A Histological Evaluation of Artificial Dermal Scaffold Used in Micrograft Treatment: A Case Study of Micrograft and NPWT Performed on a Postoperative Ulcer Formation after Tumor Resection

Background and Objectives: Wound healing (WH) is a complex natural process: the achieving of a proper WH with standard therapies sometimes is not fulfilled and it is often observed in aged and diabetic patients, leading to intractable ulcers. In recent years, autologous micrograft (AMG) therapies have become a new, effective, and affordable wound care strategy among both researchers and clinicians. In this study, a 72-year-old female patient underwent a combination of treatments using micrograft and negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) on a postoperative skin ulcer after a benign tumor resection on the back with the aim to present an innovative method to treat skin ulceration using AMG combined with an artificial dermal scaffold and NPWT. Materials and Methods: A section of the artificial dermal scaffold, infused with micrografts, was sampled prior to transplant, and sections were collected postoperatively on days 3 and 7. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and immunohistochemical stains were employed for the evaluation of Cytokeratin AE1/AE3, desmin, and Factor VIII. Additionally, on postoperative day 3, NPWT dressing was evaluated using HE stains, as well. The resulting HE and immunostaining analysis revealed red blood cells and tissue fragments within the collagen layers of the artificial dermis prior to transplant. On postoperative day 3, collagen layers of the artificial dermis revealed red blood cells and neutrophils based on HE stains, and scattering of cytokeratin AE1/AE3-positive cells were detected by immunostaining. The HE stains on postoperative day 7 showed more red blood cells and neutrophils within the collagen layers of the artificial dermis than on day 3, an increase in cytokeratin AE1/AE3-positive cells, and tissue stained positively with desmin and Factor VIII. Results: Results suggest that the effects of both micrografts and migratory cells have likely accelerated the wound healing process. Furthermore, the NPWT dressing on day 3 showed almost no cells within the dressing. This indicated that restarting NPWT therapy immediately after micrograft transplant did not draw out cells within the scaffold. Conclusions: Micrograft treatment and NPWT may serve to be a useful combination therapy for complex processes of wound healing.

Landscape of Infantile Hemangioma Management Trends on the 100 Top-Cited Articles Since 2010: Bibliometric Analysis

Background: An infantile hemangioma (IH) is a type of benign vascular tumor that affects babies. They usually begin during the first four weeks of life, grow until about five months of life, and then shrink in size and disappear over the next few years. Complications may include pain, bleeding, ulcer formation, heart failure, or disfigurement. Numerous articles on IH have been published in literature, sharing expanded management strategies. Nevertheless, definite treatment guideline for IH is inconclusive due to differences in heterogenous presentations, varied severity and treatment strategy among countries. This study aimed to apply the medical subject headings (MeSH terms) to predict the number of article citations using 100 top-cited IH articles (T100IHs) and dissect their characteristics including the influential authors and affiliated counties since 2010.Methods: By searching the PubMed Central® (PMC) database, the T100IHs since 2010 were downloaded. Citation analysis was performed to compare the dominant countries and authors using social network analysis (SNA) and visual representations. MeSH terms were clustered by SNA when referring their citations in articles. The prediction effect was assessed based on its correlation coefficients (CC) between impact factors(IF) of MeSH terms and the T100IHs. Results: We observed that (1) the top three productive countries and journals in T100IHs were the US (49%), China (10%), France (8%); and Pediatrics (10%), Br J Dermatol (6%), Pediatr Dermatol (4%); (2) the most cited article (PMID=25693013 with 145 citations) was authored by Christine Léauté-Labrèze from France in 2015; (3) the most cited MeSH term was pharmacology with IF equal to 42.46 in T100IHs. MeSH terms were evident in prediction power on the number of article citations (correlation coefficient = 0.46; t = 5.11; p<0.01, n = 100). Conclusion: The breakthrough was made by making the citation prediction on T100IHs. MeSH terms are evident in predicting article citations using SNA and IF calculation approaches that can be applied to future research, and is not limited to the IH topic as we did in this study.

A novel mathematical model including the wetness parameter as a variable for prevention of pressure ulcers

Pressure ulcers are injuries caused by external conditions such as pressure, friction, shear, and humidity resulting from staying in the same position for a long time in bedridden patients. It is a serious problem worldwide when assessed in terms of hospital capacity, nursing staff employment and treatment costs. In this study, we developed a novel mathematical model based on one of our previous models to prevent pressure ulcers or delay injuries. The proposed model uses a human thermal model that includes skin temperature, hypothalamus temperature, regional perspiration coefficient, and unconsciously loss of water amount. Moreover, in our model, we defined a variable wetness parameter in addition to the parameters, pressure, temperature, and humidity. The proposed model is mathematically defined in detail and tested for a wide range of parameters to show the model’s effectiveness in determining the pressure ulcer formation risk. The model is also compared with a model from the literature that based on only the general parameters, pressure, temperature, and humidity. The obtained results showed that the model determines the risk of the occurrence of the pressure ulcer more precisely than the compared one.

Fibroblast Growth Factor in Diabetic Foot Ulcer: Progress and Therapeutic Prospects

Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is a combination of neuropathy and various degrees of peripheral vasculopathy in diabetic patients resulting in lower extremity infection, ulcer formation, and deep-tissue necrosis. The difficulty of wound healing in diabetic patients is caused by a high glucose environment and various biological factors in the patient. The patients’ skin local microenvironment changes and immune chemotactic response dysfunction. Wounds are easy to be damaged and ulcerated repeatedly, but difficult to heal, and eventually develop into chronic ulcers. DFU is a complex biological process in which many cells interact with each other. A variety of growth factors released from wounds are necessary for coordination and promotion of healing. Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) is a family of cell signaling proteins, which can mediate various processes such as angiogenesis, wound healing, metabolic regulation and embryonic development through its specific receptors. FGF can stimulate angiogenesis and proliferation of fibroblasts, and it is a powerful angiogenesis factor. Twenty-three subtypes have been identified and divided into seven subfamilies. Traditional treatments for DFU can only remove necrotic tissue, delay disease progression, and have a limited ability to repair wounds. In recent years, with the increasing understanding of the function of FGF, more and more researchers have been applying FGF-1, FGF-2, FGF-4, FGF-7, FGF-21 and FGF-23 topically to DFU with good therapeutic effects. This review elaborates on the recently developed FGF family members, outlining their mechanisms of action, and describing their potential therapeutics in DFU.

Plasma cell tumors of the head and neck. Analysis of diagnostic difficulties based on literature and own data

Background. Extramedullary plasmacytoma (EP) of soft tissues, which in most cases affects the organs of the head and neck region, is a relatively rare malignant tumor. Until now, there are no consensus approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of EP. Differentiating EP from other types of non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas is difficult. There are difficulties in the differential diagnosis of EP and carcinomas in the head and neck region. Given the rare occurrence of this nosological form, the frequency of diagnostic errors is quite high, which dictates the need for a thorough description of each head and neck EP case.Objective of the study: analysis of possible difficulties and reasons for incorrect interpretation of diagnostic data, and treatment for head and neck EP.Materials and methods. Clinical and morphoimmunological data of 97 primary patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas (B-NHLs) of the head-neck region were analyzed.Results. In our cohort we identified 2 tumor cases of a plasma cell nature, which amounted to 2 % among all B-NHLs. In one case, the process was located in the nasal cavity and clinically manifested itself with nosebleeds. The second case is a lesion of the mouth floor, primarily with the ulcer formation. In the first cases, at diagnosis, the immunohistochemistry (IHC) test was performed after patient’s chemotherapy and radiation treatment, which distorted the tumor immunophenotype. In the second cases with extensive process in maxillary sinuses, a complete and very detailed IHC test was carried out; however the data did not allow for a definitive diagnosis. Difficulties apparently arose in the interpretation of CD38 expression – main marker of plasmacytic line cells, as well as due to the unusual morphology.Conclusion. The described diagnostic situations dictate the need for a comprehensive algorithm in the diagnosis of head and neck tumors. It is advisable to perform an extended morpho-immunophenotypic study of the tumor (IHC, immunocytology, flow cytometry, etc.), if a tumor of a plasma cell nature is suspected, a morpho-immunological study of the bone marrow is indicated.

Features of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in multiple myeloma

Background. Multiple myeloma (MM) is a kind of malignancy from malignant plasma cells with high intra- and interpatient variability, because of complex clonal evolution of tumor cells. Positron emission tomography combined with computed tomography with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG-PET/CT) plays a major role in MM visualization, but there are evidences of non-FDG-avid cases of MM. Taking into account the increasing role of 18F-FDG-PET/CT in MM, special criteria for risk-group stratification was elaborated. These criteria are based on comparison of radiotracer uptake in tumor tissue, mediastinal blood pool and liver.Objective: the study of 18F-FDG uptake in MM and solitary plasmacytoma before antitumor treatment to assess the applicability of criteria based on the ratio of activity in tumor tissue and liver.Materials and methods. We reviewed 65 18F-FDG-PET/CT scans of patients with MM and solitary plasmacytoma before treatment.Results. In our cohort we identified 2 tumor cases of a plasma cell nature, which amounted to 2 % among all B-NHLs. In one case, the process was located in the nasal cavity and clinically manifested itself with nosebleeds. The second case is a lesion of the mouth floor, primarily with the ulcer formation. In the first cases, at diagnosis, the immunohistochemistry (IHC) test was performed after patient’s chemotherapy and radiation treatment, which distorted the tumor immunophenotype. In the second cases with extensive process in maxillary sinuses, a complete and very detailed IHC test was carried out; however the data did not allow for a definitive diagnosis. Difficulties apparently arose in the interpretation of CD38 expression – main marker of plasmacytic line cells, as well as due to the unusual morphology.Conclusion. Therefore, 5-point scale is eligible for MM tumor assessment in 52 % of patients and feasible in 32 % of patients, but in 16 % patients alternative criteria are required.