SCRT1 is a novel beta cell transcription factor with insulin regulatory properties.

Here we show that scratch family transcriptional repressor 1 (SCRT1), a zinc finger transcriptional regulator, is a novel regulator of beta cell function. SCRT1 was found to be expressed in beta cells in rodent and human islets. In human islets, expression of SCRT1 correlated with insulin secretion capacity and the expression of the insulin (INS) gene. Furthermore, SCRT1 mRNA expression was lower in beta cells from T2D patients. siRNA-mediated Scrt1 silencing in INS-1832/13 cells, mouse- and human islets resulted in impaired glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and decreased expression of the insulin gene. This is most likely due to binding of SCRT1 to E-boxes of the Ins1 gene as shown with ChIP. Scrt1 silencing also reduced the expression of several key beta cell transcription factors. Moreover, Scrt1 mRNA expression was reduced by glucose and SCRT1 protein was found to translocate between the nucleus and the cytosol in a glucose-dependent fashion in INS-1832/13 cells as well as in a rodent model of T2D. SCRT1 was also regulated by a GSK3ß-dependent SCRT1-serine phosphorylation. Taken together, SCRT1 is a novel beta cell transcription factor that regulates insulin secretion and is affected in T2D.

The Asplund-Davies vertical scar breast reduction technique preserves the sub-areolar skin thickness in the long term: a matched comparative study with the inverted T technique.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The inverted T technique, a popular method of breast reduction, relies on stretching the skin over glandular breast tissue to create the breast shape. The Asplund-Davies vertical scar method of breast reduction by contrast uses glanduloplasty to create the desired breast shape, achieving tension-free skin closure. Indeed the skin at the end of the vertical scar technique is wrinkled. It is known from tissue expansion literature that when skin is placed under tension the dermis becomes thinner. In this pilot cross-sectional study we compared breast skin thickness between two matched groups of patients undergoing breast reduction either with the inverted T or the vertical scar techniques, to determine whether the method of breast reduction impacts on breast skin thickness in the long term. MATERIALS AND METHOD: With a high frequency ultrasound machine the breast skin thickness of 24 breasts, 12 in each group, was measured by an independent consultant radiologist. Patients were matched in terms of age, time since operation, Fitzpatrick skin type, preoperative cup size and the amount of tissue resected. RESULTS: The breast skin in the inverted T group was significantly thinner than the vertical scar group (P<0.001). The inverted T group also had thinner skin in comparison to its control point (P<0.05). The vertical scar group had comparable skin thickness compared to its control point (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: This pilot study suggests that tension-free closure of skin with the vertical scar technique maintains breast skin thickness. Maintenance of breast skin thickness in this group may in turn contribute to the long term preservation of breast shape and form.

Galactorrhoea causing severe skin breakdown and nipple necrosis following breast reduction.

Galactorrhoea is a relatively common condition but has rarely been reported following breast reduction surgery. Literature review has revealed only four cases. We present a case of galactorrhoea following breast reduction surgery carried out 10 weeks following childbirth, and 3 weeks following cessation of breast-feeding. This resulted in severe skin and areola tissue breakdown. Four operations were subsequently performed to achieve a satisfactory cosmetic outcome. Considerations and recommendations in the timing of such procedures following childbirth and breast-feeding are discussed.

The efficacy of bupivacaine with adrenaline in reducing pain and bleeding associated with breast reduction: a prospective trial.

In a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, the effect of preoperative local anaesthesia vasoconstrictor infiltration on peri- and postoperative bleeding and postoperative pain was evaluated in 24 consecutive patients undergoing breast reduction. After the induction of general anaesthesia, one breast was infiltrated with a solution of bupivacaine with adrenaline and the other with the same amount of normal saline solution simultaneously. The perioperative blood loss was calculated by weighing swabs, and postoperative drainage was measured at 3, 24 and 48 h by using suction drains. Postoperative pain was assessed using visual analogue scales and verbal response scores at 3, 6, 10 and 24 h post-infiltration. There was a reduction in perioperative blood loss in the breast infiltrated with bupivacaine and adrenaline (P < 0.01). The mean blood loss in the drains from the infiltrated breasts was also less than that from the control sides at 3 and 24 h post-infiltration (P < 0.05). Pain was significantly less (P < 0.01) at 3 h on the local anaesthetic side. At 6, 10 and 24 h, pain tended to be less on the local anaesthetic side, but this did not reach statistical significance. No major complications were seen. Our results confirm a beneficial effect of bupivacaine with adrenaline on peri- and postoperative bleeding as well as in the early postoperative phase of pain.

Vertical scar breast reduction with medial flap or glandular transposition of the nipple-areola.

Vertical scar breast reduction is a well accepted technique which we believe improves the shape and projection of the breast and leaves no horizontal scars. Lassus and Lejour described superiorly based nipple flaps; we describe a medially based flap or glandular transposition of the nipple in small reductions. Fifty-seven consecutive patients are presented. Thirty-three patients had medial transposition of the nipple-areola with a mean resection of 608 g (range 220-1250 g). Twenty-four patients had a glandular transposition of the nipple-areola, with a mean resection of 380 g (range 220-600 g); transposition of the areola should be less than 5 cm in this group. After a short learning curve, the complications have been few and minor.

Textured or smooth implants for submuscular breast augmentation: a controlled study.

Capsular contracture consistently has been the most frequently noted complication of submuscular and subglandular breast augmentation. The etiology of this complication is still unknown, although silicone bleed, hematoma, infection, foreign bodies, and surgical trauma have been implicated. In this prospective, double-blind study, 61 women undergoing submuscular breast augmentation were randomized between Dow Corning textured and smooth-walled silicone gel implants. Any consequent capsular contracture was assessed by an independent plastic surgeon and also by the patients themselves. Objective evaluation was made by applanation tonometry. It was found that depending on doctors, patients, and objective method used, 3 to 9 percent grade III and IV encapsulation followed submuscular augmentation with textured implants and 10 to 20 percent with smooth-walled implants after 1 year. The differences were significant according to both patient assessment and applanation tonometry but not according to the physicians' evaluations. There was no correlation of capsular contracture with the age of the patient, duration of the operation, or degree of blood loss. There was a small but inconclusive difference in capsular contracture rate that favored the placement of textured rather than smooth implants in the submuscular pocket.

Transcutaneous extravasation of silicone following breast augmentation.

Transcutaneous leakage of silicone in the absence of sinus formation has not previously been described. We present a case in which silicone extravasation occurred following the rupture of a breast implant inserted 14 years previously.

Preoperative antibiotics and capsular contracture in augmentation mammaplasty.

The main drawback with augmentation mammaplasty using implants is capsular contracture. The cause of this complication is still unknown. Silicone particles, hematoma, and bacterial contamination are some of the etiologic factors discussed. In this randomized, double-blind study on 76 breast-augmented women, 50 percent of the patients had preoperative prophylaxis with benzylpenicillin and dicloxacillin. Bacteria samples were taken intraoperatively. The number of negative cultures increased significantly with antibiotic prophylaxis. In four follow-ups during the first postoperative year, the rate of contractures was evaluated by subjective and objective methods. The results showed no statistically significant difference between the placebo and the antibiotic group with respect to the incidence of capsular contracture.

Capsular contracture after breast reconstruction with silicone-gel and saline-filled implants: a 6-year follow-up.

A major problem after breast reconstruction with augmentation mammaplasty is contracture of the fibrous capsule around the prosthesis. In a series of 72 breasts in 65 women, silicone-gel and saline-filled implants were randomly selected prior to breast reconstruction. The results were judged with respect to consistency, tenderness, wrinkles, and sounds by two independent plastic surgeons according to the breast augmentation classification (BAC) and by the patients themselves. Capsular contracture was found by the surgeons in 50 percent of the gel implant group and in 16 percent of the saline implant group, which is in conformity with the results of the follow-up 5 years earlier. The incidence of deflation was 16 percent in the saline group and occurred in different sizes of both overinflated and underinflated prostheses. The degree of slow leakage from saline implants will be discussed. Despite the high rate of contractures in the gel group, 85 percent of all patients were satisfied with the result of the reconstruction.

Results of subglandular breast augmentation using a new classification method--18-year follow-up.

The main problem after augmentation mammaplasty is the formation of capsular contractures. The frequency of this complication varies in different reports. In this study the results in 60 women 15-21 years after subglandular breast augmentation are presented. The patients completed a questionnaire and the breasts were judged according to a new Breast Augmentation Classification (BAC) scale. Of all breasts examined 79% had grade III or IV, but 77% of the patients were satisfied with the final result. However, 84% thought that their breasts were too hard. Breast cancer had not developed in any patient. Rheumatoid arthritis developed in one patient 4 years after the operation. Capsular contracture and unacceptable results after subglandular breast augmentation were found in the major portion of the patients in this study.

Bacteria in the female breast.

Subclinical infection may play a role in capsular formation around silicone breast implants. To assess the possibility of antibiotic prophylaxis for prevention of capsular formation, knowledge of bacteria present in the female breast tissue and the resistance pattern of these bacteria is needed. Samples were taken from 25 patients (49 breasts) peroperatively during reduction mammaplasty with an impression pad method. The samples were placed in agar plates and incubated both aerobically and anaerobically. In more than 90% of the samples bacteria were found. The species of bacteria found were mainly Staphylococcus epidermidis and propionibacteria. These bacteria were sensitive to penicillin G and/or isoxapenicillin. It remains to be shown that prophylactic antibiotic treatment will decrease capsular formation following augmentation mammaplasty.

Capsular contracture in silicone gel and saline-filled breast implants after reconstruction.

Comparisons between results with randomly allotted silicone-gel and saline-filled prostheses in breast reconstruction after mastectomy led to the following conclusions. Neither prosthesis type is ideal. Leakage from saline-filled implants occurred in 2 of the 37 implants, with resultant deflation. Silicone prostheses had a significantly higher rate of capsular contracture [surgeon's evaluation: 54 percent capsular contracture for silicone-gel compared with 20 percent for saline-filled prostheses (p = 0.006); patients' evaluation for the same figures: 54 percent compared with 29 percent (p = 0.03)]. Other authors have shown the presence of silicone in the tissue around silicone-gel-filled silicone implants, but less or none around saline-filled silicone implants. Since the only difference between the two groups was the randomly allotted implants, we assume that the free silicone around silicone-gel-filled prostheses is the major cause of capsular contracture. Since the saline-filled implants showed a 20 percent capsular contracture rate, there could be other causes of capsular contracture in this study. For prevention of contracture, improved implant encapsulation and use of a less reactive filling substance seem to offer possibilities. Surgical technique should aim to preserve the integrity of the prosthesis.

Psychological aspects of breast reconstruction following mastectomy.

In order to analyse the experiences of women after breast reconstruction and to find variables influencing these experiences, 45 women were studied with quantitative methods and 14 with deep interviews, one to four years after breast reconstruction. By factor analysis, five dimensions of experiences were identified. With a more or less common background of variables evaluating the satisfaction with and the subjective importance of the reconstruction, these dimensions emphasized experiences of restoration, freedom from depression, changes in public body image, freedom from tenderness of the reconstruction site, and changes in life patterns, respectively. The dimensions were basically not correlated with each other. The "influence" of other variables on these dimensions was studied using multiple regression methods. Social and physical variables (the consistency of the reconstruction included), the incidence of significant life events, and the availability of social support could not be shown to influence the adjustment factors. Some personality traits were of importance, suggesting that the psychological coping style of the patients is influential. The saliency of personality variables is seen against the background that the technical results of the reconstructions on the whole are satisfactory and their variance restricted. In the deep interview, similar patterns of experiences as those identified by the quantitative methods, were found. The relative satisfaction with the reconstruction was for all interviewed patients the result of a process of adjustment that took varying lengths of time.

Interobserver variation and cosmetic result of submuscular breast reconstruction.

Four experienced plastic surgeons judged the results of 6 different variables in 99 breast reconstructed women. In the range good to poor the observers assessed symmetry of size, position of the submammary fold, symmetry of shape, nipple-areola reconstruction and scars. The grand mean for total cosmetic results was 2.16 (2 = good, 3 = acceptable). Our material shows a great variance between patients in the total cosmetic result. We considered that no variable here shown has unacceptable reliability in terms of interobserver within patients and interpatients within observers variance ratio. The strongest correlations to the total cosmetic result were shown by symmetry of shape, position of the submammary fold and symmetry of size. Thus, in order to improve the total cosmetic result it is important to focus attention on these three aspects.

Late results following mastectomy for cancer and breast reconstruction.

A series of 100 women had been surgically treated for breast cancer and reconstructed by implantation of a submuscular prosthesis. The patients intensely desired the procedure and were supposed to have a realistic anticipation concerning the results. There was one late extrusion of prosthesis and one prosthesis was removed because of a local recurrence. Six patients had local or distant recurrences. Breast reconstruction was not a disadvantage in the treatment of these recurrences. In 48% of the cases the patients thought that the reconstructed breast was harder than desired. The corresponding figure for the independent examiner was 31%. After breast reconstruction, ipsilateral arm complications increased in number or severity by about 5%. In 82%, life-style and in 53%, social relations had improved after breast reconstruction. One of the 100 patients regretted the reconstruction and three were indifferent to it. For 14 patients it was so important as to be possibly psychologically vital.

Adjustment of the contralateral breast following breast reconstruction.

Surgery on the contralateral breast was performed in 64 of 100 patients for adjustment of size and shape or for diagnostic purposes. The patients found it more desirable to adjust size than shape asymmetry on the contralateral breast. There was only one early complication and six late ones. The former was a postoperative hematoma after a reduction mammaplasty. The latter were three cases of capsular contractures after augmentation mammaplasties. In these cases the implant was placed in a submuscular position. In three cases, patients asked for a secondary reduction mammaplasty because of poor symmetry. There were some difficulties in comparing pre- and postoperative mammography after augmentation mammaplasty. In the other adjustment procedures, there were only minor difficulties in a few cases comparing pre- and postoperative mammography. Patients with a high risk of bilateral breast cancer needing size and/or shape symmetry correction should be considered for mastectomy and immediate reconstruction.

Nipple and areola reconstruction. A study in 79 mastectomized women.

Seventy-nine patients of 100 desired a nipple-areola reconstruction. In nipple-areola reconstruction, skin from the upper inner thigh gives the best results as areola replacement, except perhaps in women with very large contralateral areola. Nipple-sharing was the most favourable method for reconstruction of the nipple. Mushroom nipple plasty could give satisfactory results when nipple sharing was not feasible. There were no early complications of nipple-areola reconstruction, which often can be done on an out-patient basis. Most of a series of women who underwent breast reconstruction thought that nipple-areola reconstruction was important and were satisfied with the result.

Breast reconstruction with submuscular prosthesis after modified radical or simple mastectomy. Surgical technique and early complications.

A series of 100 women who underwent breast reconstruction is reviewed. They had previously been treated for breast cancer with modified radical or simple mastectomy. The technique and early results of reconstruction are presented. The same surgeon performed all these operations and the technique was not varied. Emotional need for reconstruction was the main factor in patient selection. The interval between mastectomy and reconstruction was as a rule at least one year after removal of stage I cancer and 2-5 years in stage II cases. Scar correction was required significantly more often after oblique than after horizontal mastectomy incision. A submuscular pocket was created to accommodate the prosthesis and a muscle and fascia flap was used to add tissue and contour. No major early complications occurred. The submuscular implantation of prosthesis facilitated clinical follow-up. In a background population of breast cancer patients, the overall frequency of breast reconstruction was 4%. The figure for premenopausal patients with stage I breast cancer treated with modified radical mastectomy was 18%.