic; however, androgen inhibition did not show any effect in preventing or treating COVID-19 in a clinical study. Thus, urologists have a crucial role in detecting and managing damage of the genitourinary tract caused by COVID-19.

Background Circulating tumor cells (CTC) in the peripheral blood in women with breast cancer has been found to be an indicator of prognosis before the start of systemic treatment. The aim of this study is the assessment of specific cytokine profiles as markers for CTC involvement that could act as independent prognostic markers in terms of survival outcome for breast cancer patients. Methods Patients selected for this study were defined as women with breast cancer of the SUCCESS study. A total of 200 patients’ sera were included in this study, 100 patients being positive for circulating tumor cells (CTC) and 100 patients being CTC negative. The matching criteria were histo-pathological grading, lymph node metastasis, hormone receptor status, TNM classification, and patient survival. Commercial ELISA with a multi cytokine/chemokine array was used to screen the sera for Interleukin 15 (IL-15) and eotaxin. Results Statistically significant concentrations were exposed for IL-15 levels regardless of the CTC-Status, lymph node involvement, or hormone receptor status. Significantly enhanced serum IL-15 concentrations were observed in those patients with worse overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Elevated serum concentrations of IL-15 significantly correlate with patients diagnosed with Grade 3 tumor and worse OS. In contrast, patients with a Grade 3 tumor with a favourable OS and DFS demonstrated significantly decreased IL-15 values. The CTC negative patient subgroup with a favourable OS and DFS, showed statistically significant elevated eotaxin values. Conclusion These findings suggest a potential functional interaction of increased IL-15 concentrations in the peripheral blood of patients with a worse OS and DFS, regardless of prognostic factors at primary diagnosis. The increased levels of the chemokine eotaxin in CTC negative patients and a favourable OS and DFS, on the other hand, suggest that the overexpression inhibits CTCs entering the peripheral blood, thus emphasizing a significant inhibition of circulation specific metastasis. To sum up, IL-15 could be used as an independent prognostic marker in terms of survival outcome for breast cancer patients and used as an early indicator to highlight high-risk patients and consequently the adjustment of cancer therapy strategies.

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic drastically altered the way of life around the world. Due to social distancing measures, contact restrictions and fears of infection, social life has changed significantly. These measures along with the stressors associated with the current worldwide situation, will inevitably have an effect on people's interpersonal and personal behaviors. Aim This study evaluates the effect the COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide German lockdown had on the sexual behavior of cis men. Methods An anonymous nationwide web-based questionnaire was conducted among cis men in Germany during the first COVID-19 home isolation (April 20, 2020–July 20, 2020). The questionnaire was distributed via e-mail, online chats and social-media platforms. Main Outcome Measures Data was collected on general characteristics including demographics and socio-economic backgrounds. To evaluate sexual health, questions from the Sexual Behavior Questionnaire were included. Results 523 cis male participated. 414 met the inclusion criteria. Most were heterosexual (n = 248, 59.9%; vs homosexual n = 97, 23.4%; vs bisexual n = 69, 16.7%). 243 (59%) were employed, 153 (37.1%) were students and 16 (3.9%) were unemployed. Most of the participants reported an annual income lower than 75.000€. During the lockdown, average weekly frequency of sexual intercourse and masturbation was increased in all groups. Consistently, a significant rise of higher satisfaction with the frequency of sexual contacts during the quarantine was observed (P < .05). Furthermore, the level of sexual arousal increased significantly in all groups (P < .0005). Capability to enjoy sexual intercourse or masturbation increased significantly in heterosexual (P < .0005) and homosexual men (P < .005). Bisexual participants showed a significant increase in general satisfaction with sexual life (P < .05) and a significant decrease in satisfaction in relationship or single life (P < .05). Positive confounders in the changing of sexual behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic were: Being in a relationship or being single, parenthood and being employed. Conclusion Our study firstly describes how COVID-19 pandemic related restrictions and social distancing measurements altered sexual behavior amongst cis male in Germany. Further studies, including sexual minorities specifically, are needed to clarify if the behavior in the first German nationwide quarantine has persisted or transformed as the pandemic proceeded. Mumm J-N, Vilsmaier T, Schuetz JM, et al. How the COVID-19 Pandemic Affects Sexual Behavior of Hetero-, Homo-, and Bisexual Males in Germany. Sex Med 2021;9:100380.

INTRODUCTION Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality after lung transplantation (LTX). Calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) nephrotoxicity is the leading cause of CKD. After kidney transplantation, polyomavirus-associated nephropathy (PyVAN) is a well-recognized problem. This study aims to evaluate the role of polyomavirus in patients after LTX. METHODS From January 2017 to January 2020, all lung transplant recipients who performed follow-up visits in our center were included in the study and retrospectively assessed. We measured renal function (creatinine levels before and after transplantation), JCPyV, and BKPyV load by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in serum and urine samples after transplantation. RESULTS In total, 104 consecutive patients (59 males, 56.7%) with a mean age of 49.6 ± 11.1 years were identified. JCPyV was found in urine of 36 patients (34.6%) and serum of 3 patients (2.9%). BKPyV was found in urine of 40 patients (38.5%) and serum of 4 patients (3.8%), respectively. Urine evidence for JCPyV (p

Background Maternal immunological rejection of the semi-allogenic fetus is discussed as one of the significant factors involved in early pregnancy loss. An array of cytokines secreted by both maternal and fetal cells is involved in generating a delicate maternal immune tolerance. Interleukin 7 (IL-7) is discussed to play a key role in pro-inflammatory processes, but there is still limited insight into the pathophysiological input on placentation and embryonic development in early pregnancy loss. Patients and methods Cytokine level differences were identified with quantitative real-time PCR in placental tissue from spontaneous abortions (SA) (n=18), recurrent spontaneous abortions (RSA) (n=15), and healthy pregnancies (n = 15) at gestational weeks 7 to 14. Protein expression of IL-7 in the decidua was investigated by immunohistochemistry. IL-7 expressing cells were identified with double-immunofluorescence. Results Decidua of women with RSA expressed almost 51-times higher values of IL-7 in gene expression analysis. Immunohistochemistry identified a significant upregulation of IL-7 in the decidua of RSA specimens (p = 0.013) and in the decidua of women with SA (p = 0.004). Double-immunofluorescence confirmed decidual stroma cells as IL-7 expressing cells. Conclusion Significantly elevated IL-7 values in the decidua of spontaneous and recurrent miscarriages imply a crucial role of the cytokine in the signaling at the feto-maternal interface of the placenta. An overexpression of IL-7 could result in early pregnancy loss by inducing a pro-inflammatory environment. Proven to be valuable in other autoimmune diseases, targeting IL-7 signaling therapeutically may prove to be a very beneficial treatment option for RSA patients.

Frau T. leidet seit Jahren an einer „schwachen Blase“. Der Harndrang kommt plotzlich und unerwartet. Am sozialen Leben kann sie nur noch eingeschrankt teilnehmen. 15- bis 20-mal am Tag muss Frau T. uberfallartig auf die Toilette — nicht immer rechtzeitig. Durchschlafen kann sie aufgrund ihres standigen Harndrangs schon lange nicht mehr.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the AdVance XP male sling in a midterm follow-up for the treatment of male urinary incontinence in a selected patient cohort. MATERIALS AND METHODS In all, 115 patients with postprostatectomy incontinence were prospectively enrolled. A previous endoscopic evaluation of a sufficient coaptive zone in the repositioning test was mandatory. Patients with urine leakage in supine position or previous incontinence surgery were excluded. Postoperatively a standardized 24-hour pad test and pad usage were evaluated. To compare pre- and postoperative continence status nonparametric t test was used. A P-value of

Objectives: While research on doctor-patient interaction has often focused on the decision-making abilities of physicians, it rarely centers around the question of how patients choose their respective practitioners. Research on fundamental decision processes is of high importance and understanding the factors that influence people’s choices in real-life decision-making would potentially provide patients, and physicians alike, with the means to provide better resources to achieve greater satisfaction from visits to a medical practitioner. Methods: At our tertiary referral center, patients were given the opportunity to voluntarily participate in our survey. We collected questionnaires from 1,002 patients during their visit from November 2018 to February 2020. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS V26.0 software (SPSS Statistics, Version 26.0.; IBM, Armonk, NY, USA). Results are reported as percentages for categorial variables. Results: Our patient cohort consisted of a higher percentage of men than of women (82 vs. 18%) with significantly more men having a university-based education (44 vs. 31%; p = 0.001). Women were more likely to have statutory health insurance than men (85 vs. 74%; p = 0.013). Men significantly preferred to be treated by a doctor of the same sex (24 vs. 8%; p < 0.001), which significantly increased with age. Overall, more women than men trusted a referral by their primary care physician (75 vs. 66%, p = 0.017), while preference of a higher academic degree in the attending urologist was significantly correlated with the patients’ education. Conclusions: Information on a specialist, such as professional qualifications and academic accomplishments, is easily accessible to patients with or without access to the Internet. However, recommendations and referrals, in addition to consistent care by the same treating physician, seem to be of high importance to all patients, regardless of gender or age.

Despite rapid advances of systemic therapy options in renal cell carcinoma (RCC), local tumor or metastases treatment remains important in selected patients. Here, we assess the safety and efficacy of robotic radiosurgery (RRS) as an ablative therapy for visceral and lymph node metastases of RCC. Patients with histologically confirmed RCC and radiologically confirmed progression of visceral or lymph node metastases underwent RRS and were retrospectively analyzed. Overall survival and progression free survival were calculated by the Kaplan–Meier method and log-rank test. Sixty patients underwent RRS and were included in the analysis. Patients presented for RRS treatment with a median age at RRS treatment of 64 years (range 42–83), clear cell histology (88.3%) and favorable international metastatic renal cell carcinoma database (IMDC) risk score (58.3%). Treatment parameters differed for the number of fractions (median visceral metastases: 1, range 1–5, median lymph node metastases: 1, range 0–5, p = 0.003) and prescription dose (median visceral metastases 24 Gy, range 8–26, median lymph node metastases 18 Gy, range 7–26, p &lt, 0.001). The median overall survival was 65.7 months (range: 2.9–108.6), the median progression free survival was 17.4 months (range: 2.7–70.0) and local tumor control was achieved in 96.7% of patients. Adverse events were limited to 8.3% of patients, with one grade 4 toxicity within 6 weeks after RRS therapy. RRS is a safe and effective treatment option in selected patients with metastatic RCC in a multimodal approach. Further research is warranted to confirm our findings prospectively.

Background Pregnancy is an extraordinarily complex immunological process. For successful pregnancy maintenance the maternal immune system must adapt to and tolerate the semi-allogenic fetus at the fetomaternal interface of the placenta. This balance is regulated by cytokines with a predominant T helper 2 (Th-2) system and a suppressed inflammatory T helper 1 (Th-1) response. This study investigates the role of the Th-1 pro-inflammatory cytokine Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and its role in early pregnancy loss. Patients and methods In order to identify differences in IL- β levels a TaqMan® Human Cytokine Network Array, with placental tissue obtained from patients with healthy pregnancies (n = 15) and recurrent miscarriage (n = 15), was carried out. Protein expression of IL-1β in the decidua of healthy pregnancies (n = 15), spontaneous (n = 18) and recurrent miscarriages (n = 15), was investigated by immunohistochemistry. The identification of IL-1β expressing cells in the decidua was done with double-immunofluorescence. Results Gene expression analysis identified a nearly 54-times higher expression of IL-1β in placental tissue of patients suffering from recurrent abortion. Immunohistochemistry confirmed a significant upregulation of IL-1β in the decidua of recurrent miscarriage specimens (p = 0.01) as well as in the decidua of women with spontaneous abortion (p = 0.001). Double-immunofluorescence identified decidual stoma cells as IL-1β expressing cells. Conclusion Significant upregulation of IL-1β may be associated with an imbalanced immune system and a procoagulant state that could be responsible for early pregnancy loss. These results provide new evidence of the complex interplay of IL-1β at the fetomaternal interface and its crucial role in miscarriage processes.

The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic value of the steroid hormone receptor expression, counting the retinoid X receptor (RXR) and thyroid hormone receptors (THRs), on the two different breast cancer (BC) entities: multifocal/multicentric versus unifocal. The overall and disease-free survival were considered as the prognosis determining aspects and analyzed by uni- and multi-variate analysis. Furthermore, histopathological grading and TNM staging (T = tumor size, N = lymph node involvement, M = distant metastasis) were examined in relation to RXR and THRs expression. A retrospective statistical analysis was carried out on survival-related events in a series of 319 sporadic BC patients treated at the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at the Ludwig-Maximillian&rsquo, s University in Munich between 2000 and 2002. The expression of RXR and THRs, including its two major isoforms THR&alpha, 1 and THR&alpha, 2, was analyzed by immunohistochemistry and showed to have a significant correlation for both BC entities in regard to survival analysis. Patients with multifocal/multicentric BC were exposed to a significantly worse disease-free survival (DFS) when expressing RXR. Patients with unifocal BC showed a significantly worse DFS when expressing THR&alpha, 1. In contrast, a statistically significant positive association between THR&alpha, 2 expression and enhanced DFS in multifocal/multicentric BC was shown. Especially the RXR expression in multifocal/multicentric BC was found to play a remarkably contradictory role for BC prognosis. The findings imply the need for a critical review of possible molecular therapies targeting steroid hormone receptors in BC treatment. Our results strengthen the need to further investigate the behavior of the nuclear receptor family, especially in relation to BC focality.

BACKGROUND Pelvic floor training (PFT) is the gold standard for conservative treatment of male stress urinary incontinence. OBJECTIVE To evaluate patients´ perspective at risk of incontinence on PFT and application of digital technologies for PFT. METHODS Patients undergoing transurethral surgery of the prostate (group I), radical prostatectomy (group II) or treatment at a specialized incontinence outpatient clinic (group III) were surveyed anonymously. Chi-Square test and Kruskal-Wallis-analysis were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS 180 patients were included in the final analysis. In group I (n=35) no patient underwent PFT prior to transurethral surgery. 23.5% of patients in group II (n=51) and 95.7% of patients in group III (n=94) performed PFT. 11.4% in group I, 80.4% in group II and 91.5% in group III have been advised to perform PFT by their urologist. Regarding the information level on PFT, patients from group I (median 1, range 0-5) are less satisfied than patients from group II (median 3, 0-9) or group III (median 5, range 0-10, p CONCLUSIONS Patients at risk of incontinence currently have limited access to PFT, although they are willing to perform PFT. Digital PFT is highly accepted by patients preoperatively and might be a valuable tool to increase PFT participation.

A fraction of COVID-19 patients progress to a severe disease manifestation with respiratory failure and the necessity of mechanical ventilation. Identifying patients at risk is critical for optimized care and early therapeutic interventions. We investigated the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 shedding relative to disease severity. We analyzed nasopharyngeal and tracheal shedding of SARS-CoV-2 in 92 patients with diagnosed COVID-19. Upon admission, standardized nasopharyngeal swabs or sputum were collected. If patients were mechanically ventilated, tracheal aspirates were additionally obtained. Viral shedding was quantified by real-time PCR detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. 45% (41 of 92) of COVID-19 had a severe disease course with the need for mechanical ventilation (severe group). At week 1, the initial viral shedding determined from nasopharyngeal swabs showed no significant difference between non-severe and severe cases. At week 2, a difference could be observed as the viral shedding remained elevated in severely ill patients. A time course of C-reactive-Protein (CRP), Interleukin-6 (Il-6), and Procalcitonin (PCT) revealed an even more protracted inflammatory response following the delayed drop of virus shedding load in severely ill patients. A significant proportion (47.8%) of patients showed evidence of prolonged viral shedding (>17 days), which was associated with severe disease courses (73.2%). We report that viral shedding does not differ significantly between severe and non-severe cases upon admission to the hospital. Elevated SARS-CoV-2 shedding in the second week of hospitalisation, a systemic inflammatory reaction peaking between second and third week and prolonged viral shedding are associated with a more severe disease course., We report that elevated SARS-CoV-2 shedding in the second week of hospitalisation, a systemic inflammatory reaction peaking between second and third week and prolonged viral shedding are associated with a more severe disease course.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic impact that hormone receptor (HR) expressions have on the two different breast cancer (BC) entities&mdash, multifocal versus unifocal BC. As the prognosis determining aspects, we investigated the overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) by univariate and multivariate analysis. To underline the study&rsquo, s conclusions, we additionally considered the histopathological grading and the tumor node metastasis (TNM) staging. A retrospective analysis was performed on survival-related events in a series of 320 breast cancer patients treated at the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at the Ludwig Maximillian University in Munich between 2000 and 2002. All three steroid receptors analyzed by immunohistochemistry, namely, the estrogen receptor (ER), the progesterone receptor (PR), and the vitamin D receptor (VDR), showed a significantly positive influence on the course of the disease, but only for the unifocal breast tumor patients. The prognosis of patients with multifocal breast cancer was either not affected by estrogen and/or progesterone receptor expression or even involved a worse etiopathology for the vitamin D receptor-positive patients. The estrogen receptor in unifocal breast cancer and the vitamin D receptor in multifocal breast cancer were especially identified as an independent prognostic marker for overall survival, when adjusted for age, grading, and staging. Altogether, our results strengthen the need to further investigate the behavior of the hormone receptors in breast cancer and understand why they have different effects on each focality type. Moreover, the studies for an adopted vitamin D supplementation due to breast cancer focality type must be enlarged to fully comprehend the remarkable and interesting role played by the vitamin D receptor.

Herr Otto M., 61 Jahre alt, stellt sich zur jahrlichen Vorsorgeuntersuchung bei seinem Hausarzt vor. Herr M. ist korperlich fit und fuhlt sich gesund. In der Routinesonografie fallt eine unklare zystische Raumforderung der rechten Niere auf (Abb. 1).

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES:In recent years, several studies have shown the effectiveness and safety of the AdVance sling (Boston Scientific, formerly American Medical Systems) for treating male st...

Jan-Niclas Mumm, Alexandra C Kölbl, Udo Jeschke, Ulrich Andergassen Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich, Munich, Germany Background: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a rather aggressive form of breast cancer, comprised by early metastasis formation and reduced overall survival of the affected patients. Steroid hormone receptors and the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 are not overexpressed, limiting therapeutic options. Therefore, new treatment options have to be investigated. The aim of our preliminary study was to detect coherences between some molecules of intracellular signal transduction pathways and survival of patients with TNBC, in order to obtain some hints for new therapeutical solutions.Methods: Thirty-one paraffin-embedded tumor tissue samples, which were determined to be negative for steroid hormone receptors as well as human epidermal growth factor receptor2, were immunohistochemically stained for a number of signal transduction molecules from several signaling pathways. β-Catenin, HIF1a, MCL, Notch1, LRP6, XBP1, and FOXP3 were stained with specific antibodies, and their staining was correlated with patient survival by Kaplan–Meier analyses.Results: Only two of the investigated molecules have shown correlation with overall survival. Cytoplasmic staining of HIF1a and centro-tumoral lymphocyte FOXP3 staining showed statistically significant correlations with survival.Conclusion: The coherence of signal transduction molecules with survival of patients with TNBC is still controversially discussed in the literature. Our study comprises one more mosaic stone in the elucidation of these intracellular processes and their influences on patient outcome. Lots of research still has to be done in this field, but it would be worthwhile as it may offer new therapeutic targets for a group of patients with breast cancer, which is still hard to treat. Keywords: signal transduction cascades, immunohistochemistry, Kaplan–Meier analysis

The oncological outcome in patients with bladder cancer (BC) significantly correlates with the quality of transurethral resection of bladder tumors (TUR-BT). Virtual reality (VR) training simulators have been developed to improve surgical skills. We evaluated the advantages and limitations of the novel Uro Trainer (UT) (Karl Storz GmbH, Germany) with respect to training for TUR-BT.Participants underwent VR training based on 4 different TUR-BT cases accompanied by self-assessment and evaluation questionnaires. Results were compared between experienced endourologists and novices, and furthermore, correlated with self-rated capabilities for content and construct validity. Student's t tests, Pearson's correlation, and chi-squared tests were performed for statistical evaluation.The study was performed at the tertiary care urological department of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.A total of 22 urological physicians, including residents and consultants, were included in the study.There is a need to improve TUR-BT training as 27.3% of the participants had already experienced overtaxing situations during TUR-BT and only a few reported of high satisfaction with the classical "see one-do one" teaching mode. Construct validity was demonstrated, as consultants achieved significantly higher overall scores (p0.001) and safety (p = 0.004) and visualization (p = 0.001) subscores. Interestingly, the self-assessed capability to perform a TUR-BT correlated significantly (p = 0.01) with overall UT scores. Significant progress of self-rated abilities was shown for several parameters, including inspection (p = 0.046) and resection (p = 0.026). Although participants indicated improvements in several procedural skills and overall benefit of the VR training with the UT was rated 4.6 on a 5-point scale by consultants, limitations of the UT were demonstrated predominantly for tissue feedback and authenticity of different tissue layers.The novel VR simulator showed a high face and construct validity, and therefore has a great potential to complement endourological training.

Triple-negative breast cancer is a highly aggressive type of mammalian carcinoma. It is defined by a rather weak expression of estrogen-, progesterone- and Her2-receptor, and is thus difficult to treat, resulting in low disease-free and overall survival rates of the affected patients. Hence it is important to find new therapeutic options. To this aim we analysed the incidence of some molecules from different signal transduction cascades by immunohistochemistry, which are known to correlate with triple-negative breast cancer, and correlated the expression of these molecules to different tumour traits, such as size, grading, menopausal stage, histology, lymph node affection, remote metastasis formation, and to the incidence of local and lymph node recurrence and metastasis by statistical analysis. Statistically significant correlations were found for a number of tumour characteristics and signalling molecules: HIF1α is correlated to tumour grading, β-catenin to the menopausal state of the patient, and for Notch1 a relation to lymph node affection is seen. In terms of different recurrences, a correlation of β-catenin to metastasis formation and lymph node affection could be shown, as well as coherences between XBP1 and lymph node recurrence, Notch1 and metastasis formation and FOXP3 and the occurrence of local recurrence. The presented results are in accordance with formerly published studies and therefore might comprise opportunities to develop new therapeutical strategies, which could help to handle this aggressive form of breast cancer in a manner, by which side effects would be reduced and therapeutical efficiency is increased.

The occurrence of disseminated tumour cells in bone marrow of patients with breast cancer is linked to a worse prognosis. We present a method for DTC detection from bone marrow samples based on immunocytochemistry, using breast cancer-associated glycosylation molecules as markers for detection and characterization.A double immunofluorescence staining of a pan-cytokeratin (CK) marker and either Tn or O-Acetyl-GD3 was carried out in artificial and patient bone marrow samples.The sample in which most cells stained positive for CK/Tn and CK/O-AC-GD3, was obtained from a patient who certainly had remote metastases. All other bone marrow samples showed heterogenous staining, so no correlation to tumour characteristics could be revealed.A certain characterization of tumour cells can be achieved by a double staining of bone marrow samples with CK and a glycosylation marker. For future studies, analysis should be extended to a larger patient collective and further examination of more glycosylation markers should be carried out.