@article{FreyGassenmaierHofmannetal.2020,
  author    = {Frey, Anna and Gassenmaier, Tobias and Hofmann, Ulrich and Schmitt, Dominik and Fette, Georg and Marx, Almuth and Heterich, Sabine and Boivin-Jahns, Val{\´e}rie and Ertl, Georg and Bley, Thorsten and Frantz, Stefan and Jahns, Roland and St{\"o}rk, Stefan},
  title     = {Coagulation factor XIII activity predicts left ventricular remodelling after acute myocardial infarction},
  series = {ESC Heart Failure},
  volume    = {7},
  journal   = {ESC Heart Failure},
  number    = {5},
  doi       = {10.1002/ehf2.12774},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-236013},
  pages     = {2354-2364},
  year      = {2020},
  abstract  = {Aims Acute myocardial infarction (MI) is the major cause of chronic heart failure. The activity of blood coagulation factor XIII (FXIIIa) plays an important role in rodents as a healing factor after MI, whereas its role in healing and remodelling processes in humans remains unclear. We prospectively evaluated the relevance of FXIIIa after acute MI as a potential early prognostic marker for adequate healing. Methods and results This monocentric prospective cohort study investigated cardiac remodelling in patients with ST-elevation MI and followed them up for 1 year. Serum FXIIIa was serially assessed during the first 9 days after MI and after 2, 6, and 12 months. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging was performed within 4 days after MI (Scan 1), after 7 to 9 days (Scan 2), and after 12 months (Scan 3). The FXIII valine-to-leucine (V34L) single-nucleotide polymorphism rs5985 was genotyped. One hundred forty-six patients were investigated (mean age 58 ± 11 years, 13\% women). Median FXIIIa was 118 \% (quartiles, 102-132\%) and dropped to a trough on the second day after MI: 109\%(98-109\%; P < 0.001). FXIIIa recovered slowly over time, reaching the baseline level after 2 to 6 months and surpassed baseline levels only after 12 months: 124 \% (110-142\%). The development of FXIIIa after MI was independent of the genotype. FXIIIa on Day 2 was strongly and inversely associated with the relative size of MI in Scan 1 (Spearman's ρ = -0.31; P = 0.01) and Scan 3 (ρ = -0.39; P < 0.01) and positively associated with left ventricular ejection fraction: ρ = 0.32 (P < 0.01) and ρ = 0.24 (P = 0.04), respectively. Conclusions FXIII activity after MI is highly dynamic, exhibiting a significant decline in the early healing period, with reconstitution 6 months later. Depressed FXIIIa early after MI predicted a greater size of MI and lower left ventricular ejection fraction after 1 year. The clinical relevance of these findings awaits to be tested in a randomized trial.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{TraubOttoSelletal.2022,
  author    = {Traub, Jan and Otto, Markus and Sell, Roxane and G{\"o}pfert, Dennis and Homola, Gy{\"o}rgy and Steinacker, Petra and Oeckl, Patrick and Morbach, Caroline and Frantz, Stefan and Pham, Mirko and St{\"o}rk, Stefan and Stoll, Guido and Frey, Anna},
  title     = {Serum phosphorylated tau protein 181 and neurofilament light chain in cognitively impaired heart failure patients},
  series = {Alzheimer's Research \& Therapy},
  volume    = {14},
  journal   = {Alzheimer's Research \& Therapy},
  doi       = {10.1186/s13195-022-01087-4},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-300515},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Background Chronic heart failure (HF) is known to increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's dementia significantly. Thus, detecting and preventing mild cognitive impairment, which is common in patients with HF, is of great importance. Serum biomarkers are increasingly used in neurological disorders for diagnostics, monitoring, and prognostication of disease course. It remains unclear if neuronal biomarkers may help detect cognitive impairment in this high-risk population. Also, the influence of chronic HF and concomitant renal dysfunction on these biomarkers is not well understood. Methods Within the monocentric Cognition.Matters-HF study, we quantified the serum levels of phosphorylated tau protein 181 (pTau) and neurofilament light chain (NfL) of 146 extensively phenotyped chronic heart failure patients (aged 32 to 85 years; 15.1\% women) using ultrasensitive bead-based single-molecule immunoassays. The clinical work-up included advanced cognitive testing and cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Results Serum concentrations of NfL ranged from 5.4 to 215.0 pg/ml (median 26.4 pg/ml) and of pTau from 0.51 to 9.22 pg/ml (median 1.57 pg/ml). We detected mild cognitive impairment (i.e., T-score < 40 in at least one cognitive domain) in 60\% of heart failure patients. pTau (p = 0.014), but not NfL, was elevated in this group. Both NfL (ρ = - 0.21; p = 0.013) and pTau (ρ = - 0.25; p = 0.002) related to the cognitive domain visual/verbal memory, as well as white matter hyperintensity volume and cerebral and hippocampal atrophy. In multivariable analysis, both biomarkers were independently influenced by age (T = 4.6 for pTau; T = 5.9 for NfL) and glomerular filtration rate (T = - 2.4 for pTau; T = - 3.4 for NfL). Markers of chronic heart failure, left atrial volume index (T = 4.6) and NT-proBNP (T = 2.8), were further cardiological determinants of pTau and NfL, respectively. In addition, pTau was also strongly affected by serum creatine kinase levels (T = 6.5) and ferritin (T = - 3.1). Conclusions pTau and NfL serum levels are strongly influenced by age-dependent renal and cardiac dysfunction. These findings point towards the need for longitudinal examinations and consideration of frequent comorbidities when using neuronal serum biomarkers.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{MontellanoKluterRueckeretal.2022,
  author    = {Montellano, Felipe A. and Kluter, Elisabeth J. and R{\"u}cker, Viktoria and Ungeth{\"u}m, Kathrin and Mackenrodt, Daniel and Wiedmann, Silke and Dege, Tassilo and Quilitzsch, Anika and Morbach, Caroline and Frantz, Stefan and St{\"o}rk, Stefan and Haeusler, Karl Georg and Kleinschnitz, Christoph and Heuschmann, Peter U.},
  title     = {Cardiac dysfunction and high-sensitive C-reactive protein are associated with troponin T elevation in ischemic stroke: insights from the SICFAIL study},
  series = {BMC Neurology},
  volume    = {22},
  journal   = {BMC Neurology},
  number    = {1},
  doi       = {10.1186/s12883-022-03017-1},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-300119},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Background Troponin elevation is common in ischemic stroke (IS) patients. The pathomechanisms involved are incompletely understood and comprise coronary and non-coronary causes, e.g. autonomic dysfunction. We investigated determinants of troponin elevation in acute IS patients including markers of autonomic dysfunction, assessed by heart rate variability (HRV) time domain variables. Methods Data were collected within the Stroke Induced Cardiac FAILure (SICFAIL) cohort study. IS patients admitted to the Department of Neurology, W{\"u}rzburg University Hospital, underwent baseline investigation including cardiac history, physical examination, echocardiography, and blood sampling. Four HRV time domain variables were calculated in patients undergoing electrocardiographic Holter monitoring. Multivariable logistic regression with corresponding odds ratios (OR) and 95\% confidence intervals (CI) was used to investigate the determinants of high-sensitive troponin T (hs-TnT) levels ≥14 ng/L. Results We report results from 543 IS patients recruited between 01/2014-02/2017. Of those, 203 (37\%) had hs-TnT ≥14 ng/L, which was independently associated with older age (OR per year 1.05; 95\% CI 1.02-1.08), male sex (OR 2.65; 95\% CI 1.54-4.58), decreasing estimated glomerular filtration rate (OR per 10 mL/min/1.73 m2 0.71; 95\% CI 0.61-0.84), systolic dysfunction (OR 2.79; 95\% CI 1.22-6.37), diastolic dysfunction (OR 2.29; 95\% CI 1.29-4.02), atrial fibrillation (OR 2.30; 95\% CI 1.25-4.23), and increasing levels of C-reactive protein (OR 1.48 per log unit; 95\% CI 1.22-1.79). We did not identify an independent association of troponin elevation with the investigated HRV variables. Conclusion Cardiac dysfunction and elevated C-reactive protein, but not a reduced HRV as surrogate of autonomic dysfunction, were associated with increased hs-TnT levels in IS patients independent of established cardiovascular risk factors.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{StoerkBernhardtBoehmetal.2022,
  author    = {St{\"o}rk, Stefan and Bernhardt, Alexandra and B{\"o}hm, Michael and Brachmann, Johannes and Dagres, Nikolaos and Frantz, Stefan and Hindricks, Gerd and K{\"o}hler, Friedrich and Zeymer, Uwe and Rosenkranz, Stephan and Angermann, Christiane and Aßmus, Birgit},
  title     = {Pulmonary artery sensor system pressure monitoring to improve heart failure outcomes (PASSPORT-HF): rationale and design of the PASSPORT-HF multicenter randomized clinical trial},
  series = {Clinical Research in Cardiology},
  volume    = {111},
  journal   = {Clinical Research in Cardiology},
  number    = {11},
  doi       = {10.1007/s00392-022-01987-3},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-324026},
  pages     = {1245-1255},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Background Remote monitoring of patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class III heart failure (HF) using daily transmission of pulmonary artery (PA) pressure values has shown a reduction in HF-related hospitalizations and improved quality of life in patients. Objectives PASSPORT-HF is a prospective, randomized, open, multicenter trial evaluating the effects of a hemodynamic-guided, HF nurse-led care approach using the CardioMEMS™ HF-System on clinical end points. Methods and results The PASSPORT-HF trial has been commissioned by the German Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) to ascertain the efficacy of PA pressure-guided remote care in the German health-care system. PASSPORT-HF includes adult HF patients in NYHA functional class III, who experienced an HF-related hospitalization within the last 12 months. Patients with reduced ejection fraction must be on stable guideline-directed pharmacotherapy. Patients will be randomized centrally 1:1 to implantation of a CardioMEMS™ sensor or control. All patients will receive post-discharge support facilitated by trained HF nurses providing structured telephone-based care. The trial will enroll 554 patients at about 50 study sites. The primary end point is a composite of the number of unplanned HF-related rehospitalizations or all-cause death after 12 months of follow-up, and all events will be adjudicated centrally. Secondary end points include device/system-related complications, components of the primary end point, days alive and out of hospital, disease-specific and generic health-related quality of life including their sub-scales, and laboratory parameters of organ damage and disease progression. Conclusions PASSPORT-HF will define the efficacy of implementing hemodynamic monitoring as a novel disease management tool in routine outpatient care. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT04398654, 13-MAY-2020.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{AlbertLeziusStoerketal.2021,
  author    = {Albert, Judith and Lezius, Susanne and St{\"o}rk, Stefan and Morbach, Caroline and G{\"u}der, G{\"u}lmisal and Frantz, Stefan and Wegscheider, Karl and Ertl, Georg and Angermann, Christiane E.},
  title     = {Trajectories of Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction After Acute Decompensation for Systolic Heart Failure: Concomitant Echocardiographic and Systemic Changes, Predictors, and Impact on Clinical Outcomes},
  series = {Journal of the American Heart Association},
  volume    = {10},
  journal   = {Journal of the American Heart Association},
  doi       = {10.1161/JAHA.120.017822},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-230210},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Prospective longitudinal follow-up of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) trajectories after acute cardiac decompensation of heart failure is lacking. We investigated changes in LVEF and covariates at 6-months' follow-up in patients with a predischarge LVEF ≤40\%, and determined predictors and prognostic implications of LVEF changes through 18-months' follow-up. Methods and Results Interdisciplinary Network Heart Failure program participants (n=633) were categorized into subgroups based on LVEF at 6-months' follow-up: normalized LVEF (>50\%; heart failure with normalized ejection fraction, n=147); midrange LVEF (41\%-50\%; heart failure with midrange ejection fraction, n=195), or persistently reduced LVEF (≤40\%; heart failure with persistently reduced LVEF , n=291). All received guideline-directed medical therapies. At 6-months' follow-up, compared with patients with heart failure with persistently reduced LVEF, heart failure with normalized LVEF or heart failure with midrange LVEF subgroups showed greater reductions in LV end-diastolic/end-systolic diameters (both P<0.001), and left atrial systolic diameter (P=0.002), more increased septal/posterior end-diastolic wall-thickness (both P<0.001), and significantly greater improvement in diastolic function, biomarkers, symptoms, and health status. Heart failure duration <1 year, female sex, higher predischarge blood pressure, and baseline LVEF were independent predictors of LVEF improvement. Mortality and event-free survival rates were lower in patients with heart failure with normalized LVEF (P=0.002). Overall, LVEF increased further at 18-months' follow-up (P<0.001), while LV end-diastolic diameter decreased (P=0.048). However, LVEF worsened (P=0.002) and LV end-diastolic diameter increased (P=0.047) in patients with heart failure with normalized LVEF hospitalized between 6-months' follow-up and 18-months' follow-up. Conclusions Six-month survivors of acute cardiac decompensation for systolic heart failure showed variable LVEF trajectories, with >50\% showing improvements by ≥1 LVEF category. LVEF changes correlated with various parameters, suggesting multilevel reverse remodeling, were predictable from several baseline characteristics, and were associated with clinical outcomes at 18-months' follow-up. Repeat hospitalizations were associated with attenuation of reverse remodeling."},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{HeuschmannMontellanoUngethuemetal.2021,
  author    = {Heuschmann, Peter U. and Montellano, Felipe A. and Ungeth{\"u}m, Kathrin and R{\"u}cker, Viktoria and Wiedmann, Silke and Mackenrodt, Daniel and Quilitzsch, Anika and Ludwig, Timo and Kraft, Peter and Albert, Judith and Morbach, Caroline and Frantz, Stefan and St{\"o}rk, Stefan and Haeusler, Karl Georg and Kleinschnitz, Christoph},
  title     = {Prevalence and determinants of systolic and diastolic cardiac dysfunction and heart failure in acute ischemic stroke patients: The SICFAIL study},
  series = {ESC Heart Failure},
  volume    = {8},
  journal   = {ESC Heart Failure},
  number    = {2},
  doi       = {10.1002/ehf2.13145},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-225656},
  pages     = {1117-1129},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Aims Ischaemic stroke (IS) might induce alterations of cardiac function. Prospective data on frequency of cardiac dysfunction and heart failure (HF) after IS are lacking. We assessed prevalence and determinants of diastolic dysfunction (DD), systolic dysfunction (SD), and HF in patients with acute IS. Methods and results The Stroke-Induced Cardiac FAILure in mice and men (SICFAIL) study is a prospective, hospital-based cohort study. Patients with IS underwent a comprehensive assessment of cardiac function in the acute phase (median 4 days after IS) including clinical examination, standardized transthoracic echocardiography by expert sonographers, and determination of blood-based biomarkers. Information on demographics, lifestyle, risk factors, symptoms suggestive of HF, and medical history was collected by a standardized personal interview. Applying current guidelines, cardiac dysfunction was classified based on echocardiographic criteria into SD (left ventricular ejection fraction < 52\% in men or <54\% in women) and DD (≥3 signs of DD in patients without SD). Clinically overt HF was classified into HF with reduced, mid-range, or preserved ejection fraction. Between January 2014 and February 2017, 696 IS patients were enrolled. Of them, patients with sufficient echocardiographic data on SD were included in the analyses {n = 644 patients [median age 71 years (interquartile range 60-78), 61.5\% male]}. In these patients, full assessment of DD was feasible in 549 patients without SD (94\%). Prevalence of cardiac dysfunction and HF was as follows: SD 9.6\% [95\% confidence interval (CI) 7.6-12.2\%]; DD in patients without SD 23.3\% (95\% CI 20.0-27.0\%); and clinically overt HF 5.4\% (95\% CI 3.9-7.5\%) with subcategories of HF with preserved ejection fraction 4.35\%, HF with mid-range ejection fraction 0.31\%, and HF with reduced ejection fraction 0.78\%. In multivariable analysis, SD and fulfilment of HF criteria were associated with history of coronary heart disease [SD: odds ratio (OR) 3.87, 95\% CI 1.93-7.75, P = 0.0001; HF: OR 2.29, 95\% CI 1.04-5.05, P = 0.0406] and high-sensitive troponin T at baseline (SD: OR 1.78, 95\% CI 1.31-2.42, P = 0.0003; HF: OR 1.66, 95\% CI 1.17-2.33, P = 0.004); DD was associated with older age (OR 1.08, 95\% CI 1.05-1.11, P < 0.0001) and treated hypertension vs. no hypertension (OR 2.84, 95\% CI 1.23-6.54, P = 0.0405). Conclusions A substantial proportion of the study population exhibited subclinical and clinical cardiac dysfunction. SICFAIL provides reliable data on prevalence and determinants of SD, DD, and clinically overt HF in patients with acute IS according to current guidelines, enabling further clarification of its aetiological and prognostic role.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{TraubOttoSelletal.2022,
  author    = {Traub, Jan and Otto, Markus and Sell, Roxane and Homola, Gy{\"o}rgy A. and Steinacker, Petra and Oeckl, Patrick and Morbach, Caroline and Frantz, Stefan and Pham, Mirko and St{\"o}rk, Stefan and Stoll, Guido and Frey, Anna},
  title     = {Serum glial fibrillary acidic protein indicates memory impairment in patients with chronic heart failure},
  series = {ESC Heart Failure},
  volume    = {9},
  journal   = {ESC Heart Failure},
  number    = {4},
  doi       = {10.1002/ehf2.13986},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-312736},
  pages     = {2626-2634},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Aims Cognitive dysfunction occurs frequently in patients with heart failure (HF), but early detection remains challenging. Serum glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) is an emerging biomarker of cognitive decline in disorders of primary neurodegeneration such as Alzheimer's disease. We evaluated the utility of serum GFAP as a biomarker for cognitive dysfunction and structural brain damage in patients with stable chronic HF. Methods and results Using bead-based single molecule immunoassays, we quantified serum levels of GFAP in patients with HF participating in the prospective Cognition.Matters-HF study. Participants were extensively phenotyped, including cognitive testing of five separate domains and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain. Univariable and multivariable models, also accounting for multiple testing, were run. One hundred and forty-six chronic HF patients with a mean age of 63.8 ± 10.8 years were included (15.1\% women). Serum GFAP levels (median 246 pg/mL, quartiles 165, 384 pg/mL; range 66 to 1512 pg/mL) did not differ between sexes. In the multivariable adjusted model, independent predictors of GFAP levels were age (T = 5.5; P < 0.001), smoking (T = 3.2; P = 0.002), estimated glomerular filtration rate (T = -4.7; P < 0.001), alanine aminotransferase (T = -2.1; P = 0.036), and the left atrial end-systolic volume index (T = 3.4; P = 0.004). NT-proBNP but not serum GFAP explained global cerebral atrophy beyond ageing. However, serum GFAP levels were associated with the cognitive domain visual/verbal memory (T = -3.0; P = 0.003) along with focal hippocampal atrophy (T = 2.3; P = 0.025). Conclusions Serum GFAP levels are affected by age, smoking, and surrogates of the severity of HF. The association of GFAP with memory dysfunction suggests that astroglial pathologies, which evade detection by conventional MRI, may contribute to memory loss beyond ageing in patients with chronic HF.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{TraubGrondeyGassenmaieretal.2022,
  author    = {Traub, Jan and Grondey, Katja and Gassenmaier, Tobias and Schmitt, Dominik and Fette, Georg and Frantz, Stefan and Boivin-Jahns, Val{\´e}rie and Jahns, Roland and St{\"o}rk, Stefan and Stoll, Guido and Reiter, Theresa and Hofmann, Ulrich and Weber, Martin S. and Frey, Anna},
  title     = {Sustained increase in serum glial fibrillary acidic protein after first ST-elevation myocardial infarction},
  series = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences},
  volume    = {23},
  journal   = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences},
  number    = {18},
  issn      = {1422-0067},
  doi       = {10.3390/ijms231810304},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-288261},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Acute ischemic cardiac injury predisposes one to cognitive impairment, dementia, and depression. Pathophysiologically, recent positron emission tomography data suggest astroglial activation after experimental myocardial infarction (MI). We analyzed peripheral surrogate markers of glial (and neuronal) damage serially within 12 months after the first ST-elevation MI (STEMI). Serum levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and neurofilament light chain (NfL) were quantified using ultra-sensitive molecular immunoassays. Sufficient biomaterial was available from 45 STEMI patients (aged 28 to 78 years, median 56 years, 11\% female). The median (quartiles) of GFAP was 63.8 (47.0, 89.9) pg/mL and of NfL 10.6 (7.2, 14.8) pg/mL at study entry 0-4 days after STEMI. GFAP after STEMI increased in the first 3 months, with a median change of +7.8 (0.4, 19.4) pg/mL (p = 0.007). It remained elevated without further relevant increases after 6 months (+11.7 (0.6, 23.5) pg/mL; p = 0.015), and 12 months (+10.3 (1.5, 22.7) pg/mL; p = 0.010) compared to the baseline. Larger relative infarction size was associated with a higher increase in GFAP (ρ = 0.41; p = 0.009). In contrast, NfL remained unaltered in the course of one year. Our findings support the idea of central nervous system involvement after MI, with GFAP as a potential peripheral biomarker of chronic glial damage as one pathophysiologic pathway.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{GoepfertTraubSelletal.2023,
  author    = {G{\"o}pfert, Dennis and Traub, Jan and Sell, Roxane and Homola, Gy{\"o}rgy A. and Vogt, Marius and Pham, Mirko and Frantz, Stefan and St{\"o}rk, Stefan and Stoll, Guido and Frey, Anna},
  title     = {Profiles of cognitive impairment in chronic heart failure—A cluster analytic approach},
  series = {Frontiers in Human Neuroscience},
  volume    = {17},
  journal   = {Frontiers in Human Neuroscience},
  doi       = {10.3389/fnhum.2023.1126553},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-313429},
  year      = {2023},
  abstract  = {Background Cognitive impairment is a major comorbidity in patients with chronic heart failure (HF) with a wide range of phenotypes. In this study, we aimed to identify and compare different clusters of cognitive deficits. Methods The prospective cohort study "Cognition.Matters-HF" recruited 147 chronic HF patients (aged 64.5 ± 10.8 years; 16.2\% female) of any etiology. All patients underwent extensive neuropsychological testing. We performed a hierarchical cluster analysis of the cognitive domains, such as intensity of attention, visual/verbal memory, and executive function. Generated clusters were compared exploratively with respect to the results of cardiological, neurological, and neuroradiological examinations without correction for multiple testing. Results Dendrogram and the scree plot suggested three distinct cognitive profiles: In the first cluster, 42 patients (28.6\%) performed without any deficits in all domains. Exclusively, the intensity of attention deficits was seen in the second cluster, including 55 patients (37.4\%). A third cluster with 50 patients (34.0\%) was characterized by deficits in all cognitive domains. Age (p = 0.163) and typical clinical markers of chronic HF, such as ejection fraction (p = 0.222), 6-min walking test distance (p = 0.138), NT-proBNP (p = 0.364), and New York Heart Association class (p = 0.868) did not differ between clusters. However, we observed that women (p = 0.012) and patients with previous cardiac valve surgery (p = 0.005) prevailed in the "global deficits" cluster and the "no deficits" group had a lower prevalence of underlying arterial hypertension (p = 0.029). Total brain volume (p = 0.017) was smaller in the global deficit cluster, and serum levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein were increased (p = 0.048). Conclusion Apart from cognitively healthy and globally impaired HF patients, we identified a group with deficits only in the intensity of attention. Women and patients with previous cardiac valve surgery are at risk for global cognitive impairment when suffering HF and could benefit from special multimodal treatment addressing the psychosocial condition.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{GuederWilkesmannScholzetal.2022,
  author    = {G{\"u}der, G{\"u}lmisal and Wilkesmann, Joana and Scholz, Nina and Leppich, Robert and D{\"u}king, Peter and Sperlich, Billy and Rost, Christian and Frantz, Stefan and Morbach, Caroline and Sahiti, Floran and Stefenelli, Ulrich and Breunig, Margret and St{\"o}rk, Stefan},
  title     = {Establishing a cardiac training group for patients with heart failure: the "HIP-in-W{\"u}rzburg" study},
  series = {Clinical Research in Cardiology},
  volume    = {111},
  journal   = {Clinical Research in Cardiology},
  issn      = {1861-0692},
  doi       = {10.1007/s00392-021-01892-1},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-266678},
  pages     = {406-415},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Background Exercise training in heart failure (HF) is recommended but not routinely offered, because of logistic and safety-related reasons. In 2020, the German Society for Prevention\&Rehabilitation and the German Society for Cardiology requested establishing dedicated ""HF training groups."" Here, we aimed to implement and evaluate the feasibility and safety of one of the first HF training groups in Germany. Methods Twelve patients (three women) with symptomatic HF (NYHA class II/III) and an ejection fraction ≤ 45\% participated and were offered weekly, physician-supervised exercise training for 1 year. Patients received a wrist-worn pedometer (M430 Polar) and underwent the following assessments at baseline and after 4, 8 and 12 months: cardiopulmonary exercise test, 6-min walk test, echocardiography (blinded reading), and quality of life assessment (Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire, KCCQ). Results All patients (median age [quartiles] 64 [49; 64] years) completed the study and participated in 76\% of the offered 36 training sessions. The pedometer was worn ≥ 1000 min per day over 86\% of the time. No cardiovascular events occurred during training. Across 12 months, NT-proBNP dropped from 986 pg/ml [455; 1937] to 483 pg/ml [247; 2322], and LVEF increased from 36\% [29;41] to 41\% [32;46]\%, (p for trend = 0.01). We observed no changes in exercise capacity except for a subtle increase in peak VO2\% predicted, from 66.5 [49; 77] to 67 [52; 78]; p for trend = 0.03. The physical function and social limitation domains of the KCCQ improved from 60 [54; 82] to 71 [58; 95, and from 63 [39; 83] to 78 [64; 92]; p for trend = 0.04 and = 0.01, respectively. Positive trends were further seen for the clinical and overall summary scores. Conclusion This pilot study showed that the implementation of a supervised HF-exercise program is feasible, safe, and has the potential to improve both quality of life and surrogate markers of HF severity. This first exercise experiment should facilitate the design of risk-adopted training programs for patients with HF.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{HennegesMorbachSahitietal.2022,
  author    = {Henneges, Carsten and Morbach, Caroline and Sahiti, Floran and Scholz, Nina and Frantz, Stefan and Ertl, Georg and Angermann, Christiane E. and St{\"o}rk, Stefan},
  title     = {Sex-specific bimodal clustering of left ventricular ejection fraction in patients with acute heart failure},
  series = {ESH Heart Failure},
  volume    = {9},
  journal   = {ESH Heart Failure},
  number    = {1},
  doi       = {10.1002/ehf2.13618},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-265839},
  pages     = {786-790},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Aims There is an ongoing discussion whether the categorization of patients with heart failure according to left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is scientifically justified and clinically relevant. Major efforts are directed towards the identification of appropriate cut-off values to correctly allocate heart failure-specific pharmacotherapy. Alternatively, an LVEF continuum without definite subgroups is discussed. This study aimed to evaluate the natural distribution of LVEF in patients presenting with acutely decompensated heart failure and to identify potential subgroups of LVEF in male and female patients. Methods and results We identified 470 patients (mean age 75 ± 11 years, n = 137 female) hospitalized for acute heart failure in whom LVEF could be quantified by Simpson's method in an in-hospital echocardiogram. Non-parametric modelling revealed a bimodal shape of the LVEF distribution. Parametric modelling identified two clusters suggesting two LVEF peaks with mean (variance) of 61\% (9\%) and 31\% (10\%), respectively. Sub-differentiation by sex revealed a sex-specific bimodal clustering of LVEF. The respective threshold differentiating between 'high' and 'low' LVEF was 45\% in men and 52\% in women. Conclusions In patients presenting with acute heart failure, LVEF clustered in two subgroups and exhibited profound sex-specific distributional differences. These findings might enrich the scientific process to identify distinct subgroups of heart failure patients, which might each benefit from respectively tailored (pharmaco)therapies.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{MorbachBeyersdorfKerkauetal.2021,
  author    = {Morbach, Caroline and Beyersdorf, Niklas and Kerkau, Thomas and Ramos, Gustavo and Sahiti, Floran and Albert, Judith and Jahns, Roland and Ertl, Georg and Angermann, Christiane E. and Frantz, Stefan and Hofmann, Ulrich and St{\"o}rk, Stefan},
  title     = {Adaptive anti-myocardial immune response following hospitalization for acute heart failure},
  series = {ESC Heart Failure},
  volume    = {8},
  journal   = {ESC Heart Failure},
  number    = {4},
  doi       = {10.1002/ehf2.13376},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-258907},
  pages     = {3348-3353},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Aims It has been hypothesized that cardiac decompensation accompanying acute heart failure (AHF) episodes generates a pro-inflammatory environment boosting an adaptive immune response against myocardial antigens, thus contributing to progression of heart failure (HF) and poor prognosis. We assessed the prevalence of anti-myocardial autoantibodies (AMyA) as biomarkers reflecting adaptive immune responses in patients admitted to the hospital for AHF, followed the change in AMyA titres for 6 months after discharge, and evaluated their prognostic utility. Methods and results AMyA were determined in n = 47 patients, median age 71 (quartiles 60; 80) years, 23 (49\%) female, and 24 (51\%) with HF with preserved ejection fraction, from blood collected at baseline (time point of hospitalization) and at 6 month follow-up (visit F6). Patients were followed for 18 months (visit F18). The prevalence of AMyA increased from baseline (n = 21, 45\%) to F6 (n = 36, 77\%; P < 0.001). At F6, the prevalence of AMyA was higher in patients with HF with preserved ejection fraction (n = 21, 88\%) compared with patients with reduced ejection fraction (n = 14, 61\%; P = 0.036). During the subsequent 12 months after F6, that is up to F18, patients with newly developed AMyA at F6 had a higher risk for the combined endpoint of death or rehospitalization for HF (hazard ratio 4.79, 95\% confidence interval 1.13-20.21; P = 0.033) compared with patients with persistent or without AMyA at F6. Conclusions Our results support the hypothesis that AHF may induce patterns of adaptive immune responses. More studies in larger populations and well-defined patient subgroups are needed to further clarify the role of the adaptive immune system in HF progression.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{GuederReinFlohretal.2023,
  author    = {G{\"u}der, G{\"u}lmisal and Rein, Eva von and Flohr, Thomas and Weismann, Dirk and Schmitt, Dominik and St{\"o}rk, Stefan and Frantz, Stefan and Kratzer, Vincent and Kendi, Christian},
  title     = {Motion detectors as additional monitoring devices in the intensive care unit — a proof-of-concept study},
  series = {Applied Sciences},
  volume    = {13},
  journal   = {Applied Sciences},
  number    = {16},
  issn      = {2076-3417},
  doi       = {10.3390/app13169319},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-362404},
  year      = {2023},
  abstract  = {Background: Monitoring the vital signs of delirious patients in an intensive care unit (ICU) is challenging, as they might (un-)intentionally remove devices attached to their bodies. In mock-up scenarios, we systematically assessed whether a motion detector (MD) attached to the bed may help in identifying emergencies. Methods: We recruited 15 employees of the ICU and equipped an ICU bed with an MD (IRON Software GmbH, Gr{\"u}nwald, Germany). Participants were asked to replay 22 mock-up scenes of one-minute duration each: 12 scenes with movements and 10 without movements, of which 5 were emergency scenes ("lying dead-still, with no or very shallow breathing"). Blinded recordings were presented to an evaluation panel consisting of an experienced ICU nurse and a physician, who was asked to assess and rate the presence of motions. Results: Fifteen participants (nine women; 173 ± 7.0 cm; 78 ± 19 kg) joined the study. In total, 286 out of 330 scenes (86.7\%) were rated correctly. Ratings were false negative (FN: "no movements detected, but recorded") in 7 out of 180 motion scenes (3.9\%). Ratings were false positive (FP: "movements detected, but not recorded") in 37 out of 150 scenes (24.7\%), more often in men than women (26 out of 60 vs. 11 out of 90, respectively; p \&lt; 0.001). Of note, in 16 of these 37 FP-rated scenes, a vibrating mobile phone was identified as a potential confounder. The emergency scenes were correctly rated in 64 of the 75 runs (85.3\%); 10 of the 11 FP-rated scenes occurred in male subjects. Conclusions: The MD allowed for identifying motions of test subjects with high sensitivity (96\%) and acceptable specificity (75\%). Accuracy might increase further if activities are recorded continuously under real-world conditions.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{HefnerCsefFrantzetal.2015,
  author    = {Hefner, Jochen and Csef, Herbert and Frantz, Stefan and Glatter, Nina and Warrings, Bodo},
  title     = {Recurrent Tako-Tsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) in a pre-menopausal woman: late sequelae of a traumatic event?},
  series = {BMC Cardiovascular Disorders},
  volume    = {15},
  journal   = {BMC Cardiovascular Disorders},
  number    = {3},
  doi       = {10.1186/1471-2261-15-3},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-124949},
  year      = {2015},
  abstract  = {Background "Tako-Tsubo cardiomyopathy" (TTC) is a syndrome characterized by left ventricular (LV) wall motion abnormalities, usually without coronary artery disease, mimicking the diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome. It most often affects post-menopausal women and TTC tends to run a benign course with very low rates of recurrence, complications or mortality. The condition is also called "stress-induced cardiomyopathy" because acute physical or emotional stress appears to be frequently related to its onset. The pathogenic role of premorbid or comorbid psychiatric illnesses has been discussed controversially. For the first time, we present a case of fourfold recurrent TTC with severe complications in a pre-menopausal woman. Furthermore, a long history of flaring posttraumatic stress symptoms anteceded the first event. Case presentation A 43-year old, pre-menopausal Caucasian woman was hospitalized with symptoms of acute coronary syndrome. Clinical examination revealed hypokinetic wall motion in the apical ventricular region with no signs of coronary artery disease and diagnosis of TTC was established. She experienced recurrence three times within the following ten months, which led to thrombembolism and myocardial scarring among others. The circumstances of chronic distress were striking. 16 years ago she miscarried after having removed a myoma according to her doctor's suggestion. Since then, she has suffered from symptoms of posttraumatic distress which peaked annually at the day of abortion. Chronic distress became even more pronounced after the premature birth of a daughter some years later. The first event of TTC occurred after a family dispute about parenting. Conclusion This is the first case report of fourfold TTC in a pre-menopausal woman. From somatic perspectives, the course of the disease with recurrences and complications underlines the fact that TTC is not entirely benign. Furthermore, it is the first case report of long lasting symptoms of traumatic stress anteceding TTC. Close connections between adrenergic signaling and late onset of clinical stress symptoms are well known in the psychopathology of traumatization. Although larger clinical trials are needed to elucidate possible interactions of premorbid psychiatric illnesses and TTC, cardiologists should be vigilant especially in cases of recurrent TTC.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{FreyPoppPostetal.2014,
  author    = {Frey, Anna and Popp, Sandy and Post, Antonia and Langer, Simon and Lehmann, Marc and Hofmann, Ulrich and Siren, Anna-Leena and Hommers, Leif and Schmitt, Angelika and Strekalova, Tatyana and Ertl, Georg and Lesch, Klaus-Peter and Frantz, Stefan},
  title     = {Experimental heart failure causes depression-like behavior together with differential regulation of inflammatory and structural genes in the brain},
  series = {Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience},
  volume    = {8},
  journal   = {Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience},
  issn      = {1662-5153},
  doi       = {10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00376},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-118234},
  pages     = {376},
  year      = {2014},
  abstract  = {Background: Depression and anxiety are common and independent outcome predictors in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). However, it is unclear whether CHF causes depression. Thus, we investigated whether mice develop anxiety- and depression-like behavior after induction of ischemic CHF by myocardial infarction (MI). Methods and Results: In order to assess depression-like behavior, anhedonia was investigated by repeatedly testing sucrose preference for 8 weeks after coronary artery ligation or sham operation. Mice with large MI and increased left ventricular dimensions on echocardiography (termed CHF mice) showed reduced preference for sucrose, indicating depression-like behavior. 6 weeks after MI, mice were tested for exploratory activity, anxiety-like behavior and cognitive function using the elevated plus maze (EPM), light-dark box (LDB), open field (OF), and object recognition (OR) tests. In the EPM and OF, CHF mice exhibited diminished exploratory behavior and motivation despite similar movement capability. In the OR, CHF mice had reduced preference for novelty and impaired short-term memory. On histology, CHF mice had unaltered overall cerebral morphology. However, analysis of gene expression by RNA-sequencing in prefrontal cortical, hippocampal, and left ventricular tissue revealed changes in genes related to inflammation and cofactors of neuronal signal transduction in CHF mice, with Nr4a1 being dysregulated both in prefrontal cortex and myocardium after MI. Conclusions: After induction of ischemic CHF, mice exhibited anhedonic behavior, decreased exploratory activity and interest in novelty, and cognitive impairment. Thus, ischemic CHF leads to distinct behavioral changes in mice analogous to symptoms observed in humans with CHF and comorbid depression.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{FrantzMonacoArslan2014,
  author    = {Frantz, Stefan and Monaco, Claudia and Arslan, Fatih},
  title     = {Danger Signals in Cardiovascular Disease},
  series = {Mediators of Inflammation},
  volume    = {2014},
  journal   = {Mediators of Inflammation},
  number    = {395278},
  issn      = {1466-1861},
  doi       = {10.1155/2014/395278},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-120110},
  year      = {2014},
  abstract  = {No abstract available.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{FrantzKlaiberBabaetal.2013,
  author    = {Frantz, Stefan and Klaiber, Michael and Baba, Hideo A. and Oberwinkler, Heinz and V{\"o}lker, Katharina and Gaßner, Birgit and Bayer, Barbara and Abeßer, Marco and Schuh, Kai and Feil, Robert and Hofmann, Franz and Kuhn, Michaela},
  title     = {Stress-dependent dilated cardiomyopathy in mice with cardiomyocyte-restricted inactivation of cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase I},
  series = {European Heart Journal},
  volume    = {34},
  journal   = {European Heart Journal},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-134693},
  pages     = {1233-1244},
  year      = {2013},
  abstract  = {Aims: Cardiac hypertrophy is a common and often lethal complication of arterial hypertension. Elevation of myocyte cyclic GMP levels by local actions of endogenous atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) or by pharmacological inhibition of phosphodiesterase-5 was shown to counter-regulate pathological hypertrophy. It was suggested that cGMP-dependent protein kinase I (cGKI) mediates this protective effect, although the role in vivo is under debate. Here, we investigated whether cGKI modulates myocyte growth and/or function in the intact organism. Methods and results: To circumvent the systemic phenotype associated with germline ablation of cGKI, we inactivated the murine cGKI gene selectively in cardiomyocytes by Cre/loxP-mediated recombination. Mice with cardiomyocyte-restricted cGKI deletion exhibited unaltered cardiac morphology and function under resting conditions. Also, cardiac hypertrophic and contractile responses to β-adrenoreceptor stimulation by isoprenaline (at 40 mg/kg/day during 1 week) were unaltered. However, angiotensin II (Ang II, at 1000 ng/kg/min for 2 weeks) or transverse aortic constriction (for 3 weeks) provoked dilated cardiomyopathy with marked deterioration of cardiac function. This was accompanied by diminished expression of the \([Ca^{2+}]_i\)-regulating proteins SERCA2a and phospholamban (PLB) and a reduction in PLB phosphorylation at Ser16, the specific target site for cGKI, resulting in altered myocyte \(Ca^{2+}_i\) homeostasis. In isolated adult myocytes, CNP, but not ANP, stimulated PLB phosphorylation, \(Ca^{2+}_i\)-handling, and contractility via cGKI. Conclusion: These results indicate that the loss of cGKI in cardiac myocytes compromises the hypertrophic program to pathological stimulation, rendering the heart more susceptible to dysfunction. In particular, cGKI mediates stimulatory effects of CNP on myocyte \(Ca^{2+}_i\) handling and contractility.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{HofmannFrantz2013,
  author    = {Hofmann, Ulrich and Frantz, Stefan},
  title     = {How can we cure a heart "in flame"? A translational view on inflammation in heart failure},
  series = {Basic Research in Cardiology},
  volume    = {108},
  journal   = {Basic Research in Cardiology},
  number    = {356},
  doi       = {10.1007/s00395-013-0356-y},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-134497},
  year      = {2013},
  abstract  = {The prevalence of chronic heart failure is still increasing making it a major health issue in the 21st century. Tremendous evidence has emerged over the past decades that heart failure is associated with a wide array of mechanisms subsumed under the term "inflammation". Based on the great success of immuno-suppressive treatments in auto-immunity and transplantation, clinical trials were launched targeting inflammatory mediators in patients with chronic heart failure. However, they widely lacked positive outcomes. The failure of the initial study program directed against tumor necrosis factor-a led to the search for alternative therapeutic targets involving a broader spectrum of mechanisms besides cytokines. We here provide an overview of the current knowledge on immune activation in chronic heart failure of different etiologies, summarize clinical studies in the field, address unresolved key questions, and highlight some promising novel therapeutic targets for clinical trials from a translational basic science and clinical perspective.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{PachelMathesBayeretal.2013,
  author    = {Pachel, Christina and Mathes, Denise and Bayer, Barbara and Dienesch, Charlotte and Wangorsch, Gaby and Heitzmann, Wolfram and Lang, Isabell and Ardehali, Hossein and Ertl, Georg and Dandekar, Thomas and Wajant, Harald and Frantz, Stefan},
  title     = {Exogenous Administration of a Recombinant Variant of TWEAK Impairs Healing after Myocardial Infarction by Aggravation of Inflammation},
  series = {PLoS ONE},
  volume    = {8},
  journal   = {PLoS ONE},
  number    = {11},
  doi       = {10.1371/journal.pone.0078938},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-129889},
  pages     = {e78938},
  year      = {2013},
  abstract  = {Background: Tumor necrosis factor-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK) and its receptor fibroblast growth factorinducible 14 (Fn14) are upregulated after myocardial infarction (MI) in both humans and mice. They modulate inflammation and the extracellular matrix, and could therefore be important for healing and remodeling after MI. However, the function of TWEAK after MI remains poorly defined. Methods and results: Following ligation of the left coronary artery, mice were injected twice per week with a recombinant human serum albumin conjugated variant of TWEAK (HSA-Flag-TWEAK), mimicking the activity of soluble TWEAK. Treatment with HSA-Flag-TWEAK resulted in significantly increased mortality in comparison to the placebo group due to myocardial rupture. Infarct size, extracellular matrix remodeling, and apoptosis rates were not different after MI. However, HSA-Flag-TWEAK treatment increased infiltration of proinflammatory cells into the myocardium. Accordingly, depletion of neutrophils prevented cardiac ruptures without modulating all-cause mortality. Conclusion: Treatment of mice with HSA-Flag-TWEAK induces myocardial healing defects after experimental MI. This is mediated by an exaggerated neutrophil infiltration into the myocardium.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{BenzMerkelOffneretal.2013,
  author    = {Benz, Peter M. and Merkel, Carla J. and Offner, Kristin and Abeßer, Marco and Ullrich, Melanie and Fischer, Tobias and Bayer, Barbara and Wagner, Helga and Gambaryan, Stepan and Ursitti, Jeanine A. and Adham, Ibrahim M. and Linke, Wolfgang A. and Feller, Stephan M. and Fleming, Ingrid and Renn{\´e}, Thomas and Frantz, Stefan and Unger, Andreas and Schuh, Kai},
  title     = {Mena/VASP and alphaII-Spectrin complexes regulate cytoplasmic actin networks in cardiomyocytes and protect from conduction abnormalities and dilated cardiomyopathy},
  series = {Cell Communication and Signaling},
  volume    = {11},
  journal   = {Cell Communication and Signaling},
  number    = {56},
  doi       = {10.1186/1478-811X-11-56},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-128760},
  year      = {2013},
  abstract  = {Background: In the heart, cytoplasmic actin networks are thought to have important roles in mechanical support, myofibrillogenesis, and ion channel function. However, subcellular localization of cytoplasmic actin isoforms and proteins involved in the modulation of the cytoplasmic actin networks are elusive. Mena and VASP are important regulators of actin dynamics. Due to the lethal phenotype of mice with combined deficiency in Mena and VASP, however, distinct cardiac roles of the proteins remain speculative. In the present study, we analyzed the physiological functions of Mena and VASP in the heart and also investigated the role of the proteins in the organization of cytoplasmic actin networks. Results: We generated a mouse model, which simultaneously lacks Mena and VASP in the heart. Mena/VASP double-deficiency induced dilated cardiomyopathy and conduction abnormalities. In wild-type mice, Mena and VASP specifically interacted with a distinct αII-Spectrin splice variant (SH3i), which is in cardiomyocytes exclusively localized at Z- and intercalated discs. At Z- and intercalated discs, Mena and β-actin localized to the edges of the sarcomeres, where the thin filaments are anchored. In Mena/VASP double-deficient mice, β-actin networks were disrupted and the integrity of Z- and intercalated discs was markedly impaired. Conclusions: Together, our data suggest that Mena, VASP, and αII-Spectrin assemble cardiac multi-protein complexes, which regulate cytoplasmic actin networks. Conversely, Mena/VASP deficiency results in disrupted β-actin assembly, Z- and intercalated disc malformation, and induces dilated cardiomyopathy and conduction abnormalities.},
  language  = {en}
}