Publications

958 Publications visible to you, out of a total of 958

Abstract (Expand)

BACKGROUND: The MInT study was the first to show improved 3-year outcomes with the addition of rituximab to a CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone)-like regimen in young patients with good-prognosis diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma. Extended follow-up was needed to establish long-term effects. METHODS: In the randomised open-label MInT study, patients from 18 countries (aged 18-60 years with none or one risk factor according to the age-adjusted International Prognostic Index [IPI], stage II-IV disease or stage I disease with bulk) were randomly assigned to receive six cycles of a CHOP-like chemotherapy with or without rituximab. Bulky and extranodal sites received additional radiotherapy. Randomisation was done centrally with a computer-based tool and was stratified by centre, bulky disease, age-adjusted IPI, and chemotherapy regimen by use of a modified minimisation algorithm that incorporated a stochastic component. Patients and investigators were not masked to treatment allocation. The primary endpoint was event-free survival. Analyses were by intention to treat. This observational study is a follow-up of the MInT trial, which was stopped in 2003, and is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00400907. FINDINGS: The intention-to-treat population included 410 patients assigned to chemotherapy alone and 413 assigned to chemotherapy plus rituximab. After a median follow-up of 72 months (range 0.03-119), 6-year event-free survival was 55.8% (95% CI 50.4-60.9; 166 events) for patients assigned to chemotherapy alone and 74.3% (69.3-78.6; 98 events) for those assigned to chemotherapy plus rituximab (difference between groups 18.5%, 11.5-25.4, log-rank p<0.0001). Multivariable analyses showed that event-free survival was affected by treatment group, presence of bulky disease, and age-adjusted IPI and that overall survival was affected by treatment group and presence of bulky disease only. After chemotherapy and rituximab, a favourable subgroup (IPI=0, no bulk) could be defined from a less favourable subgroup (IPI=1 or bulk, or both; event-free survival 84.3% [95% CI 74.2-90.7] vs 71.0% [65.1-76.1], log-rank p=0.005). 18 (4.4%, 95% CI 2.6-6.9) second malignancies occurred in the chemotherapy-alone group and 16 (3.9%, 2.2-6.2) in the chemotherapy and rituximab group (Fisher's exact p=0.730). INTERPRETATION: Rituximab added to six cycles of CHOP-like chemotherapy improved long-term outcomes for young patients with good-prognosis diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma. The definition of two prognostic subgroups allows a more refined therapeutic approach to these patients than does assessment by IPI alone. FUNDING: Hoffmann-La Roche.

Authors: M. Pfreundschuh, E. Kuhnt, L. Trumper, A. Osterborg, M. Trneny, L. Shepherd, D. S. Gill, J. Walewski, R. Pettengell, U. Jaeger, P. L. Zinzani, O. Shpilberg, S. Kvaloy, P. de Nully Brown, R. Stahel, N. Milpied, A. Lopez-Guillermo, V. Poeschel, S. Grass, M. Loeffler, N. Murawski

Date Published: 24th Sep 2011

Publication Type: Not specified

Human Diseases: non-Hodgkin lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Abstract (Expand)

Population isolates have long been of interest to genetic epidemiologists because of their potential to increase power to detect disease-causing genetic variants. The Sorbs of Germany are considered as cultural and linguistic isolates and have recently been the focus of disease association mapping efforts. They are thought to have settled in their present location in eastern Germany after a westward migration from a largely Slavic-speaking territory during the Middle Ages. To examine Sorbian genetic diversity within the context of other European populations, we analyzed genotype data for over 30 000 autosomal single-nucleotide polymorphisms from over 200 Sorbs individuals. We compare the Sorbs with other European individuals, including samples from population isolates. Despite their geographical proximity to German speakers, the Sorbs showed greatest genetic similarity to Polish and Czech individuals, consistent with the linguistic proximity of Sorbian to other West Slavic languages. The Sorbs also showed evidence of subtle levels of genetic isolation in comparison with samples from non-isolated European populations. The level of genetic isolation was less than that observed for the Sardinians and French Basque, who were clear outliers on multiple measures of isolation. The finding of the Sorbs as only a minor genetic isolate demonstrates the need to genetically characterize putative population isolates, as they possess a wide range of levels of isolation because of their different demographic histories.

Authors: Krishna R. Veeramah, Anke Tönjes, Peter Kovacs, Arnd Gross, Daniel Wegmann, Patrick Geary, Daniela Gasperikova, Iwar Klimes, Markus Scholz, John Novembre, Michael Stumvoll

Date Published: 1st Sep 2011

Publication Type: Journal article

Abstract (Expand)

Two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at 6q25.1, near the ESR1 gene, have been implicated in the susceptibility to breast cancer for Asian (rs2046210) and European women (rs9397435). A genome-wide association study in Europeans identified two further breast cancer susceptibility variants: rs11249433 at 1p11.2 and rs999737 in RAD51L1 at 14q24.1. Although previously identified breast cancer susceptibility variants have been shown to be associated with breast cancer risk for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers, the involvement of these SNPs to breast cancer susceptibility in mutation carriers is currently unknown. To address this, we genotyped these SNPs in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers from 42 studies from the Consortium of Investigators of Modifiers of BRCA1/2. In the analysis of 14 123 BRCA1 and 8053 BRCA2 mutation carriers of European ancestry, the 6q25.1 SNPs (r(2) = 0.14) were independently associated with the risk of breast cancer for BRCA1 mutation carriers [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.17, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.11-1.23, P-trend = 4.5 \times 10(-9) for rs2046210; HR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.18-1.40, P-trend = 1.3 \times 10(-8) for rs9397435], but only rs9397435 was associated with the risk for BRCA2 carriers (HR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.01-1.28, P-trend = 0.031). SNP rs11249433 (1p11.2) was associated with the risk of breast cancer for BRCA2 mutation carriers (HR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.02-1.17, P-trend = 0.015), but was not associated with breast cancer risk for BRCA1 mutation carriers (HR = 0.97, 95% CI: 0.92-1.02, P-trend = 0.20). SNP rs999737 (RAD51L1) was not associated with breast cancer risk for either BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation carriers (P-trend = 0.27 and 0.30, respectively). The identification of SNPs at 6q25.1 associated with breast cancer risk for BRCA1 mutation carriers will lead to a better understanding of the biology of tumour development in these women.

Authors: Antonis C. Antoniou, Christiana Kartsonaki, Olga M. Sinilnikova, Penny Soucy, Lesley McGuffog, Sue Healey, Andrew Lee, Paolo Peterlongo, Siranoush Manoukian, Bernard Peissel, Daniela Zaffaroni, Elisa Cattaneo, Monica Barile, Valeria Pensotti, Barbara Pasini, Riccardo Dolcetti, Giuseppe Giannini, Anna Laura Putignano, Liliana Varesco, Paolo Radice, Phuong L. Mai, Mark H. Greene, Irene L. Andrulis, Gord Glendon, Hilmi Ozcelik, Mads Thomassen, Anne-Marie Gerdes, Torben A. Kruse, Uffe Birk Jensen, Dorthe G. Crüger, Maria A. Caligo, Yael Laitman, Roni Milgrom, Bella Kaufman, Shani Paluch-Shimon, Eitan Friedman, Niklas Loman, Katja Harbst, Annika Lindblom, Brita Arver, Hans Ehrencrona, Beatrice Melin, Katherine L. Nathanson, Susan M. Domchek, Timothy Rebbeck, Ania Jakubowska, Jan Lubinski, Jacek Gronwald, Tomasz Huzarski, Tomasz Byrski, Cezary Cybulski, Bohdan Gorski, Ana Osorio, Teresa Ramón y Cajal, Florentia Fostira, Raquel Andrés, Javier Benitez, Ute Hamann, Frans B. Hogervorst, Matti A. Rookus, Maartje J. Hooning, Marcel R. Nelen, Rob B. van der Luijt, Theo A. M. van Os, Christi J. van Asperen, Peter Devilee, Hanne E. J. Meijers-Heijboer, Encarna B. Gómez Garcia, Susan Peock, Margaret Cook, Debra Frost, Radka Platte, Jean Leyland, D. Gareth Evans, Fiona Lalloo, Ros Eeles, Louise Izatt, Julian Adlard, Rosemarie Davidson, Diana Eccles, Kai-Ren Ong, Jackie Cook, Fiona Douglas, Joan Paterson, M. John Kennedy, Zosia Miedzybrodzka, Andrew Godwin, Dominique Stoppa-Lyonnet, Bruno Buecher, Muriel Belotti, Carole Tirapo, Sylvie Mazoyer, Laure Barjhoux, Christine Lasset, Dominique Leroux, Laurence Faivre, Myriam Bronner, Fabienne Prieur, Catherine Nogues, Etienne Rouleau, Pascal Pujol, Isabelle Coupier, Marc Frénay, John L. Hopper, Mary B. Daly, Mary B. Terry, Esther M. John, Saundra S. Buys, Yosuf Yassin, Alexander Miron, David Goldgar, Christian F. Singer, Muy-Kheng Tea, Georg Pfeiler, Anne Catharina Dressler, Thomas v. O. Hansen, Lars Jønson, Bent Ejlertsen, Rosa Bjork Barkardottir, Tomas Kirchhoff, Kenneth Offit, Marion Piedmonte, Gustavo Rodriguez, Laurie Small, John Boggess, Stephanie Blank, Jack Basil, Masoud Azodi, Amanda Ewart Toland, Marco Montagna, Silvia Tognazzo, Simona Agata, Evgeny Imyanitov, Ramunas Janavicius, Conxi Lazaro, Ignacio Blanco, Paul D. P. Pharoah, Lara Sucheston, Beth Y. Karlan, Christine S. Walsh, Edith Olah, Aniko Bozsik, Soo-Hwang Teo, Joyce L. Seldon, Mary S. Beattie, Elizabeth J. van Rensburg, Michelle D. Sluiter, Orland Diez, Rita K. Schmutzler, Barbara Wappenschmidt, Christoph Engel, Alfons Meindl, Ina Ruehl, Raymonda Varon-Mateeva, Karin Kast, Helmut Deissler, Dieter Niederacher, Norbert Arnold, Dorothea Gadzicki, Ines Schönbuchner, Trinidad Caldes, Miguel de La Hoya, Heli Nevanlinna, Kristiina Aittomäki, Martine Dumont, Jocelyne Chiquette, Marc Tischkowitz, Xiaoqing Chen, Jonathan Beesley, Amanda B. Spurdle, Susan L. Neuhausen, Yuan Chun Ding, Zachary Fredericksen, Xianshu Wang, Vernon S. Pankratz, Fergus Couch, Jacques Simard, Douglas F. Easton, Georgia Chenevix-Trench

Date Published: 15th Aug 2011

Publication Type: Journal article

Human Diseases: hereditary breast ovarian cancer syndrome

Abstract (Expand)

Epigenetic silencing of the O(6) -methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) gene promoter is associated with prolonged survival in glioblastoma patients treated with temozolomide (TMZ). We investigated whether glioblastoma recurrence is associated with changes in the promoter methylation status and the expression of MGMT and the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) genes MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2 in pairs of primary and recurrent glioblastomas of 80 patients, including 64 patients treated with radiotherapy and TMZ after the first operation. Among the primary tumors, the MGMT promoter was methylated in 31 patients and unmethylated in 49 patients. In 71 patients (89%), the MGMT promoter methylation status of the primary tumor was retained at recurrence. MGMT promoter methylation, but not MGMT protein expression, was associated with longer progression-free survival, overall survival and postrecurrence survival (PRS). Moreover, PRS was increased under salvage chemotherapy. Investigation of primary and recurrent glioblastomas of 43 patients did not identify promoter methylation in any of the four MMR genes. However, recurrent glioblastomas demonstrated significantly lower MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2 protein expression as detected by immunohistochemistry. In conclusion, reduced expression of MMR proteins, but not changes in MGMT promoter methylation, is characteristic of glioblastomas recurring after the current standards of care.

Authors: J. Felsberg, N. Thon, S. Eigenbrod, B. Hentschel, M. C. Sabel, M. Westphal, G. Schackert, F. W. Kreth, T. Pietsch, M. Loffler, M. Weller, G. Reifenberger, J. C. Tonn

Date Published: 1st Aug 2011

Publication Type: Not specified

Human Diseases: glioblastoma multiforme

Abstract (Expand)

BACKGROUND\backslashr\backslashnObesity is a risk factor for atherosclerotic vascular disease. Altered adipokine secretion, including increased production of nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (Nampt) and retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4) may link adipose tissue dysfunction to cardiovascular complications.\backslashr\backslashnMETHODS\backslashr\backslashnWe determined Nampt and RBP4 serum concentrations in 193 consecutive patients with carotid stenosis prior to carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in relation to recently experienced ischemic events, markers of atherosclerosis and obesity, as well as anthropometric and clinical characteristics.\backslashr\backslashnRESULTS\backslashr\backslashnNampt but not RBP4 was significantly higher in symptomatic patients who experienced an ischemic event within 6 months before surgery compared to asymptomatic patients (p=0.001). In multivariate regression analysis Nampt was the only independent predictor of symptomatic carotid stenosis. Nampt correlated with peripheral leukocyte blood count (p\textless0.0001) and with the number of macrophages/foam cells within carotid plaques (p=0.042). However, Nampt and RBP4 serum concentrations did not correlate with the maximum percentage of carotid stenosis.\backslashr\backslashnCONCLUSION\backslashr\backslashnOur data suggest circulating Nampt as an independent predictor of recently experienced ischemic events in patients with carotid stenosis despite the lack of an association between Nampt and carotid atherosclerosis severity. BACKGROUND Obesity is a risk factor for atherosclerotic vascular disease. Altered adipokine secretion, including increased production of nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (Nampt) and retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4) may link adipose tissue dysfunction to cardiovascular complications. METHODS We determined Nampt and RBP4 serum concentrations in 193 consecutive patients with carotid stenosis prior to carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in relation to recently experienced ischemic events, markers of atherosclerosis and obesity, as well as anthropometric and clinical characteristics. RESULTS Nampt but not RBP4 was significantly higher in symptomatic patients who experienced an ischemic event within 6 months before surgery compared to asymptomatic patients (p=0.001). In multivariate regression analysis Nampt was the only independent predictor of symptomatic carotid stenosis. Nampt correlated with peripheral leukocyte blood count (p\textless0.0001) and with the number of macrophages/foam cells within carotid plaques (p=0.042). However, Nampt and RBP4 serum concentrations did not correlate with the maximum percentage of carotid stenosis. CONCLUSION Our data suggest circulating Nampt as an independent predictor of recently experienced ischemic events in patients with carotid stenosis despite the lack of an association between Nampt and carotid atherosclerosis severity.

Authors: Gabriela Aust, Migle Uptaite-Patapoviene, Markus Scholz, Olaf Richter, Silvio Rohm, Matthias Blüher

Date Published: 1st Jun 2011

Publication Type: Journal article

Abstract (Expand)

The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of monitoring CD64 antigen upregulation on polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) for the identification of infectious complications in the postoperative course of solid organ transplanted patients. Twenty-five kidney, 13 liver, and four pancreas-kidney transplanted patients were included. Beginning with preoperative values up to postoperative values after 3 months for each patient, the PMN CD64 Index, HLA-DR on monocytes, NKp44+ NK and NK/T cells, CXCR3+ NK cells, CXCR3+ T helper cells, CXCR3+ NK/T cells, and CD4/CD8 ratio were measured by flow cytometry. Subsequently they were correlated with confirmed postoperative complications. Measuring the PMN CD64 Index reached a sensitivity of 89% and a specificity of 65% in the detection of infectious complications. Concerning this matter, it was a significantly better marker than all other included parameters except CXCR3+ NK/T cells. In contrast, according to our results the PMN CD64 Index has no diagnostic relevance in detection of rejections. The combination of included parameters showed no improved diagnostic value. Due to its high sensitivity and specificity for infectious complications CD64 on PMN could be proven a very good indicator in evaluating suspected infectious complications in the postoperative course of transplanted patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of monitoring CD64 antigen upregulation on polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) for the identification of infectious complications in the postoperative course of solid organ transplanted patients. Twenty-five kidney, 13 liver, and four pancreas-kidney transplanted patients were included. Beginning with preoperative values up to postoperative values after 3 months for each patient, the PMN CD64 Index, HLA-DR on monocytes, NKp44+ NK and NK/T cells, CXCR3+ NK cells, CXCR3+ T helper cells, CXCR3+ NK/T cells, and CD4/CD8 ratio were measured by flow cytometry. Subsequently they were correlated with confirmed postoperative complications. Measuring the PMN CD64 Index reached a sensitivity of 89% and a specificity of 65% in the detection of infectious complications. Concerning this matter, it was a significantly better marker than all other included parameters except CXCR3+ NK/T cells. In contrast, according to our results the PMN CD64 Index has no diagnostic relevance in detection of rejections. The combination of included parameters showed no improved diagnostic value. Due to its high sensitivity and specificity for infectious complications CD64 on PMN could be proven a very good indicator in evaluating suspected infectious complications in the postoperative course of transplanted patients.

Authors: Daniel Grey, Ulrich Sack, Markus Scholz, Heike Knaack, Stephan Fricke, Christoph Oppel, Daniel Luderer, Josef Fangmann, Frank Emmrich, Manja Kamprad

Date Published: 1st Jun 2011

Publication Type: Journal article

Abstract (Expand)

BACKGROUND: Analyses of the pore size distribution in 3D matrices such as the cell-hydrogel interface are very useful when studying changes and modifications produced as a result of cellular growth and proliferation within the matrix, as pore size distribution plays an important role in the signaling and microenvironment stimuli imparted to the cells. However, the majority of the methods for the assessment of the porosity in biomaterials are not suitable to give quantitative information about the textural properties of these nano-interfaces. FINDINGS: Here, we report a methodology for determining pore size distribution at the cell-hydrogel interface, and the depth of the matrix modified by cell growth by entrapped HepG(2) cells in microcapsules made of 0.8% and 1.4% w/v alginate. The method is based on the estimation of the shortest distance between two points of the fibril-like network hydrogel structures using image analysis of TEM pictures. Values of pore size distribution determined using the presented method and those obtained by nitrogen physisorption measurements were compared, showing good agreement. A combination of these methodologies and a study of the cell-hydrogel interface at various cell culture times showed that after three days of culture, HepG(2) cells growing in hydrogels composed of 0.8% w/v alginate had more coarse of pores at depths up to 40 nm inwards (a phenomenon most notable in the first 20 nm from the interface). This coarsening phenomenon was weakly observed in the case of cells cultured in hydrogels composed of 1.4% w/v alginate. CONCLUSIONS: The method purposed in this paper allows us to obtain information about the radial deformation of the hydrogel matrix due to cell growth, and the consequent modification of the pore size distribution pattern surrounding the cells, which are extremely important for a wide spectrum of biotechnological, pharmaceutical and biomedical applications.

Authors: A. Leal-Egana, U. D. Braumann, A. Diaz-Cuenca, M. Nowicki, A. Bader

Date Published: 27th May 2011

Publication Type: Not specified

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