Evaluation of FAM19A4/miR124-2 methylation performance in the management of CIN3 diagnosed pregnant women.

Pregnant women diagnosed with CIN3 have high regression rates after delivery. Biomarkers are needed to only identify pregnant women with progressive CIN requiring treatment to reduce overreferral and overtreatment. In our study we evaluated the performance of the FAM19A4/miR124-2 methylation test for molecular triage on FFPE samples of CIN3+-diagnosed pregnant women with known clinical course over time as well in a cross-sectional setting. In this German multicenter retrospective study biopsy material was collected from pregnant women diagnosed with cervical cancer (n = 16), with CIN3 that progressed to cancer during pregnancy (n = 7), with CIN3 that regressed to CIN1 or less within 6 months after delivery (n = 41), without CIN (n = 16), CIN3 covering 3-4 quadrants (n = 14) and randomly selected CIN3 (n = 41). FAM19A4/miR124-2 methylation analysis was performed blinded on first diagnosis. All pregnant women with cervical cancer and with CIN3 progressing to cancer tested positive for FAM19A4/miR124-2 methylation (100%, 22/22). In the regressing CIN3 group 47.5% and in the group without CIN 21.6% tested methylation positive. High-volume CIN3 and random selected CIN3 were methylation-positive in 91.7% and 82.1%, respectively. Methylation levels were significantly higher in progressive CIN3 and cancer compared to the controls (P < .0005). The likelihood ratio of a negative methylation test (LR-) for progressive CIN3+ was 0 (95% CI: 0-0.208). A negative FAM19A4/miR124-2 methylation test can rule out progressive CIN disease in pregnant women diagnosed with CIN3. This can help the clinician by managing these pregnant women with conservative follow-up until after delivery.

Transplant Nurses' Work Environment: A Cross-Sectional Multi-Center Study.

BACKGROUND Numerically, nurses represent the largest healthcare profession, thus setting norms for the quality and safety of direct patient care. Evidence of a global shortage of nurses in all clinical practice settings across different healthcare systems and countries has been documented. The aims of the present study were: (1) to assess work environments in a sample of German transplant nurses, and (2) to compare their statements with a US-based sample. MATERIAL AND METHODS In a cross-sectional study, 181 transplant nurses from 16 German transplant centers provided information on their work environments. The translated version of the Job Design (JD) and Job Satisfaction (JS) survey showed satisfactory internal consistency for the JD (0.78) and JS (0.93) subscales. German nurses' work environments were compared with 331 transplant nurses from the US. RESULTS The majority of transplant nurses were female (81.8%), 55.4% were age 21-40 years, and 78.1% were employed full-time. German (versus US) transplant nurses reported their job design to be best for 'skill varieties' (p≤0.0002), and worst for 'autonomy' (p≤0.01). Job satisfaction was best with 'opportunities for autonomy and growth' (p≤0.0001), and 'pay and benefits' (p≤0.0001) was lowest. A higher professional degree (OR 1.57; p≤0.03; 95% CI 1.19-2.86), and longer time in transplant (OR 1.24; p≤0.001; 95% CI 1.11-1.38) showed a positive impact on German transplant nurses' perceptions of 'job satisfaction'. Nurses with time-dependent working contracts perceived more stress negatively affecting job satisfaction (OR 1.13; p≤0.009; 95% CI 1.02-12.82). CONCLUSIONS German specialty nurses working in the field of solid organ transplantation rate their work environments with respect to job design and job satisfaction as satisfactory. Institutions' investment into satisfactory nurse work environments and specializing nurses might increase the quality of care, thus improving patient outcomes.

Postoperative weight gain during the first year after kidney, liver, heart, and lung transplant: a prospective study.

CONTEXT: Studies of all types of organ transplant recipients have suggested that weight gain, expressed as an increase in body mass index (BMI), after transplant is common. OBJECTIVES: To describe weight gain during the first year after transplant and to determine risk factors associated with weight gain with particular attention to type of transplant. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A prospective study of 502 consecutive organ transplant recipients (261 kidney, 73 liver, 29 heart, 139 lung) to identify patterns of BMI change. Measurements were made during regular outpatient clinical visits at 2, 6, and 12 months after transplant. Data were retrieved from patients' charts and correlated with maintenance corticosteroid doses. RESULTS: Overall, mean BMI (SD; range) was 23.9 (4.5; 13.6-44.1) at 2 months and increased to 25.4 (4.0; 13.0-42.2) by the end of the first postoperative year. BMI levels organized by World Health Organization categories showed a trend toward overweight/obesity in kidney (53.4%), liver (51.5%), heart (51.7%), and lung (33.1%) patients by 12 months after transplant. BMI changed significantly (P= .05) for all organ types and between all assessment points, except in kidney recipients. Maintenance corticosteroid doses were not a predictor of BMI at 12 months after transplant for most patients. CONCLUSIONS: Weight gain was common among patients undergoing kidney, liver, heart, and lung transplant; however, many showed BMI values close to normality at the end of the first year after transplant. In most cases, increased BMI levels were related to obesity before transplant and not to maintenance corticosteroid therapy.

Association of depression symptoms with quality of life and chronic artery vasculopathy: a cross-sectional study in heart transplant patients.

OBJECTIVE: Depression represents a relevant co-morbidity in patients with chronic heart disease and may diminish the overall success for long-term survival after heart transplantation (HTx). This study aimed to assess the prevalence of depression symptoms in long-term HTx survivors, and to compare depressive patients to those without depression with respect to chronic artery vasculopathy (CAV). METHODS: A sample of 203 HTx patients, median 11.5 (IQR 7-17) years after transplant, provided detailed data of depression symptoms, and other psychosocial symptoms including anxiety, family support, professional re-integration, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Data were analyzed for an association with CAV. RESULTS: Overall, 14.8% patients (95% CI: 10.2-20.4) showed relevant depression symptoms. No significant differences were seen between non-depressed vs. depressed patients with respect to demographics, clinical variables, and cardiovascular risk factors. Anxiety was prevalent in 9.0% (95% CI: 5.4-13.9) of the sample. Depression symptoms showed impaired HRQoL in the SF-36 physical (P=.012) and psychosocial (P=.0001) components. CAV was prevalent in 34.0% (95% CI: 27.5-41.0), and depression symptoms and CAV were not significantly associated. CAV-patients did not report their physical HRQoL being lower relative to those without CAV (P=.40). Multivariate analysis revealed overweight BMI (OR=2.20; P=.04), longer time since transplant (OR=1.10; P=.001), and older age (OR=1.04; P=.01) being associated with CAV. CONCLUSION: Depression symptoms are prevalent in long-term survivors after HTx, and psychological impairments decrease patients' perceptions of HRQoL. More research seems necessary to identify the inter-relationship between depression symptoms and CAV, in order to develop targeted interventions to overcome this problem.

Health-related quality of life after solid organ transplantation: a prospective, multiorgan cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Short-term posttransplantation survival and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is exceptionally high for all patients after organ transplantation; however, predictors of the HRQoL outcome are not well understood. Trajectories of patients' perceived benefit/burden ratio associated with the transplant procedure may differ when taking the organ type for transplantation into account. METHODS: A prospective, single-center cohort study assessed the trajectories of 354 patients after kidney (n=165), liver (n=53), heart (n=24), and lung (n=112) transplantation at 2, 6, 12, and 24 months with respect to psychosocial outcomes (HRQoL, anxiety, depression, social support, and work performance). RESULTS: Mean age was 50±13 years, and 61.6% were male in the overall sample. Demographics differed with respect to organ type. HRQoL measured by the mean SF-36 Physical Component Scale was 36.8 (95% confidence interval, 35.7-37.8) and 48.9 (95% confidence interval, 47.2-49.7) for the Psychosocial Component Scale for the entire sample at 2 months and showed a marginal decrease until 24 months after transplantation. Overall, HRQoL increased for all organ types with differing trajectories. Liver patients reported the lowest HRQoL benefit for the majority of the physical (P≤0.01) and psychosocial (P≤0.01) SF-36 subscales. Anxiety (17.4%) and depression (13.8%) were prevalent in the overall sample. Depression symptoms impaired HRQoL outcomes in both SF-36 components and unemployment impacted the SF-36 psychosocial outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: HRQoL improved after transplantation for all four types of transplant, but the trajectories were different. Regular screening for depression symptoms may diminish psychologic disorders and distress after transplantation and thus may further improve outcomes.