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Meniscal injuries are the most frequently encountered soft tissue injuries in the equine stifle joint. Due to the inherent limited repair potential of meniscal tissue, meniscal injuries do not only affect the meniscus itself but also lead to impaired joint homeostasis and secondary osteoarthritis. The presented study compares 3D coculture constructs of primary equine mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) and meniscus cells (MC) seeded on three different scaffolds-a cell-laden collagen type I hydrogel (Col I gel), a tissue-derived small intestinal matrix scaffold (SIS-muc) and a combination thereof-for their qualification to be applied for meniscus tissue engineering. To investigate cell attachment of primary MC and MSC on SIS-muc matrix SEM pictures were performed. For molecular analysis, lyophilized samples of coculture constructs with different cell ratios (100% MC, 100% MSC, and 50% MC and 50% MSC, 20% MC, and 80% MSC) were digested and analyzed for DNA and GAG content. Active matrix remodeling of 3D coculture models was indicated by matrix metalloproteinases detection. For comparison of tissue-engineered constructs with the histologic architecture of natural equine menisci, paired lateral and medial menisci of 15 horses representing different age groups were examined. A meniscus phenotype with promising similarity to native meniscus tissue in its GAG/DNA expression in addition to Col I, Col II, and Aggrecan production was achieved using a scaffold composed of Col I gel on SIS-muc combined with a coculture of MC and MSC. The results encourage further development of this scaffold-cell combination for meniscus tissue engineering.

Meniscal pathologies are among the most common injuries of the femorotibial joint in both human and equine patients. Pathological forces and ensuing injuries of the cranial horn of the equine medial meniscus are considered analogous to those observed in the human posterior medial horn. Biomechanical properties of human menisci are site- and depth- specific. However, the influence of equine meniscus topography and composition on its biomechanical properties is yet unknown. A better understanding of equine meniscus composition and biomechanics could advance not only veterinary therapies for meniscus degeneration or injuries, but also further substantiate the horse as suitable translational animal model for (human) meniscus tissue engineering. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the composition and structure of the equine knee meniscus in a site- and age-specific manner and their relationship with potential site-specific biomechanical properties. The meniscus architecture was investigated histologically. Biomechanical testing included evaluation of the shore hardness (SH), stiffness and energy loss of the menisci. The SH was found to be subjected to both age and site-specific changes, with an overall higher SH of the tibial meniscus surface and increase in SH with age. Stiffness and energy loss showed neither site nor age related significant differences. The macroscopic and histologic similarities between equine and human menisci described in this study, support continued research in this field., PLoS ONE, 13 (3), ISSN:1932-6203

The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of metabolic syndrome (MetS) on outcome of patients with localized renal cell carcinoma (RCC). A retrospective database was compiled consisting of 646 patients who underwent surgery for localized RCC between 2005 and 2014. A total of 439 patients were eligible for final analysis. For diagnosis of MetS, the WHO criteria of 1998 were used. Median follow-up was 32 months (ranging from 2 to 119). Kaplan-Meier and log-rank analyses were performed to compare patients with and without MetS or its components. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression identified prognostic factors for progression-free survival (PFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and overall survival (OS). In our cohort, 9.8% (n = 43) of patients were diagnosed with MetS. There were no differences between patients with and without MetS regarding clinicopathological parameters with the exception of patients’ age (p = 0.002). Kaplan-Meier and log-rank analyses revealed a shorter PFS for patients with MetS (p = 0.018), whereas no differences were found for each of the single components of MetS, namely, diabetes mellitus (DM) (p = 0.332), BMI >30 kg/m2 (p = 0.753), hypertension (p = 0.451), and hypertriglyceridemia (p = 0.891). Logistic regression identified age (HR = 1.92, p = 0.03), tumor stage (HR = 4.37, p