@article{SchneiderPliushchElHajjetal.2010, author = {Schneider, Eberhard and Pliushch, Galyna and El Hajj, Nady and Galetzka, Danuta and Puhl, Alexander and Schorsch, Martin and Frauenknecht, Katrin and Riepert, Thomas and Tresch, Achim and Mueller, Annette M. and Coerdt, Wiltrud and Zechner, Ulrich and Haaf, Thomas}, title = {Spatial, temporal and interindividual epigenetic variation of functionally important DNA methylation patterns}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-68371}, year = {2010}, abstract = {DNA methylation is an epigenetic modification that plays an important role in gene regulation. It can be influenced by stochastic events, environmental factors and developmental programs. However, little is known about the natural variation of genespecific methylation patterns. In this study, we performed quantitative methylation analyses of six differentially methylated imprinted genes (H19, MEG3, LIT1, NESP55, PEG3 and SNRPN), one hypermethylated pluripotency gene (OCT4) and one hypomethylated tumor suppressor gene (APC) in chorionic villus, fetal and adult cortex, and adult blood samples. Both average methylation level and range of methylation variation depended on the gene locus, tissue type and/or developmental stage. We found considerable variability of functionally important methylation patterns among unrelated healthy individuals and a trend toward more similar methylation levels in monozygotic twins than in dizygotic twins. Imprinted genes showed relatively little methylation changes associated with aging in individuals who are >25 years. The relative differences in methylation among neighboring CpGs in the generally hypomethylated APC promoter may not only reflect stochastic fluctuations but also depend on the tissue type. Our results are consistent with the view that most methylation variation may arise after fertilization, leading to epigenetic mosaicism.}, subject = {Medizin}, language = {en} } @article{DoerhoeferLammertKraneetal.2013, author = {D{\"o}rh{\"o}fer, Lena and Lammert, Alexander and Krane, Vera and Gorski, Mathias and Banas, Bernhard and Wanner, Christoph and Kr{\"a}mer, Bernhard K. and Heid, Iris M. and B{\"o}ger, Carsten A.}, title = {Study design of DIACORE (DIAbetes COhoRtE) - a cohort study of patients with diabetes mellitus type 2}, series = {BMC Medical Genetics}, volume = {14}, journal = {BMC Medical Genetics}, number = {25}, issn = {1471-2350}, doi = {10.1186/1471-2350-14-25}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-122040}, year = {2013}, abstract = {Background: Diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2) is highly associated with increased risk for chronic kidney disease (CKD), end stage renal disease (ESRD) and cardiovascular morbidity. Epidemiological and genetic studies generate hypotheses for innovative strategies in DM2 management by unravelling novel mechanisms of diabetes complications, which is essential for future intervention trials. We have thus initiated the DIAbetes COhoRtE study (DIACORE). Methods: DIACORE is a prospective cohort study aiming to recruit 6000 patients of self-reported Caucasian ethnicity with prevalent DM2 for at least 10 years of follow-up. Study visits are performed in University-based recruiting clinics in Germany using standard operating procedures. All prevalent DM2 patients in outpatient clinics surrounding the recruiting centers are invited to participate. At baseline and at each 2-year follow-up examination, patients are subjected to a core phenotyping protocol. This includes a standardized online questionnaire and physical examination to determine incident micro-and macrovascular DM2 complications, malignancy and hospitalization, with a primary focus on renal events. Confirmatory outcome information is requested from patient records. Blood samples are obtained for a centrally analyzed standard laboratory panel and for biobanking of aliquots of serum, plasma, urine, mRNA and DNA for future scientific use. A subset of the cohort is subjected to extended phenotyping, e. g. sleep apnea screening, skin autofluorescence measurement, non-mydriatic retinal photography and non-invasive determination of arterial stiffness. Discussion: DIACORE will enable the prospective evaluation of factors involved in DM2 complication pathogenesis using high-throughput technologies in biosamples and genetic epidemiological studies.}, language = {en} } @article{SchulzJakschSchubeletal.2014, author = {Schulz, Anita and Jaksch, Sebastian and Schubel, Rene and Wegener, Erik and Di, Zhenyu and Han, Yingchao and Meister, Annette and Kressler, J{\"o}rg and Kabanov, Alexander V. and Luxenhofer, Robert and Papadakis, Christine M. and Jordan, Rainer}, title = {Drug-Induced Morphology Switch in Drug Delivery Systems Based on Poly(2-oxazoline)s}, series = {ACS Nano}, volume = {8}, journal = {ACS Nano}, number = {3}, doi = {10.1021/nn406388t}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-120766}, pages = {2686-96}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Defined aggregates of polymers such as polymeric micelles are of great importance in the development of pharmaceutical formulations. The amount of drug that can be formulated by a drug delivery system is an important issue, and most drug delivery systems suffer from their relatively low drug-loading capacity. However, as the loading capacities increase, i.e., promoted by good drug-polymer interactions, the drug may affect the morphology and stability of the micellar system. We investigated this effect in a prominent system with very high capacity for hydrophobic drugs and found extraordinary stability as well as a profound morphology change upon incorporation of paclitaxel into micelles of amphiphilic ABA poly(2-oxazoline) triblock copolymers. The hydrophilic blocks A comprised poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline), while the middle blocks B were either just barely hydrophobic poly(2-n-butyl-2-oxazoline) or highly hydrophobic poly(2-n-nonyl-2-oxazoline). The aggregation behavior of both polymers and their formulations with varying paclitaxel contents were investigated by means of dynamic light scattering, atomic force microscopy, (cryogenic) transmission electron microscopy, and small-angle neutron scattering. While without drug, wormlike micelles were present, after incorporation of small amounts of drugs only spherical morphologies remained. Furthermore, the much more hydrophobic poly(2-n-nonyl-2-oxazoline)-containing triblock copolymer exhibited only half the capacity for paclitaxel than the poly(2-n-butyl-2-oxazoline)-containing copolymer along with a lower stability. In the latter, contents of paclitaxel of 8 wt \% or higher resulted in a raspberry-like micellar core.}, language = {en} } @article{KozlovGorboulevKurmanovaetal.1981, author = {Kozlov, J. V. and Gorboulev, Valentin G. and Kurmanova, A. G. and Bayev, Alexander A. and Shilov, A. A. and Zhdanov, V. M.}, title = {On the origin of the H1N1 (A/USSR/90/77) influenza virus}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-32556}, year = {1981}, abstract = {The influenza virus H1N1 (the A/USSR/90/77 strain) that reappeared in 1977 after the H1N1 influenza viruses had disappeared from the human population, is compared with the A/FM/1/47 and the A/FW/1/50 influenza viruses by the method of oligonucleotide mapping of individual segments of the viral RNAs. Seven genes of the A/USSR/90/77 virus appear to be very similar to the corresponding genes of the A/FW/1/50 virus, whereas the gene coding for the M protein displays considerable homology to the corresponding gene of the A/FM/1/47 virus. The data demonstrate that the A/USSR/90/77 strain is a recombinant virus.}, language = {en} } @article{MirasSeyfriedPhinikaridouetal.2014, author = {Miras, Alexander D. and Seyfried, Florian and Phinikaridou, Alkystis and Andia, Marcelo E. and Christakis, Ioannis and Spector, Alan C. and Botnar, Rene M. and le Roux, Carel W.}, title = {Rats Fed Diets with Different Energy Contribution from Fat Do Not Differ in Adiposity}, series = {OBESITY FACTS}, volume = {7}, journal = {OBESITY FACTS}, number = {5}, doi = {10.1159/000368622}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-115249}, pages = {302-310}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Objective: To determine whether rats reaching the same body mass, having been fed either a low-fat (LFD) or a high-fat diet (HFD), differ in white adipose tissue (WAT) deposition. Methods: In experiment 1, 22 Sprague-Dawley rats of the same age were divided into 11 rats with body mass below the batch median and fed a HFD, and 11 above the median and fed a LFD. In experiment 2, 20 Sprague-Dawley rats of the same age and starting body mass were randomised to either a HFD or LFD. When all groups reached similar final body mass, WAT was quantified using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), dissection, and plasma leptin. Results: In experiment 1, both groups reached similar final body mass at the same age; in experiment 2 the HFD group reached similar final body mass earlier than the LFD group. There were no significant differences in WAT as assessed by MRI or leptin between the HFD and LFD groups in both experiments. Dissection revealed a trend for higher retroperitoneal and epididymal adiposity in the HFD groups in both experiments. Conclusions: We conclude that at similar body mass, adiposity is independent of the macronutrient composition of the feeding regimen used to achieve it. (C) 2014 S Karger GmbH, Freiburg}, language = {en} } @article{SharmaDugarHerbigetal.2013, author = {Sharma, Cynthia M. and Dugar, Gaurav and Herbig, Alexander and F{\"o}rstner, Konrad U. and Heidrich, Nadja and Reinhardt, Richard and Nieselt, Kay}, title = {High-Resolution Transcriptome Maps Reveal Strain-Specific Regulatory Features of Multiple Campylobacter jejuni Isolates}, series = {PLoS Genetics}, journal = {PLoS Genetics}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pgen.1003495}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-96610}, year = {2013}, abstract = {Campylobacter jejuni is currently the leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis in humans. Comparison of multiple Campylobacter strains revealed a high genetic and phenotypic diversity. However, little is known about differences in transcriptome organization, gene expression, and small RNA (sRNA) repertoires. Here we present the first comparative primary transcriptome analysis based on the differential RNA-seq (dRNA-seq) of four C. jejuni isolates. Our approach includes a novel, generic method for the automated annotation of transcriptional start sites (TSS), which allowed us to provide genome-wide promoter maps in the analyzed strains. These global TSS maps are refined through the integration of a SuperGenome approach that allows for a comparative TSS annotation by mapping RNA-seq data of multiple strains into a common coordinate system derived from a whole-genome alignment. Considering the steadily increasing amount of RNA-seq studies, our automated TSS annotation will not only facilitate transcriptome annotation for a wider range of pro- and eukaryotes but can also be adapted for the analysis among different growth or stress conditions. Our comparative dRNA-seq analysis revealed conservation of most TSS, but also single-nucleotide-polymorphisms (SNP) in promoter regions, which lead to strain-specific transcriptional output. Furthermore, we identified strain-specific sRNA repertoires that could contribute to differential gene regulation among strains. In addition, we identified a novel minimal CRISPR-system in Campylobacter of the type-II CRISPR subtype, which relies on the host factor RNase III and a trans-encoded sRNA for maturation of crRNAs. This minimal system of Campylobacter, which seems active in only some strains, employs a unique maturation pathway, since the crRNAs are transcribed from individual promoters in the upstream repeats and thereby minimize the requirements for the maturation machinery. Overall, our study provides new insights into strain-specific transcriptome organization and sRNAs, and reveals genes that could modulate phenotypic variation among strains despite high conservation at the DNA level.}, language = {en} } @article{AtienzadeCastroCortesetal.2012, author = {Atienza, Nieves and de Castro, Natalia and Cort{\´e}s, Carmen and Garrido, M. {\´A}ngeles and Grima, Clara I. and Hern{\´a}ndez, Gregorio and M{\´a}rquez, Alberto and Moreno-Gonz{\´a}lez, Auxiliadora and N{\"o}llenburg, Martin and Portillo, Jos{\´e} Ram{\´o}n and Reyes, Pedro and Valenzuela, Jes{\´u}s and Trinidad Villar, Maria and Wolff, Alexander}, title = {Cover contact graphs}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-78845}, year = {2012}, abstract = {We study problems that arise in the context of covering certain geometric objects called seeds (e.g., points or disks) by a set of other geometric objects called cover (e.g., a set of disks or homothetic triangles). We insist that the interiors of the seeds and the cover elements are pairwise disjoint, respectively, but they can touch. We call the contact graph of a cover a cover contact graph (CCG). We are interested in three types of tasks, both in the general case and in the special case of seeds on a line: (a) deciding whether a given seed set has a connected CCG, (b) deciding whether a given graph has a realization as a CCG on a given seed set, and (c) bounding the sizes of certain classes of CCG's. Concerning (a) we give efficient algorithms for the case that seeds are points and show that the problem becomes hard if seeds and covers are disks. Concerning (b) we show that this problem is hard even for point seeds and disk covers (given a fixed correspondence between graph vertices and seeds). Concerning (c) we obtain upper and lower bounds on the number of CCG's for point seeds.}, subject = {Informatik}, language = {de} } @article{EssigBabilonVollmuthetal.2021, author = {Essig, Fabian and Babilon, Lilith and Vollmuth, Christoph and Kollikowski, Alexander M. and Pham, Mirko and Solymosi, L{\´a}szl{\´o} and Haeusler, Karl Georg and Kraft, Peter and Stoll, Guido and Schuhmann, Michael K.}, title = {High mobility group box 1 protein in cerebral thromboemboli}, series = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences}, volume = {22}, journal = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences}, number = {20}, issn = {1422-0067}, doi = {10.3390/ijms222011276}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-265568}, year = {2021}, abstract = {High-mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) is a damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) involved in neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation and thrombosis. NETs are regularly found in cerebral thromboemboli. We here analyzed associated HMGB1 expression in human thromboemboli retrieved via mechanical thrombectomy from 37 stroke patients with large vessel occlusion. HMGB1 was detected in all thromboemboli, accounting for 1.7\% (IQR 0.6-6.2\%) of the total thromboemboli area and was found to be colocalized with neutrophils and NETs and in spatial proximity to platelets. Correlation analysis revealed that the detection of HMGB1 was strongly related to the number of neutrophils (r = 0.58, p = 0.0002) and platelets (r = 0.51, p = 0.001). Our results demonstrate that HMGB1 is a substantial constituent of thromboemboli causing large vessel occlusion stroke.}, language = {en} } @article{LoddeForschnerHasseletal.2021, author = {Lodde, Georg and Forschner, Andrea and Hassel, Jessica and Wulfken, Lena M. and Meier, Friedegund and Mohr, Peter and K{\"a}hler, Katharina and Schilling, Bastian and Loquai, Carmen and Berking, Carola and H{\"u}ning, Svea and Schatton, Kerstin and Gebhardt, Christoffer and Eckardt, Julia and Gutzmer, Ralf and Reinhardt, Lydia and Glutsch, Valerie and Nikfarjam, Ulrike and Erdmann, Michael and Stang, Andreas and Kowall, Bernd and Roesch, Alexander and Ugurel, Selma and Zimmer, Lisa and Schadendorf, Dirk and Livingstone, Elisabeth}, title = {Factors influencing the adjuvant therapy decision: results of a real-world multicenter data analysis of 904 melanoma patients}, series = {Cancers}, volume = {13}, journal = {Cancers}, number = {10}, issn = {2072-6694}, doi = {10.3390/cancers13102319}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-239583}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Adjuvant treatment of melanoma patients with immune-checkpoint inhibition (ICI) and targeted therapy (TT) significantly improved recurrence-free survival. This study investigates the real-world situation of 904 patients from 13 German skin cancer centers with an indication for adjuvant treatment since the approval of adjuvant ICI and TT. From adjusted log-binomial regression models, we estimated relative risks for associations between various influence factors and treatment decisions (adjuvant therapy yes/no, TT vs. ICI in BRAF mutant patients). Of these patients, 76.9\% (95\% CI 74-80) opted for a systemic adjuvant treatment. The probability of starting an adjuvant treatment was 26\% lower in patients >65 years (RR 0.74, 95\% CI 68-80). The most common reasons against adjuvant treatment given by patients were age (29.4\%, 95\% CI 24-38), and fear of adverse events (21.1\%, 95\% CI 16-28) and impaired quality of life (11.9\%, 95\% CI 7-16). Of all BRAF-mutated patients who opted for adjuvant treatment, 52.9\% (95\% CI 47-59) decided for ICI. Treatment decision for TT or ICI was barely associated with age, gender and tumor stage, but with comorbidities and affiliated center. Shortly after their approval, adjuvant treatments have been well accepted by physicians and patients. Age plays a decisive role in the decision for adjuvant treatment, while pre-existing autoimmune disease and regional differences influence the choice between TT or ICI.}, language = {en} } @article{JaiteBuehrenDahmenetal.2019, author = {Jaite, Charlotte and B{\"u}hren, Katharina and Dahmen, Brigitte and Dempfle, Astrid and Becker, Katja and Correll, Christoph U. and Egberts, Karin M. and Ehrlich, Stefan and Fleischhaker, Christian and von Gontard, Alexander and Hahn, Freia and Kolar, David and Kaess, Michael and Legenbauer, Tanja and Renner, Tobias J. and Schulze, Ulrike and Sinzig, Judith and Thomae, Ellen and Weber, Linda and Wessing, Ida and Antony, Gisela and Hebebrand, Johannes and F{\"o}cker, Manuel and Herpertz-Dahlmann, Beate}, title = {Clinical Characteristics of Inpatients with Childhood vs. Adolescent Anorexia Nervosa}, series = {Nutrients}, volume = {11}, journal = {Nutrients}, number = {11}, issn = {2072-6643}, doi = {10.3390/nu11112593}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-193160}, pages = {2593}, year = {2019}, abstract = {We aimed to compare the clinical data at first presentation to inpatient treatment of children (<14 years) vs. adolescents (≥14 years) with anorexia nervosa (AN), focusing on duration of illness before hospital admission and body mass index (BMI) at admission and discharge, proven predictors of the outcomes of adolescent AN. Clinical data at first admission and at discharge in 289 inpatients with AN (children: n = 72; adolescents: n = 217) from a German multicenter, web-based registry for consecutively enrolled patients with childhood and adolescent AN were analyzed. Inclusion criteria were a maximum age of 18 years, first inpatient treatment due to AN, and a BMI <10th BMI percentile at admission. Compared to adolescents, children with AN had a shorter duration of illness before admission (median: 6.0 months vs. 8.0 months, p = 0.004) and higher BMI percentiles at admission (median: 0.7 vs. 0.2, p = 0.004) as well as at discharge (median: 19.3 vs. 15.1, p = 0.011). Thus, in our study, children with AN exhibited clinical characteristics that have been associated with better outcomes, including higher admission and discharge BMI percentile. Future studies should examine whether these factors are actually associated with positive long-term outcomes in children.}, language = {en} } @article{RaynerColemanPurvesetal.2019, author = {Rayner, Christopher and Coleman, Jonathan R. I. and Purves, Kirstin L. and Hodsoll, John and Goldsmith, Kimberley and Alpers, Georg W. and Andersson, Evelyn and Arolt, Volker and Boberg, Julia and B{\"o}gels, Susan and Creswell, Cathy and Cooper, Peter and Curtis, Charles and Deckert, J{\"u}rgen and Domschke, Katharina and El Alaoui, Samir and Fehm, Lydia and Fydrich, Thomas and Gerlach, Alexander L. and Grocholewski, Anja and Hahlweg, Kurt and Hamm, Alfons and Hedman, Erik and Heiervang, Einar R. and Hudson, Jennifer L. and J{\"o}hren, Peter and Keers, Robert and Kircher, Tilo and Lang, Thomas and Lavebratt, Catharina and Lee, Sang-hyuck and Lester, Kathryn J. and Lindefors, Nils and Margraf, J{\"u}rgen and Nauta, Maaike and Pan{\´e}-Farr{\´e}, Christiane A. and Pauli, Paul and Rapee, Ronald M. and Reif, Andreas and Rief, Winfried and Roberts, Susanna and Schalling, Martin and Schneider, Silvia and Silverman, Wendy K. and Str{\"o}hle, Andreas and Teismann, Tobias and Thastum, Mikael and Wannem{\"u}ller, Andre and Weber, Heike and Wittchen, Hans-Ulrich and Wolf, Christiane and R{\"u}ck, Christian and Breen, Gerome and Eley, Thalia C.}, title = {A genome-wide association meta-analysis of prognostic outcomes following cognitive behavioural therapy in individuals with anxiety and depressive disorders}, series = {Translational Psychiatry}, volume = {9}, journal = {Translational Psychiatry}, number = {150}, doi = {10.1038/s41398-019-0481-y}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-225048}, pages = {1-13}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Major depressive disorder and the anxiety disorders are highly prevalent, disabling and moderately heritable. Depression and anxiety are also highly comorbid and have a strong genetic correlation (r(g) approximate to 1). Cognitive behavioural therapy is a leading evidence-based treatment but has variable outcomes. Currently, there are no strong predictors of outcome. Therapygenetics research aims to identify genetic predictors of prognosis following therapy. We performed genome-wide association meta-analyses of symptoms following cognitive behavioural therapy in adults with anxiety disorders (n = 972), adults with major depressive disorder (n = 832) and children with anxiety disorders (n = 920; meta-analysis n = 2724). We (h(SNP)(2)) and polygenic scoring was used to examine genetic associations between therapy outcomes and psychopathology, personality and estimated the variance in therapy outcomes that could be explained by common genetic variants learning. No single nucleotide polymorphisms were strongly associated with treatment outcomes. No significant estimate of h(SNP)(2) could be obtained, suggesting the heritability of therapy outcome is smaller than our analysis was powered to detect. Polygenic scoring failed to detect genetic overlap between therapy outcome and psychopathology, personality or learning. This study is the largest therapygenetics study to date. Results are consistent with previous, similarly powered genome-wide association studies of complex traits.}, language = {en} } @article{SappeyMarinierHowellNedopiletal.2022, author = {Sappey-Marinier, Elliot and Howell, Stephen M. and Nedopil, Alexander J. and Hull, Maury L.}, title = {The trochlear groove of a femoral component designed for kinematic alignment is lateral to the quadriceps line of force and better laterally covers the anterior femoral resection than a mechanical alignment design}, series = {Journal of Personalized Medicine}, volume = {12}, journal = {Journal of Personalized Medicine}, number = {10}, issn = {2075-4426}, doi = {10.3390/jpm12101724}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-290482}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Background: A concern about kinematically aligned (KA) total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is that it relies on femoral components designed for mechanical alignment (MAd-FC) that could affect patellar tracking, in part, because of a trochlear groove orientation that is typically 6° from vertical. KA sets the femoral component coincident to the patient's pre-arthritic distal and posterior femoral joint lines and restores the Q-angle, which varies widely. Relative to KA and the native knee, aligning the femoral component with MA changes most distal joint lines and Q-angles, and rotates the posterior joint line externally laterally covering the anterior femoral resection. Whether switching from a MAd- to a KAd-FC with a wider trochlear groove orientation of 20.5° from vertical results in radiographic measures known to promote patellar tracking is unknown. The primary aim was to determine whether a KAd-FC sets the trochlear groove lateral to the quadriceps line of force (QLF), better laterally covers the anterior femoral resection, and reduces lateral patella tilt relative to a MAd-FC. The secondary objective was to determine at six weeks whether the KAd-FC resulted in a higher complication rate, less knee extension and flexion, and lower clinical outcomes. Methods: Between April 2019 and July 2022, two surgeons performed sequential bilateral unrestricted caliper-verified KA TKA with manual instruments on thirty-six patients with a KAd- and MAd-FC in opposite knees. An observer measured the angle between a line best-fit to the deepest valley of the trochlea and a line representing the QLF that indicated the patient's Q-angle. When the trochlear groove was lateral or medial relative to the QLF, the angle is denoted + or -, and the femoral component included or excluded the patient's Q-angle, respectively. Software measured the lateral undercoverage of the anterior femoral resection on a Computed Tomography (CT) scan, and the patella tilt angle (PTA) on a skyline radiograph. Complications, knee extension and flexion measurements, Oxford Knee Score, KOOS Jr, and Forgotten Joint Score were recorded pre- and post-operatively (at 6 weeks). A paired Student's T-test determined the difference between the KA TKAs with a KAd-FC and MAd-FC with a significance set at p < 0.05. Results: The final analysis included thirty-five patients. The 20.5° trochlear groove of the KAd-FC was lateral to the QLF in 100\% (15 ± 3°) of TKAs, which was greater than the 69\% (1 ± 3°) lateral to the QLF with the 6° trochlear groove of the MAd-FC (p < 0.001). The KAd-FC's 2 ± 1.9 mm lateral undercoverage of the anterior femoral resection was less than the 4.4 ± 1.5 mm for the MAd-FC (p < 0.001). The PTA, complication rate, knee extension and flexion, and clinical outcome measures did not differ between component designs. Conclusions: The KA TKA with a KAd-FC resulted in a trochlear groove lateral to the QLF that included the Q-angle in all patients, and negligible lateral undercoverage of the anterior femoral resection. These newly described radiographic parameters could be helpful when investigating femoral components designed for KA with the intent of promoting patellofemoral kinematics.}, language = {en} } @article{HaarmannVollmuthKollikowskietal.2023, author = {Haarmann, Axel and Vollmuth, Christoph and Kollikowski, Alexander M. and Heuschmann, Peter U. and Pham, Mirko and Stoll, Guido and Neugebauer, Hermann and Schuhmann, Michael K.}, title = {Vasoactive soluble endoglin: a novel biomarker indicative of reperfusion after cerebral large-vessel occlusion}, series = {Cells}, volume = {12}, journal = {Cells}, number = {2}, issn = {2073-4409}, doi = {10.3390/cells12020288}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-304995}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Now that mechanical thrombectomy has substantially improved outcomes after large-vessel occlusion stroke in up to every second patient, futile reperfusion wherein successful recanalization is not followed by a favorable outcome is moving into focus. Unfortunately, blood-based biomarkers, which identify critical stages of hemodynamically compromised yet reperfused tissue, are lacking. We recently reported that hypoxia induces the expression of endoglin, a TGF-β co-receptor, in human brain endothelium in vitro. Subsequent reoxygenation resulted in shedding. Our cell model suggests that soluble endoglin compromises the brain endothelial barrier function. To evaluate soluble endoglin as a potential biomarker of reperfusion (-injury) we analyzed its concentration in 148 blood samples of patients with acute stroke due to large-vessel occlusion. In line with our in vitro data, systemic soluble endoglin concentrations were significantly higher in patients with successful recanalization, whereas hypoxia alone did not induce local endoglin shedding, as analyzed by intra-arterial samples from hypoxic vasculature. In patients with reperfusion, higher concentrations of soluble endoglin additionally indicated larger infarct volumes at admission. In summary, we give translational evidence that the sequence of hypoxia and subsequent reoxygenation triggers the release of vasoactive soluble endoglin in large-vessel occlusion stroke and can serve as a biomarker for severe ischemia with ensuing recanalization/reperfusion.}, language = {en} } @article{LuebtowMarciniakSchmiedeletal.2019, author = {L{\"u}btow, Michael M. and Marciniak, Henning and Schmiedel, Alexander and Roos, Markus and Lambert, Christoph and Luxenhofer, Robert}, title = {Ultra-high to ultra-low drug loaded micelles: Probing host-guest interactions by fluorescence spectroscopy}, series = {Chemistry - A European Journal}, volume = {25}, journal = {Chemistry - A European Journal}, number = {54}, doi = {10.1002/chem.201902619}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-206128}, pages = {12601-12610}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Polymer micelles are an attractive means to solubilize water insoluble compounds such as drugs. Drug loading, formulations stability and control over drug release are crucial factors for drug-loaded polymer micelles. The interactions between the polymeric host and the guest molecules are considered critical to control these factors but typically barely understood. Here, we compare two isomeric polymer micelles, one of which enables ultra-high curcumin loading exceeding 50 wt.\%, while the other allows a drug loading of only 25 wt.\%. In the low capacity micelles, steady-state fluorescence revealed a very unusual feature of curcumin fluorescence, a high energy emission at 510 nm. Time-resolved fluorescence upconversion showed that the fluorescence life time of the corresponding species is too short in the high-capacity micelles, preventing an observable emission in steady-state. Therefore, contrary to common perception, stronger interactions between host and guest can be detrimental to the drug loading in polymer micelles.}, subject = {Polymer-drug interaction}, language = {en} } @article{NedopilDhaliwalHowelletal.2022, author = {Nedopil, Alexander J. and Dhaliwal, Anand and Howell, Stephen M. and Hull, Maury L.}, title = {A surgeon that switched to unrestricted kinematic alignment with manual instruments has a short learning curve and comparable resection accuracy and outcomes to those of an experienced surgeon}, series = {Journal of Personalized Medicine}, volume = {12}, journal = {Journal of Personalized Medicine}, number = {7}, issn = {2075-4426}, doi = {10.3390/jpm12071152}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-281842}, year = {2022}, abstract = {After starting an orthopedic practice, a surgeon with a fellowship in mechanically aligned (MA) TKA initiated this study to characterize their learning curve after they switched to unrestricted kinematic alignment (KA) TKA using manual instruments. Accordingly, the present study determined for the inexperienced (IE) surgeon the number of cases required to achieve consistent femoral resections and operating times, and whether the femoral resection accuracy, patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), and component alignment were different from an experienced (E) surgeon. This prospective cohort study analyzed the IE surgeon's first 30 TKAs, all performed with KA, and 30 consecutive KA TKAs performed by an E surgeon. The resection accuracy or deviation was the calipered thickness of the distal and posterior medial and lateral femoral resections minus the planned resection thickness, which was the thickness of the corresponding condyle of the femoral component, minus 2 mm for cartilage wear, and 1 mm for the kerf of the blade. Independent observers recorded the femoral resection thickness, operative times, PROMs, and alignment. For each femoral resection, the deviation between three groups of patients containing ten consecutive KA TKAs, was either insignificant (p = 0.695 to 1.000) or within the 0.5 mm resolution of the caliper, which indicated no learning curve. More than three groups were needed to determine the learning curve for the operative time; however, the IE surgeon's procedure dropped to 77 min for the last 10 patients, which was 20 min longer than the E surgeon. The resection deviations of the IE and E surgeon were comparable, except for the posterolateral femoral resection, which the IE surgeon under-resected by a mean of -0.8 mm (p < 0.0001). At a mean follow-up of 9 and 17 months, the Forgotten Joint Score, Oxford Knee Score, KOOS, and the alignment of the components and limbs were not different between the IE and E surgeon (p ≥ 0.6994). A surgeon that switches to unrestricted KA with manual instruments can determine their learning curve by computing the deviation of the distal and posterior femoral resections from the planned resection. Based on the present study, an IE surgeon could have resection accuracy, post-operative patient outcomes, and component alignment comparable to an E surgeon.}, language = {en} } @article{AdamDeimelPardoMedinaetal.2018, author = {Adam, Alexander and Deimel, Stephan and Pardo-Medina, Javier and Garc{\´i}a-Mart{\´i}nez, Jorge and Konte, Tilen and Lim{\´o}n, M. Carmen and Avalos, Javier and Terpitz, Ulrich}, title = {Protein activity of the \(Fusarium\) \(fujikuroi\) rhodopsins CarO and OpsA and their relation to fungus-plant interaction}, series = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences}, volume = {19}, journal = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences}, number = {1}, issn = {1422-0067}, doi = {10.3390/ijms19010215}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-285125}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Fungi possess diverse photosensory proteins that allow them to perceive different light wavelengths and to adapt to changing light conditions in their environment. The biological and physiological roles of the green light-sensing rhodopsins in fungi are not yet resolved. The rice plant pathogen Fusarium fujikuroi exhibits two different rhodopsins, CarO and OpsA. CarO was previously characterized as a light-driven proton pump. We further analyzed the pumping behavior of CarO by patch-clamp experiments. Our data show that CarO pumping activity is strongly augmented in the presence of the plant hormone indole-3-acetic acid and in sodium acetate, in a dose-dependent manner under slightly acidic conditions. By contrast, under these and other tested conditions, the Neurospora rhodopsin (NR)-like rhodopsin OpsA did not exhibit any pump activity. Basic local alignment search tool (BLAST) searches in the genomes of ascomycetes revealed the occurrence of rhodopsin-encoding genes mainly in phyto-associated or phytopathogenic fungi, suggesting a possible correlation of the presence of rhodopsins with fungal ecology. In accordance, rice plants infected with a CarO-deficient F. fujikuroi strain showed more severe bakanae symptoms than the reference strain, indicating a potential role of the CarO rhodopsin in the regulation of plant infection by this fungus.}, language = {en} } @article{GrotemeyerFischerKoprichetal.2023, author = {Grotemeyer, Alexander and Fischer, Judith F. and Koprich, James B. and Brotchie, Jonathan M. and Blum, Robert and Volkmann, Jens and Ip, Chi Wang}, title = {Inflammasome inhibition protects dopaminergic neurons from α-synuclein pathology in a model of progressive Parkinson's disease}, series = {Journal of Neuroinflammation}, volume = {20}, journal = {Journal of Neuroinflammation}, doi = {10.1186/s12974-023-02759-0}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-357652}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Neuroinflammation has been suggested as a pathogenetic mechanism contributing to Parkinson's disease (PD). However, anti-inflammatory treatment strategies have not yet been established as a therapeutic option for PD patients. We have used a human α-synuclein mouse model of progressive PD to examine the anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects of inflammasome inhibition on dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the substantia nigra (SN). As the NLRP3 (NOD-, LRR- and pyrin domain-containing 3)-inflammasome is a core interface for both adaptive and innate inflammation and is also highly druggable, we investigated the implications of its inhibition. Repeat administration of MCC950, an inhibitor of NLRP3, in a PD model with ongoing pathology reduced CD4\(^+\) and CD8\(^+\) T cell infiltration into the SN. Furthermore, the anti-inflammasome treatment mitigated microglial activation and modified the aggregation of α-synuclein protein in DA neurons. MCC950-treated mice showed significantly less neurodegeneration of DA neurons and a reduction in PD-related motor behavior. In summary, early inflammasome inhibition can reduce neuroinflammation and prevent DA cell death in an α-synuclein mouse model for progressive PD.}, language = {en} } @article{GriebschKernHansenetal.2022, author = {Griebsch, Nora-Isabell and Kern, Johanna and Hansen, Jonas and Rullmann, Michael and Luthardt, Julia and Helfmeyer, Stephanie and Dekorsy, Franziska J. and Soeder, Marvin and Hankir, Mohammed K. and Zientek, Franziska and Becker, Georg-Alexander and Patt, Marianne and Meyer, Philipp M. and Dietrich, Arne and Bl{\"u}her, Matthias and Ding, Yu-Shin and Hilbert, Anja and Sabri, Osama and Hesse, Swen}, title = {Central serotonin/noradrenaline transporter availability and treatment success in patients with obesity}, series = {Brain Sciences}, volume = {12}, journal = {Brain Sciences}, number = {11}, issn = {2076-3425}, doi = {10.3390/brainsci12111437}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-290294}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) as well as noradrenaline (NA) are key modulators of various fundamental brain functions including the control of appetite. While manipulations that alter brain serotoninergic signaling clearly affect body weight, studies implicating 5-HT transporters and NA transporters (5-HTT and NAT, respectively) as a main drug treatment target for human obesity have not been conclusive. The aim of this positron emission tomography (PET) study was to investigate how these central transporters are associated with changes of body weight after 6 months of dietary intervention or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery in order to assess whether 5-HTT as well as NAT availability can predict weight loss and consequently treatment success. The study population consisted of two study cohorts using either the 5-HTT-selective radiotracer [\(^{11}\)C]DASB to measure 5-HTT availability or the NAT-selective radiotracer [\(^{11}\)C]MRB to assess NAT availability. Each group included non-obesity healthy participants, patients with severe obesity (body mass index, BMI, >35 kg/m\(^2\)) following a conservative dietary program (diet) and patients undergoing RYGB surgery within a 6-month follow-up. Overall, changes in BMI were not associated with changes of both 5-HTT and NAT availability, while 5-HTT availability in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) prior to intervention was associated with substantial BMI reduction after RYGB surgery and inversely related with modest BMI reduction after diet. Taken together, the data of our study indicate that 5-HTT and NAT are involved in the pathomechanism of obesity and have the potential to serve as predictors of treatment outcomes.}, language = {en} } @article{HaakeHaackSchaeferetal.2023, author = {Haake, Markus and Haack, Beatrice and Sch{\"a}fer, Tina and Harter, Patrick N. and Mattavelli, Greta and Eiring, Patrick and Vashist, Neha and Wedekink, Florian and Genssler, Sabrina and Fischer, Birgitt and Dahlhoff, Julia and Mokhtari, Fatemeh and Kuzkina, Anastasia and Welters, Marij J. P. and Benz, Tamara M. and Sorger, Lena and Thiemann, Vincent and Almanzar, Giovanni and Selle, Martina and Thein, Klara and Sp{\"a}th, Jacob and Gonzalez, Maria Cecilia and Reitinger, Carmen and Ipsen-Escobedo, Andrea and Wistuba-Hamprecht, Kilian and Eichler, Kristin and Filipski, Katharina and Zeiner, Pia S. and Beschorner, Rudi and Goedemans, Renske and Gogolla, Falk Hagen and Hackl, Hubert and Rooswinkel, Rogier W. and Thiem, Alexander and Romer Roche, Paula and Joshi, Hemant and P{\"u}hringer, Dirk and W{\"o}ckel, Achim and Diessner, Joachim E. and R{\"u}diger, Manfred and Leo, Eugen and Cheng, Phil F. and Levesque, Mitchell P. and Goebeler, Matthias and Sauer, Markus and Nimmerjahn, Falk and Schuberth-Wagner, Christine and Felten, Stefanie von and Mittelbronn, Michel and Mehling, Matthias and Beilhack, Andreas and van der Burg, Sjoerd H. and Riedel, Angela and Weide, Benjamin and Dummer, Reinhard and Wischhusen, J{\"o}rg}, title = {Tumor-derived GDF-15 blocks LFA-1 dependent T cell recruitment and suppresses responses to anti-PD-1 treatment}, series = {Nature Communications}, volume = {14}, journal = {Nature Communications}, doi = {10.1038/s41467-023-39817-3}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-357333}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Immune checkpoint blockade therapy is beneficial and even curative for some cancer patients. However, the majority don't respond to immune therapy. Across different tumor types, pre-existing T cell infiltrates predict response to checkpoint-based immunotherapy. Based on in vitro pharmacological studies, mouse models and analyses of human melanoma patients, we show that the cytokine GDF-15 impairs LFA-1/β2-integrin-mediated adhesion of T cells to activated endothelial cells, which is a pre-requisite of T cell extravasation. In melanoma patients, GDF-15 serum levels strongly correlate with failure of PD-1-based immune checkpoint blockade therapy. Neutralization of GDF-15 improves both T cell trafficking and therapy efficiency in murine tumor models. Thus GDF-15, beside its known role in cancer-related anorexia and cachexia, emerges as a regulator of T cell extravasation into the tumor microenvironment, which provides an even stronger rationale for therapeutic anti-GDF-15 antibody development.}, language = {en} } @article{LangeSteigerwaldMalzacheretal.2021, author = {Lange, Florian and Steigerwald, Frank and Malzacher, Tobias and Brandt, Gregor Alexander and Odorfer, Thorsten Michael and Roothans, Jonas and Reich, Martin M. and Fricke, Patrick and Volkmann, Jens and Matthies, Cordula and Capetian, Philipp D.}, title = {Reduced Programming Time and Strong Symptom Control Even in Chronic Course Through Imaging-Based DBS Programming}, series = {Frontiers in Neurology}, volume = {12}, journal = {Frontiers in Neurology}, issn = {1664-2295}, doi = {10.3389/fneur.2021.785529}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-249634}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Objectives: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) programming is based on clinical response testing. Our clinical pilot trial assessed the feasibility of image-guided programing using software depicting the lead location in a patient-specific anatomical model. Methods: Parkinson's disease patients with subthalamic nucleus-DBS were randomly assigned to standard clinical-based programming (CBP) or anatomical-based (imaging-guided) programming (ABP) in an 8-week crossover trial. Programming characteristics and clinical outcomes were evaluated. Results: In 10 patients, both programs led to similar motor symptom control (MDS-UPDRS III) after 4 weeks (medicationOFF/stimulationON; CPB: 18.27 ± 9.23; ABP: 18.37 ± 6.66). Stimulation settings were not significantly different, apart from higher frequency in the baseline program than CBP (p = 0.01) or ABP (p = 0.003). Time spent in a program was not significantly different (CBP: 86.1 ± 29.82\%, ABP: 88.6 ± 29.0\%). Programing time was significantly shorter (p = 0.039) with ABP (19.78 ± 5.86 min) than CBP (45.22 ± 18.32). Conclusion: Image-guided DBS programming in PD patients drastically reduces programming time without compromising symptom control and patient satisfaction in this small feasibility trial.}, language = {en} } @article{BellLenhartRosenwaldetal.2020, author = {Bell, Luisa and Lenhart, Alexander and Rosenwald, Andreas and Monoranu, Camelia M. and Berberich-Siebelt, Friederike}, title = {Lymphoid aggregates in the CNS of progressive multiple sclerosis patients lack regulatory T cells}, series = {Frontiers in Immunology}, volume = {10}, journal = {Frontiers in Immunology}, number = {3090}, issn = {1664-3224}, doi = {10.3389/fimmu.2019.03090}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-198130}, year = {2020}, abstract = {In gray matter pathology of multiple sclerosis, neurodegeneration associates with a high degree of meningeal inflammatory activity. Importantly, ectopic lymphoid follicles (eLFs) were identified at the inflamed meninges of patients with progressive multiple sclerosis. Besides T lymphocytes, they comprise B cells and might elicit germinal center (GC)-like reactions. GC reactions are controlled by FOXP3+ T-follicular regulatory cells (TFR), but it is unknown if they participate in autoantibody production in eLFs. Receiving human post-mortem material, gathered from autopsies of progressive multiple sclerosis patients, indeed, distinct inflammatory infiltrates enriched with B cells could be detected in perivascular areas and deep sulci. CD35+ cells, parafollicular CD138+ plasma cells, and abundant expression of the homing receptor for GCs, CXCR5, on lymphocytes defined some of them as eLFs. However, they resembled GCs only in varying extent, as T cells did not express PD-1, only few cells were positive for the key transcriptional regulator BCL-6 and ongoing proliferation, whereas a substantial number of T cells expressed high NFATc1 like GC-follicular T cells. Then again, predominant cytoplasmic NFATc1 and an enrichment with CD3+CD27+ memory and CD4+CD69+ tissue-resident cells implied a chronic state, very much in line with PD-1 and BCL-6 downregulation. Intriguingly, FOXP3+ cells were almost absent in the whole brain sections and CD3+FOXP3+ TFRs were never found in the lymphoid aggregates. This also points to less controlled humoral immune responses in those lymphoid aggregates possibly enabling the occurrence of CNS-specific autoantibodies in multiple sclerosis patients.}, language = {en} } @article{RoellRameshaLinketal.2021, author = {R{\"o}ll, Alexander and Ramesha, Mundre N. and Link, Roman M. and Hertel, Dietrich and Schuldt, Bernhard and Patil, Shekhargouda L. and H{\"o}lscher, Dirk}, title = {Water availability controls the biomass increment of Melia dubia in South India}, series = {Forests}, volume = {12}, journal = {Forests}, number = {12}, issn = {1999-4907}, doi = {10.3390/f12121675}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-250150}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Farmland tree cultivation is considered an important option for enhancing wood production. In South India, the native leaf-deciduous tree species Melia dubia is popular for short-rotation plantations. Across a rainfall gradient from 420 to 2170 mm year\(^{-1}\), we studied 186 farmland woodlots between one and nine years in age. The objectives were to identify the main factors controlling aboveground biomass (AGB) and growth rates. A power-law growth model predicts an average stand-level AGB of 93.8 Mg ha\(^{-1}\) for nine-year-old woodlots. The resulting average annual AGB increment over the length of the rotation cycle is 10.4 Mg ha\(^{-1}\) year\(^{-1}\), which falls within the range reported for other tropical tree plantations. When expressing the parameters of the growth model as functions of management, climate and soil variables, it explains 65\% of the variance in AGB. The results indicate that water availability is the main driver of the growth of M. dubia. Compared to the effects of water availability, the effects of soil nutrients are 26\% to 60\% smaller. We conclude that because of its high biomass accumulation rates in farm forestry, M. dubia is a promising candidate for short-rotation plantations in South India and beyond.}, language = {en} } @article{NedopilShekharHowelletal.2021, author = {Nedopil, Alexander J. and Shekhar, Adithya and Howell, Stephen M. and Hull, Maury L.}, title = {An insert with less than spherical medial conformity causes a loss of passive internal rotation after calipered kinematically aligned TKA}, series = {Archives of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery}, volume = {141}, journal = {Archives of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery}, number = {12}, issn = {1434-3916}, doi = {10.1007/s00402-021-04054-0}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-266710}, pages = {2287-2294}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Introduction In total knee arthroplasty (TKA), the level of conformity, a medial stabilized (MS) implant, needs to restore native (i.e., healthy) knee kinematics without over-tensioning the flexion space when the surgeon chooses to retain the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) is unknown. Whether an insert with a medial ball-in-socket conformity and lateral flat surface like the native knee or a less than spherical medial conformity restores higher and closer to native internal tibial rotation without anterior lift-off, an over-tension indicator, when implanted with calipered kinematic alignment (KA), is unknown. Methods and Materials Two surgeons treated 21 patients with calipered KA and a PCL retaining MS implant. Validated verification checks that restore native tibial compartment forces in passive flexion without release of healthy ligaments were used to select the optimal insert thickness. A goniometer etched onto trial inserts with the ball-in-socket and the less than spherical medial conformity measured the tibial rotation relative to the femoral component at extension and 90° and 120° flexion. The surgeon recorded the incidence of anterior lift-off of the insert. Results The insert with the medial ball-in-socket and lateral flat surface restored more internal tibial rotation than the one with less than spherical medial conformity, with mean values of 19° vs. 17° from extension to 90° flexion (p < 0.01), and 23° vs. 20°-120° flexion (p < 0.002), respectively. There was no anterior lift-off of the insert at 90° and 120° flexion. Conclusion An MS insert with a medial ball-in-socket and lateral flat surface that matches the native knee's spherical conformity restores native tibial internal rotation when implanted with calipered KA and PCL retention without over-tensioning the flexion space.}, language = {en} } @article{GotschyBauerWinteretal.2017, author = {Gotschy, Alexander and Bauer, Wolfgang R. and Winter, Patrick and Nordbeck, Peter and Rommel, Eberhard and Jakob, Peter M. and Herold, Volker}, title = {Local versus global aortic pulse wave velocity in early atherosclerosis: An animal study in ApoE\(^{-/-}\) mice using ultrahigh field MRI}, series = {PLoS ONE}, volume = {12}, journal = {PLoS ONE}, number = {2}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0171603}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-171824}, year = {2017}, abstract = {Increased aortic stiffness is known to be associated with atherosclerosis and has a predictive value for cardiovascular events. This study aims to investigate the local distribution of early arterial stiffening due to initial atherosclerotic lesions. Therefore, global and local pulse wave velocity (PWV) were measured in ApoE\(^{-/-}\) and wild type (WT) mice using ultrahigh field MRI. For quantification of global aortic stiffness, a new multi-point transit-time (TT) method was implemented and validated to determine the global PWV in the murine aorta. Local aortic stiffness was measured by assessing the local PWV in the upper abdominal aorta, using the flow/area (QA) method. Significant differences between age matched ApoE\(^{-/-}\) and WT mice were determined for global and local PWV measurements (global PWV: ApoE\(^{-/-}\): 2.7 ±0.2m/s vs WT: 2.1±0.2m/s, P<0.03; local PWV: ApoE\(^{-/-}\): 2.9±0.2m/s vs WT: 2.2±0.2m/s, P<0.03). Within the WT mouse group, the global PWV correlated well with the local PWV in the upper abdominal aorta (R\(^2\) = 0.75, P<0.01), implying a widely uniform arterial elasticity. In ApoE\(^{-/-}\) animals, however, no significant correlation between individual local and global PWV was present (R\(^2\) = 0.07, P = 0.53), implying a heterogeneous distribution of vascular stiffening in early atherosclerosis. The assessment of global PWV using the new multi-point TT measurement technique was validated against a pressure wire measurement in a vessel phantom and showed excellent agreement. The experimental results demonstrate that vascular stiffening caused by early atherosclerosis is unequally distributed over the length of large vessels. This finding implies that assessing heterogeneity of arterial stiffness by multiple local measurements of PWV might be more sensitive than global PWV to identify early atherosclerotic lesions.}, language = {en} } @article{WohlfarthSchmitteckertHaertleetal.2017, author = {Wohlfarth, Carolin and Schmitteckert, Stefanie and H{\"a}rtle, Janina D. and Houghton, Lesley A. and Dweep, Harsh and Fortea, Marina and Assadi, Ghazaleh and Braun, Alexander and Mederer, Tanja and P{\"o}hner, Sarina and Becker, Philip P. and Fischer, Christine and Granzow, Martin and M{\"o}nnikes, Hubert and Mayer, Emeran A. and Sayuk, Gregory and Boeckxstaens, Guy and Wouters, Mira M. and Simr{\´e}n, Magnus and Lindberg, Greger and Ohlsson, Bodil and Schmidt, Peter Thelin and Dlugosz, Aldona and Agreus, Lars and Andreasson, Anna and D'Amato, Mauro and Burwinkel, Barbara and Bermejo, Justo Lorenzo and R{\"o}th, Ralph and Lasitschka, Felix and Vicario, Maria and Metzger, Marco and Santos, Javier and Rappold, Gudrun A. and Martinez, Cristina and Niesler, Beate}, title = {miR-16 and miR-103 impact 5-HT4 receptor signalling and correlate with symptom profile in irritable bowel syndrome}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {7}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-017-13982-0}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-173478}, year = {2017}, abstract = {Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a gut-brain disorder involving alterations in intestinal sensitivity and motility. Serotonin 5-HT4 receptors are promising candidates in IBS pathophysiology since they regulate gut motor function and stool consistency, and targeted 5-HT4R selective drug intervention has been proven beneficial in subgroups of patients. We identified a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (rs201253747) c.*61 T > C within the 5-HT4 receptor gene \(HTR4\) to be predominantly present in diarrhoea-IBS patients (IBS-D). It affects a binding site for the miR-16 family and miR-103/miR-107 within the isoforms \({HTR4b/i}\) and putatively impairs \(HTR4\) expression. Subsequent miRNA profiling revealed downregulation of miR-16 and miR-103 in the jejunum of IBS-D patients correlating with symptoms. \(In\) \(vitro\) assays confirmed expression regulation via three 3′UTR binding sites. The novel isoform \(HTR4b\_2\) lacking two of the three miRNA binding sites escapes miR-16/103/107 regulationin SNP carriers. We provide the first evidence that \(HTR4\) expression is fine-tuned by miRNAs, and that this regulation is impaired either by the SNP c.*61 T > C or bydiminished levels of miR-16 and miR-103 suggesting that \(HTR4\) might be involved in the development of IBS-D.}, language = {en} } @article{SchmitzStormsKochetal.2023, author = {Schmitz, Sophia M. and Storms, Sebastian and Koch, Alexander and Stier, Christine and Kroh, Andreas and Rheinwalt, Karl P. and Schipper, Sandra and Hamesch, Karim and Ulmer, Tom F. and Neumann, Ulf P. and Alizai, Patrick H.}, title = {Insulin resistance is the main characteristic of metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO) associated with NASH in patients undergoing bariatric surgery}, series = {Biomedicines}, volume = {11}, journal = {Biomedicines}, number = {6}, issn = {2227-9059}, doi = {10.3390/biomedicines11061595}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-319213}, year = {2023}, abstract = {(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.}, language = {en} } @article{NedopilHowellHull2022, author = {Nedopil, Alexander J. and Howell, Stephen M. and Hull, Maury L.}, title = {A TKA insert with a lateral flat articular surface maximizes external and internal tibial orientations without anterior lift-off relative to low- and ultracongruent surfaces}, series = {Journal of Personalized Medicine}, volume = {12}, journal = {Journal of Personalized Medicine}, number = {8}, issn = {2075-4426}, doi = {10.3390/jpm12081274}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-286142}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Background: In total knee arthroplasty (TKA), inserts can have different levels of medial and lateral congruency determined by the acuteness of the upslopes of the anterior and posterior articular surfaces. The present study evaluated an insert with different levels of lateral congruency and a medial ball-in-socket congruency to test the hypothesis that a lateral flat (F) insert maximizes external tibial orientation at extension and internal orientation at 90° flexion and lowers the incidence of anterior lift-off relative to low-congruent (LC) and ultracongruent (UC) lateral inserts. Methods: Two surgeons treated 23 patients with unrestricted caliper-verified kinematic alignment (KA) and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) retention. They randomly trialed inserts with a medial radial dial that functioned as a built-in goniometer by measuring the tibial orientation relative to a sagittal line on the femoral trial component. Anterior lift-off of the insert from the baseplate indicated PCL tightness. Results: The F insert's mean of 9° of external tibial orientation was higher than that of the LC (5°, p < 0.0001) and UC inserts (2°, p < 0.0001). The -13° of internal tibial orientation at 90° flexion was higher than that of the LC (-9°, p < 0.0001) and UC inserts (-7°, p < 0.0001). The 0\% incidence of anterior lift-off was less than that of the LC (26\%) and UC inserts (57\%) (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Surgeons and implant manufacturers should know that adding congruency to the lateral articular surface limits external tibial orientation in extension and internal tibial orientation at 90° flexion and overtightens the PCL. These rotational limitations and flexion space tightness can adversely affect patellofemoral tracking and knee flexion.}, language = {en} } @article{NedopilHowellHull2022, author = {Nedopil, Alexander J. and Howell, Stephen M. and Hull, Maury L.}, title = {Measurement of tibial orientation helps select the optimal insert thickness to personalize PCL tension in a medial ball-in-socket TKA}, series = {Journal of Personalized Medicine}, volume = {12}, journal = {Journal of Personalized Medicine}, number = {9}, issn = {2075-4426}, doi = {10.3390/jpm12091427}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-286232}, year = {2022}, abstract = {As the conformity of a medial ball-in-socket total knee arthroplasty (TKA) provides intrinsic anterior-posterior (A-P) stability, surgeons cannot rely on the manual examination of sagittal laxity to identify the optimal insert thickness. Instead, the present study determined whether measuring tibial axial orientation in extension and 90° flexion with an insert goniometer could identify the optimal thickness that, when implanted, provides high postoperative function. In twenty-two patients that underwent unrestricted caliper-verified kinematic alignment (KA) with a PCL retaining implant, two surgeons measured tibial orientation in extension and 90° flexion with 10, 11, 12, and 13 mm thick insert goniometers. Each TKA had one insert thickness that restored either the maximum external tibial orientation in extension, the maximum internal tibial orientation at 90° flexion, or both relative to 1 mm thinner and thicker inserts. In addition, the 6-month median [interquartile range] Forgotten Joint Score of 73 (54-87) and Oxford Knee Score of 42 (38-45) indicated high satisfaction and function. In conclusion, surgeons using a medial ball-in-socket TKA design can measure external tibial orientation in extension and internal tibial orientation at 90° flexion with an insert goniometer. Furthermore, implanting an insert with the thickness that provided the maximum orientation values resulted in high postoperative function, thereby personalizing PCL tension.}, language = {en} } @article{DhaliwalZamoraNedopiletal.2022, author = {Dhaliwal, Anand and Zamora, Tomas and Nedopil, Alexander J. and Howell, Stephen M. and Hull, Maury L.}, title = {Six commonly used postoperative radiographic alignment parameters do not predict clinical outcome scores after unrestricted caliper-verified kinematically aligned TKA}, series = {Journal of Personalized Medicine}, volume = {12}, journal = {Journal of Personalized Medicine}, number = {9}, issn = {2075-4426}, doi = {10.3390/jpm12091468}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-288186}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Background: Unrestricted caliper-verified kinematically aligned (KA) TKA restores patient's prearthritic coronal and sagittal alignments, which have a wide range containing outliers that concern the surgeon practicing mechanical alignment (MA). Therefore, knowing which radiographic parameters are associated with dissatisfaction could help a surgeon decide whether to rely on them as criteria for revising an unhappy patient with a primary KA TKA using MA principles. Hence, we determined whether the femoral mechanical angle (FMA), hip-knee-ankle angle (HKAA), tibial mechanical angle (TMA), tibial slope angle (TSA), and the indicators of patellofemoral tracking, including patella tilt angle (PTA) and the lateral undercoverage of the trochlear resection (LUCTR), are associated with clinical outcome scores. Methods: Forty-three patients with a CT scan and skyline radiograph after a KA TKA with PCL retention and medial stabilized design were analyzed. Linear regression determined the strength of the association between the FMA, HKA angle, PTS, PTA, and LUCTR and the forgotten joint score (FJS), Oxford knee score (OKS), and KOOS Jr score obtained at a mean of 23 months. Results: There was no correlation between the FMA (range 2° varus to -10° valgus), HKAA (range 10° varus to -9° valgus), TMA (range 10° varus to -0° valgus), TSA (range 14° posterior to -4° anterior), PTA (range, -10° medial to 14° lateral), and the LUCTR resection (range 2 to 9 mm) and the FJS (median 83), the OKS (median 44), and the KOOS Jr (median 85) (r = 0.000 to 0.079). Conclusions: Surgeons should be cautious about using postoperative FMA, HKAA, TMA, TSA, PTA, and LUCTR values within the present study's reported ranges to explain success and dissatisfaction after KA TKA.}, language = {en} } @article{TanoeyBaechleBrenneretal.2022, author = {Tanoey, Justine and Baechle, Christina and Brenner, Hermann and Deckert, Andreas and Fricke, Julia and G{\"u}nther, Kathrin and Karch, Andr{\´e} and Keil, Thomas and Kluttig, Alexander and Leitzmann, Michael and Mikolajczyk, Rafael and Obi, Nadia and Pischon, Tobias and Schikowski, Tamara and Schipf, Sabine M. and Schulze, Matthias B. and Sedlmeier, Anja and Moreno Vel{\´a}squez, Ilais and Weber, Katharina S. and V{\"o}lzke, Henry and Ahrens, Wolfgang and Gastell, Sylvia and Holleczek, Bernd and J{\"o}ckel, Karl-Heinz and Katzke, Verena and Lieb, Wolfgang and Michels, Karin B. and Schmidt, B{\"o}rge and Teismann, Henning and Becher, Heiko}, title = {Birth order, Caesarean section, or daycare attendance in relation to child- and adult-onset type 1 diabetes: results from the German National Cohort}, series = {International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health}, volume = {19}, journal = {International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health}, number = {17}, issn = {1660-4601}, doi = {10.3390/ijerph191710880}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-286216}, year = {2022}, abstract = {(1) Background: Global incidence of type 1 diabetes (T1D) is rising and nearly half occurred in adults. However, it is unclear if certain early-life childhood T1D risk factors were also associated with adult-onset T1D. This study aimed to assess associations between birth order, delivery mode or daycare attendance and type 1 diabetes (T1D) risk in a population-based cohort and whether these were similar for childhood- and adult-onset T1D (cut-off age 15); (2) Methods: Data were obtained from the German National Cohort (NAKO Gesundheitsstudie) baseline assessment. Self-reported diabetes was classified as T1D if: diagnosis age ≤ 40 years and has been receiving insulin treatment since less than one year after diagnosis. Cox regression was applied for T1D risk analysis; (3) Results: Analyses included 101,411 participants (100 childhood- and 271 adult-onset T1D cases). Compared to "only-children", HRs for second- or later-born individuals were 0.70 (95\% CI = 0.50-0.96) and 0.65 (95\% CI = 0.45-0.94), respectively, regardless of parental diabetes, migration background, birth year and perinatal factors. In further analyses, higher birth order reduced T1D risk in children and adults born in recent decades. Caesarean section and daycare attendance showed no clear associations with T1D risk; (4) Conclusions: Birth order should be considered in both children and adults' T1D risk assessment for early detection.}, language = {en} } @article{WinterSchulzSchmitteretal.2022, author = {Winter, Anna and Schulz, Stefan M. and Schmitter, Marc and Brands, Roman C. and Straub, Anton and K{\"u}bler, Alexander and Borgmann, Anna and Hartmann, Stefan}, title = {Oral-health-related quality of life in patients with medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw: a prospective clinical study}, series = {International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health}, volume = {19}, journal = {International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health}, number = {18}, issn = {1660-4601}, doi = {10.3390/ijerph191811709}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-288141}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) represents an adverse side effect of antiresorptive and antiangiogenic medications. It is associated with impaired quality of life, oral health, and oral function and can be classified into various stages. The purpose of this prospective clinical study is to evaluate the impact of stages I and II MRONJ on oral-health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) and related parameters. Patients' OHRQoL, satisfaction with life, oral discomfort, and oral health were assessed using the German version of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-G49), visual analog scales (VAS), and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) at baseline (T0), 10 days (T1), and 3 months after treatment (T2) in 36 patients. Data were analyzed using Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, two-way mixed ANOVAs, and follow-up Mann-Whitney U tests. The impact of treatment effects on the original seven OHIP domain structures and the recently introduced four-dimensional OHIP structure were evaluated using linear regression analysis. Thirty-six patients received surgical MRONJ treatment. Before treatment, patients' perceived OHRQoL, oral discomfort, oral health, and satisfaction with life were negatively affected by MRONJ. Surgical treatment significantly improved OHRQoL and related parameters (all p ≤ 0.012). This improvement was greater in patients with higher impairment at T0. OHRQoL and oral restrictions were still impaired after treatment in patients who needed prosthetic treatment. The four-dimensional structure revealed valuable information beyond the standard seven OHIP domains. Increased awareness of MRONJ risks and an interdisciplinary treatment approach for MRONJ patients are needed.}, language = {en} } @article{WinterSchulzSchmitteretal.2023, author = {Winter, Anna and Schulz, Stefan M. and Schmitter, Marc and M{\"u}ller-Richter, Urs and K{\"u}bler, Alexander and Kasper, Sylvia and Hartmann, Stefan}, title = {Comprehensive geriatric assessment and quality of life aspects in patients with recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC)}, series = {Journal of Clinical Medicine}, volume = {12}, journal = {Journal of Clinical Medicine}, number = {17}, issn = {2077-0383}, doi = {10.3390/jcm12175738}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-363096}, year = {2023}, abstract = {To define frailty in older cancer patients, the aim of this study was to assess the geriatric status and quality of life (QoL) aspects in patients suffering from recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (r/m HNSCC) under palliative treatment. A comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) was performed on 21 r/m HNSCC patients at two defined assessments, and the QoL aspects and the impact of descriptive data were evaluated. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Spearman's rho correlation, and two-way mixed ANOVA were used for statistical analysis. All patients were found to be "frail". Pain, fatigue, and the burden of illness were the highest-rated symptoms. Oral function and orofacial appearance were highly impaired. A significant impact of descriptive data on the CGA and QoL results was found (all p ≤ 0.05). Thus, the CGA results revealed high frailty, severe comorbidities, and high impairments in QoL aspects. The CGA and QoL results were negatively affected by the primary HNSCC treatment approach, the need for prosthetic treatment, and worse oral functional capacity. Therefore, frailty in r/m HNSCC patients seems to be multidimensional. The evaluation of the CGA and QoL aspects in r/m HNSCC patients can be recommended to detect special needs, organize aftercare, and improve the support for frail and vulnerable cancer patients to create a multidisciplinary treatment approach.}, language = {en} } @article{DubailHuberChantepieetal.2018, author = {Dubail, Johanne and Huber, C{\´e}line and Chantepie, Sandrine and Sonntag, Stephan and T{\"u}ys{\"u}z, Beyhan and Mihci, Ercan and Gordon, Christopher T. and Steichen-Gersdorf, Elisabeth and Amiel, Jeanne and Nur, Banu and Stolte-Dijkstra, Irene and van Eerde, Albertien M. and van Gassen, Koen L. and Breugem, Corstiaan C. and Stegmann, Alexander and Lekszas, Caroline and Maroofian, Reza and Karimiani, Ehsan Ghayoor and Bruneel, Arnaud and Seta, Nathalie and Munnich, Arnold and Papy-Garcia, Dulce and De La Dure-Molla, Muriel and Cormier-Daire, Val{\´e}rie}, title = {SLC10A7 mutations cause a skeletal dysplasia with amelogenesis imperfecta mediated by GAG biosynthesis defects}, series = {Nature Communications}, volume = {9}, journal = {Nature Communications}, doi = {10.1038/s41467-018-05191-8}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-226377}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Skeletal dysplasia with multiple dislocations are severe disorders characterized by dislocations of large joints and short stature. The majority of them have been linked to pathogenic variants in genes encoding glycosyltransferases, sulfotransferases or epimerases required for glycosaminoglycan synthesis. Using exome sequencing, we identify homozygous mutations in SLC10A7 in six individuals with skeletal dysplasia with multiple dislocations and amelogenesis imperfecta. SLC10A7 encodes a 10-transmembrane-domain transporter located at the plasma membrane. Functional studies in vitro demonstrate that SLC10A7 mutations reduce SLC10A7 protein expression. We generate a Slc10a7-/- mouse model, which displays shortened long bones, growth plate disorganization and tooth enamel anomalies, recapitulating the human phenotype. Furthermore, we identify decreased heparan sulfate levels in Slc10a7-/- mouse cartilage and patient fibroblasts. Finally, we find an abnormal N-glycoprotein electrophoretic profile in patient blood samples. Together, our findings support the involvement of SLC10A7 in glycosaminoglycan synthesis and specifically in skeletal development.}, language = {en} } @article{GoebelPankratzAsaridouetal.2016, author = {G{\"o}bel, Kerstin and Pankratz, Susann and Asaridou, Chloi-Magdalini and Herrmann, Alexander M. and Bittner, Stefan and Merker, Monika and Ruck, Tobias and Glumm, Sarah and Langhauser, Friederike and Kraft, Peter and Krug, Thorsten F. and Breuer, Johanna and Herold, Martin and Gross, Catharina C. and Beckmann, Denise and Korb-Pap, Adelheid and Schuhmann, Michael K. and Kuerten, Stefanie and Mitroulis, Ioannis and Ruppert, Clemens and Nolte, Marc W. and Panousis, Con and Klotz, Luisa and Kehrel, Beate and Korn, Thomas and Langer, Harald F. and Pap, Thomas and Nieswandt, Bernhard and Wiendl, Heinz and Chavakis, Triantafyllos and Kleinschnitz, Christoph and Meuth, Sven G.}, title = {Blood coagulation factor XII drives adaptive immunity during neuroinflammation via CD87-mediated modulation of dendritic cells}, series = {Nature Communications}, volume = {7}, journal = {Nature Communications}, number = {11626}, doi = {10.1038/ncomms11626}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-165503}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Aberrant immune responses represent the underlying cause of central nervous system (CNS) autoimmunity, including multiple sclerosis (MS). Recent evidence implicated the crosstalk between coagulation and immunity in CNS autoimmunity. Here we identify coagulation factor XII (FXII), the initiator of the intrinsic coagulation cascade and the kallikrein-kinin system, as a specific immune cell modulator. High levels of FXII activity are present in the plasma of MS patients during relapse. Deficiency or pharmacologic blockade of FXII renders mice less susceptible to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (a model of MS) and is accompanied by reduced numbers of interleukin-17A-producing T cells. Immune activation by FXII is mediated by dendritic cells in a CD87-dependent manner and involves alterations in intracellular cyclic AMP formation. Our study demonstrates that a member of the plasmatic coagulation cascade is a key mediator of autoimmunity. FXII inhibition may provide a strategy to combat MS and other immune-related disorders.}, language = {en} } @article{ShekharHowellNedopiletal.2022, author = {Shekhar, Adithya and Howell, Stephen M. and Nedopil, Alexander J. and Hull, Maury L.}, title = {Excellent and good results treating stiffness with early and late manipulation after unrestricted caliper-verified kinematically aligned TKA}, series = {Journal of Personalized Medicine}, volume = {12}, journal = {Journal of Personalized Medicine}, number = {2}, issn = {2075-4426}, doi = {10.3390/jpm12020304}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-262094}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Manipulation under anesthesia (MUA) for stiffness within 6 to 12 weeks after mechanically aligned total knee arthroplasty (TKA) generally yields better outcome scores than an MUA performed later. However, the timing of MUA after unrestricted, caliper-verified, kinematically aligned (KA) TKA remains uncertain. A retrospective review identified 82 of 3558 (2.3\%) KA TKA patients treated with an MUA between 2010 and 2017. Thirty patients treated with an MUA within 3 months of the TKA (i.e., early) and 24 in the late group (i.e., >3 months) returned a questionnaire after a mean of 6 years and 5 years, respectively. Mean outcome scores for the early vs. late group were 78 vs. 62 for the Forgotten Joint Score (FJS) (p = 0.023) and 42 vs. 39 for the Oxford Knee Score (OKS) (p = 0.037). Subjectively, the early vs. late group responses indicated that 83\% vs. 67\% walked without a limp, 73\% vs. 54\% had normal extension, and 43\% vs. 25\% had normal flexion. An MUA within 3 months after unrestricted KA TKA provided excellent FJS and OKS at final follow-up relative to a late MUA. A late MUA performed after 3 months is worth consideration because of the good FJS and OKS scores, albeit with a risk of a persistent limp and limitation in knee extension and flexion.}, language = {en} } @article{BoesSpiegelVoepeletal.2015, author = {Boes, Alexander and Spiegel, Holger and Voepel, Nadja and Edgue, Gueven and Beiss, Veronique and Kapelski, Stephanie and Fendel, Rolf and Scheuermayer, Matthias and Pradel, Gabriele and Bolscher, Judith M. and Behet, Marije C. and Dechering, Koen J. and Hermsen, Cornelus C. and Sauerwein, Robert W. and Schillberg, Stefan and Reimann, Andreas and Fischer, Rainer}, title = {Analysis of a multi-component multi-stage malaria vaccine candidate—tackling the cocktail challenge}, series = {PLoS ONE}, volume = {10}, journal = {PLoS ONE}, number = {7}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0131456}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-173092}, pages = {e0131456}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Combining key antigens from the different stages of the P. falciparum life cycle in the context of a multi-stage-specific cocktail offers a promising approach towards the development of a malaria vaccine ideally capable of preventing initial infection, the clinical manifestation as well as the transmission of the disease. To investigate the potential of such an approach we combined proteins and domains (11 in total) from the pre-erythrocytic, blood and sexual stages of P. falciparum into a cocktail of four different components recombinantly produced in plants. After immunization of rabbits we determined the domain-specific antibody titers as well as component-specific antibody concentrations and correlated them with stage specific in vitro efficacy. Using purified rabbit immune IgG we observed strong inhibition in functional in vitro assays addressing the pre-erythrocytic (up to 80\%), blood (up to 90\%) and sexual parasite stages (100\%). Based on the component-specific antibody concentrations we calculated the IC50 values for the pre-erythrocytic stage (17-25 μg/ml), the blood stage (40-60 μg/ml) and the sexual stage (1.75 μg/ml). While the results underline the feasibility of a multi-stage vaccine cocktail, the analysis of component-specific efficacy indicates significant differences in IC50 requirements for stage-specific antibody concentrations providing valuable insights into this complex scenario and will thereby improve future approaches towards malaria vaccine cocktail development regarding the selection of suitable antigens and the ratios of components, to fine tune overall and stage-specific efficacy.}, language = {en} } @article{HowellGillSheltonetal.2022, author = {Howell, Stephen M. and Gill, Manpreet and Shelton, Trevor J. and Nedopil, Alexander J.}, title = {Reoperations are few and confined to the most valgus phenotypes 4 years after unrestricted calipered kinematically aligned TKA}, series = {Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy}, volume = {30}, journal = {Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy}, number = {3}, doi = {10.1007/s00167-021-06473-3}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-265291}, pages = {948-957}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Purpose The present study determined the postoperative phenotypes after unrestricted calipered kinematically aligned (KA) total knee arthroplasty (TKA), whether any phenotypes were associated with reoperation, implant revision, and lower outcome scores at 4 years, and whether the proportion of TKAs within each phenotype was comparable to those of the nonarthritic contralateral limb. Methods From 1117 consecutive primary TKAs treated by one surgeon with unrestricted calipered KA, an observer identified all patients (N = 198) that otherwise had normal paired femora and tibiae on a long-leg CT scanogram. In both legs, the distal femur-mechanical axis angle (FMA), proximal tibia-mechanical axis angle (TMA), and the hip-knee-ankle angle (HKA) were measured. Each alignment angle was assigned to one of Hirschmann's five FMA, five TMA, and seven HKA phenotype categories. Results Three TKAs (1.5\%) underwent reoperation for anterior knee pain or patellofemoral instability in the subgroup of patients with the more valgus phenotypes. There were no implant revisions for component loosening, wear, or tibiofemoral instability. The median Forgotten Joint Score (FJS) was similar between phenotypes. The median Oxford Knee Score (OKS) was similar between the TMA and HKA phenotypes and greatest in the most varus FMA phenotype. The phenotype proportions after calipered KA TKA were comparable to the contralateral leg. Conclusion Unrestricted calipered KA's restoration of the wide range of phenotypes did not result in implant revision or poor FJS and OKS scores at a mean follow-up of 4 years. The few reoperated patients had a more valgus setting of the prosthetic trochlea than recommended for mechanical alignment. Designing a femoral component specifically for KA that restores patellofemoral kinematics with all phenotypes, especially the more valgus ones, is a strategy for reducing reoperation risk.}, language = {en} } @article{ThiemHesbacherKneitzetal.2019, author = {Thiem, Alexander and Hesbacher, Sonja and Kneitz, Hermann and di Primio, Teresa and Heppt, Markus V. and Hermanns, Heike M. and Goebeler, Matthias and Meierjohann, Svenja and Houben, Roland and Schrama, David}, title = {IFN-gamma-induced PD-L1 expression in melanoma depends on p53 expression}, series = {Journal of Experimental \& Clinical Cancer Research}, volume = {38}, journal = {Journal of Experimental \& Clinical Cancer Research}, doi = {10.1186/s13046-019-1403-9}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-201016}, pages = {397}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Background Immune checkpoint inhibition and in particular anti-PD-1 immunotherapy have revolutionized the treatment of advanced melanoma. In this regard, higher tumoral PD-L1 protein (gene name: CD274) expression is associated with better clinical response and increased survival to anti-PD-1 therapy. Moreover, there is increasing evidence that tumor suppressor proteins are involved in immune regulation and are capable of modulating the expression of immune checkpoint proteins. Here, we determined the role of p53 protein (gene name: TP53) in the regulation of PD-L1 expression in melanoma. Methods We analyzed publicly available mRNA and protein expression data from the cancer genome/proteome atlas and performed immunohistochemistry on tumors with known TP53 status. Constitutive and IFN-ɣ-induced PD-L1 expression upon p53 knockdown in wildtype, TP53-mutated or JAK2-overexpressing melanoma cells or in cells, in which p53 was rendered transcriptionally inactive by CRISPR/Cas9, was determined by immunoblot or flow cytometry. Similarly, PD-L1 expression was investigated after overexpression of a transcriptionally-impaired p53 (L22Q, W23S) in TP53-wt or a TP53-knockout melanoma cell line. Immunoblot was applied to analyze the IFN-ɣ signaling pathway. Results For TP53-mutated tumors, an increased CD274 mRNA expression and a higher frequency of PD-L1 positivity was observed. Interestingly, positive correlations of IFNG mRNA and PD-L1 protein in both TP53-wt and -mutated samples and of p53 and PD-L1 protein suggest a non-transcriptional mode of action of p53. Indeed, cell line experiments revealed a diminished IFN-ɣ-induced PD-L1 expression upon p53 knockdown in both wildtype and TP53-mutated melanoma cells, which was not the case when p53 wildtype protein was rendered transcriptionally inactive or by ectopic expression of p53\(^{L22Q,W23S}\), a transcriptionally-impaired variant, in TP53-wt cells. Accordingly, expression of p53\(^{L22Q,W23S}\) in a TP53-knockout melanoma cell line boosted IFN-ɣ-induced PD-L1 expression. The impaired PD-L1-inducibility after p53 knockdown was associated with a reduced JAK2 expression in the cells and was almost abrogated by JAK2 overexpression. Conclusions While having only a small impact on basal PD-L1 expression, both wildtype and mutated p53 play an important positive role for IFN-ɣ-induced PD-L1 expression in melanoma cells by supporting JAK2 expression. Future studies should address, whether p53 expression levels might influence response to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy.}, language = {en} } @article{JendeKenderRotheretal.2020, author = {Jende, Johann M. E. and Kender, Zoltan and Rother, Christian and Alvarez-Ramos, Lucia and Groener, Jan B. and Pham, Mirko and Morgenstern, Jakob and Oikonomou, Dimitrios and Hahn, Artur and Juerchott, Alexander and Kollmer, Jennifer and Heiland, Sabine and Kopf, Stefan and Nawroth, Peter P. and Bendszus, Martin and Kurz, Felix T.}, title = {Diabetic Polyneuropathy Is Associated With Pathomorphological Changes in Human Dorsal Root Ganglia: A Study Using 3T MR Neurography}, series = {Frontiers in Neuroscience}, volume = {14}, journal = {Frontiers in Neuroscience}, doi = {10.3389/fnins.2020.570744}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-212459}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Diabetic neuropathy (DPN) is one of the most severe and yet most poorly understood complications of diabetes mellitus. In vivo imaging of dorsal root ganglia (DRG), a key structure for the understanding of DPN, has been restricted to animal studies. These have shown a correlation of decreased DRG volume with neuropathic symptom severity. Our objective was to investigate correlations of DRG morphology and signal characteristics at 3 Tesla (3T) magnetic resonance neurography (MRN) with clinical and serological data in diabetic patients with and without DPN. In this cross-sectional study, participants underwent 3T MRN of both L5 DRG using an isotropic 3D T2-weighted, fat-suppressed sequence with subsequent segmentation of DRG volume and analysis of normalized signal properties. Overall, 55 diabetes patients (66 ± 9 years; 32 men; 30 with DPN) took part in this study. DRG volume was smaller in patients with severe DPN when compared to patients with mild or moderate DPN (134.7 ± 21.86 vs 170.1 ± 49.22; p = 0.040). In DPN patients, DRG volume was negatively correlated with the neuropathy disability score (r = -0.43; 95\%CI = -0.66 to -0.14; p = 0.02), a measure of neuropathy severity. DRG volume showed negative correlations with triglycerides (r = -0.40; 95\%CI = -0.57 to -0.19; p = 0.006), and LDL cholesterol (r = -0.33; 95\%CI = -0.51 to -0.11; p = 0.04). There was a strong positive correlation of normalized MR signal intensity (SI) with the neuropathy symptom score in the subgroup of patients with painful DPN (r = 0.80; 95\%CI = 0.46 to 0.93; p = 0.005). DRG SI was positively correlated with HbA1c levels (r = 0.30; 95\%CI = 0.09 to 0.50; p = 0.03) and the triglyceride/HDL ratio (r = 0.40; 95\%CI = 0.19 to 0.57; p = 0.007). In this first in vivo study, we found DRG morphological degeneration and signal increase in correlation with neuropathy severity. This elucidates the potential importance of MR-based DRG assessments in studying structural and functional changes in DPN.}, language = {en} } @article{HussHalbgebauerOeckletal.2016, author = {Huss, Andr{\´e} M. and Halbgebauer, Steffen and {\"O}ckl, Patrick and Trebst, Corinna and Spreer, Annette and Borisow, Nadja and Harrer, Andrea and Brecht, Isabel and Balint, Bettina and Stich, Oliver and Schlegel, Sabine and Retzlaff, Nele and Winkelmann, Alexander and Roesler, Romy and Lauda, Florian and Yildiz, {\"O}zlem and Voß, Elke and Muche, Rainer and Rauer, Sebastian and Bergh, Florian Then and Otto, Markus and Paul, Friedemann and Wildemann, Brigitte and Kraus, J{\"o}rg and Ruprecht, Klemens and Stangel, Martin and Buttmann, Mathias and Zettl, Uwe K. and Tumani, Hayrettin}, title = {Importance of cerebrospinal fluid analysis in the era of McDonald 2010 criteria: a German-Austrian retrospective multicenter study in patients with a clinically isolated syndrome}, series = {Journal of Neurology}, volume = {263}, journal = {Journal of Neurology}, number = {12}, doi = {10.1007/s00415-016-8302-1}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-186619}, pages = {2499-2504}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The majority of patients presenting with a first clinical symptom suggestive of multiple sclerosis (MS) do not fulfill the MRI criteria for dissemination in space and time according to the 2010 revision of the McDonald diagnostic criteria for MS and are thus classified as clinically isolated syndrome (CIS). To re-evaluate the utility of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis in the context of the revised McDonald criteria from 2010, we conducted a retrospective multicenter study aimed at determining the prevalence and predictive value of oligoclonal IgG bands (OCBs) in patients with CIS. Patients were recruited from ten specialized MS centers in Germany and Austria. We collected data from 406 patients; at disease onset, 44/406 (11 \%) fulfilled the McDonald 2010 criteria for MS. Intrathecal IgG OCBs were detected in 310/362 (86 \%) of CIS patients. Those patients were twice as likely to convert to MS according to McDonald 2010 criteria as OCB-negative individuals (hazard ratio = 2.1, p = 0.0014) and in a shorter time period of 25 months (95 \% CI 21-34) compared to 47 months in OCB-negative individuals (95 \% CI 36-85). In patients without brain lesions at first attack and presence of intrathecal OCBs (30/44), conversion rate to MS was 60 \% (18/30), whereas it was only 21 \% (3/14) in those without OCBs. Our data confirm that in patients with CIS the risk of conversion to MS substantially increases if OCBs are present at onset. CSF analysis definitely helps to evaluate the prognosis in patients who do not have MS according to the revised McDonald criteria.}, language = {en} } @article{NedopilDelmanHowelletal.2021, author = {Nedopil, Alexander J. and Delman, Connor and Howell, Stephen M. and Hull, Maury L.}, title = {Restoring the patient's pre-arthritic posterior slope is the correct target for maximizing internal tibial rotation when implanting a PCL retaining TKA with calipered kinematic alignment}, series = {Journal of Personalized Medicine}, volume = {11}, journal = {Journal of Personalized Medicine}, number = {6}, issn = {2075-4426}, doi = {10.3390/jpm11060516}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-240996}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Introduction: The calipered kinematically-aligned (KA) total knee arthroplasty (TKA) strives to restore the patient's individual pre-arthritic (i.e., native) posterior tibial slope when retaining the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). Deviations from the patient's individual pre-arthritic posterior slope tighten and slacken the PCL in flexion that drives tibial rotation, and such a change might compromise passive internal tibial rotation and coupled patellofemoral kinematics. Methods: Twenty-one patients were treated with a calipered KA TKA and a PCL retaining implant with a medial ball-in-socket and a lateral flat articular insert conformity that mimics the native (i.e., healthy) knee. The slope of the tibial resection was set parallel to the medial joint line by adjusting the plane of an angel wing inserted in the tibial guide. Three trial inserts that matched and deviated 2°> and 2°< from the patient's pre-arthritic slope were 3D printed with goniometric markings. The goniometer measured the orientation of the tibia (i.e., trial insert) relative to the femoral component. Results: There was no difference between the radiographic preoperative and postoperative tibial slope (0.7 ± 3.2°, NS). From extension to 90° flexion, the mean passive internal tibial rotation with the pre-arthritic slope insert of 19° was greater than the 15° for the 2°> slope (p < 0.000), and 15° for the 2°< slope (p < 0.000). Discussion: When performing a calipered KA TKA with PCL retention, the correct target for setting the tibial component is the patient's individual pre-arthritic slope within a tolerance of ±2°, as this target resulted in a 15-19° range of internal tibial rotation that is comparable to the 15-18° range reported for the native knee from extension to 90° flexion.}, language = {en} } @article{PreitschopfSturmStroganovaetal.2023, author = {Preitschopf, Tobias and Sturm, Floriane and Stroganova, Iuliia and Lemmens, Alexander K. and Rijs, Anouk M. and Fischer, Ingo}, title = {IR/UV Double Resonance Study of the 2-Phenylallyl Radical and its Pyrolysis Products}, series = {Chemistry - A European Journal}, volume = {29}, journal = {Chemistry - A European Journal}, number = {13}, doi = {10.1002/chem.202202943}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-312338}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Isolated 2-phenylallyl radicals (2-PA), generated by pyrolysis from a nitrite precursor, have been investigated by IR/UV ion dip spectroscopy using free electron laser radiation. 2-PA is a resonance-stabilized radical that is considered to be involved in the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in combustion, but also in interstellar space. The radical is identified based on its gas-phase IR spectrum. Furthermore, a number of bimolecular reaction products are identified, showing that the self-reaction as well as reactions with unimolecular decomposition products of 2-PA form several PAH efficiently. Possible mechanisms are discussed and the chemistry of 2-PA is compared with the one of the related 2-methylallyl and phenylpropargyl radicals.}, language = {en} } @article{WernerDerlinLapaetal.2020, author = {Werner, Rudolf A. and Derlin, Thorsten and Lapa, Constantin and Sheikbahaei, Sara and Higuchi, Takahiro and Giesel, Frederik L. and Behr, Spencer and Drzezga, Alexander and Kimura, Hiroyuki and Buck, Andreas K. and Bengel, Frank M. and Pomper, Martin G. and Gorin, Michael A. and Rowe, Steven P.}, title = {\(^{18}\)F-labeled, PSMA-targeted radiotracers: leveraging the advantages of radiofluorination for prostate cancer molecular imaging}, series = {Theranostics}, volume = {10}, journal = {Theranostics}, number = {1}, issn = {1838-7640}, doi = {10.7150/thno.37894}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-202559}, pages = {1-16}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeted PET imaging for prostate cancer with \(^{68}\)Ga-labeled compounds has rapidly become adopted as part of routine clinical care in many parts of the world. However, recent years have witnessed the start of a shift from \(^{68}\)Ga- to \(^{18}\)F-labeled PSMA-targeted compounds. The latter imaging agents have several key advantages, which may lay the groundwork for an even more widespread adoption into the clinic. First, facilitated delivery from distant suppliers expands the availability of PET radiopharmaceuticals in smaller hospitals operating a PET center but lacking the patient volume to justify an onsite \(^{68}\)Ge/\(^{68}\)Ga generator. Thus, such an approach meets the increasing demand for PSMA-targeted PET imaging in areas with lower population density and may even lead to cost-savings compared to in-house production. Moreover, \(^{18}\)F-labeled radiotracers have a higher positron yield and lower positron energy, which in turn decreases image noise, improves contrast resolution, and maximizes the likelihood of detecting subtle lesions. In addition, the longer half-life of 110 min allows for improved delayed imaging protocols and flexibility in study design, which may further increase diagnostic accuracy. Moreover, such compounds can be distributed to sites which are not allowed to produce radiotracers on-site due to regulatory issues or to centers without access to a cyclotron. In light of these advantageous characteristics, \(^{18}\)F-labeled PSMA-targeted PET radiotracers may play an important role in both optimizing this transformative imaging modality and making it widely available. We have aimed to provide a concise overview of emerging \(^{18}\)F-labeled PSMA-targeted radiotracers undergoing active clinical development. Given the wide array of available radiotracers, comparative studies are needed to firmly establish the role of the available \(^{18}\)F-labeled compounds in the field of molecular PCa imaging, preferably in different clinical scenarios.}, language = {en} } @article{EssigKollikowskiPhametal.2020, author = {Essig, Fabian and Kollikowski, Alexander M. and Pham, Mirko and Solymosi, L{\´a}szl{\´o} and Stoll, Guido and Haeusler, Karl Georg and Kraft, Peter and Schuhmann, Michael K.}, title = {Immunohistological analysis of neutrophils and neutrophil extracellular traps in human thrombemboli causing acute ischemic stroke}, series = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences}, volume = {21}, journal = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences}, number = {19}, issn = {1422-0067}, doi = {10.3390/ijms21197387}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-236192}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Ischemic stroke caused by thromboembolic occlusion of large cerebral arteries, such as the internal carotid (ICA) and/or the middle cerebral artery (MCA), is treated by mechanical thrombectomy (MT). MT allows salvage of the vessel-occluding thrombemboli, which most frequently originate from the left atrium or the left ventricle of the heart or from sites of plaque rupture within large arteries above the heart. Clot composition may influence the efficacy of (intravenous) thrombolysis and MT, respectively. We analyzed 37 human thrombemboli obtained from acute ischemic stroke patients during MT with special emphasis on histological staining of neutrophils and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). We found neutrophils as the main cellular component of cerebral thrombemboli but encountered considerable morphological heterogeneity. Neutrophils accumulated in the border region of fibrin-rich structures indicating possible interaction of neutrophils with distinct structural thrombembolus components. Web-like NETs were found in 35 of 37 thrombemboli in varying amounts. NETs were almost exclusively found within fibrin-rich areas. Importantly, stroke etiology, age and present oral anticoagulation was associated with morphological patterns and the amount of neutrophils. Correlation of histological data and imaging data revealed that relative Hounsfield units of cerebral thrombemboli positively correlated with the amount of red blood cells. In summary, our results demonstrate that neutrophils and NETs are substantial constituents of cerebral thrombemboli and contribute to their structural complexity.}, language = {en} } @article{BolmZemskovZelleretal.2022, author = {Bolm, Louisa and Zemskov, Sergii and Zeller, Maria and Baba, Taisuke and Roldan, Jorge and Harrison, Jon M. and Petruch, Natalie and Sato, Hiroki and Petrova, Ekaterina and Lapshyn, Hryhoriy and Braun, Ruediger and Honselmann, Kim C. and Hummel, Richard and Dronov, Oleksii and Kirichenko, Alexander V. and Klinkhammer-Schalke, Monika and Kleihues-van Tol, Kees and Zeissig, Sylke R. and Rades, Dirk and Keck, Tobias and Fernandez-del Castillo, Carlos and Wellner, Ulrich F. and Wegner, Rodney E.}, title = {Concepts and outcomes of perioperative therapy in stage IA-III pancreatic cancer — a cross-validation of the National Cancer Database (NCDB) and the German Cancer Registry Group of the Society of German Tumor Centers (GCRG/ADT)}, series = {Cancers}, volume = {14}, journal = {Cancers}, number = {4}, issn = {2072-6694}, doi = {10.3390/cancers14040868}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-262174}, year = {2022}, abstract = {(1) Background: The aim of this study is to assess perioperative therapy in stage IA-III pancreatic cancer cross-validating the German Cancer Registry Group of the Society of German Tumor Centers — Network for Care, Quality, and Research in Oncology, Berlin (GCRG/ADT) and the National Cancer Database (NCDB). (2) Methods: Patients with clinical stage IA-III PDAC undergoing surgery alone (OP), neoadjuvant therapy (TX) + surgery (neo + OP), surgery+adjuvantTX (OP + adj) and neoadjuvantTX + surgery + adjuvantTX (neo + OP + adj) were identified. Baseline characteristics, histopathological parameters, and overall survival (OS) were evaluated. (3) Results: 1392 patients from the GCRG/ADT and 29,081 patients from the NCDB were included. Patient selection and strategies of perioperative therapy remained consistent across the registries for stage IA-III pancreatic cancer. Combined neo + OP + adj was associated with prolonged OS as compared to neo + OP alone (17.8 m vs. 21.3 m, p = 0.012) across all stages in the GCRG/ADT registry. Similarly, OS with neo + OP + adj was improved as compared to neo + OP in the NCDB registry (26.4 m vs. 35.4 m, p < 0.001). (4) Conclusion: The cross-validation study demonstrated similar concepts and patient selection criteria of perioperative therapy across clinical stages of PDAC. Neoadjuvant therapy combined with adjuvant therapy is associated with improved overall survival as compared to either therapy alone.}, language = {en} } @article{SchuhmannKraftBieberetal.2019, author = {Schuhmann, Michael K. and Kraft, Peter and Bieber, Michael and Kollikowski, Alexander M. and Schulze, Harald and Nieswandt, Bernhard and Pham, Mirko and Stegner, David and Stoll, Guido}, title = {Targeting platelet GPVI plus rt-PA administration but not α2β1-mediated collagen binding protects against ischemic brain damage in mice}, series = {International Journal of Molecular Science}, volume = {20}, journal = {International Journal of Molecular Science}, number = {8}, issn = {1422-0067}, doi = {10.3390/ijms20082019}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-201700}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Platelet collagen interactions at sites of vascular injuries predominantly involve glycoprotein VI (GPVI) and the integrin α2β1. Both proteins are primarily expressed on platelets and megakaryocytes whereas GPVI expression is also shown on endothelial and integrin α2β1 expression on epithelial cells. We recently showed that depletion of GPVI improves stroke outcome without increasing the risk of cerebral hemorrhage. Genetic variants associated with higher platelet surface integrin α2 (ITGA2) receptor levels have frequently been found to correlate with an increased risk of ischemic stroke in patients. However until now, no preclinical stroke study has addressed whether platelet integrin α2β1 contributes to the pathophysiology of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Focal cerebral ischemia was induced in C57BL/6 and Itga2\(^{-/-}\) mice by a 60 min transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO). Additionally, wild-type animals were pretreated with anti-GPVI antibody (JAQ1) or Fab fragments of a function blocking antibody against integrin α2β1 (LEN/B). In anti-GPVI treated animals, intravenous (IV) recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) treatment was applied immediately prior to reperfusion. Stroke outcome, including infarct size and neurological scoring was determined on day 1 after tMCAO. We demonstrate that targeting the integrin α2β1 (pharmacologic; genetic) did neither reduce stroke size nor improve functional outcome on day 1 after tMCAO. In contrast, depletion of platelet GPVI prior to stroke was safe and effective, even when combined with rt-PA treatment. Our results underscore that GPVI, but not ITGA2, is a promising and safe target in the setting of ischemic stroke.}, language = {en} } @article{EderMaasSchubmannetal.2022, author = {Eder, Andreas B. and Maas, Franzisca and Schubmann, Alexander and Krishna, Anand and Erle, Thorsten M.}, title = {Motivations underlying self-infliction of pain during thinking for pleasure}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {12}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, number = {1}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-022-14775-w}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-301059}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Previous research suggested that people prefer to administer unpleasant electric shocks to themselves rather than being left alone with their thoughts because engagement in thinking is an unpleasant activity. The present research examined this negative reinforcement hypothesis by giving participants a choice of distracting themselves with the generation of electric shock causing no to intense pain. Four experiments (N = 254) replicated the result that a large proportion of participants opted to administer painful shocks to themselves during the thinking period. However, they administered strong electric shocks to themselves even when an innocuous response option generating no or a mild shock was available. Furthermore, participants inflicted pain to themselves when they were assisted in the generation of pleasant thoughts during the waiting period, with no difference between pleasant versus unpleasant thought conditions. Overall, these results question that the primary motivation for the self-administration of painful shocks is avoidance of thinking. Instead, it seems that the self-infliction of pain was attractive for many participants, because they were curious about the shocks, their intensities, and the effects they would have on them.}, language = {en} } @article{KollikowskiSchuhmannNieswandtetal.2020, author = {Kollikowski, Alexander M. and Schuhmann, Michael K. and Nieswandt, Bernhard and M{\"u}llges, Wolfgang and Stoll, Guido and Pham, Mirko}, title = {Local Leukocyte Invasion during Hyperacute Human Ischemic Stroke}, series = {Annals of Neurology}, volume = {87}, journal = {Annals of Neurology}, number = {3}, doi = {10.1002/ana.25665}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-212168}, pages = {466-479}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Objective Bridging the gap between experimental stroke and patients by ischemic blood probing during the hyperacute stage of vascular occlusion is crucial to assess the role of inflammation in human stroke and for the development of adjunct treatments beyond recanalization. Methods We prospectively observed 151 consecutive ischemic stroke patients with embolic large vessel occlusion of the anterior circulation who underwent mechanical thrombectomy. In all these patients, we attempted microcatheter aspiration of 3 different arterial blood samples: (1) within the core of the occluded vascular compartment and controlled by (2) carotid and (3) femoral samples obtained under physiological flow conditions. Subsequent laboratory analyses comprised leukocyte counting and differentiation, platelet counting, and the quantification of 13 proinflammatory human chemokines/cytokines. Results Forty patients meeting all clinical, imaging, interventional, and laboratory inclusion criteria could be analyzed, showing that the total number of leukocytes significantly increased under the occlusion condition. This increase was predominantly driven by neutrophils. Significant increases were also apparent for lymphocytes and monocytes, accompanied by locally elevated plasma levels of the T-cell chemoattractant CXCL-11. Finally, we found evidence that short-term clinical outcome (National Institute of Health Stroke Scale at 72 hours) was negatively associated with neutrophil accumulation. Interpretation We provide the first direct human evidence that neutrophils, lymphocytes, and monocytes, accompanied by specific chemokine upregulation, accumulate in the ischemic vasculature during hyperacute stroke and may affect outcome. These findings strongly support experimental evidence that immune cells contribute to acute ischemic brain damage and indicate that ischemic inflammation initiates already during vascular occlusion. Ann Neurol 2020;87:466-479}, language = {en} } @article{SchuhmannBieberFrankeetal.2021, author = {Schuhmann, Michael K. and Bieber, Michael and Franke, Maximilian and Kollikowski, Alexander M. and Stegner, David and Heinze, Katrin G. and Nieswandt, Bernhard and Pham, Mirko and Stoll, Guido}, title = {Platelets and lymphocytes drive progressive penumbral tissue loss during middle cerebral artery occlusion in mice}, series = {Journal of Neuroinflammation}, volume = {18}, journal = {Journal of Neuroinflammation}, number = {1}, doi = {10.1186/s12974-021-02095-1}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-259172}, pages = {46}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Background In acute ischemic stroke, cessation of blood flow causes immediate tissue necrosis within the center of the ischemic brain region accompanied by functional failure in the surrounding brain tissue designated the penumbra. The penumbra can be salvaged by timely thrombolysis/thrombectomy, the only available acute stroke treatment to date, but is progressively destroyed by the expansion of infarction. The underlying mechanisms of progressive infarction are not fully understood. Methods To address mechanisms, mice underwent filament occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCAO) for up to 4 h. Infarct development was compared between mice treated with antigen-binding fragments (Fab) against the platelet surface molecules GPIb (p0p/B Fab) or rat immunoglobulin G (IgG) Fab as control treatment. Moreover, Rag1\(^{-/-}\) mice lacking T-cells underwent the same procedures. Infarct volumes as well as the local inflammatory response were determined during vessel occlusion. Results We show that blocking of the platelet adhesion receptor, glycoprotein (GP) Ibα in mice, delays cerebral infarct progression already during occlusion and thus before recanalization/reperfusion. This therapeutic effect was accompanied by decreased T-cell infiltration, particularly at the infarct border zone, which during occlusion is supplied by collateral blood flow. Accordingly, mice lacking T-cells were likewise protected from infarct progression under occlusion. Conclusions Progressive brain infarction can be delayed by blocking detrimental lymphocyte/platelet responses already during occlusion paving the way for ultra-early treatment strategies in hyper-acute stroke before recanalization.}, language = {en} } @article{ChinaBurrowsWangetal.2018, author = {China, Swarup and Burrows, Susannah M. and Wang, Bingbing and Harder, Tristan H. and Weis, Johannes and Tanarhte, Meryem and Rizzo, Luciana V. and Brito, Joel and Cirino, Glauber G. and Ma, Po-Lun and Cliff, John and Artaxo, Paulo and Gilles, Mary K. and Laskin, Alexander}, title = {Fungal spores as a source of sodium salt particles in the Amazon basin}, series = {Nature Communications}, volume = {9}, journal = {Nature Communications}, doi = {10.1038/s41467-018-07066-4}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-222492}, year = {2018}, abstract = {In the Amazon basin, particles containing mixed sodium salts are routinely observed and are attributed to marine aerosols transported from the Atlantic Ocean. Using chemical imaging analysis, we show that, during the wet season, fungal spores emitted by the forest biosphere contribute at least 30\% (by number) to sodium salt particles in the central Amazon basin. Hydration experiments indicate that sodium content in fungal spores governs their growth factors. Modeling results suggest that fungal spores account for ~69\% (31-95\%) of the total sodium mass during the wet season and that their fractional contribution increases during nighttime. Contrary to common assumptions that sodium-containing aerosols originate primarily from marine sources, our results suggest that locally-emitted fungal spores contribute substantially to the number and mass of coarse particles containing sodium. Hence, their role in cloud formation and contribution to salt cycles and the terrestrial ecosystem in the Amazon basin warrant further consideration.}, language = {en} } @article{TooKellerSickeletal.2018, author = {Too, Chin Chin and Keller, Alexander and Sickel, Wiebke and Lee, Sui Mae and Yule, Catherine M.}, title = {Microbial Community Structure in a Malaysian Tropical Peat Swamp Forest: The Influence of Tree Species and Depth}, series = {Frontiers in Microbiology}, volume = {9}, journal = {Frontiers in Microbiology}, doi = {10.3389/fmicb.2018.02859}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-229000}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Tropical peat swamp forests sequester globally significant stores of carbon in deep layers of waterlogged, anoxic, acidic and nutrient-depleted peat. The roles of microbes in supporting these forests through the formation of peat, carbon sequestration and nutrient cycling are virtually unknown. This study investigated physicochemical peat properties and microbial diversity between three dominant tree species: Shorea uliginosa (Dipterocarpaceae), Koompassia malaccensis (legumes associated with nitrogen-fixing bacteria), Eleiodoxa conferta (palm) and depths (surface, 45 and 90 cm) using microbial 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Water pH, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, total phenolic contents and C/N ratio differed significantly between depths, but not tree species. Depth also strongly influenced microbial diversity and composition, while both depth and tree species exhibited significant impact on the archaeal communities. Microbial diversity was highest at the surface, where fresh leaf litter accumulates, and nutrient supply is guaranteed. Nitrogen was the core parameter correlating to microbial communities, but the interactive effects from various environmental variables displayed significant correlation to relative abundance of major microbial groups. Proteobacteria was the dominant phylum and the most abundant genus, Rhodoplanes, might be involved in nitrogen fixation. The most abundant methanogens and methanotrophs affiliated, respectively, to families Methanomassiliicoccaceae and Methylocystaceae. Our results demonstrated diverse microbial communities and provide valuable insights on microbial ecology in these extreme ecosystems.}, language = {en} } @article{BittnerBobakFeuchtenbergeretal.2011, author = {Bittner, Stefan and Bobak, Nicole and Feuchtenberger, Martin and Herrmann, Alexander M and G{\"o}bel, Kerstin and Kinne, Raimund W and Hansen, Anker J and Budde, Thomas and Kleinschnitz, Christoph and Frey, Oliver and Tony, Hans-Peter and Wiendl, Heinz and Meuth, Sven G}, title = {Expression of K\(_2\)\(_P\)5.1 potassium channels on CD4\(^+\)T lymphocytes correlates with disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis patients}, series = {Arthritis Research \& Therapy}, volume = {13}, journal = {Arthritis Research \& Therapy}, number = {R21}, doi = {10.1186/ar3245}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-139334}, year = {2011}, abstract = {Introduction CD4+ T cells express K2P5.1 (TWIK-related acid-sensitive potassium channel 2 (TASK2); KCNK5), a member of the two-pore domain potassium channel family, which has been shown to influence T cell effector functions. Recently, it was shown that K2P5.1 is upregulated upon (autoimmune) T cell stimulation. The aim of this study was to correlate expression levels of K2P5.1 on T cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to disease activity in these patients. Methods Expression levels of K2P5.1 were measured by RT-PCR in the peripheral blood of 58 patients with RA and correlated with disease activity parameters (C-reactive protein levels, erythrocyte sedimentation rates, disease activity score (DAS28) scores). Twenty patients undergoing therapy change were followed-up for six months. Additionally, synovial fluid and synovial biopsies were investigated for T lymphocytes expressing K2P5.1. Results K2P5.1 expression levels in CD4+ T cells show a strong correlation to DAS28 scores in RA patients. Similar correlations were found for serological inflammatory parameters (erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein). In addition, K2P5.1 expression levels of synovial fluid-derived T cells are higher compared to peripheral blood T cells. Prospective data in individual patients show a parallel behaviour of K2P5.1 expression to disease activity parameters during a longitudinal follow-up for six months. Conclusions Disease activity in RA patients correlates strongly with K2P5.1 expression levels in CD4+ T lymphocytes in the peripheral blood in cross-sectional as well as in longitudinal observations. Further studies are needed to investigate the exact pathophysiological mechanisms and to evaluate the possible use of K2P5.1 as a potential biomarker for disease activity and differential diagnosis.}, language = {en} } @article{JahnkeGiesAssmannetal.2016, author = {Jahnke, Frank and Gies, Christopher and Aßmann, Marc and Bayer, Manfred and Leymann, H.A.M. and Foerster, Alexander and Wiersig, Jan and Schneider, Christian and Kamp, Martin and H{\"o}fling, Sven}, title = {Giant photon bunching, superradiant pulse emission and excitation trapping in quantum-dot nanolasers}, series = {Nature Communications}, volume = {7}, journal = {Nature Communications}, number = {11540}, doi = {10.1038/ncomms11540}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-166144}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Light is often characterized only by its classical properties, like intensity or coherence. When looking at its quantum properties, described by photon correlations, new information about the state of the matter generating the radiation can be revealed. In particular the difference between independent and entangled emitters, which is at the heart of quantum mechanics, can be made visible in the photon statistics of the emitted light. The well-studied phenomenon of superradiance occurs when quantum-mechanical correlations between the emitters are present. Notwithstanding, superradiance was previously demonstrated only in terms of classical light properties. Here, we provide the missing link between quantum correlations of the active material and photon correlations in the emitted radiation. We use the superradiance of quantum dots in a cavity-quantum electrodynamics laser to show a direct connection between superradiant pulse emission and distinctive changes in the photon correlation function. This directly demonstrates the importance of quantum-mechanical correlations and their transfer between carriers and photons in novel optoelectronic devices.}, language = {en} }