TY - JOUR A1 - Tony, Hans-Peter A1 - Burmester, Gerd A1 - Schulze-Koops, Hendrik A1 - Grunke, Mathias A1 - Henes, Joerg A1 - Kötter, Ina A1 - Haas, Judith A1 - Unger, Leonore A1 - Lovric, Svjetlana A1 - Haubitz, Marion A1 - Fischer-Betz, Rebecca A1 - Chehab, Gamal A1 - Rubbert-Roth, Andrea A1 - Specker, Christof A1 - Weinerth, Jutta A1 - Holle, Julia A1 - Müller-Ladner, Ulf A1 - König, Ramona A1 - Fiehn, Christoph A1 - Burgwinkel, Philip A1 - Budde, Klemens A1 - Sörensen, Helmut A1 - Meurer, Michael A1 - Aringer, Martin A1 - Kieseier, Bernd A1 - Erfurt-Berge, Cornelia A1 - Sticherling, Michael A1 - Veelken, Roland A1 - Ziemann, Ulf A1 - Strutz, Frank A1 - von Wussow, Praxis A1 - Meier, Florian MP A1 - Hunzelmann, Nico A1 - Schmidt, Enno A1 - Bergner, Raoul A1 - Schwarting, Andreas A1 - Eming, Rüdiger A1 - Schwarz-Eywill, Michael A1 - Wassenberg, Siegfried A1 - Fleck, Martin A1 - Metzler, Claudia A1 - Zettl, Uwe A1 - Westphal, Jens A1 - Heitmann, Stefan A1 - Herzog, Anna L. A1 - Wiendl, Heinz A1 - Jakob, Waltraud A1 - Schmidt, Elvira A1 - Freivogel, Klaus A1 - Dörner, Thomas A1 - Hertl, Michael A1 - Stadler, Rudolf T1 - Safety and clinical outcomes of rituximab therapy in patients with different autoimmune diseases: experience from a national registry (GRAID) JF - Arthritis Research & Therapy N2 - Introduction: Evidence from a number of open-label, uncontrolled studies has suggested that rituximab may benefit patients with autoimmune diseases who are refractory to standard-of-care. The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety and clinical outcomes of rituximab in several standard-of-care-refractory autoimmune diseases (within rheumatology, nephrology, dermatology and neurology) other than rheumatoid arthritis or non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in a real-life clinical setting. Methods: Patients who received rituximab having shown an inadequate response to standard-of-care had their safety and clinical outcomes data retrospectively analysed as part of the German Registry of Autoimmune Diseases. The main outcome measures were safety and clinical response, as judged at the discretion of the investigators. Results: A total of 370 patients (299 patient-years) with various autoimmune diseases (23.0% with systemic lupus erythematosus, 15.7% antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated granulomatous vasculitides, 15.1% multiple sclerosis and 10.0% pemphigus) from 42 centres received a mean dose of 2,440 mg of rituximab over a median (range) of 194 (180 to 1,407) days. The overall rate of serious infections was 5.3 per 100 patient-years during rituximab therapy. Opportunistic infections were infrequent across the whole study population, and mostly occurred in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. There were 11 deaths (3.0% of patients) after rituximab treatment (mean 11.6 months after first infusion, range 0.8 to 31.3 months), with most of the deaths caused by infections. Overall (n = 293), 13.3% of patients showed no response, 45.1% showed a partial response and 41.6% showed a complete response. Responses were also reflected by reduced use of glucocorticoids and various immunosuppressives during rituximab therapy and follow-up compared with before rituximab. Rituximab generally had a positive effect on patient well-being (physician’s visual analogue scale; mean improvement from baseline of 12.1 mm) KW - GRAID Y1 - 2011 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-142856 VL - 13 IS - R75 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Jarius, Sven A1 - Ruprecht, Klemens A1 - Kleiter, Ingo A1 - Borisow, Nadja A1 - Asgari, Nasrin A1 - Pitarokoili, Kalliopi A1 - Pache, Florence A1 - Stich, Oliver A1 - Beume, Lena-Alexandra A1 - Hümmert, Martin W. A1 - Ringelstein, Marius A1 - Trebst, Corinna A1 - Winkelmann, Alexander A1 - Schwarz, Alexander A1 - Buttmann, Mathias A1 - Zimmermann, Hanna A1 - Kuchling, Joseph A1 - Franciotta, Diego A1 - Capobianco, Marco A1 - Siebert, Eberhard A1 - Lukas, Carsten A1 - Korporal-Kuhnke, Mirjam A1 - Haas, Jürgen A1 - Fechner, Kai A1 - Brandt, Alexander U. A1 - Schanda, Kathrin A1 - Aktas, Orhan A1 - Paul, Friedemann A1 - Reindl, Markus A1 - Wildemann, Brigitte T1 - MOG-IgG in NMO and related disorders: a multicenter study of 50 patients. Part 2: Epidemiology, clinical presentation, radiological and laboratory features, treatment responses, and long-term outcome JF - Journal of Neuroinflammation N2 - Background A subset of patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) has been shown to be seropositive for myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibodies (MOG-IgG). Objective To describe the epidemiological, clinical, radiological, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and electrophysiological features of a large cohort of MOG-IgG-positive patients with optic neuritis (ON) and/or myelitis (n = 50) as well as attack and long-term treatment outcomes. Methods Retrospective multicenter study. Results The sex ratio was 1:2.8 (m:f). Median age at onset was 31 years (range 6-70). The disease followed a multiphasic course in 80% (median time-to-first-relapse 5 months; annualized relapse rate 0.92) and resulted in significant disability in 40% (mean follow-up 75 ± 46.5 months), with severe visual impairment or functional blindness (36%) and markedly impaired ambulation due to paresis or ataxia (25%) as the most common long-term sequelae. Functional blindness in one or both eyes was noted during at least one ON attack in around 70%. Perioptic enhancement was present in several patients. Besides acute tetra-/paraparesis, dysesthesia and pain were common in acute myelitis (70%). Longitudinally extensive spinal cord lesions were frequent, but short lesions occurred at least once in 44%. Fourty-one percent had a history of simultaneous ON and myelitis. Clinical or radiological involvement of the brain, brainstem, or cerebellum was present in 50%; extra-opticospinal symptoms included intractable nausea and vomiting and respiratory insufficiency (fatal in one). CSF pleocytosis (partly neutrophilic) was present in 70%, oligoclonal bands in only 13%, and blood-CSF-barrier dysfunction in 32%. Intravenous methylprednisolone (IVMP) and long-term immunosuppression were often effective; however, treatment failure leading to rapid accumulation of disability was noted in many patients as well as flare-ups after steroid withdrawal. Full recovery was achieved by plasma exchange in some cases, including after IVMP failure. Breakthrough attacks under azathioprine were linked to the drug-specific latency period and a lack of cotreatment with oral steroids. Methotrexate was effective in 5/6 patients. Interferon-beta was associated with ongoing or increasing disease activity. Rituximab and ofatumumab were effective in some patients. However, treatment with rituximab was followed by early relapses in several cases; end-of-dose relapses occurred 9-12 months after the first infusion. Coexisting autoimmunity was rare (9%). Wingerchuk’s 2006 and 2015 criteria for NMO(SD) and Barkhof and McDonald criteria for multiple sclerosis (MS) were met by 28%, 32%, 15%, 33%, respectively; MS had been suspected in 36%. Disease onset or relapses were preceded by infection, vaccination, or pregnancy/delivery in several cases. Conclusion Our findings from a predominantly Caucasian cohort strongly argue against the concept of MOG-IgG denoting a mild and usually monophasic variant of NMOSD. The predominantly relapsing and often severe disease course and the short median time to second attack support the use of prophylactic long-term treatments in patients with MOG-IgG-positive ON and/or myelitis. KW - Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibodies (MOG-IgG) KW - Aquaporin-4 antibodies (AQP4-IgG, NMO-IgG) KW - Optic neuritis KW - Transverse myelitis KW - Longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis KW - Magnetic resonance imaging KW - Autoantibodies KW - Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) KW - Cerebrospinal fluid KW - Oligoclonal bands KW - Electrophysiology KW - Evoked potentials KW - Treatment KW - Therapy KW - Methotrexate KW - Azathioprine KW - Rituximab KW - Ofatumumab KW - Interferon beta KW - Glatiramer acetate KW - Natalizumab KW - Outcome KW - Pregnancy KW - Infections KW - Vaccination KW - Multiple sclerosis KW - Barkhof criteria KW - McDonald criteria KW - Wingerchuk criteria 2006 and 2015 KW - IPND criteria KW - International consensus diagnostic criteria for neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders Y1 - 2016 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-165570 VL - 13 IS - 280 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Jarius, Sven A1 - Ruprecht, Klemens A1 - Kleiter, Ingo A1 - Borisow, Nadja A1 - Asgari, Nasrin A1 - Pitarokoili, Kalliopi A1 - Pache, Florence A1 - Stich, Oliver A1 - Beume, Lena-Alexandra A1 - Hümmert, Martin W. A1 - Trebst, Corinna A1 - Ringelstein, Marius A1 - Aktas, Orhan A1 - Winkelmann, Alexander A1 - Buttmann, Mathias A1 - Schwarz, Alexander A1 - Zimmermann, Hanna A1 - Brandt, Alexander U. A1 - Franciotta, Diego A1 - Capobianco, Marco A1 - Kuchling, Joseph A1 - Haas, Jürgen A1 - Korporal-Kuhnke, Mirjam A1 - Lillevang, Soeren Thue A1 - Fechner, Kai A1 - Schanda, Kathrin A1 - Paul, Friedemann A1 - Wildemann, Brigitte A1 - Reindl, Markus T1 - MOG-IgG in NMO and related disorders: a multicenter study of 50 patients. Part 1: Frequency, syndrome specificity, influence of disease activity, long-term course, association with AQP4-IgG, and origin JF - Journal of Neuroinflammation N2 - Background Antibodies to myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG-IgG) have been suggested to play a role in a subset of patients with neuromyelitis optica and related disorders. Objective To assess (i) the frequency of MOG-IgG in a large and predominantly Caucasian cohort of patients with optic neuritis (ON) and/or myelitis; (ii) the frequency of MOG-IgG among AQP4-IgG-positive patients and vice versa; (iii) the origin and frequency of MOG-IgG in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF); (iv) the presence of MOG-IgG at disease onset; and (v) the influence of disease activity and treatment status on MOG-IgG titers. Methods 614 serum samples from patients with ON and/or myelitis and from controls, including 92 follow-up samples from 55 subjects, and 18 CSF samples were tested for MOG-IgG using a live cell-based assay (CBA) employing full-length human MOG-transfected HEK293A cells. Results MOG-IgG was detected in 95 sera from 50 patients with ON and/or myelitis, including 22/54 (40.7%) patients with a history of both ON and myelitis, 22/103 (21.4%) with a history of ON but no myelitis and 6/45 (13.3%) with a history of longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis but no ON, and in 1 control patient with encephalitis and a connective tissue disorder, all of whom were negative for AQP4-IgG. MOG-IgG was absent in 221 further controls, including 83 patients with AQP4-IgG-seropositive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders and 85 with multiple sclerosis (MS). MOG-IgG was found in 12/18 (67%) CSF samples from MOG-IgG-seropositive patients; the MOG-IgG-specific antibody index was negative in all cases, indicating a predominantly peripheral origin of CSF MOG-IgG. Serum and CSF MOG-IgG belonged to the complement-activating IgG1 subclass. MOG-IgG was present already at disease onset. The antibodies remained detectable in 40/45 (89%) follow-up samples obtained over a median period of 16.5 months (range 0–123). Serum titers were higher during attacks than during remission (p < 0.0001), highest during attacks of simultaneous myelitis and ON, lowest during acute isolated ON, and declined following treatment. Conclusions To date, this is the largest cohort studied for IgG to human full-length MOG by means of an up-to-date CBA. MOG-IgG is present in a substantial subset of patients with ON and/or myelitis, but not in classical MS. Co-existence of MOG-IgG and AQP4-IgG is highly uncommon. CSF MOG-IgG is of extrathecal origin. Serum MOG-IgG is present already at disease onset and remains detectable in the long-term course. Serum titers depend on disease activity and treatment status. KW - Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) KW - Devic’s syndrome KW - Optic neuritis KW - Transverse Myelitis KW - Longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (LETM) KW - Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) KW - Multiple sclerosis KW - Autoantibodies KW - Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibodies (MOG-IgG) KW - Neuromyelitis optica antibodies (NMO-IgG) KW - Aquaporin-4 antibodies (AQP4-IgG) KW - Cell-based assays KW - Cerebrospinal fluid KW - Antibody index Y1 - 2016 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-165659 VL - 13 IS - 279 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kaltdorf, Martin A1 - Srivastava, Mugdha A1 - Gupta, Shishir K. A1 - Liang, Chunguang A1 - Binder, Jasmin A1 - Dietl, Anna-Maria A1 - Meir, Zohar A1 - Haas, Hubertus A1 - Osherov, Nir A1 - Krappmann, Sven A1 - Dandekar, Thomas T1 - Systematic Identification of Anti-Fungal Drug Targets by a Metabolic Network Approach JF - Frontiers in Molecular Bioscience N2 - New antimycotic drugs are challenging to find, as potential target proteins may have close human orthologs. We here focus on identifying metabolic targets that are critical for fungal growth and have minimal similarity to targets among human proteins. We compare and combine here: (I) direct metabolic network modeling using elementary mode analysis and flux estimates approximations using expression data, (II) targeting metabolic genes by transcriptome analysis of condition-specific highly expressed enzymes, and (III) analysis of enzyme structure, enzyme interconnectedness (“hubs”), and identification of pathogen-specific enzymes using orthology relations. We have identified 64 targets including metabolic enzymes involved in vitamin synthesis, lipid, and amino acid biosynthesis including 18 targets validated from the literature, two validated and five currently examined in own genetic experiments, and 38 further promising novel target proteins which are non-orthologous to human proteins, involved in metabolism and are highly ranked drug targets from these pipelines. KW - metabolism KW - targets KW - antimycotics KW - modeling KW - structure KW - interaction KW - fungicide Y1 - 2016 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-147396 VL - 3 ER - TY - THES A1 - Haas, Martin T1 - Charakterisierung pharmakokinetischer und pharmakodynamischer Aspekte der Anwendung von Glucocorticoiden in der Herzschrittmachertherapie anhand von ex-vivo und in-vitro Modellen T1 - Characterization of pharmakokinetic and pharmakodynamic aspects of glucocorticoide application in pacemaker therapy on the basis of ex vivo and in vitro modells N2 - Glucocorticoide werden in der Herzschrittmachertherapie eingesetzt, um einen Anstieg der Reizschwelle nach der Implantation des Schrittmachers zu verringern und dauerhaft auf niedrigerem Niveau zu halten, als dies ohne Glucocorticoid-Behandlung der Fall wäre. Die Applikation der zu diesem Zweck eingesetzten Glucocorticoide Dexamethasonacetat (DXA) und Dexamethasonphosphat, in seltenen Fällen auch Beclomethasondipropionat (BDP), erfolgt dabei in der Regel mittels einem an der Elektrodenspitze angebrachten Matrixsystem, das für eine langsame lokale Freisetzung der Arzneistoffe an der Grenzfläche zwischen kathodischem Elektrodenkontakt und Herzgewebe sorgen soll. Diese Anwendungsform ist speziell, da trotz einer systemischen Freisetzung der Substanzen eine lokale Wirkung erzielt werden soll, welche die Funktion des Schrittmachers als Medizinprodukt unterstützen soll – aus pharmakokinetischer Sicht ein wichtiger Unterschied zu den üblichen topischen Glucocorticoid Anwendungen. Unter physiologischen Bedingungen wurde diese Applikationsform hinsichtlich der Arzneistofffreisetzung und anschließender Umverteilung mit Bindung der Glucocorticoide an das kardiale Gewebe bislang ebenso wenig untersucht, wie verschiedene Glucocorticoide in dieser Anwendung hinsichtlich ihrer Pharmakokinetik verglichen wurden. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurden deshalb die pharmakokinetischen Vorgänge der drei Glucocorticoide DXA, BDP und des potentiell einsetzbaren Glucocorticoids GCX (dessen Identität aus patentgründen derzeit nicht offengelegt werden kann) untersucht. Die Freisetzungssysteme enthielten, je nach Glucocorticoid, Arzneistoffdosen im Bereich von etwa 150 bis 260 µg. In einem in-vitro Freisetzungsmodell in Methanol wurde zunächst bestätigt, dass sich die Freisetzungskinetik der untersuchten Matrizes gemäß den Modellvorstellung zu einem dünnwandigen monolithischen Freisetzungssystem nach dem Quadratwurzelgesetz beschreiben ließ. DXA wurde mit einer Freisetzungsrate von 55,6 ± 1,9 µg/h1/2 in 24 Stunden annähernd vollständig freigesetzt, während die Rate für BDP bei 21,8 ± 0,7 µg/h1/2 lag und nur für eine Freisetzung von etwa zwei Dritteln des Gesamtgehalts der Freisetzungsmatrix sorgte. GCX wurde gar mit nur 4,2 ± <0,1 µg/h1/2 freigesetzt. Die ermittelten Freisetzungsraten (DXA > BDP >>> GCX) waren überraschenderweise nicht konsistent mit den logP-Werten der Substanzen. Dies wies darauf hin, dass nicht alleine die unterschiedlichen physikochemischen Eigenschaften der Substanzen zu den differierenden Freisetzungsprofile führten, sondern wohl auch die Formulierung der Silikonmatrix einen starken Einfluss ausübte – eine wichtige Erkenntnis für die Weiterentwicklung derartiger Glucocorticoid haltiger Matrixfreisetzungssysteme. Vor allem während der bis zu 4 wöchigen Phase unmittelbar nach der Elektrodenimplantation ist die Matrix dem Blutstrom ausgesetzt, bevor sich als Reaktion des Organismus auf den implantierten Fremdkörper eine fibröse Hülle um die Elektrodenspitze bildet. Zur Annäherung an die physiologischen Freisetzungsverhältnisse in dieser initialen Phase, in nach dem Quadratwurzelgesetz die mengenmäßig stärkste Glucocorticoid-Freisetzung erfolgen sollte, wurden deshalb erstmals Freisetzungsversuche in Humanplasma über 28 Tage durchgeführt. Mit einer Freisetzungsrate von 2,26 ± 0,08 µg/h1/2 wurde hier eine unerwartet starke Freisetzung von BDP beobachtet, wohingegen diese für DXA und GCX mit Raten von 0,39 ± 0,03 µg/h1/2 und 0,42 ± 0,01 µg/h1/2 deutlich langsamer ausfiel und sich kaum voneinander unterschied. Die Reihenfolge der Freisetzungsgeschwindigkeiten (BDP >>> GCX = DXA) unterschied sich somit unter physiologischen Bedingungen gänzlich von den in-vitro Bedingungen. Womöglich kamen im wässrigen Freisetzungsmedium Humanplasma dabei die Formulierungseinflüsse verstärkt zum Tragen, die sich bereits unter den in-vitro Bedingungen andeutenden. Ein zusätzlicher Einfluss mochte von der Bildung des 9,11 Epoxy Belcomethasons als Abbauprodukt des BDP ausgegangen sein, welches unter den physiologisch angenäherten Bedingungen in hohem Ausmaß entstand. Dies führte zu einer Stabilitätsuntersuchung von Beclomethason in Humanplasma und verschiedenen Puffersystemen, bei welcher sich ein stabilitätsmindernder Einfluss von Carbonat-Puffersystemen herausstellte. Im Zuge der Freisetzungsversuche in Humanplasma wurde zudem erstmals die Entstehung von 17 Oxo Dexamethason als Abbauprodukt von DXA beobachtet und durch Nachsynthese bestätigt. Für die Phase der Herzschrittmachertherapie, in der an der Grenzfläche zwischen Elektrode und Herzgewebe eine lokale und akute Entzündung infolge der Implantation der Schrittmacherelektrode auftritt und üblicherweise ein starker Anstieg der Reizschwelle zu beobachten ist, lieferten die Versuche in Humanplasma somit erstmals Daten zur Freisetzung verschiedener Glucocorticoide unter Einbezug angenäherter physiologischer Verhältnisse. Für die korrekte Durchführung der Freisetzungsversuche ist das Vorliegen von Sink Bedingungen essentiell. Da die praktische Löslichkeit von Glucocorticoiden in Humanplasma bislang nicht bekannt war, wurde die Aufnahmekapazität des Humanplasmas (Kombination aus Löslichkeit und Plasmaproteinbindung) für DXA, GCX und BDP untersucht. Sink Bedingungen konnten für alle Substanzen sichergestellt werden, wobei gegenüber der reinen Wasserlöslichkeit eine deutlich höhere Aufnahmekapazität gezeigt werden konnte und den hohen Einfluss der Proteinbindung hervorhob. Um die insgesamt herrschenden physiologischen Verhältnisse noch besser zu beschreiben und dabei die Umverteilung der Arzneistoffe nach Freisetzung aus dem Implantat an das Zielgewebe zu untersuchen, wurde ein neuartiges ex-vivo Modell entwickelt. Dies erlaubte eine Simulation der Arzneistofffreisetzung aus dem Implantat in Gegenwart eines Gewebekompartiments und berücksichtigte eine flussartige Konvektion des Mediums. Mit diesem Modell wurden Verhältnisse der AUCs der Glucocorticoide zwischen Gewebe und Humanplasma ermittelt, die mit Werten von 3,4 für DXA, 3,8 für BDP und 2,5 für GCX auf eine ausgeprägte Umverteilung aus dem Humanplasma in das Gewebe hinwiesen. Insgesamt schien damit aufgrund der raschen Freisetzung und Diffusion in das Gewebe eine Verwendung von BDP zur Bekämpfung einer lokalen akuten Entzündung unmittelbar nach der Implantation aus pharmakokinetischer Sicht vorteilhaft. Mit Blick auf einen jahrelangen Effekt konnte jedoch auch die langsame Freisetzung von DXA und GCX mit deren sehr stabilen Wirkformen als vorteilhaft diskutiert werden. Die Versuche können letztlich bei der Auswahl eines möglichst idealen Glucocorticoids für die Herzschrittmachertherapie behilflich sein und bieten erstmals ein weitestgehend physiologisches Untersuchungsmodell für diese Applikationsform. Inwiefern sich die unterschiedliche Pharmakokinetik der drei Glucocorticoide auch in pharmakodynamischer Sicht auswirken könnte, sollte schließlich im Zellkulturmodell untersucht werden. Zuvor wurde jedoch in-vitro getestet, ob sich der elektrische Schrittmacherimpuls selbst als Entzündungsreiz bemerkbar machen und damit einen Hinweis auf eine dadurch hervorgerufene dauerhafte Entzündung des Herzgewebes geben würde. Dazu wurde eigens ein Modell entworfen, das die Applikation des elektrischen Stimulus in einem Zellkulturansatz zuließ. Die Messung der Entzündungsmarker IL-6, IL-8, MMP-9 und MCP-1 ließ keine entzündliche Reizung der Zellen durch einen Schrittmacherimpuls in Höhe von 1 V und 0,5 ms Dauer erkennen. Anschließend wurde untersucht, ob sich die selbst ermittelten pharmakokinetischen Unterschiede der drei Glucocorticoide in der akuten Entzündungsphase nach Elektrodenimplantation in-vitro in unterscheidbaren biologischen Aktivitäten auswirken würden. Signifikante Unterschiede in der Inhibition der Sekretion der Entzündungsmarker IL-6 und MMP 9 konnten allerdings trotz der unterschiedlichen freigesetzten Dosen an DXA, GCX und BDP nicht beobachtet werden. Somit erwies sich keine der drei Substanzen, trotz unterschiedlicher pharmakokinetischer Voraussetzungen und Affinitäten zum Glucocorticoid-Rezeptor, als überlegen. In einem ersten Ausblick ließ dies für die klinische Anwendung von GCX und BDP – zumindest in der initialen Phase nach Elektrodenimplantation – einen zu DXA vergleichbaren Einfluss auf die Reizschwelle vermuten. Neben einer antiinflammatorischen Wirkung wird auch eine Minderung des Reizschwellenanstieges durch eine bei Glucocorticoid Exposition nur dünn ausgeprägte fibröse Kapsel an der Elektrodenspitze diskutiert. Als Beitrag zur Untersuchung der in der klinischen Praxis beobachteten Wirkung des DXA wurde daher abschließend geprüft, ob die freigesetzten Glucocorticoid Dosen zu einer Proliferationshemmung von Endothelzellen und Fibroblasten führen konnten. Ein vermindertes Wachstum der Zelllinien EA.hy926 und IMR-90 unter den freigesetzten Glucocorticoid Dosen konnte jedoch nicht beobachtet werden. Künftige Untersuchungen des Einflusses der Glucocorticoide auf die Synthese einzelner Bindegewebsbestandteile wie Kollagen könnten hierzu womöglich weitere Erkenntnisse liefern. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde erstmals erfolgreich die Pharmakokinetik dreier Glucocorticoide im Kontext der Herzschrittmachertherapie unter physiologischen Verhältnissen beschrieben und ein neuartiges ex-vivo Modell entwickelt, das zukünftig ein hilfreiches Werkzeug zur Untersuchung der Pharmakokinetik von kardiovaskulären Implantaten sein kann. Darauf aufbauend wurde zudem erstmalig die Pharmakodynamik dieser Glucocorticoide in der Herzschrittmachertherapie verglichen und begonnen, den Glucocorticoid Effekt in der Herzschrittmachertherapie näher zu beleuchten. N2 - In pacemaker therapy glucocorticoids are used to lower an increase in pacing threshold after implantation of the device and to keep this threshold at a permanent lower level compared to devices without drug release. For this purpose the glucocorticoids dexamethasone acetate (DXA), dexamethasone phosphate or occasionally beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) are released from a matrix system, which is placed at the tip of the pacemaker lead, to ensure a retarded local drug release at the electrode-tissue interface. Despite systemically released, support of the medical device function is achieved by a local glucocorticoid action. This is an important pharmacokinetic difference to common topical applications of glucocorticoids. Glucocorticoid release from a pacemaker lead’s matrix system and subsequent distribution with binding to cardiac tissue has, to the best of our knowledge, not been investigated under physiological conditions yet, nor have several glucocorticoids in this application been compared to each other with respect to pharmacokinetics. For that reason these pharmacokinetic processes of the glucocorticoids DXA, BDP and the potentially applicable glucocorticoid GCX (whose identity currently cannot be revealed due to patent reasons) were examined in this thesis for the first time. Drug release matrices contained different amounts of glucocorticoid. Overall drug load was between 150 and 260 µg, depending on the glucocorticoid used, and was highest for DXA (~33 %) but less for BDP and GCX (both ~19 %). In-vitro dissolution testing in methanol confirmed drug release kinetics according to square root law, as commonly assumed for thin-walled monolithic drug release systems. DXA was released nearly completely from the matrix system within 24 hours at a rate of 55.6 ± 1.9 µg/h1/2. The release constant for BDP of 21.8 ± 0.7 µg/h1/2 led to a dissolution of about 2/3 of the overall content. With a rate of 4.2 ± <0.1 µg/h1/2 dissolution of GCX was even far lower. Surprisingly, these dissolution rates (DXA > BDP >>> GCX) did not reflect the logP values of the glucocorticoids. This indicated a significant influence of the silicone matrix itself on drug release, which was on the contrary less dependent on the substances’ differing physicochemical properties. These results could be very valuable for the development of other glucocorticoid containing release systems. Especially in the first four weeks after pacemaker implantation the release system is exposed to the blood flow, while after this period a fibrous capsule is formed around the lead tip as reaction of the organism to the implanted device. To simulate these physiological conditions dissolution experiments in human plasma over 28 days were done. These showed an unexpected high release of BDP with a dissolution rate of 2.26 ± 0.08 µg/h1/2, whereas the dissolution rates of DXA and GCX of 0.39 ± 0.03 µg/h1/2 and 0.42 ± 0.01 µg/h1/2, respectively, did not show any significant differences but were far lower compared to BDP. In contrast to the experiments in methanol the order of dissolution rates under physiological conditions was BDP >>> GCX = DXA. A possible explanation for this observation might be that the mentioned influences of the formulation became more obvious when testing drug release in aqueous media. Maybe an additional effect supporting the fast dissolution of BDP was to the enhanced formation of 9,11 epoxy beclomethasone under physiological conditions. This observation entailed stability tests of beclomethasone in human plasma and several buffer systems that revealed an augmented epoxide formation of this glucocorticoid in carbonate buffer systems. Moreover, in the course of the dissolution tests the formation of 17 oxo dexamethasone as a degradation product of DXA was observed in human plasma for the first time and was confirmed by following synthesis of this product. The experiments in human plasma provided new data for dissolution of glucocorticoids within the initial time period of pacemaker therapy under consideration of physiological conditions. This is important since a strong increase in the pacing threshold is observed typically within these first weeks after pacemaker implantation, while an acute inflammation wore off at the electrode-tissue interface. Maintaining sink-conditions is a prerequisite for appropriate dissolution testing, but solubility in human plasma was unknown so far. Therefore, the loading capacity (combination of solubility and protein binding) of human plasma was examined for DXA, GCX and BDP. Sink-conditions were confirmed with these experiments showing a way higher loading capacity for all three substances than their solubility in water would have suggested, thus underlining the contribution of plasma protein binding to solubility. To further imitate physiological conditions and to examine drug distribution to the target tissue, a novel ex-vivo model was developed which allowed simulation of drug release from the implanted device in the presence of a tissue compartment. In addition convection of the media imitating a blood flow was taken into account. With this model ratios of the AUCs in tissue and plasma of 3.4 for DXA, 3.8 for BDP and 2.5 for GCX were determined and thus suggested a distinct distribution of the substances from plasma into the tissue compartment. Overall, from a pharmacokinetic point of view the use of BDP seemed advantageous to fight an acute and initial inflammation after implantation due to its fast release and diffusion into tissue. On the other hand also the slow release of DXA and GCX, whose active principles are much more stable than that of BDP, might be beneficial to achieve a long lasting effect if desired. All these experiments might assist choosing the optimal glucocorticoid for support of a cardiac pacemaker. Furthermore, a novel model approximating physiological conditions was developed, which can serve as a suitable tool for the investigation of matrix release systems in an ex vivo setting. The unanswered question if these differences in the pharmacokinetic profiles of the glucocorticoids would translate into different pharmacodynamic effects was finally investigated in a cell culture model. However, firstly it needed to be clarified if the electric pacing impulse served as an inflammatory stimulus to cells in-vitro and thereby induced local inflammation due to electric pacing itself. For this purpose a special model was designed, allowing administration of an electric pacemaker stimulus within a cell culture set up. Measurements of the inflammatory markers IL 6, IL 8, MMP 9 and MCP 1 showed no inflammatory response to a pacing impulse of 1 V and 0.5 ms in-vitro. Subsequently the impact of the pharmacokinetic differences on the biological activities of the glucocorticoids in the acute phase of inflammation after implantation of a pacemaker lead was investigated. All glucocorticoids inhibited the secretion of IL 6 and MMP 9, but no significant differences were to be seen between DXA, GCX and BDP. Despite different pharmacokinetic premises and affinities to the glucocorticoid receptor of DXA, GCX and BDP none of the compounds seemed to be superior regarding the inhibition of inflammation in the in-vitro model. For clinical practice this might suggest an equal impact on pacing threshold for GCX and BDP compared to the current standard DXA, at least in the acute phase after implantation. The thickness of the fibrous capsule surrounding the lead tip seems to be an important factor influencing the threshold rise after pacemaker implantation. Glucocorticoid exposition is discussed to lead to a thinner sheath of connective tissue around the lead tip and thus to attenuate the threshold rise. Consequently, the antiproliferative activity of the released glucocorticoid doses on endothelial cells and fibroblasts was tested. However, no inhibition of cell growth was observed in-vitro with the cell lines EA.hy926 and IMR 90. Maybe future investigations of a glucocorticoid effect on the synthesis of components of connective tissue like collagen in the setting of pacemaker therapy might lead to further insight. In this thesis pharmacokinetic aspects of DXA, GCX and BDP were successfully investigated for the first time in the context of pacemaker therapy under consideration of physiological conditions. Additionally, a novel and so far unique ex-vivo model was developed which can be a suitable tool for further pharmacokinetic experiments and support the development of cardiovascular implants or other implantable matrix release systems. Furthermore, the pharmacodynamic effects of DXA, GCX and BDP were compared to each other with regard to the prior gained pharmacokinetic insights and some aspects of the cause of glucocorticoid effects in cardiac pacemaker therapy were studied. KW - Herzschrittmacher KW - Glucocorticosteroide KW - Kontrollierte Wirkstofffreisetzung KW - Schrittmacher KW - Glucocorticoide KW - Freisetzung KW - Gewebebindung Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-127446 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Robertson, Kevin A. A1 - Hsieh, Wei Yuan A1 - Forster, Thorsten A1 - Blanc, Mathieu A1 - Lu, Hongjin A1 - Crick, Peter J. A1 - Yutuc, Eylan A1 - Watterson, Steven A1 - Martin, Kimberly A1 - Griffiths, Samantha J. A1 - Enright, Anton J. A1 - Yamamoto, Mami A1 - Pradeepa, Madapura M. A1 - Lennox, Kimberly A. A1 - Behlke, Mark A. A1 - Talbot, Simon A1 - Haas, Jürgen A1 - Dölken, Lars A1 - Griffiths, William J. A1 - Wang, Yuqin A1 - Angulo, Ana A1 - Ghazal, Peter T1 - An Interferon Regulated MicroRNA Provides Broad Cell-Intrinsic Antiviral Immunity through Multihit Host-Directed Targeting of the Sterol Pathway JF - PLoS Biology N2 - In invertebrates, small interfering RNAs are at the vanguard of cell-autonomous antiviral immunity. In contrast, antiviral mechanisms initiated by interferon (IFN) signaling predominate in mammals. Whilst mammalian IFN-induced miRNA are known to inhibit specific viruses, it is not known whether host-directed microRNAs, downstream of IFN-signaling, have a role in mediating broad antiviral resistance. By performing an integrative, systematic, global analysis of RNA turnover utilizing 4-thiouridine labeling of newly transcribed RNA and pri/pre-miRNA in IFN-activated macrophages, we identify a new post-transcriptional viral defense mechanism mediated by miR-342-5p. On the basis of ChIP and site-directed promoter mutagenesis experiments, we find the synthesis of miR-342-5p is coupled to the antiviral IFN response via the IFN-induced transcription factor, IRF1. Strikingly, we find miR-342-5p targets mevalonate-sterol biosynthesis using a multihit mechanism suppressing the pathway at different functional levels: transcriptionally via SREBF2, post-transcriptionally via miR-33, and enzymatically via IDI1 and SC4MOL. Mass spectrometry-based lipidomics and enzymatic assays demonstrate the targeting mechanisms reduce intermediate sterol pathway metabolites and total cholesterol in macrophages. These results reveal a previously unrecognized mechanism by which IFN regulates the sterol pathway. The sterol pathway is known to be an integral part of the macrophage IFN antiviral response, and we show that miR-342-5p exerts broad antiviral effects against multiple, unrelated pathogenic viruses such Cytomegalovirus and Influenza A (H1N1). Metabolic rescue experiments confirm the specificity of these effects and demonstrate that unrelated viruses have differential mevalonate and sterol pathway requirements for their replication. This study, therefore, advances the general concept of broad antiviral defense through multihit targeting of a single host pathway. KW - microRNA KW - sterol pathway KW - multihit targeting KW - interferon signaling Y1 - 2016 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-166666 VL - 14 IS - 3 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Tütüncü, Serdar A1 - Olma, Manuel A1 - Kunze, Claudia A1 - Dietzel, Joanna A1 - Schurig, Johannes A1 - Fiessler, Cornelia A1 - Malsch, Carolin A1 - Haas, Tobias Eberhard A1 - Dimitrijeski, Boris A1 - Doehner, Wolfram A1 - Hagemann, Georg A1 - Hamilton, Frank A1 - Honermann, Martin A1 - Jungehulsing, Gerhard Jan A1 - Kauert, Andreas A1 - Koennecke, Hans-Christian A1 - Mackert, Bruno-Marcel A1 - Nabavi, Darius A1 - Nolte, Christian H. A1 - Reis, Joschua Mirko A1 - Schmehl, Ingo A1 - Sparenberg, Paul A1 - Stingele, Robert A1 - Völzke, Enrico A1 - Waldschmidt, Carolin A1 - Zeise-Wehry, Daniel A1 - Heuschmann, Peter U. A1 - Endress, Matthias A1 - Haeusler, Karl Georg T1 - Off-label-dosing of non-vitamin K-dependent oral antagonists in AF patients before and after stroke: results of the prospective multicenter Berlin Atrial Fibrillation Registry JF - Journal of Neurology N2 - Aims We aimed to analyze prevalence and predictors of NOAC off-label under-dosing in AF patients before and after the index stroke. Methods The post hoc analysis included 1080 patients of the investigator-initiated, multicenter prospective Berlin Atrial Fibrillation Registry, designed to analyze medical stroke prevention in AF patients after acute ischemic stroke. Results At stroke onset, an off-label daily dose was prescribed in 61 (25.5%) of 239 NOAC patients with known AF and CHA2DS2-VASc score ≥ 1, of which 52 (21.8%) patients were under-dosed. Under-dosing was associated with age ≥ 80 years in patients on rivaroxaban [OR 2.90, 95% CI 1.05-7.9, P = 0.04; n = 29] or apixaban [OR 3.24, 95% CI 1.04-10.1, P = 0.04; n = 22]. At hospital discharge after the index stroke, NOAC off-label dose on admission was continued in 30 (49.2%) of 61 patients. Overall, 79 (13.7%) of 708 patients prescribed a NOAC at hospital discharge received an off-label dose, of whom 75 (10.6%) patients were under-dosed. Rivaroxaban under-dosing at discharge was associated with age ≥ 80 years [OR 3.49, 95% CI 1.24-9.84, P = 0.02; n = 19]; apixaban under-dosing with body weight ≤ 60 kg [OR 0.06, 95% CI 0.01-0.47, P < 0.01; n = 56], CHA2DS2-VASc score [OR per point 1.47, 95% CI 1.08-2.00, P = 0.01], and HAS-BLED score [OR per point 1.91, 95% CI 1.28-2.84, P < 0.01]. Conclusion At stroke onset, off-label dosing was present in one out of four, and under-dosing in one out of five NOAC patients. Under-dosing of rivaroxaban or apixaban was related to old age. In-hospital treatment after stroke reduced off-label NOAC dosing, but one out of ten NOAC patients was under-dosed at discharge. KW - NOAC KW - ischemic stroke KW - atrial fibrillation KW - under-dosing Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-266969 SN - 1432-1459 VL - 269 IS - 1 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Jarius, Sven A1 - Kleiter, Ingo A1 - Ruprecht, Klemens A1 - Asgari, Nasrin A1 - Pitarokoili, Kalliopi A1 - Borisow, Nadja A1 - Hümmert, Martin W. A1 - Trebst, Corinna A1 - Pache, Florence A1 - Winkelmann, Alexander A1 - Beume, Lena-Alexandra A1 - Ringelstein, Marius A1 - Stich, Oliver A1 - Aktas, Orhan A1 - Korporal-Kuhnke, Mirjam A1 - Schwarz, Alexander A1 - Lukas, Carsten A1 - Haas, Jürgen A1 - Fechner, Kai A1 - Buttmann, Mathias A1 - Bellmann-Strobl, Judith A1 - Zimmermann, Hanna A1 - Brandt, Alexander U. A1 - Franciotta, Diego A1 - Schanda, Kathrin A1 - Paul, Friedemann A1 - Reindl, Markus A1 - Wildemann, Brigitte T1 - MOG-IgG in NMO and related disorders: a multicenter study of 50 patients. Part 3: Brainstem involvement - frequency, presentation and outcome JF - Journal of Neuroinflammation N2 - Background Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibodies (MOG-IgG) are present in a subset of aquaporin-4 (AQP4)-IgG-negative patients with optic neuritis (ON) and/or myelitis. Little is known so far about brainstem involvement in MOG-IgG-positive patients. Objective To investigate the frequency, clinical and paraclinical features, course, outcome, and prognostic implications of brainstem involvement in MOG-IgG-positive ON and/or myelitis. Methods Retrospective case study. Results Among 50 patients with MOG-IgG-positive ON and/or myelitis, 15 (30 %) with a history of brainstem encephalitis were identified. All were negative for AQP4-IgG. Symptoms included respiratory insufficiency, intractable nausea and vomiting (INV), dysarthria, dysphagia, impaired cough reflex, oculomotor nerve palsy and diplopia, nystagmus, internuclear ophthalmoplegia (INO), facial nerve paresis, trigeminal hypesthesia/dysesthesia, vertigo, hearing loss, balance difficulties, and gait and limb ataxia; brainstem involvement was asymptomatic in three cases. Brainstem inflammation was already present at or very shortly after disease onset in 7/15 (47 %) patients. 16/21 (76.2 %) brainstem attacks were accompanied by acute myelitis and/or ON. Lesions were located in the pons (11/13), medulla oblongata (8/14), mesencephalon (cerebral peduncles; 2/14), and cerebellar peduncles (5/14), were adjacent to the fourth ventricle in 2/12, and periaqueductal in 1/12; some had concomitant diencephalic (2/13) or cerebellar lesions (1/14). MRI or laboratory signs of blood-brain barrier damage were present in 5/12. Cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis was found in 11/14 cases, with neutrophils in 7/11 (3-34 % of all CSF white blood cells), and oligoclonal bands in 4/14. Attacks were preceded by acute infection or vaccination in 5/15 (33.3 %). A history of teratoma was noted in one case. The disease followed a relapsing course in 13/15 (87 %); the brainstem was involved more than once in 6. Immunosuppression was not always effective in preventing relapses. Interferon-beta was followed by new attacks in two patients. While one patient died from central hypoventilation, partial or complete recovery was achieved in the remainder following treatment with high-dose steroids and/or plasma exchange. Brainstem involvement was associated with a more aggressive general disease course (higher relapse rate, more myelitis attacks, more frequently supratentorial brain lesions, worse EDSS at last follow-up). Conclusions Brainstem involvement is present in around one third of MOG-IgG-positive patients with ON and/or myelitis. Clinical manifestations are diverse and may include symptoms typically seen in AQP4-IgG-positive neuromyelitis optica, such as INV and respiratory insufficiency, or in multiple sclerosis, such as INO. As MOG-IgG-positive brainstem encephalitis may take a serious or even fatal course, particular attention should be paid to signs or symptoms of additional brainstem involvement in patients presenting with MOG-IgG-positive ON and/or myelitis. KW - Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibodies KW - MOG-IgG KW - Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) KW - Brainstem encephalitis KW - Rhombencephalitis KW - Optic neuritis KW - Myelitis KW - Longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (LETM) KW - Cerebellitis KW - Ataxia KW - Respiratory insufficiency KW - Intractable nausea and vomiting KW - Facial nerve palsy KW - Diplopia Internuclear ophthalmoplegia (INO) KW - Hearing loss KW - Aquaporin-4 antibodies (AQP4-Ig, NMO-IgG)G Y1 - 2016 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-165543 VL - 13 IS - 281 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Stangl, Stephanie A1 - Haas, Kirsten A1 - Eichner, Felizitas A. A1 - Grau, Anna A1 - Selig, Udo A1 - Ludwig, Timo A1 - Fehm, Tanja A1 - Stübner, Tanja A1 - Rashid, Asarnusch A1 - Kerscher, Alexander A1 - Bargou, Ralf A1 - Hermann, Silke A1 - Arndt, Volker A1 - Meyer, Martin A1 - Wildner, Manfred A1 - Faller, Hermann A1 - Schrauder, Michael G. A1 - Weigel, Michael A1 - Schlembach, Ulrich A1 - Heuschmann, Peter U. A1 - Wöckel, Achim T1 - Development and proof-of-concept of a multicenter, patient-centered cancer registry for breast cancer patients with metastatic disease — the “Breast cancer care for patients with metastatic disease” (BRE-4-MED) registry JF - Pilot and Feasibility Studies N2 - Background: Patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) are treated with a palliative approach with focus oncontrolling for disease symptoms and maintaining high quality of life. Information on individual needs of patients andtheir relatives as well as on treatment patterns in clinical routine care for this specific patient group are lacking or arenot routinely documented in established Cancer Registries. Thus, we developed a registry concept specifically adaptedfor these incurable patients comprising primary and secondary data as well as mobile-health (m-health) data. Methods: The concept for patient-centered “Breast cancer care for patients with metastatic disease”(BRE-4-MED)registry was developed and piloted exemplarily in the region of Main-Franconia, a mainly rural region in Germanycomprising about 1.3 M inhabitants. The registry concept includes data on diagnosis, therapy, progression, patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), and needs of family members from several sources of information includingroutine data from established Cancer Registries in different federal states, treating physicians in hospital as well as inoutpatient settings, patients with metastatic breast cancer and their family members. Linkage with routine cancerregistry data was performed to collect secondary data on diagnosis, therapy, and progression. Paper and online-basedquestionnaires were used to assess PROMs. A dedicated mobile application software (APP) was developed to monitorneeds, progression, and therapy change of individual patients. Patient’s acceptance and feasibility of data collection inclinical routine was assessed within a proof-of-concept study. Results: The concept for the BRE-4-MED registry was developed and piloted between September 2017 and May 2018.In total n= 31 patients were included in the pilot study, n= 22 patients were followed up after 1 month. Recordlinkage with the Cancer Registries of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg demonstrated to be feasible. The voluntary APP/online questionnaire was used by n= 7 participants. The feasibility of the registry concept in clinical routine waspositively evaluated by the participating hospitals. Conclusion: The concept of the BRE-4-MED registry provides evidence that combinatorial evaluation of PROMs, needsof family members, and raising clinical parameters from primary and secondary data sources as well as m-healthapplications are feasible and accepted in an incurable cancer collective. KW - Metastatic breast cancer KW - Patient-centered registry KW - Patient’s needs KW - m-Health KW - Health care service research Y1 - 2020 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-229149 VL - 6 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hoenigl, Martin A1 - Orasch, Thomas A1 - Faserl, Klaus A1 - Prattes, Juergen A1 - Loeffler, Juergen A1 - Springer, Jan A1 - Gsaller, Fabio A1 - Reischies, Frederike A1 - Duettmann, Wiebke A1 - Raggam, Reinhard B. A1 - Lindner, Herbert A1 - Haas, Hubertus T1 - Triacetylfusarinine C: A urine biomarker for diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis JF - Journal of Infection N2 - Objectives Early diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis (IA) remains challenging, with available diagnostics being limited by inadequate sensitivities and specificities. Triacetylfusarinine C, a fungal siderophore that has been shown to accumulate in urine in animal models, is a potential new biomarker for diagnosis of IA. Methods We developed a method allowing absolute and matrix-independent mass spectrometric quantification of TAFC. Urine TAFC, normalized to creatinine, was determined in 44 samples from 24 patients with underlying hematologic malignancies and probable, possible or no IA according to current EORTC/MSG criteria and compared to other established biomarkers measured in urine and same-day blood samples. Results TAFC/creatinine sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratio for probable versus no IA (cut-off ≥ 3) were 0.86, 0.88, 6.86, 0.16 per patient. Conclusion For the first time, we provide proof for the occurrence of TAFC in human urine. TAFC/creatinine index determination in urine showed promising results for diagnosis of IA offering the advantages of non-invasive sampling. Sensitivity and specificity were similar as reported for GM determination in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage, the gold standard mycological criterion for IA diagnosis. KW - aspergillosis KW - biomarker KW - diagnosis KW - siderophore KW - urine Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-320939 VL - 78 ER -