Die Publikation dokumentiert die Ergebnisse der epidemiologischen Studie zu gesundheitlichen Auswirkungen von ultrafeinen und feinen Partikeln und Ruß. Wie sich ultrafeine Partikel auf die Gesundheit auswirken, ist bisher noch nicht ausreichend untersucht. Mit der Auswertung der langen Messreihen von Dresden, Leipzig und Augsburg leistet die Studie deshalb einen Beitrag zum besseren Verständnis der Folgen von Luftschadstoffen auf die menschliche Gesundheit. Die Analysen zeigten erhöhte Risiken sowohl für respiratorische Mortalität als auch für die Hospitalisierung zu unterschiedlichen Zeitpunkten nach der Exposition mit ultrafeinen Partikeln. Dabei stieg das Risiko beispielsweise in der kalten Jahreshälfte stärker an. Die Veröffentlichung richtet sich an Vertreter von Fachbehörden und Forschungseinrichtungen, aber auch an die interessierte Öffentlichkeit. Redaktionsschluss: 05.01.2022

Dependent on the excretion pattern, wastewater monitoring of viruses can be a valuable approach to characterizing their circulation in the human population. Using polyethylene glycol precipitation and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, the occurrence of RNA of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses A/B in the raw wastewater of two treatment plants in Germany between January and May 2022 was investigated. Due to the relatively high incidence in both exposal areas (plant 1 and plant 2), SARS-CoV-2-specific RNA was determined in all 273 composite samples analyzed (concentration of E gene: 1.3 × 10⁴ to 3.2 × 10⁶ gc/L). Despite a nation-wide low number of confirmed infections, influenza virus A was demonstrated in 5.2% (concentration: 9.8 × 10² to 8.4 × 10⁴ gc/L; plant 1) and in 41.6% (3.6 × 10³ to 3.0 × 10⁵ gc/L; plant 2) of samples. Influenza virus B was detected in 36.0% (7.2 × 10² to 8.5 × 10⁶ gc/L; plant 1) and 57.7% (9.6 × 10³ to 2.1 × 10⁷ gc/L; plant 2) of wastewater samples. The results of the study demonstrate the frequent detection of two primary respiratory viruses in wastewater and offer the possibility to track the epidemiology of influenza by wastewater-based monitoring.

Aims An increasing number of children and adolescents worldwide suffer from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) such as Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). The present work aims to investigate the incidence, prevalence and future trends of IBD in children and adolescents in Saxony, Germany. Methods The Saxon Pediatric IBD Registry collected data on patients up to 15 years of age from all 31 pediatric hospitals and pediatric gastroenterologists in Saxony over a 15-year period (2000–2014). In 2019, an independent survey estimated a registry completeness of 95.7%. Age-standardized incidence rates (ASR) per 100,000 person-years (PY) and prevalence per 100,000 children and adolescents were calculated. Evaluation was also been performed in sex and age subgroups. Joinpoint and Poisson regression were used for trend analyses and projections. Results 532 patients with confirmed IBD during 2000–2014 were included in the epidemiological evaluation. 63.5% (n = 338) patients had CD, 33.1% (n = 176) had UC and 3.4% (n = 18) had unclassified IBD (IBD-U). The 15-year IBD prevalence was 111.8 [95%-CI: 102.3–121.3] per 100,000. The incidence ASR of IBD per 100,000 PY over the whole observation period was 7.5 [6.9–8.1]. ASR for the subtypes were 4.8 [4.3–5.3] for CD, 2.5 [2.1–2.9] for UC and 0.3 [0.1–0.4] for IBD-U. The trend analysis of ASR using the joinpoint regression confirmed a significant increase for incidence of IBD as well as CD. For IBD, the ASR per 100,000 PY increased from 4.6 [2.8–6.3] in 2000 to 8.2 [7.5–13.6] in 2014; projected incidence rates for IBD in Germany are 12.9 [6.5–25.5] in the year 2025 and 14.9 [6.7–32.8] in 2030, respectively. Thus, the number of new IBD diagnoses in Germany would more than triple (325%) in 2030 compared to 2000. The increase is expected to be faster in CD than UC, and be more in males than in females. The expected number of newly diagnosed children with IBD in Germany is projected to rise to about 1,584 [1,512–1,655] in 2025, and to about 1,918 [1,807–2,29] in 2030. Conclusion The incidence of IBD in children and adolescents in Saxony increased at a similar rate as in other developed countries during the observation period. Given this trend, the health care system must provide adequate resources for the care of these young patients in the future.

Aim The incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is increasing worldwide. The Saxon Pediatric IBD Registry was founded in 2000 to describe the epidemiology of pediatric IBD in Germany. The aim of this study was to determinate the completeness of this registry for children and adolescents younger than 15 years and to make this approach transparent. Results of this completeness update have broad implications for further scientific publications from the registry dataset. Method The capture–recapture method with two data sources was used to ascertain completeness. A second data source was collected in 2019 for the observation period 2008–2014 from all pediatricians, gastroenterologists, and internists working in practices in a predefined region in Saxony, Germany. Results A total of 23 patients with IBD were reported who fulfilled the inclusion criteria. One of them was not recorded in the registry. Therefore, the completeness of the registry was estimated at 95.7% (95% CI 90.2–100). Initial analysis of the Saxon Pediatric IBD Registry over the 15-year period 2000–2014 includes 532 patients, 312 (58.6%) male and 220 (41.4%) female. The distribution of single IBD diseases in the registry was as follows: Crohn’s disease 338 patients (63.5%), ulcerative colitis 176 patients (33.1%), and unclassified IBD 18 patients (3.4%). Evaluations by sex and by disease in age groups and by age at onset were tabulated. Conclusion This study demonstrates that the completeness level of the Saxon Pediatric IBD Registry is high (95.7%), and thus the epidemiological data of the registry are reliable.

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) and, more generally, social fears are common in young people. Although avoidance behaviors are known to be an important maintaining factor of social anxiety, little is known about the severity and occurrence of avoidance behaviors in young people from the general population, hampering approaches for early identification and intervention. Symptoms, syndromes, and diagnoses of DSM-5 mental disorders including SAD were assessed in a random population-based sample of 14-21-year-olds (n = 1,180) from Dresden, Germany, in 2015/2016 using a standardized diagnostic interview (DIA-X-5/D-CIDI). An adapted version of the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale was used to ascertain the extent of social fears and avoidance. Diagnostic criteria for lifetime SAD were met by n = 82 participants, resulting in a weighted lifetime prevalence of 6.6%. Social anxiety was predominantly reported for test situations and when speaking or performing in front of others. Avoidance was most prevalent in the latter situations. On average, anxiety and avoidance first occurred at ages 11 and 12, respectively, with avoidance occurring in most cases either at about the same age as anxiety or slightly later. In the total sample, lifetime prevalence for most DSM-5 disorders increased with the severity of social anxiety and avoidance. Results underline the need for preventive or early intervention efforts especially regarding test anxiety and fear and avoidance of speaking in front of others. These situations are particularly relevant in youth. Avoidance behaviors may also be discussed as diagnostic marker for early case identification.

Objective: In many countries the access to high quality medical service depends on socioeconomic factors. Therefore, these factors are associated with the treatment and prognosis of many diseases. In Germany health care is claimed to be independent from such factors due to obligatory health insurance and a well-developed medical infrastructure. Thus, socioeconomically caused health disparities should be absent. The aim of this study was to analyze the association between socioeconomic factors and the survival of oral cavity cancer in Germany. Patients and methods: In this descriptive cohort study socioeconomic status related factors as well as demographic, tumor-specific, and comorbidity factors of 500 patients treated for oral cavity cancer were obtained in the university hospital of Dresden. Pearson correlation was used to describe associations between continuous variables. Associations between categorical variables were assessed using the chi-square test. Overall and recurrence-free survival were studied using the Kaplan-Meier method. Log-rank test was carried out to test between-group differences. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the risk of death and the risk of recurrence. Results: Significant differences in overall survival were found between the different educational levels and sex. Seventy-nine percent of the patients did not have a university degree or master craftsman/craftswoman. Less discrepancy was observed according to the marital status (49.4% married/engaged vs. 47.8% single, divorced, or widowed). In the multivariable analysis only sex, age at diagnosis, the Charlson score, the number of positive lymph nodes, and the nodal status were identified as independent predictors for overall survival whereas sex and the age at diagnosis were identified as independent predictors for recurrence-free survival. Conclusion: Despite the equitable health system in Germany, significant associations between overall survival of oral cavity cancer and different socioeconomic factors could be found. For elimination of these disparities, health education programs should be established in socially deprived areas. Furthermore, clinicians should keep these factors in mind when determining recall periods for dental check-ups.

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In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde die Sensitivität des Nachweises von Leishmanien in Giemsa-gefärbten Bioptaten aus Hautulzerationen mittels direkter Mikroskopie mit der Sensitivität der ITS1-PCR verglichen. Bei der ITS1-PCR wurde eine Sensitivität von 87 % mit einem positiven predictive value von 100 %, sowie eine Spezifität von 100 % mit einem negativen predictive value von 85 % nachgewiesen. Weiterhin wurden vier verschiedene Nachweismethoden miteinander verglichen: die in vitro Kultivierung in NNN Medium, die direkte Mikroskopie von Giemsa gefärbten Hautbioptaten, die PCR Amplifizierung der ITS1 Region aus auf Filterpapier aufgetragenen Hautbioptaten (FP) sowie die ITS1-PCR von ungefärbten Hautbioptaten (US). Die PCR der US erwies sich als die sensitivste Methode. Die Verbreitung von Leishmanien Arten in Jericho wurde mittels molekularer Epidemiologie untersucht. Die räumliche (Spatial) Analyse zeigte drei statistisch relevante Cluster innerhalb der kutanen Leishmaniose (CL): ein Cluster mit L. major und zwei L. tropica Cluster. Bei der Raum-Zeit–Analyse wurden vier Cluster von Kutanen Leishmaniose, zwei L. major und drei L. tropica Cluster nachgewiesen. Insgesamt 106 Stämme, die aus verschiedenen endemischen Regionen in Zentralasien, im Nahen Osten und Afrika stammen, wurden mit 10 Mikrosatellitenmarkern untersucht. Die Auswertung erfolgte über zwei Analysemethoden: die Distanz-basierte und die Modell-basierte Methode. Anhand der L. major Genomsequenz wurden PCR-Primer zur Amplifizierung von Mikrosatellitenloci von L. major entwickelt, die auf den Chromosomen 1, 3, 5, 21 und 35 liegen. Sieben unterschiedliche L. major Populationen einschließlich zweier genetisch isolierter Populationen im Nahen Osten wurden mit diesen Markern nachgewiesen. / In this study we compared the sensitivity of the diagnosis of Giemsa-stained skin scrapings by standardized graded direct microscopy with that of ITS1-PCR. ITS1-PCR showed a sensitivity of 87% with positive predictive value of 100% and a specificity of 100% with negative predictive value of 85%. In-vitro cultivation using NNN medium and direct smear microscopy of Giemsa-stained slides, PCR amplifying region 1 of internal transcribed spacer (ITS1) using skin scrapings spotted on filter papers (FP) and unstained tissue smears (US) were compared. PCR using US was more sensitive than all other methods Molecular epidemiology was used to study the distribution of Leishmania species in Jericho. Spatial analysis showed three statistically significant clusters of CL, one cluster for L. major and two clusters for L. tropica. In the case of space-time, four clusters for CL, two for L. major and three for L. tropica were detected. A total of 106 strains isolated in different endemic regions of Central Asia, Middle East and Africa were analysed using 10 pairs of microsatellite markers under two cluster methods: distance and model-based. Markers were designed to amplify microsatellite loci identified in the genome sequence of L. major on chromosomes 1, 3, 5, 21 and 35. Seven discrete populations of L. major including two genetically isolated populations in the Middle East were revealed.

No description available.

No description available.