TY - THES A1 - Kreß, Luisa Sophia T1 - Determination of cytokine and axon guidance molecule profiles in patients with small fiber neuropathy T1 - Bestimmung von Zytokin- und Axon Guidance Molekül-Profilen bei Patienten mit Kleinfaserneuropathie N2 - The pathophysiological mechanisms of pain in small fiber neuropathy (SFN) are unclear. Based on experimental and clinical studies, sensitized nociceptors in the skin are reported to be involved in pain development. These nociceptors may be sensitized by cutaneous and systemic pain mediators e.g. pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. The aim of our study was, to measure the systemic and local gene expression of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in white blood cells (WBC) as well as in primary fibroblasts and keratinocytes obtained from human skin of patients with SFN. Furthermore, gene expression levels of axon guidance molecules and their receptors, as potential regulators of the intraepidermal nerve fiber density (IENFD), were investigated. 55 patients and 31 healthy controls were prospectively recruited. Participants underwent extensive clinical phenotyping and blood sampling, 6-mm skin punch biopsies were taken from the right lateral calf and the upper thigh. Systemic relative gene expression levels (ΔG) of the interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) was measured in WBC. Skin punch biopsies were taken to determine the IENFD and to obtain primary fibroblast and keratinocyte cell cultures. Skin cells were then used for investigation of ΔG in axon guidance molecules netrin 1 (NTN1) and ephrin A4 (EPHA4) as well as their receptors Unc5b receptor, and ephrin A4 (EFNA4) as well as cytokines IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, TNF, and transforming growth factor (TGF). Systemically, gene expression of IL-2, IL-8, and TNF was higher in SFN patients compared to healthy controls. In keratinocytes, higher expression levels of NTN1 and TGF were found when comparing the SFN patients to the controls. In fibroblasts higher gene expression was shown in NTN1, Unc5b, IL-6, and IL-8 when comparing patients to healthy controls. The systemically and local elevated levels of pro-inflammatory, algesic cytokines in SFN patients compared to healthy controls, confirms a potential pathophysiological role in the development of neuropathic pain. Data also indicate fibroblasts and keratinocytes to influence subepidermal and intraepidermal nerve fiber growth through the expression of NTN1 and Unc5b. Thus, skin cells may contribute to the development of neuropathic pain through local denervation. N2 - Der Pathomechanismus von Schmerz bei Small fiber Neuropathie (SFN) ist unklar. Auf Grundlage tierexperimenteller und klinischer Studien wird die Einwirkung kutaner und systemischer Schmerzmediatoren auf sensibilisierte Nozizeptoren in der Haut als mögliche Ursache diskutiert. In diesem Zusammenhang gab es Hinweise auf die Bedeutung von pro- und anti-inflammatorischen Zytokinen in der Pathophysiologie neuropathischer Schmerzen. Ziel der Studie war es, die systemische und lokale Genexpression pro- und anti-inflammatorischer Zytokine in Leukozyten sowie kutanen Fibroblasten und Keratinozyten von Patienten mit SFN zu messen. Ferner wurde untersucht, inwieweit die Expression repellierender Axon Guidance Moleküle und ihrer Rezeptoren in Hautzellen die intraepidermale Nervenfaserdichte (IENFD) regulieren könnte. Insgesamt konnten 55 SFN PatientInnen und 31 gesunde KontrollprobandInnen prospektiv rekrutiert werden. Nach ausführlicher klinischer Phänotypisierung und Blutentnahme wurden bei allen StudienteilnehmerInnen 6-mm Hautstanzbiopsien am lateralen Unter- und Oberschenkel entnommen. Die Messung der systemisch relativen Genexpression (ΔG) der Zytokine Interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8 und des tumor necrose factors (TNF) erfolgte aus Leukozyten. Aus den Hautstanzbiopsien, die u.a. zur Bestimmung der IENFD verwendet wurden, wurden außerdem Primärzellkulturen von Keratinozyten und Fibroblasten angelegt, aus denen die lokale ΔG von Axon Guidance Molekülen Netrin 1 (NTN1) und Ephrin A4 (EPHA4), deren Rezeptoren Unc5b, und Ephrin A4 receptor (EFNA4) sowie der Zytokine IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, TNF und des transforming growth factors (TGF) erfolgte. Systemisch zeigte sich eine höhere Genexpression für IL-2, IL-8 und TNF bei SFN Patienten im Vergleich zu gesunden Kontrollen. In Keratinozyten konnten höhere Expressionen von NTN1 und TGF-β1 bei Vergleich der Patientengruppe mit der Kontrollgruppe nachgewiesen werden. In Fibroblasten zeigte sich im Gruppenvergleich eine höhere Genexpression für NTN1, Unc5b sowie für IL-6 und IL-8. Die systemisch und lokal bei SFN Patienten nachgewiesene höhere Expression algetischer, pro-inflammatorischer Zytokine verglichen mit Kontrollen unterstützt eine mögliche pathophysiologische Rolle bei der Entstehung von neuropathischen Schmerzen. Ferner weisen die Daten darauf hin, dass Fibroblasten und Keratinozyten durch die Expression von NTN1 und Unc5b Einfluss auf das subepidermale und intraepidermale Nervenfaserwachstum nehmen und durch lokale Denervierung bei der Entstehung neuropathischer Schmerzen mitwirken könnten. KW - Neuropathischer Schmerz KW - Pathomechanismus KW - Cytokine KW - small fiber neuropathy KW - axon guidance molecules KW - pathophysilogical mechanisms KW - cytokines KW - skin cells Y1 - 2020 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-209113 ER - TY - THES A1 - Koschitzki, Kim Christine Cornelia T1 - Evaluation of preclinical animal models in bone tissue engineering and their success in clinical translation T1 - Evaluierung von vorklinischen Tiermodellen für Bone Tissue Engineering und von ihrem Erfolg in der klinischen Umsetzung N2 - Autologous bone still represents today’s gold standard for the treatment of critical size bone defects and fracture non-unions despite associated disadvantages regarding limitations in availability, donor site morbidity, costs and efficacy. Bone tissue engineered constructs would present a promising alternative to currently available treatments. However, research on preclinical animal studies still fails to provide clinical applicable results able to allow the replacement of currently applied methods. It seems that the idea of bone tissue engineering, which has now been integral part of academic studies for over 30 years, got somehow stuck at an intermediate level, in between intense preclinical research and striven stages of initial clinical trial phases. A clear discrepancy exists between the number of studies with preclinical animal models for bone tissue engineering and the number of clinically approved bone tissue engineered constructs available to patients. The aim of this thesis was hence to evaluate preclinical animal models for bone tissue engineering as well as the perception of scientists and clinicians towards these models. Moreover, the general role of bone tissue engineering and its clinical need assessed by scientists and surgeons was investigated. A survey was conducted questioning both scientific and clinical opinions on currently available study designs and researchers’ satisfaction with preclinical animal models. Additionally, a literature research was conducted, resulting in 167 papers from the last 10 years that report current designs of preclinical orthotopic animal studies in bone tissue engineering. Thereby, the focus lied on the description of the models regarding animal species, strain, age, gender and defect design. The outcome of the literature search was evaluated and compared to the outcome obtained from the survey. The survey data revealed that both scientists and surgeons generally remain positive about the future role of bone tissue engineering and its step to clinical translation, at least in the distant future, where it then might replace the current gold standard, autologous bone. Moreover, most of the participants considered preclinical animal models as relevant and well developed but the results as not yet realizable in the clinics. Surgeons thereby demonstrated a slightly more optimistic perception of currently conducted research with animal models compared to scientists. However, a rather inconsistent description of present preclinical study designs could be discerned when evaluating the reported study designs in the survey and the papers of the literature search. Indeed, defining an appropriate animal species, strain, age, gender, observation time, observation method and surgical design often depends on different indications and research questions and represents a highly challenging task for the establishment of a preclinical animal model. The existing lack of valid guidelines for preclinical testing of bone tissue engineering leads hence to a lack of well standardized preclinical animal models. Moreover, still existing knowledge gaps regarding aspects that affect the process of fracture healing, such as vascularization or immunological aspects, were found to hinder clinical translation of bone tissue engineered constructs. Using literature review and survey, this thesis points out critical issues that need to be addressed to allow clinical translation of bone tissue engineered constructs. It can be concluded that currently existing study designs with preclinical animal models cannot live up to the claim of providing suitable results for clinical implementation. The here presented comprehensive summary of currently used preclinical animal models for bone tissue engineering reveals a missing consensus on the usage of models such as an apparent lack of reporting and standardization regarding the study designs described in both papers from the literature review and the survey. It thereby indicates a crucial need to improve preclinical animal models in order to allow clinical translation. Despite the fact that participants of the survey generally revealed a positive perception towards the use of bone tissue engineered constructs and affirmed the clinical need for such novel designs, the missing standardization constitutes a main weak point for the provision of reliable study outcome and the translational success of the models. The optimization of reproducibility and reliability, as well as the further understanding of ongoing mechanisms in bone healing in order to develop effective tissue engineered constructs, need to form the basis of all study designs. The study outcomes might then fulfill the requirements of maybe today's and hopefully tomorrow's aging population. N2 - Über die letzten 30 Jahre hat die Rolle von Bone Tissue Engineering vielversprechenden Fortschritt gemacht und immer neue Ansätze werden etabliert. Somit stellt Bone Tissue Engineering eine aussichtsvolle Alternative zu dem heutigen Goldstandard (autogene Knochenersatzmaterialien) dar, nachdem diese häufig mit Nachteilen einhergehen: limitierte Verfügbarkeit, Morbidität durch Zweiteingriffe, ungenügend Stabilität und Kosten. Die klinische Umsetzung findet jedoch nicht so schnell statt, wie ursprünglich erhofft und es scheint, als würde die vorklinische Forschung auf der Stelle treten. Das Ausbleiben von reproduzierbaren und standardisierten vorklinischen Studien verhindert dabei eine "bench to bedside" Translation. Ziel dieser Doktorarbeit war es, derzeitige präklinische Tiermodelle für Bone Tissue Engineering zu evaluieren und dabei zu untersuchen, woran es liegen könnte, dass die Lücke zwischen vorklinischen Studienergebnissen und klinischer Umsetzung noch immer existiert. Es wurde ein Fragebogen erstellt, anhand dessen die generelle Meinung gegenüber Bone Tissue Engineering und die Effizienz derzeitiger präklinischer Studienmodelle aus sowohl klinischer, als auch wissenschaftlicher Sicht hinterfragt wurde. Hier wurde außerdem auf die Beurteilung der Zufriedenstellung solcher Modelle seitens der Forscher eingegangen. Darüber hinaus erfolgte eine systemische Literatursuche auf der Online-Plattform “Pubmed” mit dem Ziel Studien der letzten zehn Jahre über präklinische orthotopische Tiermodelle in Bone Tissue Engineering zusammenzufassen und die verschiedenen Studiendesigns zu evaluieren. Der Fokus lag dabei auf der Beschreibung der Tiermodelle bezüglich Tierart, Geschlecht, Alter und Defektdesign. Ergebnisse der Literatursuche wurden anschließend evaluiert und mit den Antworten aus dem Fragebogen verglichen und diskutiert. Es hat sich anhand des Fragebogens gezeigt, dass sowohl Wissenschaftler, als auch Chirurgen positiv gestimmt sind, was die zukünftige Anwendung von Bone Tissue Engineering in den Kliniken betrifft. Jedoch beurteilten die meisten Teilnehmer des Fragebogens die präklinischen Tiermodelle zwar als relevant und gut entwickelt, deren Ergebnisse als klinisch allerdings nicht anwendbar. Dabei fiel die Einschätzung präklinischer Forschung mit Tiermodellen unter den Chirurgen etwas optimistischer aus als unter den Forschern. Die Evaluierung der Studien aus dem Fragebogens und der Literatursuche zeigte jedoch auch, dass die darin beschriebenen Tiermodelle einen eher uneinheitlichen Studienaufbau aufweisen. Tatsächlich stellt die Etablierung eines fundierten Studiendesigns im Anbetracht der zahlreichen Möglichkeiten eine immense Herausforderung dar. Die Festlegung eines Versuchsaufbaus hängt dabei von der Wahl der Tierart, dessen Geschlecht und Alter, des chirurgischen Ablaufs, sowie der technischen und zeitlichen Beobachtungsmöglichkeit ab. Es stellte sich heraus, dass für viele Studien eine diesbezüglich notwendige Standardisierung kaum existiert und dadurch Studienergebnisse entstehen, die schwer reproduzierbar sind und somit den Ansprüchen einer klinischen Umsetzung nicht gerecht werden können. Hinzu kommen außerdem die noch immer bestehenden Wissenslücken in Bezug auf Knochenheilung beeinflussende Faktoren wie Vaskularisation und Abläufe des Immunsystems. Abschließend lässt sich sagen, dass die durchgeführte Evaluierung von Studien mit präklinischen Tiermodellen eine fehlende Standardisierung derzeit existierender Studiendesigns darlegt und eine klinische Umsetzung der daraus resultierenden Studienergebnissen somit noch nicht möglich ist. Auch wenn die Teilnehmer des Fragebogens den Bedarf an neuen, klinisch anerkannten Methoden für Knochenaufbauten nahelegten und eine generell positive Einstellung gegenüber dem potentiellen Gebrauch von Bone Tissue Engineering Konstrukte in den Kliniken zeigten, ist die Ablösung von autologem Knochen durch solch neuartige Designs nicht realisierbar, solange die Reproduzierbarkeit der Daten aus präklinischen Tiermodellstudien fehlt. Zusammen mit wegweisenden Richtlinien und fundiertem Wissen über grundliegende Mechanismen im Knochenheilungsprozess, sollte sie die Basis eines jeden Studienaufbaus mit präklinischen Tiermodellen darstellen, um schließlich zu den Ergebnissen zu gelangen, die es für eine klinische Umsetzung von Bone Tissue Engineering bedarf. KW - bone KW - tissue KW - engineering Y1 - 2020 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-207593 ER - TY - THES A1 - Klein, Thomas T1 - Establishing an in vitro disease model for Fabry Disease using patient specific induced pluripotent stem cell-derived sensory neurons T1 - Etablierung eines in vitro Krankheitsmodells für M. Fabry mittels patienteneigener sensibler Neurone, generiert über induzierte pluripotente Stammzellen N2 - Fabry disease (FD) is an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder caused by deficiency of the α-galactosidase A (GLA), leading to intracellular accumulations of globotriaosylceramide (Gb3). Acral burning pain, which can be triggered by heat, fever or physical activity is an early hallmark of FD and greatly reduces patients’ quality of life. The pathophysiology of FD pain is unknown and research is hindered by the limited in vivo availability of suitable human biomaterial. To overcome this obstacle, we generated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) from one female and two male patients with a differing pain phenotype, and developed a refined differentiation protocol for sensory neurons to increase reliability and survival of these neurons, serving as an in vitro disease model. Neurons were characterized for the correct neuronal subtype using immunocytochemistry, gene expression analysis, and for their functionality using electrophysiological measurements. iPSC and sensory neurons from the male patients showed Gb3 accumulations mimicking the disease phenotype, whereas no Gb3 depositions were detected in sensory neurons derived from the female cell line, likely caused by a skewed X-chromosomal inactivation in favor of healthy GLA. Using super-resolution imaging techniques we showed that Gb3 is localized in neuronal lysosomes of male patients and in a first experiment using dSTORM microscopy we were able to visualize the neuronal membrane in great detail. To test our disease model, we treated the neurons with enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) and analyzed its effect on the cellular Gb3 load, which was reduced in the male FD-lines, compared to non-treated cells. We also identified time-dependent differences of Gb3 accumulations, of which some seemed to be resistant to ERT. We also used confocal Ca2+ imaging to investigate spontaneous neuronal network activity, but analysis of the dataset proofed to be difficult, nonetheless showing a high potential for further investigations. We revealed that neurons from a patient with pain pain are more easily excitable, compared to cells from a patient without pain and a healthy control. We provide evidence for the potential of patient-specific iPSC to generate a neuronal in vitro disease model, showing the typical molecular FD phenotype, responding to treatment, and pointing towards underlying electrophysiological mechanisms causing different pain phenotypes. Our sensory neurons are suitable for state-of-the-art microscopy techniques, opening new possibilities for an in-depth analysis of cellular changes, caused by pathological Gb3 accumulations. Taken together, our system can easily be used to investigate the effect of the different mutations of GLA on a functional and a molecular level in affected neurons. N2 - Morbus Fabry (M. Fabry) ist eine X-chromosomal vererbte lysosomale Speichererkrankung, die durch die Defizienz von α-Galaktosidase A (GLA) verursacht wird. Diese führt zu pathologischen Ablagerungen von Globotriaosylceramid (Gb3) in Zellen. Akraler, brennender Schmerz, der durch Hitze, Fieber oder Sport ausgelöst werden kann, ist ein frühes Krankheitsmerkmal und reduziert die Lebensqualität der Patienten deutlich. Die Pathophysiologie von M. Fabry ist unklar und die Forschung ist durch die limitierte Verfügbarkeit von humanem Biomaterial nur eingeschränkt möglich. Um dieses Problem zu bewältigen haben wir induzierte pluripotente Stammzellen (iPSC) von einer weiblichen Patientin und zwei männlichen Patienten mit unterschiedlichen Schmerzphänotypen generiert. Mit diesen Zellen konnten wir ein verbessertes Protokoll zur Herstellung sensibler Neurone etablieren um diese als in vitro Krankheitsmodell zu nutzen. Die Neurone wurden mittels Immunozytochemie, Genexpressionsanalyse und elektrophysiologischer Messungen auf die korrekte Zellidentität und deren Funktionalität getestet. Gb3 Ablagerungen konnten als Krankheitsmerkmal in iPSC und sensiblen Neuronen der männlichen Patienten, nicht aber in Zellen der weiblichen Patientin und der Kontrollperson nachgewiesen werden. Das Fehlen von pathologischen Ablagerungen in Zellen der weiblichen Betroffenen ist vermutlich auf eine verschobene X-Inaktivierung zu Gunsten des gesunden GLA zurückzuführen. Nichtsdestotrotz ist es uns durch die Nutzung hochauflösender Mikroskopietechniken gelungen, bei männlichen Patienten Gb3 in neuronalen Lysosomen nachzuweisen und die Membran in großem Detail abzubilden. Die Behandlung der Neurone mit der Enzymersatztherapie (ERT) als Nachweis für die Funktionalität des Krankheitsmodells führte zu einer Reduktion der Gb3 Ablagerungen bei männlichen Zellen, im Vergleich zu unbehandelten Zellen. Zudem konnten wir unterschiedliche Arten von Gb3 Akkumulationen identifizieren, von denen einige scheinbar behandlungsresistent sind. Erste Versuche mit Ca2+ Imaging zeigten spontane, neuronale Netzwerkaktivität, die noch weitergehend analysiert werden müssen. Mittels Patch-Clamp Analysen konnten wir zeigen, dass Neurone des Patienten mit Schmerzen leichter erregbar sind als Zellen des Patienten ohne Schmerzen, was einen Hinweis auf die mögliche Beteiligung gestörter Ionenkanäle gibt. Wir konnten zeigen, dass patientenspezifische iPSC geeignet sind um ein neuronales in vitro Krankheitsmodell zu erstellen. Dieses Modell zeigt den typischen molekularen Phänotypen des M. Fabry, spricht auf ERT an und liefert erste Hinweise auf pathologische elektrophysiologische Krankheitsursachen, die zu unterschiedlichen Schmerzphänotypen führen können. Zelluläre Veränderungen durch Gb3 Ablagerungen können nun mittels neuester Mikroskopietechniken anhand der von uns generierten Neurone untersucht werden um ein besseres Verständnis der zugrundeliegenden Pathophysiologie zu bekommen. Zusammenfassend bietet unser System eine neue Möglichkeit den neuronalen Einfluss verschiedener GLA Mutationen auf einer funktionellen und molekularen Ebene zu untersuchen und die Diversität von M. Fabry aufzuschlüsseln. KW - Induzierte pluripotente Stammzelle KW - iPSC KW - disease model KW - fabry disease KW - pain Y1 - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-199705 ER - TY - THES A1 - Hagmann, Hanns Antony T1 - The impact of the CRISPR/Cas system on the interaction of Neisseria meningitidis with human host cells T1 - Der Einfluss des CRISPR/Cas-Systems auf die Interaktion von Neisseria meningitidis mit menschlichen Wirtszellen N2 - Neisseria meningitidis, a commensal β-proteobacterium residing exclusively in the human nasopharynx, is a leading cause of sepsis and epidemic meningitis worldwide. While comparative genome analysis was able to define hyperinvasive lineages that are responsible for most of the cases of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD), the genetic basis of their virulence remains unclear. Recent studies demonstrate that the type II C CRISPR/Cas system of meningococci is associated with carriage and less invasive lineages. CRISPR/Cas, an adaptive defence system against foreign DNA, was shown to be involved in gene regulation in Francisella novicida. This study shows that knockout strains of N. meningitidis lacking the Cas9 protein are impaired in the adhesion to human nasopharyngeal cells in a strain-dependant manner, which constitutes a central step in the pathogenesis of IMD. Consequently, this study indicates that the meningococcal CRISPR/Cas system fulfils functions beyond the defence of foreign DNA and is involved in the regulation of meningococcal virulence. N2 - Neisseria meningitidis, ein ß-Proteobakterium, welches als Kommensale ausschließlich den humanen Nasopharynx besiedelt, ist ein weltweit führender Verursacher von Sepsis und epidemischer Meningitis. Auch wenn mittels vergleichender Genomanalysen hyperinvasive Stämme definiert werden konnten, welche für die meisten Fälle von invasiven Meningokokkenerkrankungen verantwortlich sind, bleibt die genetische Grundlage ihrer Virulenz ungeklärt. In vorangegangenen Studien konnte gezeigt werden, dass das Typ II-C CRISPR/Cas-System der Meningokokken assoziiert ist mit Trägerstämmen. CRISPR/Cas ist ein adaptives Verteidigungssystem der Bakterien gegen fremde DNA, das darüber hinaus Aufgaben in der Genregulation von Francisella novicida erfüllt. Diese Arbeit zeigt, dass knockout Stämme von N. meningitidis, denen das Cas9-Protein fehlt, in Abhängigkeit von ihrem genetischen Hintergrund die Fähigkeit verlieren an Zellen des menschlichen Nasopharynx zu adhärieren. Die Adhäsion an den Wirtszellen stellt einen zentralen Schritt in der Pathogenese der invasiven Meningokokkenerkrankungen dar. Die Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit deuten darauf hin, dass das CRISPR/Cas-System in Meningokokken neben seiner Funktion als bakterielles Immunsystem an der Regulation der bakteriellen Virulenz beteiligt sein könnte. KW - CRISPR/Cas-Methode KW - Neisseria meningitidis KW - Bacteria-Host Cell Interaction KW - Regulation of Gene Expression KW - Cas9 KW - Type II-C CRISPR/Cas KW - Adhesion and Invasion Y1 - 2020 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-199490 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hansmann, T. A1 - Heinzmann, J. A1 - Wrenzycki, C. A1 - Zechner, U. A1 - Niemann, H. A1 - Haaf, T. T1 - Characterization of Differentially Methylated Regions in 3 Bovine Imprinted Genes: A Model for Studying Human Germ-Cell and Embryo Development JF - Cytogenetic and Genome Research N2 - Correct imprinting is crucial for normal fetal and placental development in mammals. Experimental evidence in animal models and epidemiological studies in humans suggest that assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) can interfere with imprinted gene regulation in gametogenesis and early embryogenesis. Bos taurus is an agriculturally important species in which ARTs are commonly employed. Because this species exhibits a similar preimplantation development and gestation length as humans, it is increasingly being used as a model for human germ-cell and embryo development. However, in contrast to humans and mice, there is relatively little information on bovine imprinted genes. Here, we characterized the bovine intergenic IGF2-H19 imprinting control region (ICR) spanning approximately 3 kb. We identified a 300-bp differentially methylated region (DMR) approximately 6 kb upstream of the H19 promoter, containing a CpG island with CTCF-binding site and high sequence similarity with the human intergenic ICR. Additional differentially methylated CpG islands lie –6 kb to –3 kb upstream of the promoter, however these are less conserved. Both classical bisulfite sequencing and bisulfite pyrosequencing demonstrated complete methylation of the IGF2-H19 ICR in sperm, complete demethylation in parthenogenetic embryos having only the female genome, and differential methylation in placental and somatic tissues. In addition, we established pyrosequencing assays for the previously reported bovine SNRPN and PEG3 DMRs. The observed methylation patterns were consistent with genomic imprinting in all analyzed tissues/cell types. The identified IGF2-H19 ICR and the developed quantitative methylation assays may prove useful for further studies on the relationship between ARTs and imprinting defects in the bovine model. KW - bovine KW - differentially methylated region KW - IGF2-H19 KW - imprinting control region Y1 - 2010 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-199051 SN - 1424-8581 SN - 1424-859X N1 - This publication is with permission of the rights owner freely accessible due to an Alliance licence and a national licence (funded by the DFG, German Research Foundation) respectively. VL - 132 IS - 4 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kraft, Peter A1 - Drechsler, Christiane A1 - Gunreben, Ignaz A1 - Heuschmann, Peter Ulrich A1 - Kleinschnitz, Christoph T1 - Regulation of Blood Coagulation Factors XI and XII in Patients with Acute and Chronic Cerebrovascular Disease: A Case-Control Study JF - Cerebrovascular Diseases N2 - Background: Animal models have implicated an integral role for coagulation factors XI (FXI) and XII (FXII) in thrombus formation and propagation of ischemic stroke (IS). However, it is unknown if these molecules contribute to IS pathophysiology in humans, and might be of use as biomarkers for IS risk and severity. This study aimed to identify predictors of altered FXI and FXII levels and to determine whether there are differences in the levels of these coagulation factors between acute cerebrovascular events and chronic cerebrovascular disease (CCD). Methods: In this case-control study, 116 patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) or transitory ischemic attack (TIA), 117 patients with CCD, and 104 healthy volunteers (HVs) were enrolled between 2010 and 2013 at our University hospital. Blood sampling was undertaken once in the CCD and HV groups and on days 0, 1, and 3 after stroke onset in patients with AIS or TIA. Correlations between serum FXI and FXII levels and demographic and clinical parameters were tested by linear regression and analysis of variance. Results: The mean age of AIS/TIA patients was 70 ± 12. Baseline clinical severity measured with NIHSS and Barthel Index was 4.8 ± 6.0 and 74 ± 30, respectively. More than half of the patients had an AIS (58%). FXI levels were significantly correlated with different leukocyte subsets (p < 0.05). In contrast, FXII serum levels showed no significant correlation (p > 0.1). Neither FXI nor FXII levels correlated with CRP (p > 0.2). FXII levels were significantly higher in patients with CCD compared with those with AIS/TIA (mean ± SD 106 ± 26% vs. 97 ± 24%; univariate analysis: p < 0.05); these differences did not reach significance in multivariate analysis adjusted for sex and age. FXI levels did not differ significantly between study groups. Sex and age were significantly associated with FXI and/or FXII levels in patients with AIS/TIA (p < 0.05). In contrast, no statistical significant influence was found for treatment modality (thrombolysis or not), pre-treatment with platelet inhibitors, and severity of stroke. Conclusions: In this study, there was no differential regulation of FXI and FXII levels between disease subtypes but biomarker levels were associated with patient and clinical characteristics. FXI and FXII levels might be no valid biomarker for predicting stroke risk. KW - biomarker KW - factor XI KW - factor XII KW - ischemic stroke KW - chronic cerebrovascular disease Y1 - 2014 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-199076 SN - 1015-9770 SN - 1421-9786 N1 - This publication is with permission of the rights owner freely accessible due to an Alliance licence and a national licence (funded by the DFG, German Research Foundation) respectively. VL - 38 IS - 5 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zahnert, Thomas A1 - Löwenheim, Hubert A1 - Beutner, Dirk A1 - Hagen, Rudolf A1 - Ernst, Arneborg A1 - Pau, Hans-Wilhelm A1 - Zehlicke, Thorsten A1 - Kühne, Hilke A1 - Friese, Natascha A1 - Tropitzsch, Anke A1 - Lüers, Jan-Christoffer A1 - Mlynski, Robert A1 - Todt, Ingo A1 - Hüttenbrink, Karl-Bernd T1 - Multicenter Clinical Trial of Vibroplasty Couplers to Treat Mixed/Conductive Hearing Loss: First Results JF - Audiology and Neurotology N2 - Objective: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of round window (RW), oval window (OW), CliP and Bell couplers for use with an active middle ear implant. Methods: This is a multicenter, long-term, prospective trial with consecutive enrollment, involving 6 university hospitals in Germany. Bone conduction, air conduction, implant-aided warble-tone thresholds and Freiburger monosyllable word recognition scores were compared with unaided preimplantation results in 28 moderate-to-profound hearing-impaired patients after 12 months of follow-up. All patients had previously undergone failed reconstruction surgeries (up to 5 or more). In a subset of patients, additional speech tests at 12 months postoperatively were used to compare the aided with the unaided condition after implantation with the processor switched off. An established quality-of-life questionnaire for hearing aids was used to determine patient satisfaction. Results: Postoperative bone conduction remained stable. Mean functional gain for all couplers was 37 dB HL (RW = 42 dB, OW = 35 dB, Bell = 38 dB, CliP = 27 dB). The mean postoperative Freiburger monosyllable score was 71% at 65 dB SPL. The postimplantation mean SRT50 (speech reception in quiet for 50% understanding of words in sentences) improved on average by 23 dB over unaided testing and signal-to-noise ratios also improved in all patients. The International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids (IOI-HA)quality-of-life questionnaire was scored very positively by all patients. Conclusion: A significant improvement was seen with all couplers, and patients were satisfied with the device at 12 months postoperatively. These results demonstrate that an active implant is an advantage in achieving good hearing benefit in patients with prior failed reconstruction surgery. KW - conductive hearing loss KW - mixed hearing loss KW - vibroplasty KW - couplers KW - middle ear implant Y1 - 2016 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-199129 SN - 1420-3030 SN - 1421-9700 N1 - This publication is with permission of the rights owner freely accessible due to an Alliance licence and a national licence (funded by the DFG, German Research Foundation) respectively. VL - 21 IS - 4 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schwarzmeier, Hanna A1 - Leehr, Elisabeth Johanna A1 - Böhnlein, Joscha A1 - Seeger, Fabian Reinhard A1 - Roesmann, Kati A1 - Gathmann, Bettina A1 - Herrmann, Martin J. A1 - Siminski, Niklas A1 - Junghöfer, Markus A1 - Straube, Thomas A1 - Grotegerd, Dominik A1 - Dannlowski, Udo T1 - Theranostic markers for personalized therapy of spider phobia: Methods of a bicentric external cross‐validation machine learning approach JF - International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research N2 - Objectives Embedded in the Collaborative Research Center “Fear, Anxiety, Anxiety Disorders” (CRC‐TRR58), this bicentric clinical study aims at identifying biobehavioral markers of treatment (non‐)response by applying machine learning methodology with an external cross‐validation protocol. We hypothesize that a priori prediction of treatment (non‐)response is possible in a second, independent sample based on multimodal markers. Methods One‐session virtual reality exposure treatment (VRET) with patients with spider phobia was conducted on two sites. Clinical, neuroimaging, and genetic data were assessed at baseline, post‐treatment and after 6 months. The primary and secondary outcomes defining treatment response are as follows: 30% reduction regarding the individual score in the Spider Phobia Questionnaire and 50% reduction regarding the individual distance in the behavioral avoidance test. Results N = 204 patients have been included (n = 100 in Würzburg, n = 104 in Münster). Sample characteristics for both sites are comparable. Discussion This study will offer cross‐validated theranostic markers for predicting the individual success of exposure‐based therapy. Findings will support clinical decision‐making on personalized therapy, bridge the gap between basic and clinical research, and bring stratified therapy into reach. The study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (ID: NCT03208400). KW - machine learning KW - spider phobia KW - theranostic markers Y1 - 2020 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-213430 VL - 29 IS - 2 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kotseva, Kornelia A1 - De Backer, Guy A1 - De Bacquer, Dirk A1 - Rydén, Lars A1 - Hoes, Arno A1 - Grobbee, Diederick A1 - Maggioni, Aldo A1 - Marques-Vidal, Pedro A1 - Jennings, Catriona A1 - Abreu, Ana A1 - Aguiar, Carlos A1 - Badariene, Jolita A1 - Bruthans, Jan A1 - Castro Conde, Almudena A1 - Cifkova, Renata A1 - Crowley, Jim A1 - Davletov, Kairat A1 - Deckers, Jaap A1 - De Smedt, Delphine A1 - De Sutter, Johan A1 - Dilic, Mirza A1 - Dolzhenko, Marina A1 - Dzerve, Vilnis A1 - Erglis, Andrejs A1 - Fras, Zlatko A1 - Gaita, Dan A1 - Gotcheva, Nina A1 - Heuschmann, Peter A1 - Hasan-Ali, Hosam A1 - Jankowski, Piotr A1 - Lalic, Nebojsa A1 - Lehto, Seppo A1 - Lovic, Dragan A1 - Mancas, Silvia A1 - Mellbin, Linda A1 - Milicic, Davor A1 - Mirrakhimov, Erkin A1 - Oganov, Rafael A1 - Pogosova, Nana A1 - Reiner, Zeljko A1 - Stöerk, Stefan A1 - Tokgözoğlu, Lâle A1 - Tsioufis, Costas A1 - Vulic, Dusko A1 - Wood, David T1 - Lifestyle and impact on cardiovascular risk factor control in coronary patients across 27 countries: Results from the European Society of Cardiology ESC-EORP EUROASPIRE V registry JF - European Journal of Preventive Cardiology N2 - Aims The aim of this study was to determine whether the Joint European Societies guidelines on secondary cardiovascular prevention are followed in everyday practice. Design A cross-sectional ESC-EORP survey (EUROASPIRE V) at 131 centres in 81 regions in 27 countries. Methods Patients (<80 years old) with verified coronary artery events or interventions were interviewed and examined ≥6 months later. Results A total of 8261 patients (females 26%) were interviewed. Nineteen per cent smoked and 55% of them were persistent smokers, 38% were obese (body mass index ≥30 kg/m2), 59% were centrally obese (waist circumference: men ≥102 cm; women ≥88 cm) while 66% were physically active <30 min 5 times/week. Forty-two per cent had a blood pressure ≥140/90 mmHg (≥140/85 if diabetic), 71% had low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ≥1.8 mmol/L (≥70 mg/dL) and 29% reported having diabetes. Cardioprotective medication was: anti-platelets 93%, beta-blockers 81%, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers 75% and statins 80%. Conclusion A large majority of coronary patients have unhealthy lifestyles in terms of smoking, diet and sedentary behaviour, which adversely impacts major cardiovascular risk factors. A majority did not achieve their blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and glucose targets. Cardiovascular prevention requires modern preventive cardiology programmes delivered by interdisciplinary teams of healthcare professionals addressing all aspects of lifestyle and risk factor management, in order to reduce the risk of recurrent cardiovascular events. KW - EUROASPIRE KW - lifestyle KW - cardiovascular risk factors KW - secondary prevention KW - guidelines Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-205526 SN - 2047-4873 SN - 2047-4881 N1 - This publication is with permission of the rights owner freely accessible due to an Alliance licence and a national licence (funded by the DFG, German Research Foundation) respectively. VL - 26 IS - 8 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bauer, Boris A1 - Goebeler, Matthias A1 - Weissbrich, Benedikt A1 - Kerstan, Andreas T1 - Kerinokeratosis papulosa of childhood JF - Dermatology N2 - Background: Kerinokeratosis papulosa (KP) is considered an extremely rare genodermatosis presenting usually as waxy papules on the trunk in childhood. Objective: To describe and analyze the clinical, histological and potential etiopathological aspects of KP. Methods: The dermatoscopic features of a new case of KP of childhood are investigated. The presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA in lesional skin was studied by polymerase chain reaction. Furthermore, all cases of KP of childhood reported so far were reviewed. Results: As a diagnostic tool, we describe for the first time a dermatoscopic feature, namely a cribriform pattern of KP, in an 11-year-old boy. In addition, we detected HPV (type 57) in his KP lesions. Conclusions: Dermatoscopic examination might be a useful tool to distinguish KP from other skin lesions, e.g. common warts. The detection of HPV type 57 might hint to an etiological role of HPV for KP. KW - Waxy papulosis of childhood KW - Human papillomavirus KW - EVER1 KW - EVER2 KW - Kerinokeratosis papulosa Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-198997 SN - 1018-8665 SN - 1421-9832 N1 - This publication is with permission of the rights owner freely accessible due to an Alliance licence and a national licence (funded by the DFG, German Research Foundation) respectively. VL - 231 IS - 1 SP - 1 EP - 4 ER -