Diagnosis and Treatment of Endometriosis. Guideline of the DGGG, SGGG and OEGGG (S2k Level, AWMF Registry Number 015/045, August 2020)

Aims The aim of this official guideline published and coordinated by the German Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (DGGG) in cooperation with the Austrian Society for Gynaecology and Obstetrics (OEGGG) and the Swiss Society for Gynaecology and Obstetrics (SGGG) was to provide consensus-based recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis based on an evaluation of the relevant literature. Methods This S2k guideline represents the structured consensus of a representative panel of experts with different professional backgrounds commissioned by the Guideline Committee of the DGGG, OEGGG and SGGG. Recommendations Recommendations on the epidemiology, aetiology, classification, symptomatology, diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis are given and special situations are discussed.

Molecularly imprinted polymer membranes for substance-selective solid-phase extraction from water by surface photo-grafting polymerization

Hydrophilized polyvinylidene fluoride microfiltration membranes were surface-modified in the presence of a template (terbumeton) in methanol with a graft copolymer of a functional monomer (2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propane sulfonic acid, AMPS, methacrylic acid, MAA, or acrylic acid, AA) and a cross-linker (N,N'-methylene-bis-acrylamide) using UV irradiation and benzophenone as photoinitiator. As result, membranes covered with a thin layer of imprinted polymer selective to terbumeton were obtained. Blank membranes were prepared with the same monomer composition, but in the absence of the template. The membranes' capacity to adsorb terbumetone from aqueous solution was evaluated yielding information regarding the effect of polymer synthesis (type and concentration of functional monomer, concentration of cross-linker) on the resulting membranes' recognition properties. UV spectroscopic studies of the interactions with terbumetone revealed that AMPS forms a stronger complex than MAA and AA. In agreement with that finding, imprinting with AMPS gave higher affinities than with MAA and AA. The terbumeton-imprinted membranes showed significantly higher sorption capability to this herbicide than to similar compounds (atrazine, desmetryn, metribuzine). With the novel surface modification technology, the low non-specific binding properties of the hydrophilized microfiltration membrane could successfully be combined with the receptor properties of molecular imprints, yielding substance-specific molecularly imprinted polymer composite membranes. The high affinity of these synthetic affinity membranes to triazine herbicides together with their straightforward and inexpensive preparation provides a good basis for the development of applications of imprinted polymers in separation processes such as solid-phase extraction.