TY - JOUR A1 - Janz, Anna A1 - Walz, Katharina A1 - Cirnu, Alexandra A1 - Surjanto, Jessica A1 - Urlaub, Daniela A1 - Leskien, Miriam A1 - Kohlhaas, Michael A1 - Nickel, Alexander A1 - Brand, Theresa A1 - Nose, Naoko A1 - Wörsdörfer, Philipp A1 - Wagner, Nicole A1 - Higuchi, Takahiro A1 - Maack, Christoph A1 - Dudek, Jan A1 - Lorenz, Kristina A1 - Klopocki, Eva A1 - Ergün, Süleyman A1 - Duff, Henry J. A1 - Gerull, Brenda T1 - Mutations in DNAJC19 cause altered mitochondrial structure and increased mitochondrial respiration in human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes JF - Molecular Metabolism N2 - Highlights • Loss of DNAJC19's DnaJ domain disrupts cardiac mitochondrial structure, leading to abnormal cristae formation in iPSC-CMs. • Impaired mitochondrial structures lead to an increased mitochondrial respiration, ROS and an elevated membrane potential. • Mutant iPSC-CMs show sarcomere dysfunction and a trend to more arrhythmias, resembling DCMA-associated cardiomyopathy. Background Dilated cardiomyopathy with ataxia (DCMA) is an autosomal recessive disorder arising from truncating mutations in DNAJC19, which encodes an inner mitochondrial membrane protein. Clinical features include an early onset, often life-threatening, cardiomyopathy associated with other metabolic features. Here, we aim to understand the metabolic and pathophysiological mechanisms of mutant DNAJC19 for the development of cardiomyopathy. Methods We generated induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) of two affected siblings with DCMA and a gene-edited truncation variant (tv) of DNAJC19 which all lack the conserved DnaJ interaction domain. The mutant iPSC-CMs and their respective control cells were subjected to various analyses, including assessments of morphology, metabolic function, and physiological consequences such as Ca\(^{2+}\) kinetics, contractility, and arrhythmic potential. Validation of respiration analysis was done in a gene-edited HeLa cell line (DNAJC19tv\(_{HeLa}\)). Results Structural analyses revealed mitochondrial fragmentation and abnormal cristae formation associated with an overall reduced mitochondrial protein expression in mutant iPSC-CMs. Morphological alterations were associated with higher oxygen consumption rates (OCRs) in all three mutant iPSC-CMs, indicating higher electron transport chain activity to meet cellular ATP demands. Additionally, increased extracellular acidification rates suggested an increase in overall metabolic flux, while radioactive tracer uptake studies revealed decreased fatty acid uptake and utilization of glucose. Mutant iPSC-CMs also showed increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) and an elevated mitochondrial membrane potential. Increased mitochondrial respiration with pyruvate and malate as substrates was observed in mutant DNAJC19tv HeLa cells in addition to an upregulation of respiratory chain complexes, while cellular ATP-levels remain the same. Moreover, mitochondrial alterations were associated with increased beating frequencies, elevated diastolic Ca\(^{2+}\) concentrations, reduced sarcomere shortening and an increased beat-to-beat rate variability in mutant cell lines in response to β-adrenergic stimulation. Conclusions Loss of the DnaJ domain disturbs cardiac mitochondrial structure with abnormal cristae formation and leads to mitochondrial dysfunction, suggesting that DNAJC19 plays an essential role in mitochondrial morphogenesis and biogenesis. Moreover, increased mitochondrial respiration, altered substrate utilization, increased ROS production and abnormal Ca\(^{2+}\) kinetics provide insights into the pathogenesis of DCMA-related cardiomyopathy. KW - cell biology KW - molecular biology KW - dilated cardiomyopathy with ataxia KW - genetics KW - metabolism KW - mitochondria KW - OXPHOS KW - ROS KW - contractility Y1 - 2024 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-350393 SN - 2212-8778 VL - 79 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Steinhardt, Maximilian J. A1 - Cejka, Vladimir A1 - Chen, Mengmeng A1 - Bäuerlein, Sabrina A1 - Schäfer, Julia A1 - Adrah, Ali A1 - Ihne-Schubert, Sandra M. A1 - Papagianni, Aikaterini A1 - Kortüm, K. Martin A1 - Morbach, Caroline A1 - Störk, Stefan T1 - Safety and tolerability of SGLT2 inhibitors in cardiac amyloidosis — a clinical feasibility study JF - Journal of Clinical Medicine N2 - Sodium-glucose transport protein 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) slow the progression of renal dysfunction and improve the prognosis of patients with heart failure. Amyloidosis constitutes an important subgroup for which evidence is lacking. Amyloidotic fibrils originating from misfolded transthyretin and light chains are the causal agents in ATTR and AL amyloidosis. In these most frequent subtypes, cardiac involvement is the most common organ manifestation. Because cardiac and renal function frequently deteriorate over time, even under best available treatment, SGLT2i emerge as a promising treatment option due to their reno- and cardioprotective properties. We retrospectively analyzed patients with cardiac amyloidosis, who received either dapagliflozin or empagliflozin. Out of 79 patients, 5.1% had urinary tract infections; 2 stopped SGLT2i therapy; and 2.5% died unrelated to the intake of SGLT2i. No genital mycotic infections were observed. As expected, a slight drop in the glomerular filtration rate was noted, while the NYHA functional status, cardiac and hepatic function, as well as the 6 min walk distance remained stable over time. These data provide a rationale for the use of SGLT2i in patients with amyloidosis and concomitant cardiac or renal dysfunction. Prospective randomized data are desired to confirm safety and to prove efficacy in this increasingly important group of patients. KW - heart failure KW - chronic kidney disease KW - amyloidosis KW - SGLT2 inhibitors Y1 - 2024 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-356024 SN - 2077-0383 VL - 13 IS - 1 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Krieter, Detlef H. A1 - Rüth, Marieke A1 - Lemke, Horst-Dieter A1 - Wanner, Christoph T1 - Clinical performance comparison of two medium cut-off dialyzers JF - Therapeutic Apheresis and Dialysis N2 - Introduction Medium-cut-off (MCO) dialyzers may beneficially impact outcomes in patients on hemodialysis. Methods In a randomized, controlled trial in maintenance hemodialysis patients, the new Nipro ELISIO-17HX MCO dialyzer was compared to the Baxter Theranova 400 filter regarding middle molecule removal. Furthermore, the suitability of two assays for free lambda-light chain (λFLC) detection (Freelite vs. N-Latex) was verified. Results ELISIO-HX achieved slightly lower reduction ratios for β2-microglobulin (71.8 ± 6.0 vs. 75.3 ± 5.8%; p = 0.001), myoglobin (54.7 ± 8.6 vs. 64.9 ± 8.7%; p < 0.001), and kappa-FLC (62.1 ± 8.8 vs. 56.3 ± 7.7%; p = 0.021). λFLC reduction ratios were more conclusive with the Freelite assay and not different between ELISIO-HX and Theranova (28.4 ± 3.9 vs. 38.7 ± 13.4%; p = 0.069). The albumin loss of Theranova was considerably higher (2.14 ± 0.45 vs. 0.77 ± 0.25 g; p = 0.001) and the Global Removal ScoreLoss alb largely inferior (30.6 ± 7.4 vs. 82.4 ± 29.2%/g; p = 0.006) to ELISIO-HX. Conclusions The new ELISIO-HX expands the choice of dialyzers for MCO hemodialysis. KW - dialysis adequacy KW - medium cut-off dialyzer KW - hemodialysis KW - free light chains KW - end-stage kidney disease Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-318643 VL - 27 IS - 2 SP - 284 EP - 292 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dawood, Peter A1 - Breuer, Felix A1 - Stebani, Jannik A1 - Burd, Paul A1 - Homolya, István A1 - Oberberger, Johannes A1 - Jakob, Peter M. A1 - Blaimer, Martin T1 - Iterative training of robust k‐space interpolation networks for improved image reconstruction with limited scan specific training samples JF - Magnetic Resonance in Medicine N2 - To evaluate an iterative learning approach for enhanced performance of robust artificial‐neural‐networks for k‐space interpolation (RAKI), when only a limited amount of training data (auto‐calibration signals [ACS]) are available for accelerated standard 2D imaging. Methods In a first step, the RAKI model was tailored for the case of limited training data amount. In the iterative learning approach (termed iterative RAKI [iRAKI]), the tailored RAKI model is initially trained using original and augmented ACS obtained from a linear parallel imaging reconstruction. Subsequently, the RAKI convolution filters are refined iteratively using original and augmented ACS extracted from the previous RAKI reconstruction. Evaluation was carried out on 200 retrospectively undersampled in vivo datasets from the fastMRI neuro database with different contrast settings. Results For limited training data (18 and 22 ACS lines for R = 4 and R = 5, respectively), iRAKI outperforms standard RAKI by reducing residual artifacts and yields better noise suppression when compared to standard parallel imaging, underlined by quantitative reconstruction quality metrics. Additionally, iRAKI shows better performance than both GRAPPA and standard RAKI in case of pre‐scan calibration with varying contrast between training‐ and undersampled data. Conclusion RAKI benefits from the iterative learning approach, which preserves the noise suppression feature, but requires less original training data for the accurate reconstruction of standard 2D images thereby improving net acceleration. KW - complex‐valued machine learning KW - data augmentation KW - deep learning KW - GRAPPA KW - parallel imaging KW - RAKI Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-312306 VL - 89 IS - 2 SP - 812 EP - 827 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kerwagen, Fabian A1 - Fuchs, Konrad F. A1 - Ullrich, Melanie A1 - Schulze, Andres A1 - Straka, Samantha A1 - Krop, Philipp A1 - Latoschik, Marc E. A1 - Gilbert, Fabian A1 - Kunz, Andreas A1 - Fette, Georg A1 - Störk, Stefan A1 - Ertl, Maximilian T1 - Usability of a mHealth solution using speech recognition for point-of-care diagnostic management JF - Journal of Medical Systems N2 - The administrative burden for physicians in the hospital can affect the quality of patient care. The Service Center Medical Informatics (SMI) of the University Hospital Würzburg developed and implemented the smartphone-based mobile application (MA) ukw.mobile1 that uses speech recognition for the point-of-care ordering of radiological examinations. The aim of this study was to examine the usability of the MA workflow for the point-of-care ordering of radiological examinations. All physicians at the Department of Trauma and Plastic Surgery at the University Hospital Würzburg, Germany, were asked to participate in a survey including the short version of the User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ-S) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). For the analysis of the different domains of user experience (overall attractiveness, pragmatic quality and hedonic quality), we used a two-sided dependent sample t-test. For the determinants of the acceptance model, we employed regression analysis. Twenty-one of 30 physicians (mean age 34 ± 8 years, 62% male) completed the questionnaire. Compared to the conventional desktop application (DA) workflow, the new MA workflow showed superior overall attractiveness (mean difference 2.15 ± 1.33), pragmatic quality (mean difference 1.90 ± 1.16), and hedonic quality (mean difference 2.41 ± 1.62; all p < .001). The user acceptance measured by the UTAUT (mean 4.49 ± 0.41; min. 1, max. 5) was also high. Performance expectancy (beta = 0.57, p = .02) and effort expectancy (beta = 0.36, p = .04) were identified as predictors of acceptance, the full predictive model explained 65.4% of its variance. Point-of-care mHealth solutions using innovative technology such as speech-recognition seem to address the users’ needs and to offer higher usability in comparison to conventional technology. Implementation of user-centered mHealth innovations might therefore help to facilitate physicians’ daily work. KW - mHealth KW - digital Health KW - speech recognition KW - usability KW - user-centered design KW - clinical systems Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-324002 VL - 47 IS - 1 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Gerhardt, Louisa M. S. A1 - Kordsmeyer, Maren A1 - Sehner, Susanne A1 - Güder, Gülmisal A1 - Störk, Stefan A1 - Edelmann, Frank A1 - Wachter, Rolf A1 - Pankuweit, Sabine A1 - Prettin, Christiane A1 - Ertl, Georg A1 - Wanner, Christoph A1 - Angermann, Christiane E. T1 - Prevalence and prognostic impact of chronic kidney disease and anaemia across ACC/AHA precursor and symptomatic heart failure stages JF - Clinical Research in Cardiology N2 - Background The importance of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and anaemia has not been comprehensively studied in asymptomatic patients at risk for heart failure (HF) versus those with symptomatic HF. We analysed the prevalence, characteristics and prognostic impact of both conditions across American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) precursor and HF stages A–D. Methods and results 2496 participants from three non-pharmacological German Competence Network HF studies were categorized by ACC/AHA stage; stage C patients were subdivided into C1 and C2 (corresponding to NYHA classes I/II and III, respectively). Overall, patient distribution was 8.1%/35.3%/32.9% and 23.7% in ACC/AHA stages A/B/C1 and C2/D, respectively. These subgroups were stratified by the absence ( – ) or presence ( +) of CKD (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] < 60 mL/min/1.73m2) and anaemia (haemoglobin in women/men < 12/ < 13 g/dL). The primary outcome was all-cause mortality at 5-year follow-up. Prevalence increased across stages A/B/C1 and C2/D (CKD: 22.3%/23.6%/31.6%/54.7%; anaemia: 3.0%/7.9%/21.7%/33.2%, respectively), with concordant decreases in median eGFR and haemoglobin (all p < 0.001). Across all stages, hazard ratios [95% confidence intervals] for all-cause mortality were 2.1 [1.8–2.6] for CKD + , 1.7 [1.4–2.0] for anaemia, and 3.6 [2.9–4.6] for CKD + /anaemia + (all p < 0.001). Population attributable fractions (PAFs) for 5-year mortality related to CKD and/or anaemia were similar across stages A/B, C1 and C2/D (up to 33.4%, 30.8% and 34.7%, respectively). Conclusions Prevalence and severity of CKD and anaemia increased across ACC/AHA stages. Both conditions were individually and additively associated with increased 5-year mortality risk, with similar PAFs in asymptomatic patients and those with symptomatic HF. KW - anaemia KW - ACC/AHA classification KW - chronic kidney disease KW - comorbidity KW - heart failure KW - mortality Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-323990 VL - 112 IS - 7 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Gelbrich, Götz A1 - Morbach, Caroline A1 - Deutschbein, Timo A1 - Fassnacht, Martin A1 - Störk, Stefan A1 - Heuschmann, Peter U. T1 - The population comparison index: an intuitive measure to calibrate the extent of impairments in patient cohorts in relation to healthy and diseased populations JF - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health N2 - We assume that a specific health constraint, e.g., a certain aspect of bodily function or quality of life that is measured by a variable X, is absent (or irrelevant) in a healthy reference population (Ref0), and it is materially present and precisely measured in a diseased reference population (Ref1). We further assume that some amount of this constraint of interest is suspected to be present in a population under study (SP). In order to quantify this issue, we propose the introduction of an intuitive measure, the population comparison index (PCI), that relates the mean value of X in population SP to the mean values of X in populations Ref0 and Ref1. This measure is defined as PCI[X] = (mean[X|SP] − mean[X|Ref0])/(mean[X|Ref1] − mean[X|Ref0]) × 100[%], where mean[X|.] is the average value of X in the respective group of individuals. For interpretation, PCI[X] ≈ 0 indicates that the values of X in the population SP are similar to those in population Ref0, and hence, the impairment measured by X is not materially present in the individuals in population SP. On the other hand, PCI[X] ≈ 100 means that the individuals in SP exhibit values of X comparable to those occurring in Ref1, i.e., the constraint of interest is equally present in populations SP and Ref1. A value of 0 < PCI[X] < 100 indicates that a certain percentage of the constraint is present in SP, and it is more than in Ref0 but less than in Ref1. A value of PCI[X] > 100 means that population SP is even more affected by the constraint than population Ref1. KW - reference data KW - normal values KW - disease severity KW - disease score KW - comparability Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-304933 SN - 1660-4601 VL - 20 IS - 3 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Traub, Jan A1 - Frey, Anna A1 - Störk, Stefan T1 - Chronic neuroinflammation and cognitive decline in patients with cardiac disease: evidence, relevance, and therapeutic implications JF - Life N2 - Acute and chronic cardiac disorders predispose to alterations in cognitive performance, ranging from mild cognitive impairment to overt dementia. Although this association is well-established, the factors inducing and accelerating cognitive decline beyond ageing and the intricate causal pathways and multilateral interdependencies involved remain poorly understood. Dysregulated and persistent inflammatory processes have been implicated as potentially causal mediators of the adverse consequences on brain function in patients with cardiac disease. Recent advances in positron emission tomography disclosed an enhanced level of neuroinflammation of cortical and subcortical brain regions as an important correlate of altered cognition in these patients. In preclinical and clinical investigations, the thereby involved domains and cell types of the brain are gradually better characterized. Microglia, resident myeloid cells of the central nervous system, appear to be of particular importance, as they are extremely sensitive to even subtle pathological alterations affecting their complex interplay with neighboring astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, infiltrating myeloid cells, and lymphocytes. Here, we review the current evidence linking cognitive impairment and chronic neuroinflammation in patients with various selected cardiac disorders including the aspect of chronic neuroinflammation as a potentially druggable target. KW - neuroinflammation KW - cognitive impairment KW - dementia KW - myocardial infarction KW - heart failure KW - hypertension KW - coronary artery disease KW - atrial fibrillation KW - cardiac arrest KW - aortic valve stenosis Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-304869 SN - 2075-1729 VL - 13 IS - 2 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kimpel, Otilia A1 - Schindler, Paul A1 - Schmidt-Pennington, Laura A1 - Altieri, Barbara A1 - Megerle, Felix A1 - Haak, Harm A1 - Pittaway, James A1 - Dischinger, Ulrich A1 - Quinkler, Marcus A1 - Mai, Knut A1 - Kroiss, Matthias A1 - Polat, Bülent A1 - Fassnacht, Martin T1 - Efficacy and safety of radiation therapy in advanced adrenocortical carcinoma JF - British Journal of Cancer N2 - Background International guidelines emphasise the role of radiotherapy (RT) for the management of advanced adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC). However, the evidence for this recommendation is very low. Methods We retrospectively analysed all patients who received RT for advanced ACC in five European centres since 2000. Primary endpoint: time to progression of the treated lesion (tTTP). Secondary endpoints: best objective response, progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), adverse events, and the establishment of predictive factors by Cox analyses. Results In total, 132 tumoural lesions of 80 patients were treated with conventional RT (cRT) of 50–60 Gy (n = 20) or 20–49 Gy (n = 69), stereotactic body RT of 35–50 Gy (SBRT) (n = 36), or brachytherapy of 12–25 Gy (BT) (n = 7). Best objective lesional response was complete (n = 6), partial (n = 52), stable disease (n = 60), progressive disease (n = 14). Median tTTP was 7.6 months (1.0–148.6). In comparison to cRT\(_{20-49Gy}\), tTTP was significantly longer for cRT\(_{50-60Gy}\) (multivariate adjusted HR 0.10; 95% CI 0.03–0.33; p < 0.001) and SBRT (HR 0.31; 95% CI 0.12–0.80; p = 0.016), but not for BT (HR 0.66; 95% CI 0.22–1.99; p = 0.46). Toxicity was generally mild and moderate with three grade 3 events. No convincing predictive factors could be established. Conclusions This largest published study on RT in advanced ACC provides clear evidence that RT is effective in ACC. KW - adrenal tumours KW - adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) KW - radiotherapy (RT) Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-324411 VL - 128 IS - 4 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Werner, Rudolf A. A1 - Sayehli, Cyrus A1 - Hänscheid, Heribert A1 - Higuchi, Takahiro A1 - Serfling, Sebastian E. A1 - Fassnacht, Martin A1 - Goebeler, Maria-Elisabeth A1 - Buck, Andreas K. A1 - Kroiss, Matthias T1 - Successful combination of selpercatinib and radioiodine after pretherapeutic dose estimation in RET-altered thyroid carcinoma JF - European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging N2 - No abstract available. KW - papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) KW - selpercatinib KW - radioiodine KW - combination KW - thyroid carcinoma (TC) Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-324435 VL - 50 IS - 6 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Modica, Roberta A1 - Altieri, Barbara A1 - D’Aniello, Francesco A1 - Benevento, Elio A1 - Cannavale, Giuseppe A1 - Minotta, Roberto A1 - Liccardi, Alessia A1 - Colao, Annamaria A1 - Faggiano, Antongiulio T1 - Vitamin D and bone metabolism in adult patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 JF - Metabolites N2 - Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a genetic multisystemic autosomal dominant disorder determining reduced life expectancy due to higher risk of developing benign and malignant tumors. Low levels of vitamin D and reduced bone mineral density (BMD) have been reported in young patients with NF1. However, correlation between vitamin D and NF1 phenotype needs to be elucidated. Aim of this study was to assess vitamin D levels and bone metabolism in NF1 patients, analyzing potential correlations with clinical phenotype. A cross-sectional study was carried out in a monocentric series of NF1 patients, evaluating genotype, clinical phenotype, BMD, biochemical evaluation with focus on serum 25OH-vitamin D, parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcium and phosphate levels. Correlations between clinical manifestations, neurofibromas, and vitamin D status have been studied in comparison with healthy controls. 31 NF1 adult patients were matched for sex, age and body mass index with 31 healthy controls. A significantly difference in vitamin D level emerged in NF1 patients compared to controls. Interestingly low vitamin D levels correlated with a more aggressive phenotype and with a bigger size of neurofibromas. These data underline that vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency may play a role in clinical severity of neurofibromas in patients with NF1, suggesting the need to check bone status and replace vitamin D in these patients. KW - neurofibromatosis type 1 KW - vitamin D KW - bone metabolism KW - osteoporosis KW - tumor Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-303957 SN - 2218-1989 VL - 13 IS - 2 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ungethüm, K. A1 - Wiedmann, S. A1 - Wagner, M. A1 - Leyh, R. A1 - Ertl, G. A1 - Frantz, S. A1 - Geisler, T. A1 - Karmann, W. A1 - Prondzinsky, R. A1 - Herdeg, C. A1 - Noutsias, M. A1 - Ludwig, T. A1 - Käs, J. A1 - Klocke, B. A1 - Krapp, J. A1 - Wood, D. A1 - Kotseva, K. A1 - Störk, S. A1 - Heuschmann, P. U. T1 - Secondary prevention in diabetic and nondiabetic coronary heart disease patients: insights from the German subset of the hospital arm of the EUROASPIRE IV and V surveys JF - Clinical Research in Cardiology N2 - Background Patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) with and without diabetes mellitus have an increased risk of recurrent events requiring multifactorial secondary prevention of cardiovascular risk factors. We compared prevalences of cardiovascular risk factors and its determinants including lifestyle, pharmacotherapy and diabetes mellitus among patients with chronic CHD examined within the fourth and fifth EUROASPIRE surveys (EA-IV, 2012–13; and EA-V, 2016–17) in Germany. Methods The EA initiative iteratively conducts European-wide multicenter surveys investigating the quality of secondary prevention in chronic CHD patients aged 18 to 79 years. The data collection in Germany was performed during a comprehensive baseline visit at study centers in Würzburg (EA-IV, EA-V), Halle (EA-V), and Tübingen (EA-V). Results 384 EA-V participants (median age 69.0 years, 81.3% male) and 536 EA-IV participants (median age 68.7 years, 82.3% male) were examined. Comparing EA-IV and EA-V, no relevant differences in risk factor prevalence and lifestyle changes were observed with the exception of lower LDL cholesterol levels in EA-V. Prevalence of unrecognized diabetes was significantly lower in EA-V as compared to EA-IV (11.8% vs. 19.6%) while the proportion of prediabetes was similarly high in the remaining population (62.1% vs. 61.0%). Conclusion Between 2012 and 2017, a modest decrease in LDL cholesterol levels was observed, while no differences in blood pressure control and body weight were apparent in chronic CHD patients in Germany. Although the prevalence of unrecognized diabetes decreased in the later study period, the proportion of normoglycemic patients was low. As pharmacotherapy appeared fairly well implemented, stronger efforts towards lifestyle interventions, mental health programs and cardiac rehabilitation might help to improve risk factor profiles in chronic CHD patients. KW - coronary heart disease KW - diabetes mellitus KW - secondary prevention KW - EUROASPIRE Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-324037 VL - 112 IS - 2 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Altieri, Barbara A1 - La Salvia, Anna A1 - Modica, Roberta A1 - Marciello, Francesca A1 - Mercier, Olaf A1 - Filosso, Pier Luigi A1 - de Latour, Bertrand Richard A1 - Giuffrida, Dario A1 - Campione, Severo A1 - Guggino, Gianluca A1 - Fadel, Elie A1 - Papotti, Mauro A1 - Colao, Annamaria A1 - Scoazec, Jean-Yves A1 - Baudin, Eric A1 - Faggiano, Antongiulio T1 - Recurrence-free survival in early and locally advanced large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the lung after complete tumor resection JF - Journal of Personalized Medicine N2 - Background: Large Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma (LCNEC) is a rare subtype of lung cancer with poor clinical outcomes. Data on recurrence-free survival (RFS) in early and locally advanced pure LCNEC after complete resection (R0) are lacking. This study aims to evaluate clinical outcomes in this subgroup of patients and to identify potential prognostic markers. Methods: Retrospective multicenter study including patients with pure LCNEC stage I-III and R0 resection. Clinicopathological characteristics, RFS, and disease-specific survival (DSS) were evaluated. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed. Results: 39 patients (M:F = 26:13), with a median age of 64 years (44–83), were included. Lobectomy (69.2%), bilobectomy (5.1%), pneumonectomy (18%), and wedge resection (7.7%) were performed mostly associated with lymphadenectomy. Adjuvant therapy included platinum-based chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy in 58.9% of cases. After a median follow-up of 44 (4–169) months, the median RFS was 39 months with 1-, 2- and 5-year RFS rates of 60.0%, 54.6%, and 44.9%, respectively. Median DSS was 72 months with a 1-, 2- and 5-year rate of 86.8, 75.9, and 57.4%, respectively. At multivariate analysis, age (cut-off 65 years old) and pN status were independent prognostic factors for both RFS (HR = 4.19, 95%CI = 1.46–12.07, p = 0.008 and HR = 13.56, 95%CI 2.45–74.89, p = 0.003, respectively) and DSS (HR = 9.30, 95%CI 2.23–38.83, p = 0.002 and HR = 11.88, 95%CI 2.28–61.84, p = 0.003, respectively). Conclusion: After R0 resection of LCNEC, half of the patients recurred mostly within the first two years of follow-up. Age and lymph node metastasis could help to stratify patients for adjuvant therapy. KW - neuroendocrine tumor KW - LCNEC KW - pulmonary cancer KW - prognostic marker KW - prognosis KW - survival KW - lymph nodes KW - age KW - surgery KW - adjuvant therapy Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-304000 SN - 2075-4426 VL - 13 IS - 2 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kerwagen, Fabian A1 - Riemer, Uwe A1 - Wachter, Rolf A1 - von Haehling, Stephan A1 - Abdin, Amr A1 - Böhm, Michael A1 - Schulz, Martin A1 - Störk, Stefan T1 - Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on implementation of novel guideline-directed medical therapies for heart failure in Germany: a nationwide retrospective analysis JF - The Lancet Regional Health - Europe N2 - Background Guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) is the cornerstone in the treatment of patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and novel substances such as sacubitril/valsartan (S/V) and sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) have demonstrated marked clinical benefits. We investigated their implementation into real-world HF care in Germany before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic period. Methods The IQVIA LRx data set is based on ∼80% of 73 million people covered by the German statutory health insurance. Prescriptions of S/V were used as a proxy for HFrEF. Time trends were analysed between Q1/2016 and Q2/2023 for prescriptions for S/V alone and in combination therapy with SGLT2i. Findings The number of patients treated with S/V increased from 5260 in Q1/2016 to 351,262 in Q2/2023. The share of patients with combination therapy grew from 0.6% (29 of 5260) to 14.2% (31,128 of 219,762) in Q2/2021, and then showed a steep surge up to 54.8% (192,429 of 351,262) in Q2/2023, coinciding with the release of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines for HF in Q3/2021. Women and patients aged >80 years were treated less often with combined therapy than men and younger patients. With the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of patients with new S/V prescriptions dropped by 17.5% within one quarter, i.e., from 26,855 in Q1/2020 to 22,145 in Q2/2020, and returned to pre-pandemic levels only in Q1/2021. Interpretation The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a 12-month deceleration of S/V uptake in Germany. Following the release of the ESC HF guidelines, the combined prescription of S/V and SGLT2i was readily adopted. Further efforts are needed to fully implement GDMT and strengthen the resilience of healthcare systems during public health crises. KW - health policy KW - oncology KW - internal medicine KW - heart failure KW - COVID-19 KW - sacubitril-valsartan KW - sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors KW - guideline-directed medical therapy KW - evidence-based practice KW - real-world Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-350510 SN - 2666-7762 VL - 35 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Froehlich, Matthias A1 - Zahner, Antonia A1 - Schmalzing, Marc A1 - Gernert, Michael A1 - Strunz, Patrick-Pascal A1 - Hueper, Sebastian A1 - Portegys, Jan A1 - Schwaneck, Eva Christina A1 - Gadeholt, Ottar A1 - Kübler, Andrea A1 - Hewig, Johannes A1 - Ziebell, Philipp T1 - Patient-reported outcomes provide evidence for increased depressive symptoms and increased mental impairment in giant cell arteritis JF - Frontiers in Medicine N2 - Objectives The spectrum of giant cell arteritis (GCA) and polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) represents highly inflammatory rheumatic diseases. Patients mostly report severe physical impairment. Possible consequences for mental health have been scarcely studied. The aim of this study was to investigate psychological well-being in the context of GCA and PMR. Methods Cross-sectional study with N = 100 patients with GCA and/or PMR (GCA-PMR). Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) were measured using the Short Form 36 Version 2 (SF-36v2) and visual analog scale (VAS) assessment. Moreover, the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) was used in 35 of 100 patients to detect depression. To compare PROs with physician assessment, VAS was also rated from physician perspective. To assess a possible association with inflammation itself, serological parameters of inflammation (C-reactive protein [CRP], erythrocyte sedimentation rate [ESR]) were included. Results In all scales of the SF-36v2 except General Health (GH) and in the physical and mental sum score (PCS, MCS), a significant impairment compared to the German reference collective was evident (MCS: d = 0.533, p < 0.001). In the PHQ-9 categorization, 14 of the 35 (40%) showed evidence of major depression disorder. VAS Patient correlated significantly with PHQ-9 and SF-36 in all categories, while VAS Physician showed only correlations to physical categories and not in the mental dimensions. Regarding inflammatory parameters, linear regression showed CRP to be a complementary significant positive predictor of mental health subscale score, independent of pain. Conclusion PRO show a relevant impairment of mental health up to symptoms of major depression disorder. The degree of depressive symptoms is also distinctly associated with the serological inflammatory marker CRP. KW - giant cell arteritis KW - PRO KW - depression KW - mental impairment KW - SF-36 KW - PHQ-9 KW - VAS KW - polymyalgia rheumatica Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-319761 VL - 10 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kimpel, Otilia A1 - Altieri, Barbara A1 - Dischinger, Ulrich A1 - Fuss, Carmina Teresa A1 - Kurlbaum, Max A1 - Fassnacht, Martin T1 - Early detection of recurrence and progress using serum steroid profiling by LC–MS/MS in patients with adrenocortical carcinoma JF - Metabolites N2 - Serum liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) steroid profiling is used for the diagnosis of adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC). Guidelines recommend endocrine work-up in addition to radiological imaging for follow-up in ACC, but data on this topic are scarce. Patients were included in this retrospective study if pre-therapeutic hormone values, regular tumour evaluation by imaging, steroid measurements by LC–MS/MS, and details on therapies were available. The utility of steroid profiles in detecting recurrence or disease progression was assessed, whereby “endocrine progress” was defined by an elevation of at least 3 of 13 analysed hormones. Cohort A included 47 patients after R0 resection, of whom 15 experienced recurrence and 32 did not. In cohort B, 52 patients with advanced disease (including 7 patients of cohort A with recurrence) could be evaluated on 74 visits when progressive disease was documented. In 20 of 89 cases with documented disease progression, “endocrine progress” was detectable prior to radiological progress. In these cases, recurrence/progression was detected at a median of 32 days earlier by steroid measurement than by imaging, with 11-deoxycortisol and testosterone being the most sensitive markers. Notably, these patients had significantly larger tumour burden. In conclusion, steroid profiling by LC–MS/MS is of value in detecting recurrent/progressive disease in ACC. KW - adrenal cancer KW - follow-up KW - steroid measurement KW - liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-355839 SN - 2218-1989 VL - 14 IS - 1 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Michalski, Kerstin A1 - Schlötelburg, Wiebke A1 - Hartrampf, Philipp E. A1 - Kosmala, Aleksander A1 - Buck, Andreas K. A1 - Hahner, Stefanie A1 - Schirbel, Andreas T1 - Radiopharmaceuticals for treatment of adrenocortical carcinoma JF - Pharmaceuticals N2 - Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) represents a rare tumor entity with limited treatment options and usually rapid tumor progression in case of metastatic disease. As further treatment options are needed and ACC metastases are sensitive to external beam radiation, novel theranostic approaches could complement established therapeutic concepts. Recent developments focus on targeting adrenal cortex-specific enzymes like the theranostic twin [\(^{123/131}\)I]IMAZA that shows a good image quality and a promising therapeutic effect in selected patients. But other established molecular targets in nuclear medicine such as the C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) could possibly enhance the therapeutic regimen as well in a subgroup of patients. The aims of this review are to give an overview of innovative radiopharmaceuticals for the treatment of ACC and to present the different molecular targets, as well as to show future perspectives for further developments since a radiopharmaceutical with a broad application range is still warranted. KW - adrenocortical carcinoma KW - theranostics KW - endoradiotherapy KW - IMAZA Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-355901 SN - 1424-8247 VL - 17 IS - 1 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Balonov, Ilja A1 - Kurlbaum, Max A1 - Koschker, Ann-Cathrin A1 - Stier, Christine A1 - Fassnacht, Martin A1 - Dischinger, Ulrich T1 - Changes in plasma metabolomic profile following bariatric surgery, lifestyle intervention or diet restriction — insights from human and rat studies JF - International Journal of Molecular Sciences N2 - Although bariatric surgery is known to change the metabolome, it is unclear if this is specific for the intervention or a consequence of the induced bodyweight loss. As the weight loss after Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RYGB) can hardly be mimicked with an evenly effective diet in humans, translational research efforts might be helpful. A group of 188 plasma metabolites of 46 patients from the randomized controlled Würzburg Adipositas Study (WAS) and from RYGB-treated rats (n = 6) as well as body-weight-matched controls (n = 7) were measured using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. WAS participants were randomized into intensive lifestyle modification (LS, n = 24) or RYGB (OP, n = 22). In patients in the WAS cohort, only bariatric surgery achieved a sustained weight loss (BMI −34.3% (OP) vs. −1.2% (LS), p ≤ 0.01). An explicit shift in the metabolomic profile was found in 57 metabolites in the human cohort and in 62 metabolites in the rodent model. Significantly higher levels of sphingolipids and lecithins were detected in both surgical groups but not in the conservatively treated human and animal groups. RYGB leads to a characteristic metabolomic profile, which differs distinctly from that following non-surgical intervention. Analysis of the human and rat data revealed that RYGB induces specific changes in the metabolome independent of weight loss. KW - metabolomics KW - phosphatidylcholines KW - sphingolipids KW - branched-chain amino acids KW - obesity KW - Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass KW - rodent model KW - insulin resistance Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-304462 SN - 1422-0067 VL - 24 IS - 3 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lisowski, Dominik A1 - Lutyj, Paul A1 - Abazari, Arya A1 - Weick, Stefan A1 - Traub, Jan A1 - Polat, Bülent A1 - Flentje, Michael A1 - Kraft, Johannes T1 - Impact of Radiotherapy on Malfunctions and Battery Life of Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices in Cancer Patients JF - Cancers N2 - Purpose: This study analyses a large number of cancer patients with CIEDs for device malfunction and premature battery depletion by device interrogation after each radiotherapy fraction and compares different guidelines in regard to patient safety. Methods: From 2007 to 2022, a cohort of 255 patients was analyzed for CIED malfunctions via immediate device interrogation after every RT fraction. Results: Out of 324 series of radiotherapy treatments, with a total number of 5742 CIED interrogations, nine device malfunctions (2.8%) occurred. Switching into back-up/safety mode and software errors occurred four times each. Once, automatic read-out could not be performed. The median prescribed cumulative dose at planning target volume (PTV) associated with CIED malfunction was 45.0 Gy (IQR 36.0–64.0 Gy), with a median dose per fraction of 2.31 Gy (IQR 2.0–3.0 Gy). The median maximum dose at the CIED at time of malfunction was 0.3 Gy (IQR 0.0–1.3 Gy). No correlation between CIED malfunction and maximum photon energy (p = 0.07), maximum dose at the CIED (p = 0.59) nor treatment localization (p = 0.41) could be detected. After excluding the nine malfunctions, premature battery depletion was only observed three times (1.2%). Depending on the national guidelines, 1–9 CIED malfunctions in this study would have been detected on the day of occurrence and in none of the cases would patient safety have been compromised. Conclusion: Radiation-induced malfunctions of CIEDs and premature battery depletion are rare. If recommendations of national safety guidelines are followed, only a portion of the malfunctions would be detected directly after occurrence. Nevertheless, patient safety would not be compromised. KW - battery depletion KW - cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) KW - cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) KW - implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) KW - CIED malfunction; pacemaker (PM) KW - radiotherapy (RT) Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-358008 SN - 2072-6694 VL - 15 IS - 19 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Weiß, Martin A1 - Gründahl, Marthe A1 - Deckert, Jürgen A1 - Eichner, Felizitas A. A1 - Kohls, Mirjam A1 - Störk, Stefan A1 - Heuschmann, Peter U. A1 - Hein, Grit T1 - Differential network interactions between psychosocial factors, mental health, and health-related quality of life in women and men JF - Scientific Reports N2 - Psychosocial factors affect mental health and health-related quality of life (HRQL) in a complex manner, yet gender differences in these interactions remain poorly understood. We investigated whether psychosocial factors such as social support and personal and work-related concerns impact mental health and HRQL differentially in women and men during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Between June and October 2020, the first part of a COVID-19-specific program was conducted within the “Characteristics and Course of Heart Failure Stages A-B and Determinants of Progression (STAAB)” cohort study, a representative age- and gender-stratified sample of the general population of Würzburg, Germany. Using psychometric networks, we first established the complex relations between personal social support, personal and work-related concerns, and their interactions with anxiety, depression, and HRQL. Second, we tested for gender differences by comparing expected influence, edge weight differences, and stability of the networks. The network comparison revealed a significant difference in the overall network structure. The male (N = 1370) but not the female network (N = 1520) showed a positive link between work-related concern and anxiety. In both networks, anxiety was the most central variable. These findings provide further evidence that the complex interplay of psychosocial factors with mental health and HRQL decisively depends on gender. Our results are relevant for the development of gender-specific interventions to increase resilience in times of pandemic crisis. KW - anxiety KW - depression KW - human behaviour KW - quality of life Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-357858 VL - 13 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Rodriguez-Rozada, Silvia A1 - Frantz, Stefan A1 - Tovote, Philip T1 - Cardiac optogenetics: regulating brain states via the heart JF - Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy N2 - No abstract available. KW - cardiology KW - neurology KW - neuroscience KW - systems biology Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-357625 VL - 8 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Weismann, Dirk A1 - Möckel, Martin A1 - Paeth, Heiko A1 - Slagman, Anna T1 - Modelling variations of emergency attendances using data on community mobility, climate and air pollution JF - Scientific Reports N2 - Air pollution is associated with morbidity and mortality worldwide. We investigated the impact of improved air quality during the economic lockdown during the SARS-Cov2 pandemic on emergency room (ER) admissions in Germany. Weekly aggregated clinical data from 33 hospitals were collected in 2019 and 2020. Hourly concentrations of nitrogen and sulfur dioxide (NO2, SO2), carbon and nitrogen monoxide (CO, NO), ozone (O3) and particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5) measured by ground stations and meteorological data (ERA5) were selected from a 30 km radius around the corresponding ED. Mobility was assessed using aggregated cell phone data. A linear stepwise multiple regression model was used to predict ER admissions. The average weekly emergency numbers vary from 200 to over 1600 cases (total n = 2,216,217). The mean maximum decrease in caseload was 5 standard deviations. With the enforcement of the shutdown in March, the mobility index dropped by almost 40%. Of all air pollutants, NO2 has the strongest correlation with ER visits when averaged across all departments. Using a linear stepwise multiple regression model, 63% of the variation in ER visits is explained by the mobility index, but still 6% of the variation is explained by air quality and climate change. KW - cardiovascular diseases KW - environmental health KW - environmental impact KW - preclinical research KW - preventive medicine KW - reproductive disorders KW - respiratory signs and symptoms Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-357578 VL - 13 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Herrmann, Johannes A1 - Müller, Kerstin A1 - Notz, Quirin A1 - Hübsch, Martha A1 - Haas, Kirsten A1 - Horn, Anna A1 - Schmidt, Julia A1 - Heuschmann, Peter A1 - Maschmann, Jens A1 - Frosch, Matthias A1 - Deckert, Jürgen A1 - Einsele, Hermann A1 - Ertl, Georg A1 - Frantz, Stefan A1 - Meybohm, Patrick A1 - Lotz, Christopher T1 - Prospective single-center study of health-related quality of life after COVID-19 in ICU and non-ICU patients JF - Scientific Reports N2 - Long-term sequelae in hospitalized Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients may result in limited quality of life. The current study aimed to determine health-related quality of life (HRQoL) after COVID-19 hospitalization in non-intensive care unit (ICU) and ICU patients. This is a single-center study at the University Hospital of Wuerzburg, Germany. Patients eligible were hospitalized with COVID-19 between March 2020 and December 2020. Patients were interviewed 3 and 12 months after hospital discharge. Questionnaires included the European Quality of Life 5 Dimensions 5 Level (EQ-5D-5L), patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the generalized anxiety disorder 7 scale (GAD-7), FACIT fatigue scale, perceived stress scale (PSS-10) and posttraumatic symptom scale 10 (PTSS-10). 85 patients were included in the study. The EQ5D-5L-Index significantly differed between non-ICU (0.78 ± 0.33 and 0.84 ± 0.23) and ICU (0.71 ± 0.27; 0.74 ± 0.2) patients after 3- and 12-months. Of non-ICU 87% and 80% of ICU survivors lived at home without support after 12 months. One-third of ICU and half of the non-ICU patients returned to work. A higher percentage of ICU patients was limited in their activities of daily living compared to non-ICU patients. Depression and fatigue were present in one fifth of the ICU patients. Stress levels remained high with only 24% of non-ICU and 3% of ICU patients (p = 0.0186) having low perceived stress. Posttraumatic symptoms were present in 5% of non-ICU and 10% of ICU patients. HRQoL is limited in COVID-19 ICU patients 3- and 12-months post COVID-19 hospitalization, with significantly less improvement at 12-months compared to non-ICU patients. Mental disorders were common highlighting the complexity of post-COVID-19 symptoms as well as the necessity to educate patients and primary care providers about monitoring mental well-being post COVID-19. KW - health care KW - public health KW - quality of life Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-357174 VL - 13 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schreiber, Laura M. A1 - Lohr, David A1 - Baltes, Steffen A1 - Vogel, Ulrich A1 - Elabyad, Ibrahim A. A1 - Bille, Maya A1 - Reiter, Theresa A1 - Kosmala, Aleksander A1 - Gassenmaier, Tobias A1 - Stefanescu, Maria R. A1 - Kollmann, Alena A1 - Aures, Julia A1 - Schnitter, Florian A1 - Pali, Mihaela A1 - Ueda, Yuichiro A1 - Williams, Tatiana A1 - Christa, Martin A1 - Hofmann, Ulrich A1 - Bauer, Wolfgang A1 - Gerull, Brenda A1 - Zernecke, Alma A1 - Ergün, Süleyman A1 - Terekhov, Maxim T1 - Ultra-high field cardiac MRI in large animals and humans for translational cardiovascular research JF - Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine N2 - A key step in translational cardiovascular research is the use of large animal models to better understand normal and abnormal physiology, to test drugs or interventions, or to perform studies which would be considered unethical in human subjects. Ultrahigh field magnetic resonance imaging (UHF-MRI) at 7 T field strength is becoming increasingly available for imaging of the heart and, when compared to clinically established field strengths, promises better image quality and image information content, more precise functional analysis, potentially new image contrasts, and as all in-vivo imaging techniques, a reduction of the number of animals per study because of the possibility to scan every animal repeatedly. We present here a solution to the dual use problem of whole-body UHF-MRI systems, which are typically installed in clinical environments, to both UHF-MRI in large animals and humans. Moreover, we provide evidence that in such a research infrastructure UHF-MRI, and ideally combined with a standard small-bore UHF-MRI system, can contribute to a variety of spatial scales in translational cardiovascular research: from cardiac organoids, Zebra fish and rodent hearts to large animal models such as pigs and humans. We present pilot data from serial CINE, late gadolinium enhancement, and susceptibility weighted UHF-MRI in a myocardial infarction model over eight weeks. In 14 pigs which were delivered from a breeding facility in a national SARS-CoV-2 hotspot, we found no infection in the incoming pigs. Human scanning using CINE and phase contrast flow measurements provided good image quality of the left and right ventricle. Agreement of functional analysis between CINE and phase contrast MRI was excellent. MRI in arrested hearts or excised vascular tissue for MRI-based histologic imaging, structural imaging of myofiber and vascular smooth muscle cell architecture using high-resolution diffusion tensor imaging, and UHF-MRI for monitoring free radicals as a surrogate for MRI of reactive oxygen species in studies of oxidative stress are demonstrated. We conclude that UHF-MRI has the potential to become an important precision imaging modality in translational cardiovascular research. KW - ultrahigh-field MRI KW - large animal models KW - translational research KW - research infrastructure KW - heart KW - organoid KW - pig KW - cardiovascular MRI Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-317398 SN - 2297-055X VL - 10 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Remde, Hanna A1 - Kranz, Stefanie A1 - Morell, Sarah Maria A1 - Altieri, Barbara A1 - Kroiss, Matthias A1 - Detomas, Mario A1 - Fassnacht, Martin A1 - Deutschbein, Timo T1 - Clinical course of patients with adrenal incidentalomas and cortisol autonomy BT - a German retrospective single center cohort study JF - Frontiers in Endocrinology N2 - Background Adrenal incidentalomas with cortisol autonomy are associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Specific data on the clinical and biochemical course of affected patients are lacking. Methods Retrospective study from a tertiary referral centre in Germany. After exclusion of overt hormone excess, malignancy and glucocorticoid medication, patients with adrenal incidentalomas were stratified according to serum cortisol after 1 mg dexamethasone: autonomous cortisol secretion (ACS), >5.0; possible ACS (PACS), 1.9-5.0; non-functioning adenomas (NFA), ≤1.8 µg/dl. Results A total of 260 patients were enrolled (147 women (56.5%), median follow-up 8.8 (2.0-20.8) years). At initial diagnosis, median age was 59.5 (20-82) years, and median tumour size was 27 (10-116) mm. Bilateral tumours were more prevalent in ACS (30.0%) and PACS (21.9%) than in NFA (8.1%). Over time, 40/124 (32.3%) patients had a shift of their hormonal secretion pattern (NFA to PACS/ACS, n=15/53; PACS to ACS, n=6/47; ACS to PACS, n=11/24; PACS to NFA, n=8/47). However, none of the patients developed overt Cushing’s syndrome. Sixty-one patients underwent adrenalectomy (NFA, 17.9%; PACS, 24.0%; ACS, 39.0%). When non-operated patients with NFA were compared to PACS and ACS at last follow-up, arterial hypertension (65.3% vs. 81.9% and 92.0%; p<0.05), diabetes (23.8% vs. 35.6% and 40.0%; p<0.01), and thromboembolic events (PACS: HR 3.43, 95%-CI 0.89-13.29; ACS: HR 5.96, 95%-CI 1.33-26.63; p<0.05) were significantly less frequent, along with a trend towards a higher rate of cardiovascular events in case of cortisol autonomy (PACS: HR 2.23, 95%-CI 0.94-5.32; ACS: HR 2.60, 95%-CI 0.87-7.79; p=0.1). Twenty-five (12.6%) of the non-operated patients died, with higher overall mortality in PACS (HR 2.6, 95%-CI 1.0-4.7; p=0.083) and ACS (HR 4.7, 95%-CI 1.6-13.3; p<0.005) compared to NFA. In operated patients, prevalence of arterial hypertension decreased significantly (77.0% at diagnosis to 61.7% at last follow-up; p<0.05). The prevalence of cardiovascular events and mortality did not differ significantly between operated and non-operated patients, whereas thromboembolic events were significantly less frequent in the surgical treatment group. Conclusion Our study confirms relevant cardiovascular morbidity in patients with adrenal incidentalomas (especially those with cortisol autonomy). These patients should therefore be monitored carefully, including adequate treatment of typical cardiovascular risk factors. Adrenalectomy was associated with a significantly decreased prevalence of hypertension. However, more than 30% of patients required reclassification according to repeated dexamethasone suppression tests. Thus, cortisol autonomy should ideally be confirmed before making any relevant treatment decision (e.g. adrenalectomy). KW - adrenal imaging KW - adrenal tumours KW - autonomous cortisol secretion KW - cardiovascular events KW - cardiovascular risk factors KW - dexamethasone suppression test KW - morbidity KW - mortality Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-316793 SN - 1664-2392 VL - 14 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schmitz, Sophia M. A1 - Storms, Sebastian A1 - Koch, Alexander A1 - Stier, Christine A1 - Kroh, Andreas A1 - Rheinwalt, Karl P. A1 - Schipper, Sandra A1 - Hamesch, Karim A1 - Ulmer, Tom F. A1 - Neumann, Ulf P. A1 - Alizai, Patrick H. T1 - Insulin resistance is the main characteristic of metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO) associated with NASH in patients undergoing bariatric surgery JF - Biomedicines N2 - (1) Background: Metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) is a concept that applies to obese patients without any elements of metabolic syndrome (metS). In turn, metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO) defines the presence of elements of metS in obese patients. The components of MUO can be divided into subgroups regarding the elements of inflammation, lipid and glucose metabolism and cardiovascular disease. MUO patients appear to be at greater risk of developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) compared to MHO patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of different MUO components on NAFLD and NASH in patients with morbid obesity undergoing bariatric surgery. (2) Methods: 141 patients undergoing bariatric surgery from September 2015 and October 2021 at RWTH Aachen university hospital (Germany) were included. Patients were evaluated pre-operatively for characteristics of metS and MUO (HbA1c, HOMA, CRP, BMI, fasting glucose, LDL, TG, HDL and the presence of arterial hypertension). Intraoperatively, a liver biopsy was taken from the left liver lobe and evaluated for the presence of NAFLD or NASH. In ordinal regression analyses, different factors were evaluated for their influence on NAFLD and NASH. (3) Results: Mean BMI of the patients was 52.3 kg/m\(^2\) (36–74.8, SD 8.4). Together, the parameters HbA1c, HOMA, CRP, BMI, fasting glucose, LDL, TG, HDL and the presence of arterial hypertension accounted for a significant amount of variance in the outcome, with a likelihood ratio of χ\(^2\) (9) = 41.547, p < 0.001, for predicting the presence of NASH. Only HOMA was an independent predictor of NASH (B = 0.102, SE = 0.0373, p = 0.007). Evaluation of steatosis showed a similar trend (likelihood ratio χ\(^2\) (9) = 40.272, p < 0.001). Independent predictors of steatosis were HbA1c (B = 0.833, SE = 0.343, p = 0.015) and HOMA (B = 0.136, SE = 0.039, p < 0.001). (4) Conclusions: The above-mentioned model, including components of MUO, was significant for diagnosing NASH in patients with morbid obesity undergoing bariatric surgery. Out of the different subitems, HOMA independently predicted the presence of NASH and steatosis, while HbA1c independently predicted steatosis and fibrosis. Taken together, the parameter of glucose metabolism appears to be more accurate for the prediction of NASH than the parameters of lipid metabolism, inflammation or the presence of cardiovascular disease. KW - NAFLD KW - metabolically unhealthy obesity KW - obesity surgery KW - insulin resistance Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-319213 SN - 2227-9059 VL - 11 IS - 6 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Güder, Gülmisal A1 - Rein, Eva von A1 - Flohr, Thomas A1 - Weismann, Dirk A1 - Schmitt, Dominik A1 - Störk, Stefan A1 - Frantz, Stefan A1 - Kratzer, Vincent A1 - Kendi, Christian T1 - Motion detectors as additional monitoring devices in the intensive care unit — a proof-of-concept study JF - Applied Sciences N2 - Background: Monitoring the vital signs of delirious patients in an intensive care unit (ICU) is challenging, as they might (un-)intentionally remove devices attached to their bodies. In mock-up scenarios, we systematically assessed whether a motion detector (MD) attached to the bed may help in identifying emergencies. Methods: We recruited 15 employees of the ICU and equipped an ICU bed with an MD (IRON Software GmbH, Grünwald, Germany). Participants were asked to replay 22 mock-up scenes of one-minute duration each: 12 scenes with movements and 10 without movements, of which 5 were emergency scenes (“lying dead-still, with no or very shallow breathing”). Blinded recordings were presented to an evaluation panel consisting of an experienced ICU nurse and a physician, who was asked to assess and rate the presence of motions. Results: Fifteen participants (nine women; 173 ± 7.0 cm; 78 ± 19 kg) joined the study. In total, 286 out of 330 scenes (86.7%) were rated correctly. Ratings were false negative (FN: “no movements detected, but recorded”) in 7 out of 180 motion scenes (3.9%). Ratings were false positive (FP: “movements detected, but not recorded”) in 37 out of 150 scenes (24.7%), more often in men than women (26 out of 60 vs. 11 out of 90, respectively; p < 0.001). Of note, in 16 of these 37 FP-rated scenes, a vibrating mobile phone was identified as a potential confounder. The emergency scenes were correctly rated in 64 of the 75 runs (85.3%); 10 of the 11 FP-rated scenes occurred in male subjects. Conclusions: The MD allowed for identifying motions of test subjects with high sensitivity (96%) and acceptable specificity (75%). Accuracy might increase further if activities are recorded continuously under real-world conditions. KW - motion detector KW - noncontact monitoring KW - Internet of Things devices Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-362404 SN - 2076-3417 VL - 13 IS - 16 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hendricks, Anne A1 - Müller, Sophie A1 - Fassnacht, Martin A1 - Germer, Christoph-Thomas A1 - Wiegering, Verena A. A1 - Wiegering, Armin A1 - Reibetanz, Joachim T1 - Impact of lymphadenectomy on the oncologic outcome of patients with adrenocortical carcinoma — a systematic review and meta-analysis JF - Cancers N2 - (1) Background: Locoregional lymphadenectomy (LND) in adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) may impact oncological outcome, but the findings from individual studies are conflicting. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine the oncological value of LND in ACC by summarizing the available literature. (2) Methods: A systematic search on studies published until December 2020 was performed according to the PRISMA statement. The primary outcome was the impact of lymphadenectomy on overall survival (OS). Two separate meta-analyses were performed for studies including patients with localized ACC (stage I–III) and those including all tumor stages (I–IV). Secondary endpoints included postoperative mortality and length of hospital stay (LOS). (3) Results: 11 publications were identified for inclusion. All studies were retrospective studies, published between 2001–2020, and 5 were included in the meta-analysis. Three studies (N = 807 patients) reported the impact of LND on disease-specific survival in patients with stage I–III ACC and revealed a survival benefit of LND (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.42, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.26–0.68). Based on results of studies including patients with ACC stage I–IV (2 studies, N = 3934 patients), LND was not associated with a survival benefit (HR = 1.00, 95% CI: 0.70–1.42). None of the included studies showed an association between LND and postoperative mortality or LOS. (4) Conclusion: Locoregional lymphadenectomy seems to offer an oncologic benefit in patients undergoing curative-intended surgery for localized ACC (stage I–III). KW - adrenocortical carcinoma KW - adrenal cancer KW - lymphadenectomy KW - lymph node dissection KW - LND KW - LNE KW - review KW - meta-analysis Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-254798 SN - 2072-6694 VL - 14 IS - 2 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Gram, Maximilian A1 - Albertova, P. A1 - Schirmer, V. A1 - Blaimer, M. A1 - Gamer, M. A1 - Herrmann, M. J. A1 - Nordbeck, P. A1 - Jakob, P. M. T1 - Towards robust in vivo quantification of oscillating biomagnetic fields using Rotary Excitation based MRI JF - Scientific Reports N2 - Spin-lock based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has the potential for direct spatially-resolved detection of neuronal activity and thus may represent an important step for basic research in neuroscience. In this work, the corresponding fundamental effect of Rotary EXcitation (REX) is investigated both in simulations as well as in phantom and in vivo experiments. An empirical law for predicting optimal spin-lock pulse durations for maximum magnetic field sensitivity was found. Experimental conditions were established that allow robust detection of ultra-weak magnetic field oscillations with simultaneous compensation of static field inhomogeneities. Furthermore, this work presents a novel concept for the emulation of brain activity utilizing the built-in MRI gradient system, which allows REX sequences to be validated in vivo under controlled and reproducible conditions. Via transmission of Rotary EXcitation (tREX), we successfully detected magnetic field oscillations in the lower nano-Tesla range in brain tissue. Moreover, tREX paves the way for the quantification of biomagnetic fields. KW - functional magnetic resonance imaging KW - Rotary EXcitation (REX) KW - oscillating biomagnetic fields Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-300862 VL - 12 IS - 1 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Frey, Anna A1 - Leutritz, Tobias A1 - Backhaus, Joy A1 - Hörnlein, Alexander A1 - König, Sarah T1 - Item format statistics and readability of extended matching questions as an effective tool to assess medical students JF - Scientific Reports N2 - Testing based on multiple choice questions (MCQ) is one of the most established forms of assessment, not only in the medical field. Extended matching questions (EMQ) represent a specific type of MCQ designed to require higher levels of cognition, such as problem-solving. The purpose of this evaluation was to assess the suitability and efficiency of EMQ as an assessment method. EMQ were incorporated into the end-of-semester examination in internal medicine, in which 154 students participated, and compared with three established MCQ types. Item and examination quality were investigated, as well as readability and processing time. EMQ were slightly more difficult to score; however, both item discrimination and discrimination index were higher when compared to other item types. EMQ were found to be significantly longer and required more processing time, but readability was improved. Students judged EMQ as clearly challenging, but attributed significantly higher clinical relevance when compared to established MCQ formats. Using the Spearman-Brown prediction, only ten EMQ items would be needed to reproduce the Cronbach’s alpha value of 0.75 attained for the overall examination. EMQ proved to be both efficient and suitable when assessing medical students, demonstrating powerful characteristics of reliability. Their expanded use in favor of common MCQ could save examination time without losing out on statistical quality. KW - multiple choice questions KW - extended matching questions KW - medical students Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-300485 VL - 12 IS - 1 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Gram, Maximilian A1 - Gensler, Daniel A1 - Albertova, Petra A1 - Gutjahr, Fabian Tobias A1 - Lau, Kolja A1 - Arias-Loza, Paula-Anahi A1 - Jakob, Peter Michael A1 - Nordbeck, Peter T1 - Quantification correction for free-breathing myocardial T1ρ mapping in mice using a recursively derived description of a T\(_{1p}\)\(^{*}\) relaxation pathway JF - Journal of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance N2 - Background Fast and accurate T1ρ mapping in myocardium is still a major challenge, particularly in small animal models. The complex sequence design owing to electrocardiogram and respiratory gating leads to quantification errors in in vivo experiments, due to variations of the T\(_{1p}\) relaxation pathway. In this study, we present an improved quantification method for T\(_{1p}\) using a newly derived formalism of a T\(_{1p}\)\(^{*}\) relaxation pathway. Methods The new signal equation was derived by solving a recursion problem for spin-lock prepared fast gradient echo readouts. Based on Bloch simulations, we compared quantification errors using the common monoexponential model and our corrected model. The method was validated in phantom experiments and tested in vivo for myocardial T\(_{1p}\) mapping in mice. Here, the impact of the breath dependent spin recovery time T\(_{rec}\) on the quantification results was examined in detail. Results Simulations indicate that a correction is necessary, since systematically underestimated values are measured under in vivo conditions. In the phantom study, the mean quantification error could be reduced from − 7.4% to − 0.97%. In vivo, a correlation of uncorrected T\(_{1p}\) with the respiratory cycle was observed. Using the newly derived correction method, this correlation was significantly reduced from r = 0.708 (p < 0.001) to r = 0.204 and the standard deviation of left ventricular T\(_{1p}\) values in different animals was reduced by at least 39%. Conclusion The suggested quantification formalism enables fast and precise myocardial T\(_{1p}\) quantification for small animals during free breathing and can improve the comparability of study results. Our new technique offers a reasonable tool for assessing myocardial diseases, since pathologies that cause a change in heart or breathing rates do not lead to systematic misinterpretations. Besides, the derived signal equation can be used for sequence optimization or for subsequent correction of prior study results. KW - T1rho KW - radial KW - cardiac KW - correction KW - quantitative MRI KW - mapping KW - spin-lock KW - T1ρ Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-300491 VL - 24 IS - 1 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Traub, Jan A1 - Otto, Markus A1 - Sell, Roxane A1 - Göpfert, Dennis A1 - Homola, György A1 - Steinacker, Petra A1 - Oeckl, Patrick A1 - Morbach, Caroline A1 - Frantz, Stefan A1 - Pham, Mirko A1 - Störk, Stefan A1 - Stoll, Guido A1 - Frey, Anna T1 - Serum phosphorylated tau protein 181 and neurofilament light chain in cognitively impaired heart failure patients JF - Alzheimer's Research & Therapy N2 - Background Chronic heart failure (HF) is known to increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s dementia significantly. Thus, detecting and preventing mild cognitive impairment, which is common in patients with HF, is of great importance. Serum biomarkers are increasingly used in neurological disorders for diagnostics, monitoring, and prognostication of disease course. It remains unclear if neuronal biomarkers may help detect cognitive impairment in this high-risk population. Also, the influence of chronic HF and concomitant renal dysfunction on these biomarkers is not well understood. Methods Within the monocentric Cognition.Matters-HF study, we quantified the serum levels of phosphorylated tau protein 181 (pTau) and neurofilament light chain (NfL) of 146 extensively phenotyped chronic heart failure patients (aged 32 to 85 years; 15.1% women) using ultrasensitive bead-based single-molecule immunoassays. The clinical work-up included advanced cognitive testing and cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Results Serum concentrations of NfL ranged from 5.4 to 215.0 pg/ml (median 26.4 pg/ml) and of pTau from 0.51 to 9.22 pg/ml (median 1.57 pg/ml). We detected mild cognitive impairment (i.e., T-score < 40 in at least one cognitive domain) in 60% of heart failure patients. pTau (p = 0.014), but not NfL, was elevated in this group. Both NfL (ρ = − 0.21; p = 0.013) and pTau (ρ = − 0.25; p = 0.002) related to the cognitive domain visual/verbal memory, as well as white matter hyperintensity volume and cerebral and hippocampal atrophy. In multivariable analysis, both biomarkers were independently influenced by age (T = 4.6 for pTau; T = 5.9 for NfL) and glomerular filtration rate (T = − 2.4 for pTau; T = − 3.4 for NfL). Markers of chronic heart failure, left atrial volume index (T = 4.6) and NT-proBNP (T = 2.8), were further cardiological determinants of pTau and NfL, respectively. In addition, pTau was also strongly affected by serum creatine kinase levels (T = 6.5) and ferritin (T = − 3.1). Conclusions pTau and NfL serum levels are strongly influenced by age-dependent renal and cardiac dysfunction. These findings point towards the need for longitudinal examinations and consideration of frequent comorbidities when using neuronal serum biomarkers. KW - Alzheimer’s dementia KW - heart failure KW - cognitive impairment KW - neurofilament light chain KW - phosphorylated tau protein KW - renal function KW - age Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-300515 VL - 14 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Reusch, Julia A1 - Wagenhäuser, Isabell A1 - Gabel, Alexander A1 - Eggestein, Annika A1 - Höhn, Anna A1 - Lâm, Thiên-Trí A1 - Frey, Anna A1 - Schubert-Unkmeir, Alexandra A1 - Dölken, Lars A1 - Frantz, Stefan A1 - Kurzai, Oliver A1 - Vogel, Ulrich A1 - Krone, Manuel A1 - Petri, Nils T1 - Influencing factors of anti-SARS-CoV-2-spike-IgG antibody titers in healthcare workers: A cross-section study JF - Journal of Medical Virology N2 - Against the background of the current COVID-19 infection dynamics with its rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC), the immunity and the vaccine prevention of healthcare workers (HCWs) against SARS-CoV-2 continues to be of high importance. This observational cross-section study assesses factors influencing the level of anti-SARS-CoV-2-spike IgG after SARS-CoV-2 infection or vaccination. One thousand seven hundred and fifty HCWs were recruited meeting the following inclusion criteria: age ≥18 years, PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection convalescence and/or at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccination. anti-SARS-CoV-2-spike IgG titers were determined by SERION ELISA agile SARS-CoV-2 IgG. Mean anti-SARS-CoV-2-spike IgG levels increased significantly by number of COVID-19 vaccinations (92.2 BAU/ml for single, 140.9 BAU/ml for twice and 1144.3 BAU/ml for threefold vaccination). Hybrid COVID-19 immunized respondents (after infection and vaccination) had significantly higher antibody titers compared with convalescent only HCWs. Anti-SARS-CoV-2-spike IgG titers declined significantly with time after the second vaccination. Smoking and high age were associated with lower titers. Both recovered and vaccinated HCWs presented a predominantly good humoral immune response. Smoking and higher age limited the humoral SARS-CoV-2 immunity, adding to the risk of severe infections within this already health impaired collective. KW - anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2‐spike IgG KW - seroprevalence KW - SARS‐CoV‐2 infection KW - healthcare workers KW - COVID‐19 vaccination Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-318659 VL - 95 IS - 1 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Magliocca, Giorgia A1 - Mone, Pasquale A1 - Di Iorio, Biagio Raffaele A1 - Heidland, August A1 - Marzocco, Stefania T1 - Short-chain fatty acids in Chronic Kidney Disease: focus on inflammation and oxidative stress regulation JF - International Journal of Molecular Sciences N2 - Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a debilitating disease associated with several secondary complications that increase comorbidity and mortality. In patients with CKD, there is a significant qualitative and quantitative alteration in the gut microbiota, which, consequently, also leads to reduced production of beneficial bacterial metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids. Evidence supports the beneficial effects of short-chain fatty acids in modulating inflammation and oxidative stress, which are implicated in CKD pathogenesis and progression. Therefore, this review will provide an overview of the current knowledge, based on pre-clinical and clinical evidence, on the effect of SCFAs on CKD-associated inflammation and oxidative stress. KW - chronic kidney disease KW - short-chain fatty acids KW - oxidative stress KW - inflammation KW - uremic toxins Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-284587 SN - 1422-0067 VL - 23 IS - 10 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Montellano, Felipe A. A1 - Kluter, Elisabeth J. A1 - Rücker, Viktoria A1 - Ungethüm, Kathrin A1 - Mackenrodt, Daniel A1 - Wiedmann, Silke A1 - Dege, Tassilo A1 - Quilitzsch, Anika A1 - Morbach, Caroline A1 - Frantz, Stefan A1 - Störk, Stefan A1 - Haeusler, Karl Georg A1 - Kleinschnitz, Christoph A1 - Heuschmann, Peter U. T1 - Cardiac dysfunction and high-sensitive C-reactive protein are associated with troponin T elevation in ischemic stroke: insights from the SICFAIL study JF - BMC Neurology N2 - Background Troponin elevation is common in ischemic stroke (IS) patients. The pathomechanisms involved are incompletely understood and comprise coronary and non-coronary causes, e.g. autonomic dysfunction. We investigated determinants of troponin elevation in acute IS patients including markers of autonomic dysfunction, assessed by heart rate variability (HRV) time domain variables. Methods Data were collected within the Stroke Induced Cardiac FAILure (SICFAIL) cohort study. IS patients admitted to the Department of Neurology, Würzburg University Hospital, underwent baseline investigation including cardiac history, physical examination, echocardiography, and blood sampling. Four HRV time domain variables were calculated in patients undergoing electrocardiographic Holter monitoring. Multivariable logistic regression with corresponding odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) was used to investigate the determinants of high-sensitive troponin T (hs-TnT) levels ≥14 ng/L. Results We report results from 543 IS patients recruited between 01/2014–02/2017. Of those, 203 (37%) had hs-TnT ≥14 ng/L, which was independently associated with older age (OR per year 1.05; 95% CI 1.02–1.08), male sex (OR 2.65; 95% CI 1.54–4.58), decreasing estimated glomerular filtration rate (OR per 10 mL/min/1.73 m2 0.71; 95% CI 0.61–0.84), systolic dysfunction (OR 2.79; 95% CI 1.22–6.37), diastolic dysfunction (OR 2.29; 95% CI 1.29–4.02), atrial fibrillation (OR 2.30; 95% CI 1.25–4.23), and increasing levels of C-reactive protein (OR 1.48 per log unit; 95% CI 1.22–1.79). We did not identify an independent association of troponin elevation with the investigated HRV variables. Conclusion Cardiac dysfunction and elevated C-reactive protein, but not a reduced HRV as surrogate of autonomic dysfunction, were associated with increased hs-TnT levels in IS patients independent of established cardiovascular risk factors. KW - echocardiography KW - ischemic stroke KW - troponin KW - heart failure KW - biomarkers Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-300119 VL - 22 IS - 1 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Uttinger, Konstantin L. A1 - Riedmeier, Maria A1 - Reibetanz, Joachim A1 - Meyer, Thomas A1 - Germer, Christoph Thomas A1 - Fassnacht, Martin A1 - Wiegering, Armin A1 - Wiegering, Verena T1 - Adrenalectomies in children and adolescents in Germany – a diagnose related groups based analysis from 2009-2017 JF - Frontiers in Endocrinology N2 - Background Adrenalectomies are rare procedures especially in childhood. So far, no large cohort study on this topic has been published with data on to age distribution, operative procedures, hospital volume and operative outcome. Methods This is a retrospective analysis of anonymized nationwide hospital billing data (DRG data, 2009-2017). All adrenal surgeries (defined by OPS codes) of patients between the age 0 and 21 years in Germany were included. Results A total of 523 patient records were identified. The mean age was 8.6 ± 7.7 years and 262 patients were female (50.1%). The majority of patients were between 0 and 5 years old (52% overall), while 11.1% were between 6 and 11 and 38.8% older than 12 years. The most common diagnoses were malignant neoplasms of the adrenal gland (56%, mostly neuroblastoma) with the majority being younger than 5 years. Benign neoplasms in the adrenal gland (D350) account for 29% of all cases with the majority of affected patients being 12 years or older. 15% were not defined regarding tumor behavior. Overall complication rate was 27% with a clear higher complication rate in resection for malignant neoplasia of the adrenal gland. Bleeding occurrence and transfusions are the main complications, followed by the necessary of relaparotomy. There was an uneven patient distribution between hospital tertiles (low volume, medium and high volume tertile). While 164 patients received surgery in 85 different “low volume” hospitals (0.2 cases per hospital per year), 205 patients received surgery in 8 different “high volume” hospitals (2.8 cases per hospital per year; p<0.001). Patients in high volume centers were significant younger, had more extended resections and more often malignant neoplasia. In multivariable analysis younger age, extended resections and open procedures were independent predictors for occurrence of postoperative complications. Conclusion Overall complication rate of adrenalectomies in the pediatric population in Germany is low, demonstrating good therapeutic quality. Our analysis revealed a very uneven distribution of patient volume among hospitals. KW - pediatric KW - neuroblastoma – diagnosis KW - therapy KW - adrenocortical adenocarcinoma KW - outcome KW - volume KW - adrenalectomia Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-282280 SN - 1664-2392 VL - 13 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Löhr, Mario A1 - Härtig, Wolfgang A1 - Schulze, Almut A1 - Kroiß, Matthias A1 - Sbiera, Silviu A1 - Lapa, Constantin A1 - Mages, Bianca A1 - Strobel, Sabrina A1 - Hundt, Jennifer Elisabeth A1 - Bohnert, Simone A1 - Kircher, Stefan A1 - Janaki-Raman, Sudha A1 - Monoranu, Camelia-Maria T1 - SOAT1: A suitable target for therapy in high-grade astrocytic glioma? JF - International Journal of Molecular Sciences N2 - Targeting molecular alterations as an effective treatment for isocitrate dehydrogenase-wildtype glioblastoma (GBM) patients has not yet been established. Sterol-O-Acyl Transferase 1 (SOAT1), a key enzyme in the conversion of endoplasmic reticulum cholesterol to esters for storage in lipid droplets (LD), serves as a target for the orphan drug mitotane to treat adrenocortical carcinoma. Inhibition of SOAT1 also suppresses GBM growth. Here, we refined SOAT1-expression in GBM and IDH-mutant astrocytoma, CNS WHO grade 4 (HGA), and assessed the distribution of LD in these tumors. Twenty-seven GBM and three HGA specimens were evaluated by multiple GFAP, Iba1, IDH1 R132H, and SOAT1 immunofluorescence labeling as well as Oil Red O staining. To a small extent SOAT1 was expressed by tumor cells in both tumor entities. In contrast, strong expression was observed in glioma-associated macrophages. Triple immunofluorescence labeling revealed, for the first time, evidence for SOAT1 colocalization with Iba1 and IDH1 R132H, respectively. Furthermore, a notable difference in the amount of LD between GBM and HGA was observed. Therefore, SOAT1 suppression might be a therapeutic option to target GBM and HGA growth and invasiveness. In addition, the high expression in cells related to neuroinflammation could be beneficial for a concomitant suppression of protumoral microglia/macrophages. KW - SOAT1 KW - glioblastoma KW - astrocytoma KW - IDH1/2 KW - lipid droplets KW - mitotane KW - targeted therapy Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-284178 SN - 1422-0067 VL - 23 IS - 7 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Reibetanz, Joachim A1 - Kelm, Matthias A1 - Uttinger, Konstantin L. A1 - Reuter, Miriam A1 - Schlegel, Nicolas A1 - Hankir, Mohamed A1 - Wiegering, Verena A1 - Germer, Christoph-Thomas A1 - Fassnacht, Martin A1 - Lock, Johan Friso A1 - Wiegering, Armin T1 - Differences in morbidity and mortality between unilateral adrenalectomy for adrenal Cushing’s syndrome and bilateral adrenalectomy for therapy refractory extra-adrenal Cushing’s syndrome JF - Langenbeck’s Archives of Surgery N2 - Purpose In selected cases of severe Cushing’s syndrome due to uncontrolled ACTH secretion, bilateral adrenalectomy appears unavoidable. Compared with unilateral adrenalectomy (for adrenal Cushing’s syndrome), bilateral adrenalectomy has a perceived higher perioperative morbidity. The aim of the current study was to compare both interventions in endogenous Cushing’s syndrome regarding postoperative outcomes. Methods We report a single-center, retrospective cohort study comparing patients with hypercortisolism undergoing bilateral vs. unilateral adrenalectomy during 2008–2021. Patients with adrenal Cushing’s syndrome due to adenoma were compared with patients with ACTH-dependent Cushing’s syndrome (Cushing’s disease and ectopic ACTH production) focusing on postoperative morbidity and mortality as well as long-term survival. Results Of 83 patients with adrenalectomy for hypercortisolism (65.1% female, median age 53 years), the indication for adrenalectomy was due to adrenal Cushing’s syndrome in 60 patients (72.2%; 59 unilateral and one bilateral), and due to hypercortisolism caused by Cushing’s disease (n = 16) or non-pituitary uncontrolled ACTH secretion of unknown origin (n = 7) (27.7% of all adrenalectomies). Compared with unilateral adrenalectomy (n = 59), patients with bilateral adrenalectomy (n = 24) had a higher rate of severe complications (0% vs. 33%; p < 0.001) and delayed recovery (median: 10.2% vs. 79.2%; p < 0.001). Using the MTL30 marker, patients with bilateral adrenalectomy fared worse than patients after unilateral surgery (MTL30 positive: 7.2% vs. 25.0% p < 0.001). Postoperative mortality was increased in patients with bilateral adrenalectomy (0% vs. 8.3%; p = 0.081). Conclusion While unilateral adrenalectomy for adrenal Cushing’s syndrome represents a safe and definitive therapeutic option, bilateral adrenalectomy to control ACTH-dependent extra-adrenal Cushing’s syndrome or Cushing’s disease is a more complicated intervention with a mortality of nearly 10%. KW - Cushing KW - adrenal surgery KW - MTL30 KW - complication Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-323947 VL - 407 IS - 6 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lenschow, Christina A1 - Wennmann, Andreas A1 - Hendricks, Anne A1 - Germer, Christoph-Thomas A1 - Fassnacht, Martin A1 - Buck, Andreas A1 - Werner, Rudolf A. A1 - Plassmeier, Lars A1 - Schlegel, Nicolas T1 - Questionable value of [\(^{99m}\)Tc]-sestamibi scintigraphy in patients with pHPT and negative ultrasound JF - Langenbeck’s Archives of Surgery N2 - Purpose A successful focused surgical approach in primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) relies on accurate preoperative localization of the parathyroid adenoma (PA). Most often, ultrasound is followed by [\(^{99m}\)Tc]-sestamibi scintigraphy, but the value of this approach is disputed. Here, we evaluated the diagnostic approach in patients with surgically treated pHPT in our center with the aim to further refine preoperative diagnostic procedures. Methods A single-center retrospective analysis of patients with pHPT from 01/2005 to 08/2021 was carried out followed by evaluation of the preoperative imaging modalities to localize PA. The localization of the PA had to be confirmed intraoperatively by the fresh frozen section and significant dropping of the intraoperative parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels. Results From 658 patients diagnosed with pHPT, 30 patients were excluded from the analysis because of surgery for recurrent or persistent disease. Median age of patients was 58.0 (13–93) years and 71% were female. Neck ultrasound was carried out in 91.7% and localized a PA in 76.6%. In 23.4% (135/576) of the patients, preoperative neck ultrasound did not detect a PA. In this group, [\(^{99m}\)Tc]-sestamibi correctly identified PA in only 25.4% of patients. In contrast, in the same cohort, the use of [\(^{11}\)C]-methionine or [\(^{11}\)C]-choline PET resulted in the correct identification of PA in 79.4% of patients (OR 13.23; 95% CI 5.24–33.56). Conclusion [\(^{11}\)C]-Methionine or [\(^{11}\)C]-choline PET/CT are superior second-line imaging methods to select patients for a focused surgical approach when previous ultrasound failed to identify PA. KW - primary hyperparathyroidism KW - parathyroid adenoma KW - [99mTc]-Sestamibi scan KW - [11C]-Methionine KW - [11C]-Choline PET/CT KW - focused surgical approach Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-323926 VL - 407 IS - 8 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hering, Ilona A1 - Dörries, Luise A1 - Flemming, Sven A1 - Krietenstein, Laura A1 - Koschker, Ann-Kathrin A1 - Fassnacht, Martin A1 - Germer, Christoph-Thomas A1 - Hankir, Mohammed K. A1 - Seyfried, Florian T1 - Impact of preoperative weight loss achieved by gastric balloon on peri- and postoperative outcomes of bariatric surgery in super-obese patients: a retrospective matched-pair analysis JF - Langenbeck’s Archives of Surgery N2 - Background An intragastric balloon is used to cause weight loss in super-obese patients (BMI > 60 kg/m\(^2\)) prior to bariatric surgery. Whether weight loss from intragastric balloon influences that from bariatric surgery is poorly studied. Methods In this retrospective, single-center study, the effects of intragastric balloon in 26 patients (BMI 69.26 ± 6.81) on weight loss after bariatric surgery (primary endpoint), postoperative complications within 30 days, hospital readmission, operation time, and MTL30 (secondary endpoints) were evaluated. Fifty-two matched-pair patients without intragastric balloon prior to bariatric surgery were used as controls. Results Intragastric balloon resulted in a weight loss of 17.3 ± 14.1 kg (BMI 5.75 ± 4.66 kg/m\(^2\)) with a nadir after 5 months. Surgical and postoperative outcomes including complications were comparable between both groups. Total weight loss was similar in both groups (29.0% vs. 32.2%, p = 0.362). Direct postoperative weight loss was more pronounced in the control group compared to the gastric balloon group (29.16 ± 7.53% vs 23.78 ± 9.89% after 1 year, p < 0.05 and 32.13 ± 10.5% vs 22.21 ± 10.9% after 2 years, p < 0.05), who experienced an earlier nadir and started to regain weight during the follow-up. Conclusion A multi-stage therapeutic approach with gastric balloon prior to bariatric surgery in super-obese patients may be effective to facilitate safe surgery. However, with the gastric balloon, pre-treated patients experienced an attenuated postoperative weight loss with an earlier nadir and earlier body weight regain. This should be considered when choosing the appropriate therapeutic regime and managing patients’ expectations. KW - obesity KW - super-obesity KW - intragastric balloon KW - sleeve gastrectomy KW - Roux-en-Y gastric bypass Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-323909 VL - 407 IS - 5 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Störk, Stefan A1 - Bernhardt, Alexandra A1 - Böhm, Michael A1 - Brachmann, Johannes A1 - Dagres, Nikolaos A1 - Frantz, Stefan A1 - Hindricks, Gerd A1 - Köhler, Friedrich A1 - Zeymer, Uwe A1 - Rosenkranz, Stephan A1 - Angermann, Christiane A1 - Aßmus, Birgit T1 - Pulmonary artery sensor system pressure monitoring to improve heart failure outcomes (PASSPORT-HF): rationale and design of the PASSPORT-HF multicenter randomized clinical trial JF - Clinical Research in Cardiology N2 - Background Remote monitoring of patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class III heart failure (HF) using daily transmission of pulmonary artery (PA) pressure values has shown a reduction in HF-related hospitalizations and improved quality of life in patients. Objectives PASSPORT-HF is a prospective, randomized, open, multicenter trial evaluating the effects of a hemodynamic-guided, HF nurse-led care approach using the CardioMEMS™ HF-System on clinical end points. Methods and results The PASSPORT-HF trial has been commissioned by the German Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) to ascertain the efficacy of PA pressure-guided remote care in the German health-care system. PASSPORT-HF includes adult HF patients in NYHA functional class III, who experienced an HF-related hospitalization within the last 12 months. Patients with reduced ejection fraction must be on stable guideline-directed pharmacotherapy. Patients will be randomized centrally 1:1 to implantation of a CardioMEMS™ sensor or control. All patients will receive post-discharge support facilitated by trained HF nurses providing structured telephone-based care. The trial will enroll 554 patients at about 50 study sites. The primary end point is a composite of the number of unplanned HF-related rehospitalizations or all-cause death after 12 months of follow-up, and all events will be adjudicated centrally. Secondary end points include device/system-related complications, components of the primary end point, days alive and out of hospital, disease-specific and generic health-related quality of life including their sub-scales, and laboratory parameters of organ damage and disease progression. Conclusions PASSPORT-HF will define the efficacy of implementing hemodynamic monitoring as a novel disease management tool in routine outpatient care. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT04398654, 13-MAY-2020. KW - heart failure KW - pulmonary artery pressure KW - remote monitoring KW - CardioMEMS™ HF-System KW - randomized controlled trial Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-324026 VL - 111 IS - 11 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Tamburello, Mariangela A1 - Altieri, Barbara A1 - Sbiera, Iuliu A1 - Sigala, Sandra A1 - Berruti, Alfredo A1 - Fassnacht, Martin A1 - Sbiera, Silviu T1 - FGF/FGFR signaling in adrenocortical development and tumorigenesis: novel potential therapeutic targets in adrenocortical carcinoma JF - Endocrine N2 - FGF/FGFR signaling regulates embryogenesis, angiogenesis, tissue homeostasis and wound repair by modulating proliferation, differentiation, survival, migration and metabolism of target cells. Understandably, compelling evidence for deregulated FGF signaling in the development and progression of different types of tumors continue to emerge and FGFR inhibitors arise as potential targeted therapeutic agents, particularly in tumors harboring aberrant FGFR signaling. There is first evidence of a dual role of the FGF/FGFR system in both organogenesis and tumorigenesis, of which this review aims to provide an overview. FGF-1 and FGF-2 are expressed in the adrenal cortex and are the most powerful mitogens for adrenocortical cells. Physiologically, they are involved in development and maintenance of the adrenal gland and bind to a family of four tyrosine kinase receptors, among which FGFR1 and FGFR4 are the most strongly expressed in the adrenal cortex. The repeatedly proven overexpression of these two FGFRs also in adrenocortical cancer is thus likely a sign of their participation in proliferation and vascularization, though the exact downstream mechanisms are not yet elucidated. Thus, FGFRs potentially offer novel therapeutic targets also for adrenocortical carcinoma, a type of cancer resistant to conventional antimitotic agents. KW - FGF-pathway KW - FGFR KW - FGFR-inhibitors KW - adrenocortical development KW - adrenocortical tumors Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-324420 VL - 77 IS - 3 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Serfling, Sebastian E. A1 - Lapa, Constantin A1 - Dreher, Niklas A1 - Hartrampf, Philipp E. A1 - Rowe, Steven P. A1 - Higuchi, Takahiro A1 - Schirbel, Andreas A1 - Weich, Alexander A1 - Hahner, Stefanie A1 - Fassnacht, Martin A1 - Buck, Andreas K. A1 - Werner, Rudolf A. T1 - Impact of tumor burden on normal organ distribution in patients imaged with CXCR4-targeted [\(^{68}\)Ga]Ga-PentixaFor PET/CT JF - Molecular Imaging and Biology N2 - Background CXCR4-directed positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) has been used as a diagnostic tool in patients with solid tumors. We aimed to determine a potential correlation between tumor burden and radiotracer accumulation in normal organs. Methods Ninety patients with histologically proven solid cancers underwent CXCR4-targeted [\(^{68}\)Ga]Ga-PentixaFor PET/CT. Volumes of interest (VOIs) were placed in normal organs (heart, liver, spleen, bone marrow, and kidneys) and tumor lesions. Mean standardized uptake values (SUV\(_{mean}\)) for normal organs were determined. For CXCR4-positive tumor burden, maximum SUV (SUV\(_{max}\)), tumor volume (TV), and fractional tumor activity (FTA, defined as SUV\(_{mean}\) x TV), were calculated. We used a Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (ρ) to derive correlative indices between normal organ uptake and tumor burden. Results Median SUV\(_{mean}\) in unaffected organs was 5.2 for the spleen (range, 2.44 – 10.55), 3.27 for the kidneys (range, 1.52 – 17.4), followed by bone marrow (1.76, range, 0.84 – 3.98), heart (1.66, range, 0.88 – 2.89), and liver (1.28, range, 0.73 – 2.45). No significant correlation between SUV\(_{max}\) in tumor lesions (ρ ≤ 0.189, P ≥ 0.07), TV (ρ ≥ -0.204, P ≥ 0.06) or FTA (ρ ≥ -0.142, P ≥ 0.18) with the investigated organs was found. Conclusions In patients with solid tumors imaged with [\(^{68}\)Ga]Ga-PentixaFor PET/CT, no relevant tumor sink effect was noted. This observation may be of relevance for therapies with radioactive and non-radioactive CXCR4-directed drugs, as with increasing tumor burden, the dose to normal organs may remain unchanged. KW - CXCR4 KW - C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 4 KW - PET KW - [68Ga]PentixaFor KW - [177Lu]/[90Y]PentixaTher KW - theranostics KW - endoradiotherapy Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-324622 VL - 24 IS - 4 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Buck, Andreas K. A1 - Serfling, Sebastian E. A1 - Lindner, Thomas A1 - Hänscheid, Heribert A1 - Schirbel, Andreas A1 - Hahner, Stefanie A1 - Fassnacht, Martin A1 - Einsele, Hermann A1 - Werner, Rudolf A. T1 - CXCR4-targeted theranostics in oncology JF - European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging N2 - A growing body of literature reports on the upregulation of C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) in a variety of cancer entities, rendering this receptor as suitable target for molecular imaging and endoradiotherapy in a theranostic setting. For instance, the CXCR4-targeting positron emission tomography (PET) agent [\(^{68}\)Ga]PentixaFor has been proven useful for a comprehensive assessment of the current status quo of solid tumors, including adrenocortical carcinoma or small-cell lung cancer. In addition, [\(^{68}\)Ga]PentixaFor has also provided an excellent readout for hematological malignancies, such as multiple myeloma, marginal zone lymphoma, or mantle cell lymphoma. PET-based quantification of the CXCR4 capacities in vivo allows for selecting candidates that would be suitable for treatment using the theranostic equivalent [\(^{177}\)Lu]/[\(^{90}\)Y]PentixaTher. This CXCR4-directed theranostic concept has been used as a conditioning regimen prior to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and to achieve sufficient anti-lymphoma/-tumor activity in particular for malignant tissues that are highly sensitive to radiation, such as the hematological system. Increasing the safety margin, pretherapeutic dosimetry is routinely performed to determine the optimal activity to enhance therapeutic efficacy and to reduce off-target adverse events. The present review will provide an overview of current applications for CXCR4-directed molecular imaging and will introduce the CXCR4-targeted theranostic concept for advanced hematological malignancies. KW - CXCR4 KW - theranostics KW - C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 4 KW - [68Ga]PentixaFor KW - [177Lu]PentixaTher KW - [90Y]PentixaTher KW - endoradiotherapy KW - adrenocortical carcinoma KW - multiple myeloma Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-324545 VL - 49 IS - 12 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Vetrivel, Sharmilee A1 - Zhang, Ru A1 - Engel, Mareen A1 - Oßwald, Andrea A1 - Watts, Deepika A1 - Chen, Alon A1 - Wielockx, Ben A1 - Sbiera, Silviu A1 - Reincke, Martin A1 - Riester, Anna T1 - Characterization of adrenal miRNA-based dysregulations in Cushing's syndrome JF - International Journal of Molecular Sciences N2 - MiRNAs are important epigenetic players with tissue- and disease-specific effects. In this study, our aim was to investigate the putative differential expression of miRNAs in adrenal tissues from different forms of Cushing's syndrome (CS). For this, miRNA-based next-generation sequencing was performed in adrenal tissues taken from patients with ACTH-independent cortisol-producing adrenocortical adenomas (CPA), from patients with ACTH-dependent pituitary Cushing's disease (CD) after bilateral adrenalectomy, and from control subjects. A confirmatory QPCR was also performed in adrenals from patients with other CS subtypes, such as primary bilateral macronodular hyperplasia and ectopic CS. Sequencing revealed significant differences in the miRNA profiles of CD and CPA. QPCR revealed the upregulated expression of miR-1247-5p in CPA and PBMAH (log2 fold change > 2.5, p < 0.05). MiR-379-5p was found to be upregulated in PBMAH and CD (log2 fold change > 1.8, p < 0.05). Analyses of miR-1247-5p and miR-379-5p expression in the adrenals of mice which had been exposed to short-term ACTH stimulation showed no influence on the adrenal miRNA expression profiles. For miRNA-specific target prediction, RNA-seq data from the adrenals of CPA, PBMAH, and control samples were analyzed with different bioinformatic platforms. The analyses revealed that both miR-1247-5p and miR-379-5p target specific genes in the WNT signaling pathway. In conclusion, this study identified distinct adrenal miRNAs as being associated with CS subtypes. KW - cortisol KW - ACTH KW - miRNA KW - Cushing's KW - hypercortisolism KW - pituitary Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-284394 SN - 1422-0067 VL - 23 IS - 14 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Prieto-Garcia, Cristian A1 - Hartmann, Oliver A1 - Reissland, Michaela A1 - Braun, Fabian A1 - Bozkurt, Süleyman A1 - Pahor, Nikolett A1 - Fuss, Carmina A1 - Schirbel, Andreas A1 - Schülein-Völk, Christina A1 - Buchberger, Alexander A1 - Calzado Canale, Marco A. A1 - Rosenfeldt, Mathias A1 - Dikic, Ivan A1 - Münch, Christian A1 - Diefenbacher, Markus E. T1 - USP28 enables oncogenic transformation of respiratory cells, and its inhibition potentiates molecular therapy targeting mutant EGFR, BRAF and PI3K JF - Molecular Oncology N2 - Oncogenic transformation of lung epithelial cells is a multistep process, frequently starting with the inactivation of tumour suppressors and subsequent development of activating mutations in proto-oncogenes, such as members of the PI3K or MAPK families. Cells undergoing transformation have to adjust to changes, including altered metabolic requirements. This is achieved, in part, by modulating the protein abundance of transcription factors. Here, we report that the ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase 28 (USP28) enables oncogenic reprogramming by regulating the protein abundance of proto-oncogenes such as c-JUN, c-MYC, NOTCH and ∆NP63 at early stages of malignant transformation. USP28 levels are increased in cancer compared with in normal cells due to a feed-forward loop, driven by increased amounts of oncogenic transcription factors such as c-MYC and c-JUN. Irrespective of oncogenic driver, interference with USP28 abundance or activity suppresses growth and survival of transformed lung cells. Furthermore, inhibition of USP28 via a small-molecule inhibitor resets the proteome of transformed cells towards a ‘premalignant’ state, and its inhibition synergizes with clinically established compounds used to target EGFR\(^{L858R}\)-, BRAF\(^{V600E}\)- or PI3K\(^{H1047R}\)-driven tumour cells. Targeting USP28 protein abundance at an early stage via inhibition of its activity is therefore a feasible strategy for the treatment of early-stage lung tumours, and the observed synergism with current standard-of-care inhibitors holds the potential for improved targeting of established tumours. KW - buparlisib KW - c-MYC KW - gefitinib KW - lung cancer KW - USP28 KW - vemurafenib Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-312777 VL - 16 IS - 17 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Detomas, Mario A1 - Pivonello, Claudia A1 - Pellegrini, Bianca A1 - Landwehr, Laura-Sophie A1 - Sbiera, Silviu A1 - Pivonello, Rosario A1 - Ronchi, Cristina L. A1 - Colao, Annamaria A1 - Altieri, Barbara A1 - De Martino, Maria Cristina T1 - MicroRNAs and long non-coding RNAs in adrenocortical carcinoma JF - Cells N2 - Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are a type of genetic material that do not encode proteins but regulate the gene expression at an epigenetic level, such as microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). The role played by ncRNAs in many physiological and pathological processes has gained attention during the last few decades, as they might be useful in the diagnosis, treatment and management of several human disorders, including endocrine and oncological diseases. Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare and aggressive endocrine cancer, still characterized by high mortality and morbidity due to both endocrine and oncological complications. Despite the rarity of this disease, recently, the role of ncRNA has been quite extensively evaluated in ACC. In order to better explore the role of the ncRNA in human ACC, this review summarizes the current knowledge on ncRNA dysregulation in ACC and its potential role in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of this tumor. KW - miRNA KW - lncRNA KW - adrenocortical tumor KW - ACC KW - adrenocortical adenoma KW - prognostic markers Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-281795 SN - 2073-4409 VL - 11 IS - 14 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lippert, Juliane A1 - Fassnacht, Martin A1 - Ronchi, Cristina L. T1 - The role of molecular profiling in adrenocortical carcinoma JF - Clinical Endocrinology N2 - Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare, aggressive cancer with still partially unknown pathogenesis, heterogenous clinical behaviour and no effective treatment for advanced stages. Therefore, there is an urgent clinical unmet need for better prognostication strategies, innovative therapies and significant improvement of the management of the individual patients. In this review, we summarize available studies on molecular prognostic markers and markers predictive of response to standard therapies as well as newly proposed drug targets in sporadic ACC. We include in vitro studies and available clinical trials, focusing on alterations at the DNA, RNA and epigenetic levels. We also discuss the potential of biomarkers to be implemented in a clinical routine workflow for improved ACC patient care. KW - adrenocortical cancer KW - biomarkers KW - precision medicine KW - prognosis KW - targeted treatment Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-258382 VL - 97 IS - 4 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wiegering, Verena A1 - Riedmeier, Maria A1 - Thompson, Lester D. R. A1 - Virgone, Calogero A1 - Redlich, Antje A1 - Kuhlen, Michaela A1 - Gultekin, Melis A1 - Yalcin, Bilgehan A1 - Decarolis, Boris A1 - Härtel, Christoph A1 - Schlegel, Paul-Gerhardt A1 - Fassnacht, Martin A1 - Timmermann, Beate T1 - Radiotherapy for pediatric adrenocortical carcinoma - Review of the literature JF - Clinical and Translational Radiation Oncology N2 - Background and purpose Pediatric adrenocortical carcinoma (pACC) is a rare disease with poor prognosis. Publications on radiotherapy (RT) are scarce. This review summarizes the current data on RT for pACC and possibly provides first evidence to justify its use in this setting. Materials and methods We searched the PubMed and Embase database for manuscripts regarding RT for pACC. Results We included 17 manuscripts reporting on 76 patients treated with RT, after screening 2961 references and 269 full articles. In addition, we added data of 4 unreported pACC patients treated by co-authors. All reports based on retrospective data. Median age at first diagnosis was 11.1 years (70% female); 78% of patients presented with hormonal activity. RT was mostly performed for curative intent (78%). 88% of RT were administered during primary therapy. The site of RT was predominantly the local tumor bed (76%). Doses of RT ranged from 15 to 62 Gy (median 50 Gy). Information on target volumes or fractionation were lacking. Median follow-up was 6,9 years and 64% of the patients died of disease, with 33% alive without disease. In 16 of 48 patients with available follow-up data after adjuvant RT (33%) no recurrence was reported and in 3 of 9 patients palliative RT seemed to induce some benefit for the patient. Conclusions Our first systematic review on RT for pACC provides too few data for any general recommendation, but adjuvant RT in patients with high risk might be considered. International collaborative studies are urgently needed to establish better evidence on the role of RT in this rare malignancy. KW - pediatric adrenocortical cancer KW - pediatric adrenocortical carcinoma KW - pediatric adrenocortical tumor KW - radiotherapy KW - therapy KW - treatment Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-300472 VL - 35 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wendlinger, Simone A1 - Wohlfarth, Jonas A1 - Kreft, Sophia A1 - Siedel, Claudia A1 - Kilian, Teresa A1 - Dischinger, Ulrich A1 - Heppt, Markus V. A1 - Wistuba-Hamprecht, Kilian A1 - Meier, Friedegund A1 - Goebeler, Matthias A1 - Schadendorf, Dirk A1 - Gesierich, Anja A1 - Kosnopfel, Corinna A1 - Schilling, Bastian T1 - Blood eosinophils are associated with efficacy of targeted therapy in patients with advanced melanoma JF - Cancers N2 - Background: Eosinophils appear to contribute to the efficacy of immunotherapy and their frequency was suggested as a predictive biomarker. Whether this observation could be transferred to patients treated with targeted therapy remains unknown. Methods: Blood and serum samples of healthy controls and 216 patients with advanced melanoma were prospectively and retrospectively collected. Freshly isolated eosinophils were phenotypically characterized by flow cytometry and co-cultured in vitro with melanoma cells to assess cytotoxicity. Soluble serum markers and peripheral blood counts were used for correlative studies. Results: Eosinophil-mediated cytotoxicity towards melanoma cells, as well as phenotypic characteristics, were similar when comparing healthy donors and patients. However, high relative pre-treatment eosinophil counts were significantly associated with response to MAPKi (p = 0.013). Eosinophil-mediated cytotoxicity towards melanoma cells is dose-dependent and requires proximity of eosinophils and their target in vitro. Treatment with targeted therapy in the presence of eosinophils results in an additive tumoricidal effect. Additionally, melanoma cells affected eosinophil phenotype upon co-culture. Conclusion: High pre-treatment eosinophil counts in advanced melanoma patients were associated with a significantly improved response to MAPKi. Functionally, eosinophils show potent cytotoxicity towards melanoma cells, which can be reinforced by MAPKi. Further studies are needed to unravel the molecular mechanisms of our observations. KW - melanoma KW - eosinophils KW - biomarker Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-275137 SN - 2072-6694 VL - 14 IS - 9 ER -