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1004 Publications visible to you, out of a total of 1004
Chemotherapy for intracranial ependymoma in adults.
GGN - German Glioma Network

Abstract (Expand)

BACKGROUND: Ependymal tumors in adults are rare, accounting for less than 4% of primary tumors of the central nervous system in this age group. The low prevalence of intracranial ependymoma in adults … limits the ability to perform clinical trials. Therefore, treatment decisions are based on small, mostly retrospective studies and the role of chemotherapy has remained unclear. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study on 17 adult patients diagnosed with intracranial World Health Organisation grade II or III ependymoma, who were treated with chemotherapy at any time during the disease course. Benefit from chemotherapy was estimated by applying Macdonald criteria. Progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated from start of chemotherapy, using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Eleven patients had supratentorial and 6 infratentorial tumors. Ten patients were treated with temozolomide (TMZ), 3 with procarbazine/lomustine/vincristine (PCV), 3 with platinum-based chemotherapy and 1 patient received epirubicin/ifosfamide. Response rates were as follows: TMZ 8/10 stable disease; PCV 3/3 stable disease; platinum-based chemotherapy 1/3 partial response; epirubicin/ifosfamide 1/1 complete response. PFS rates at 6, 12 and 24 months were 52.9, 35.3 and 23.5%. OS rates at 6, 12 and 24 months were 82.4, 82.4 and 70.1%. There was no indication for a favourable prognostic role of O(6)-methylguanyl-DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter methylation which was detected in 3/12 investigated tumors. CONCLUSIONS: Survival outcomes in response to chemotherapy in adult intracranial ependymoma patients vary substantially, but individual patients may respond to any kind of chemotherapy. There were too few patients to compare survival data between chemotherapeutic subgroups.

Authors: D. Gramatzki, P. Roth, J. Felsberg, S. Hofer, E. J. Rushing, B. Hentschel, M. Westphal, D. Krex, M. Simon, O. Schnell, W. Wick, G. Reifenberger, M. Weller

Date Published: 23rd Apr 2016

Publication Type: Journal article

Human Diseases: adult brain ependymoma

Education as protector against dementia, but what exactly do we mean by education?
LIFE Adult

Abstract (Expand)

OBJECTIVES: even though a great number of research studies have shown that high education has protective effects against dementia, some studies did not observe such a significant effect. In that respect, … the aim of our study was to investigate and compare various operationalisation approaches of education and how they impact dementia risk within one sample. METHODS: data were derived from the Leipzig longitudinal study of the aged (LEILA75+). Individuals aged 75 and older underwent six cognitive assessments at an interval of 1.5 years and a final follow-up 15 years after the baseline assessment. We operationalised education according to different approaches used in previous studies and analysed the impact on dementia incidence via multivariate cox regression modelling. RESULTS: the results showed that whether education is identified as significant protector against dementia strongly depends on the operationalisation of education. Whereas the pure number of years of education showed statistically significant protective effects on dementia risk, other more complex categorical classification approaches did not. Moreover, completing >10 years of education or a tertiary level seems to be an important threshold to significantly reduce dementia risk. CONCLUSION: findings suggest a protective effect of more years of education on a lower dementia risk with a particular critical threshold of completing >10 years of education. Further, the findings highlight that, when examining risks and protective factors of dementia, a careful consideration of the underlying definitions and operationalisation approaches is required.

Authors: F. S. Then, T. Luck, M. C. Angermeyer, S. G. Riedel-Heller

Date Published: 9th Apr 2016

Publication Type: Journal article

Human Diseases: dementia

Medical students’ attitudes and wishes towards extending an educational general practice app to be suitable for practice: A cross-sectional survey from Leipzig, Germany
Management of health information systems

Abstract

Not specified

Authors: Maximilian Sandholzer, Tobias Deutsch, Thomas Frese, Alfred Winter

Date Published: 2nd Apr 2016

Publication Type: Journal article

Biomarker candidates for the detection of an infectious etiology of febrile neutropenia
SepNet - German Competence Network Sepsis

Abstract (Expand)

PURPOSE Infections and subsequent septicemia are major complications in neutropenic patients with hematological malignancies. Here, we identify biomarker candidates for the early detection of an …n infectious origin, and monitoring of febrile neutropenia (FN). METHODS Proteome, metabolome, and conventional biomarkers from 20 patients with febrile neutropenia without proven infection (FNPI) were compared to 28 patients with proven infection, including 17 patients with bacteremia. RESULTS Three peptides (mass to charge ratio 1017.4-1057.3; p-values 0.011-0.024), six proteins (mass to charge ratio 6881-17,215; p-values 0.002-0.004), and six phosphatidylcholines (p-values 0.007-0.037) were identified that differed in FNPI patients compared to patients with infection or bacteremia. Seven of these marker candidates discriminated FNPI from infection at fever onset with higher sensitivity and specificity (ROC-AUC 0.688-0.824) than conventional biomarkers i.e., procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, or interleukin-6 (ROC-AUC 0.535-0.672). In a post hoc analysis, monitoring the time course of four lysophosphatidylcholines, threonine, and tryptophan allowed for discrimination of patients with or without resolution of FN (ROC-AUC 0.648-0.919) with higher accuracy compared to conventional markers (ROC-AUC 0.514-0.871). CONCLUSIONS Twenty-one promising biomarker candidates for the early detection of an infectious origin or for monitoring the course of FN were found which might overcome known shortcomings of conventional markers.

Authors: Martin E. Richter, Sophie Neugebauer, Falco Engelmann, Stefan Hagel, Katrin Ludewig, Paul La Rosée, Herbert G. Sayer, Andreas Hochhaus, Marie von Lilienfeld-Toal, Tom Bretschneider, Christine Pausch, Christoph Engel, Frank M. Brunkhorst, Michael Kiehntopf

Date Published: 1st Apr 2016

Publication Type: Journal article

Human Diseases: disease by infectious agent

Tobacco use is associated with reduced amplitude and intensity dependence of the cortical auditory evoked N1-P2 component.
LIFE Adult

Abstract (Expand)

RATIONALE: Tobacco use is linked to cerebral atrophy and reduced cognitive performance in later life. However, smoking-related long-term effects on brain function remain largely uncertain. Previous … studies suggest that nicotine affects serotonergic signaling, and the intensity dependence (alias loudness dependence) of the auditory evoked N1-P2 potential has been proposed as a marker of serotonergic neurotransmission. OBJECTIVE: In the present study, we assesed the effects of chronic smoking on amplitude and intensity dependence of the auditory evoked N1-P2 potential. METHODS: Subjects underwent a 15-min intensity dependence of auditory evoked potentials (IAEP) paradigm. From N = 1739 eligible subjects (40-79 years), we systematically matched current smokers, ex-smokers, and never-smokers by sex, age, alcohol and caffeine consumption, and socioeconomic status. Between-group differences and potential dose-dependencies were evaluated. RESULTS: Analyses revealed higher N1-P2 amplitudes and intensity dependencies in never-smokers relative to ex- and current smokers, with ex-smokers exhibiting intermediate intensity dependencies. Moreover, we observed pack years and number of cigarettes consumed per day to be inversely correlated with amplitudes in current smokers. CONCLUSIONS: According to the IAEP serotonin hypothesis, our results suggest serotonin activity to be highest in current smokers, intermediate in ex-smokers, and lowest in never-smokers. To our knowledge, the present study is the first providing evidence for a dose-dependent reduction in N1-P2 amplitudes. Further, we extend prior research by showing reduced amplitudes and intensity dependencies in ex-smokers even 25 years, on average, after cessation. While we can rule out several smoking-related confounders to bias observed associations, causal inferences remain to be established by future longitudinal studies.

Authors: P. Jawinski, N. Mauche, C. Ulke, J. Huang, J. Spada, C. Enzenbach, C. Sander, U. Hegerl, T. Hensch

Date Published: 18th Mar 2016

Publication Type: Not specified

Relationship Between Determinants of Arterial Stiffness Assessed by Diastolic and Suprasystolic Pulse Oscillometry: Comparison of Vicorder and Vascular Explorer.
Genetical Statistics and Systems Biology, LIFE Heart

Abstract (Expand)

Pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index (AI) are independent predictors of cardiovascular health. However, the comparability of multiple oscillometric modalities currently available for their … assessment was not studied in detail. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the relationship between indices of arterial stiffness assessed by diastolic and suprasystolic oscillometry.In total, 56 volunteers from the general population (23 males; median age 70 years [interquartile range: 65-72 years]) were recruited into observational feasibility study to evaluate the carotid-femoral/aortic PWV (cf/aoPWV), brachial-ankle PWV (baPWV), and AI assessed by 2 devices: Vicorder (VI) applying diastolic, right-sided oscillometry for the determination of all 3 indices, and Vascular explorer (VE) implementing single-point, suprasystolic brachial oscillometry (SSBO) pulse wave analysis for the assessment of cfPWV and AI. Within- and between-device correlations of measured parameters were analyzed. Furthermore, agreement of repeated measurements, intra- and inter-observer concordances were determined and compared for both devices.In VI, both baPWV and cfPWV inter-correlated well and showed good level of agreement with bilateral baPWV measured by VE (baPWV[VI]-baPWV[VE]R: overall concordance correlation coefficient [OCCC] = 0.484, mean difference = 1.94 m/s; cfPWV[VI]-baPWV[VE]R: OCCC = 0.493, mean difference = 1.0 m/s). In contrast, SSBO-derived aortic PWA (cf/aoPWA[VE]) displayed only weak correlation with cfPWV(VI) (r = 0.196; P = 0.04) and ipsilateral baPWV (cf/aoPWV[VE]R-baPWV[VE]R: r = 0.166; P = 0.08). cf/aoPWA(VE) correlated strongly with AI(VE) (right-sided: r = 0.725, P < 0.001). AI exhibited marginal between-device agreement (right-sided: OCCC = 0.298, mean difference: 6.12%). All considered parameters showed good-to-excellent repeatability giving OCCC > 0.9 for 2-point-PWV modes and right-sided AI(VE). Intra- and inter-observer concordances were similarly high except for AI yielding a trend toward better reproducibility in VE (interobserver-OCCC[VI] vs [VE] = 0.774 vs 0.844; intraobserver-OCCC[VI] vs [VE] = 0.613 vs 0.769).Both diastolic oscillometry-derived PWV modes, and AI measured either with VI or VE, are comparable and reliable alternatives for the assessment of arterial stiffness. Aortic PWV assessed by SSBO in VE is not related to the corresponding indices determined by traditional diastolic oscillometry.

Authors: A. Teren, F. Beutner, K. Wirkner, M. Loffler, M. Scholz

Date Published: 11th Mar 2016

Publication Type: Journal article

Serum S100B Is Related to Illness Duration and Clinical Symptoms in Schizophrenia-A Meta-Regression Analysis.
LIFE Adult

Abstract (Expand)

S100B has been linked to glial pathology in several psychiatric disorders. Previous studies found higher S100B serum levels in patients with schizophrenia compared to healthy controls, and a number of … covariates influencing the size of this effect have been proposed in the literature. Here, we conducted a meta-analysis and meta-regression analysis on alterations of serum S100B in schizophrenia in comparison with healthy control subjects. The meta-analysis followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement to guarantee a high quality and reproducibility. With strict inclusion criteria 19 original studies could be included in the quantitative meta-analysis, comprising a total of 766 patients and 607 healthy control subjects. The meta-analysis confirmed higher values of the glial serum marker S100B in schizophrenia if compared with control subjects. Meta-regression analyses revealed significant effects of illness duration and clinical symptomatology, in particular the total score of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), on serum S100B levels in schizophrenia. In sum, results confirm glial pathology in schizophrenia that is modulated by illness duration and related to clinical symptomatology. Further studies are needed to investigate mechanisms and mediating factors related to these findings.

Authors: K. Schumberg, M. Polyakova, J. Steiner, M. L. Schroeter

Date Published: 5th Mar 2016

Publication Type: Journal article

Human Diseases: schizophrenia

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