The Environmental Specimen Bank for Human Tissues as part of the German Environmental Specimen Bank.

The German Environmental Specimen Bank for Human Tissues (ESBHum) as part of the German Environmental Specimen Bank (ESB) focuses on documenting and assessing trends of human exposure via real-time monitoring of body burden and long-term storage of samples under stable deep freezing conditions (-150 degrees C) for later retrospective analyses. Real-time monitoring is performed after completing sampling processes of one year and covers actually 20 inorganic and 5 organic substances. While concentrations of several substances, e.g., arsenic, cadmium and mercury, are remained unchanged over time, other substances, e.g., lead and pentachlorophenol (PCP), show a clearly perceptible decrease. Substances which are not routinely analyzed in real-time monitoring are retrospectively measured by indication in the stored human specimens. Indications of retrospective monitoring are availability of valid analytical methods, e.g., in case of PCDF and PCDD, or assessment of concentration trends of substances with actual interest of toxicology and/or environmental medicine, e.g., polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). While over time the body burden of dioxins as well as PFOS and PFOA decreased, the PBDE concentrations in human blood increase. The observed decrease of blood lead and PCP levels over time is a consequence of legal prohibition and restriction. The time-dependent concentrations of the aforementioned substances agree with results of other national studies. So it can be concluded that the German ESBHum is an important instrument for health-related environmental observation and protection in Germany.

Silver-coated megaendoprostheses in a rabbit model--an analysis of the infection rate and toxicological side effects.

Deep infection of megaprostheses remains a serious complication in orthopedic tumor surgery. Despite the use of systemic and local antibiotic prophylaxis the reported infection rate is between 5% and 35%. Silver-coated medical devices proved their effectiveness in reducing infections. The objective of this study was to examine in vivo the antimicrobial efficacy and possible side-effects of a silver-coated megaprosthesis. In a first study, 30 rabbits (15 titanium versus 15 silver-coated Mutars-endoprostheses) were infected with Staphylococcus aureus. In a second study, toxicological side effects were analyzed in 10 rabbits with a silver-coated megaprosthesis. The silver group showed significantly (p<0.05) lower infection rates (7% versus 47%) in comparison with the titanium group. Measurements of the C-reactive-protein, neutrophilic leukocytes, rectal temperature and body weight showed significant (p<0.05) lower signs of inflammation in the silver group. The analysis of the silver concentration in blood (median 1.883ppb) and in organs (0.798-86.002ppb) showed elevated silver concentrations without pathologic changes in laboratory parameters and without histological changes of organs. In conclusion, the new silver-coated Mutars-megaprosthesis resulted in reduced infection rates without toxicological side effects, suggesting that this prosthesis might be a promising device in tumor surgery exhibiting antimicrobial activity.