@article{HuangBelharazemLietal.2013, author = {Huang, Bei and Belharazem, Djeda and Li, Li and Kneitz, Susanne and Schnabel, Philipp A. and Rieker, Ralf J. and K{\"o}rner, Daniel and Nix, Wilfried and Schalke, Berthold and M{\"u}ller-Hermelink, Hans Konrad and Ott, German and Rosenwald, Andreas and Str{\"o}bel, Philipp and Marx, Alexander}, title = {Anti-apoptotic signature in thymic squamous cell carcinomas - functional relevance of anti-apoptotic BIRC3 expression in the thymic carcinoma cell line 1889c}, series = {Frontiers in Oncology}, volume = {3}, journal = {Frontiers in Oncology}, number = {316}, doi = {10.3389/fonc.2013.00316}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-132214}, year = {2013}, abstract = {The molecular pathogenesis of thymomas and thymic arcinomas (TCs) is poorly understood and results of adjuvant therapy are unsatisfactory in case of metastatic disease and tumor recurrence. For these clinical settings, novel therapeutic strategies are urgently needed. Recently, limited sequencing efforts revealed that a broad spectrum of genes that play key roles in various common cancers are rarely affected in thymomas and TCs, suggesting that other oncogenic principles might be important.This made us re-analyze historic expression data obtained in a spectrumof thymomas and thymic squamous cell carcinomas (TSCCs) with a custom-made cDNA microarray. By cluster analysis, different anti-apoptotic signatures were detected in type B3 thymoma and TSCC, including overexpression of BIRC3 in TSCCs. This was confirmed by qRT-PCR in the original and an independent validation set of tumors. In contrast to several other cancer cell lines, the BIRC3-positive TSCC cell line, 1889c showed spontaneous apoptosis after BIRC3 knock-down. Targeting apoptosis genes is worth testing as therapeutic principle in TSCC.}, language = {en} } @article{PorubskyPopovicBadveetal.2021, author = {Porubsky, Stefan and Popovic, Zoran V. and Badve, Sunil and Banz, Yara and Berezowska, Sabina and Borchert, Dietmar and Br{\"u}ggemann, Monika and Gaiser, Timo and Graeter, Thomas and Hollaus, Peter and Huettl, Katrin S. and Kotrova, Michaela and Kreft, Andreas and Kugler, Christian and L{\"o}tscher, Fabian and M{\"o}ller, Burkhard and Ott, German and Preissler, Gerhard and Roessner, Eric and Rosenwald, Andreas and Str{\"o}bel, Philipp and Marx, Alexander}, title = {Thymic hyperplasia with lymphoepithelial sialadenitis (LESA)-like features: strong association with lymphomas and non-myasthenic autoimmune diseases}, series = {Cancers}, volume = {13}, journal = {Cancers}, number = {2}, issn = {2072-6694}, doi = {10.3390/cancers13020315}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-223049}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Thymic hyperplasia (TH) with lymphoepithelial sialadenitis (LESA)-like features (LESA-like TH) has been described as a tumor-like, benign proliferation of thymic epithelial cells and lymphoid follicles. We aimed to determine the frequency of lymphoma and autoimmunity in LESA-like TH and performed retrospective analysis of cases with LESA-like TH and/or thymic MALT-lymphoma. Among 36 patients (21 males) with LESA-like TH (age 52 years, 32-80; lesion diameter 7.0 cm, 1-14.5; median, range), five (14\%) showed associated lymphomas, including four (11\%) thymic MALT lymphomas and one (3\%) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. One additional case showed a clonal B-cell-receptor rearrangement without evidence of lymphoma. Twelve (33\%) patients (7 women) suffered from partially overlapping autoimmune diseases: systemic lupus erythematosus (n = 4, 11\%), rheumatoid arthritis (n = 3, 8\%), myasthenia gravis (n = 2, 6\%), asthma (n = 2, 6\%), scleroderma, Sj{\"o}gren syndrome, pure red cell aplasia, Grave's disease and anti-IgLON5 syndrome (each n = 1, 3\%). Among 11 primary thymic MALT lymphomas, remnants of LESA-like TH were found in two cases (18\%). In summary, LESA-like TH shows a striking association with autoimmunity and predisposes to lymphomas. Thus, a hematologic and rheumatologic workup should become standard in patients diagnosed with LESA-like TH. Radiologists and clinicians should be aware of LESA-like TH as a differential diagnosis for mediastinal mass lesions in patients with autoimmune diseases.}, language = {en} } @article{BleilevensSoppertHoffmannetal.2021, author = {Bleilevens, Christian and Soppert, Josefin and Hoffmann, Adrian and Breuer, Thomas and Bernhagen, J{\"u}rgen and Martin, Lukas and Stiehler, Lara and Marx, Gernot and Dreher, Michael and Stoppe, Christian and Simon, Tim-Philipp}, title = {Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) plasma concentration in critically ill COVID-19 patients: a prospective observational study}, series = {Diagnostics}, volume = {11}, journal = {Diagnostics}, number = {2}, issn = {2075-4418}, doi = {10.3390/diagnostics11020332}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-228967}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Mortality in critically ill coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients is high and pharmacological treatment strategies remain limited. Early-stage predictive biomarkers are needed to identify patients with a high risk of severe clinical courses and to stratify treatment strategies. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) was previously described as a potential predictor for the outcome of critically ill patients and for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a hallmark of severe COVID-19 disease. This prospective observational study evaluates the predictive potential of MIF for the clinical outcome after severe COVID-19 infection. Plasma MIF concentrations were measured in 36 mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients over three days after intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Increased compared to decreased MIF was significantly associated with aggravated organ function and a significantly lower 28-day survival (sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score; 8.2 ± 4.5 to 14.3 ± 3, p = 0.009 vs. 8.9 ± 1.9 to 12 ± 2, p = 0.296; survival: 56\% vs. 93\%; p = 0.003). Arterial hypertension was the predominant comorbidity in 85\% of patients with increasing MIF concentrations (vs. decreasing MIF: 39\%; p = 0.015). Without reaching significance, more patients with decreasing MIF were able to improve their ARDS status (p = 0.142). The identified association between an early MIF response, aggravation of organ function and 28-day survival may open future perspectives for biomarker-based diagnostic approaches for ICU management of COVID-19 patients.}, language = {en} } @masterthesis{Marx2020, type = {Bachelor Thesis}, author = {Marx, Philipp}, title = {Aus der Isolation zur Regionalmacht - Eine Analyse der Außenpolitik Burkina Fasos unter Blaise Compaor{\´e}}, issn = {2199-4315}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-20464}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-204647}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, pages = {1-50}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Ganze 27 Jahre lang regierte Blaise Compaor{\´e} die westafrikanische Republik Burkina Faso. Am 15. Oktober 1987 putschte er sich mit Hilfe eines von ihm angeleiteten Staatsstreichs, bei dem sein Vorg{\"a}nger Thomas Sankara ermordet wurde, an die Macht. Die außenpolitische Ausgangssituation Burkina Fasos zu Beginn der Amtszeit Blaise Compaor{\´e}s war verheerend: Die anti-kapitalistische Außenpolitik Sankaras hatte den rohstoffarmen Binnenstaat von seinen wichtigsten politischen und wirtschaftlichen Partnern isoliert und die neue Regierung war durch den gewaltt{\"a}tigen Staatsstreich international gebrandmarkt. Trotz dieser außenpolitisch schwierigen Ausgangslage entwickelte sich Blaise Compaor{\´e} im Zeitverlauf seiner pr{\"a}sidialen Amtszeit zu der zentralen Figur der regionalen Diplomatie in Westafrika. Er konnte in den 2000er Jahren durch Konfliktmediationen im unmittelbaren geografischen Umfeld Burkina Fasos eine F{\"u}hrungsrolle in der westafrikanischen Subregion einnehmen. Die vorliegende Arbeit analysiert die außenpolitischen Entwicklungen Burkina Fasos w{\"a}hrend der pr{\"a}sidialen Amtszeit Blaise Compaor{\´e}s. Der Fokus der Analyse liegt auf der Frage, wie sich Burkina Faso unter Blaise Compaor{\´e} als Regionalmacht in Westafrika etablieren konnte. In diesem Zusammenhang werden die außenpolitischen Mittel, mit denen Blaise Compaor{\´e} die Grundsituation der politischen Isolation seines Amtsantritts in eine regionale F{\"u}hrungsrolle in Westafrika umwandeln konnte, herausgestellt.}, subject = {Burkina Faso}, language = {de} }