Publications

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

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BACKGROUND: A significant number of patients treated with anthracyclines develop cardiotoxicity (anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity [ACT]), mainly presenting as arrhythmias (acute ACT) or congestive heart failure (chronic ACT). There are no data on pharmacogenomic predictors of ACT. METHODS AND RESULTS: We genotyped participants of the German non-Hodgkin lymphoma study (NHL-B) who were followed up for the development of heart failure for a median of >3 years. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were selected from 82 genes with conceivable relevance to ACT. Of 1697 patients, 55 developed acute and 54 developed chronic ACT (cumulative incidence of either form, 3.2%). We detected 5 significant associations with polymorphisms of the NAD(P)H oxidase and doxorubicin efflux transporters. Chronic ACT was associated with a variant of the NAD(P)H oxidase subunit NCF4 (rs1883112, -212A-->G; symbols with right-pointing arrows, as edited?' odds ratio [OR], 2.5; 95% CI, 1.3 to 5.0). Acute ACT was associated with the His72Tyr polymorphism in the p22phox subunit (rs4673; OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.0 to 3.9) and with the variant 7508T-->A (rs13058338; OR, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.3 to 5.1) of the RAC2 subunit of the same enzyme. In agreement with these results, mice deficient in NAD(P)H oxidase activity, unlike wild-type mice, were resistant to chronic doxorubicin treatment. In addition, acute ACT was associated with the Gly671Val variant of the doxorubicin efflux transporter multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1) (OR, 3.6; 95% CI, 1.6 to 8.4) and with the Val1188Glu-Cys1515Tyr (rs8187694-rs8187710) haplotype of the functionally similar MRP2 (OR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.0 to 5.4). Polymorphisms in adrenergic receptors previously demonstrated to be predictive of heart failure were not associated with ACT. CONCLUSIONS: Genetic variants in doxorubicin transport and free radical metabolism may modulate the individual risk to develop ACT.

Authors: L. Wojnowski, B. Kulle, M. Schirmer, G. Schluter, A. Schmidt, A. Rosenberger, S. Vonhof, H. Bickeboller, M. R. Toliat, E. K. Suk, M. Tzvetkov, A. Kruger, S. Seifert, M. Kloess, H. Hahn, M. Loeffler, P. Nurnberg, M. Pfreundschuh, L. Trumper, J. Brockmoller, G. Hasenfuss

Date Published: 13th Dec 2005

Publication Type: Not specified

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The composition of atherosclerotic (AS) plaques is crucial concerning rupture, thrombosis and clinical events. Two plaque types are distinguished: stable and vulnerable plaques. Vulnerable plaques are rich in inflammatory cells, mostly only M1 macrophages, and are highly susceptible to rupture. These plaques represent a high risk particularly with the standard invasive diagnosis by coronary angiography. So far there are no non-invasive low-risk clinical approaches available to detect and distinguish AS plaque types in vivo. The perspective review introduces a whole work-flow for a novel approach for non-invasive detection and classification of AS plaques using the diffusion reflection method with gold nanoparticle loaded macrophages in combination with flow and image cytometric analysis for quality assurance. Classical biophotonic methods for AS diagnosis are summarized. Phenotyping of monocytes and macrophages are discussed for specific subset labelling by nanomaterials, as well as existing studies and first experimental proofs of concept for the novel approach are shown. In vitro and in vivo detection of NP loaded macrophages (MPhi). Different ways of MPhi labelling include (1) in vitro labelling in suspension (whole blood or buffy coat) or (2) labelling of short-term MPhi cultures with re-injection of MPhi-NP into the animal to detect migration of the cells in the plaques and (3) in vivo injection of NP into the organism.

Authors: S. Melzer, R. Ankri, D. Fixler, A. Tarnok

Date Published: 26th Jun 2015

Publication Type: Not specified

Human Diseases: atherosclerosis

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Introduction Numerous indications require regular upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (oesophagogastroduodenoscopy; EGD) in outpatients. In most cases, peroral gastroscopy is performed. The aim of thiss study was to evaluate the need of transnasal gastroscopy (nEGD) in outpatients. Methods A questionnaire was used to assess patients’ preferred choice of method, previous experience with EGD, psychological aspects and sociodemographic data. Furthermore, patient satisfaction with and potentially perceived discomfort during the examination as well as preference for a method in regard to future examinations was evaluated. Results From September 2016 to March 2017, a total of 283 outpatients at endoscopy of the University Hospital of Leipzig were approached to participate in the study. 196 patients were eligible, of whom 116 (60%) chose nEGD. For 87 patients (87/283, 31%) nEGD had to be excluded for medical reasons. The average age in the total sample was 53 (\pm17) years. 147 (77%) have had previous experience with peroral EGD (oEGD). Of the nEGD examined patients 83% were fairly up to extremely satisfied with the procedure. Satisfaction significantly predicted the choice of future EGD examinations. Nasal pain experienced during nEGDs was associated with rejection of nEGD in further EGD examinations (p\textless0.01). Patients who did choose a specific procedure were more likely to select the same procedure as their future preference (\textgreekq^2= 73.6, df=1, p\textless0.001); this preference was unaffected by the procedure that had been chosen previously (reselecting nEGD: 84%, oEGD: 89%, p=0.874). Conclusion nEGD without sedation is a viable alternative. Patient satisfaction with nEGD is high, and reselection rate for nEGD is similar to that for oEGD. As a result of this study nEGD is now offered as a routine procedure at the University of Leipzig. Trial registration number NCT03663491.

Authors: Anna-Livia Schuldt, Holger Kirsten, Jan Tuennemann, Mario Heindl, Florian van Bommel, Juergen Feisthammel, Marcus Hollenbach, Albrecht Hoffmeister

Date Published: 14th Apr 2019

Publication Type: Journal article

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Negative emotional stimuli are particularly salient events that receive privileged access to neurocognitive resources. At the neural level, the processing of negative stimuli relies on a set of sensory, limbic, and prefrontal areas. However, controversies exist on how demographic and task-related characteristics modulate this brain pattern. Here, we used activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis and replicator dynamics to investigate the processing of negative visual stimuli in healthy adults. Our findings endorse the central role of the amygdala. This result might reflect how this structure modulates perceptual and attentional mechanisms in response to emotional stimuli. Additionally, we characterize how the neural processing of negative visual stimuli is influenced by the demographic factors of age and sex as well as by task-related characteristics like stimulus type, emotion category, and task instruction, with the amygdala showing comparable engagement across different sexes, stimulus types, and task instructions. Our findings practically inform experimentation in the affective neurosciences but also suggest brain circuits for neurobiological investigations of affective symptomatology.

Authors: I. Garcia-Garcia, J. Kube, M. Gaebler, A. Horstmann, A. Villringer, J. Neumann

Date Published: 12th May 2016

Publication Type: Not specified

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In humans, action errors and perceptual novelty elicit activity in a shared frontostriatal brain network, allowing them to adapt their ongoing behavior to such unexpected action outcomes. Healthy and pathologic aging reduces the integrity of white matter pathways that connect individual hubs of such networks and can impair the associated cognitive functions. Here, we investigated whether structural disconnection within this network because of small-vessel disease impairs the neural processes that subserve motor slowing after errors and novelty (post-error slowing, PES; post-novel slowing, PNS). Participants with intact frontostriatal circuitry showed increased right-lateralized beta-band (12-24 Hz) synchrony between frontocentral and frontolateral electrode sites in the electroencephalogram after errors and novelty, indexing increased neural communication. Importantly, this synchrony correlated with PES and PNS across participants. Furthermore, such synchrony was reduced in participants with frontostriatal white matter damage, in line with reduced PES and PNS. The results demonstrate that behavioral change after errors and novelty result from coordinated neural activity across a frontostriatal brain network and that such cognitive control is impaired by reduced white matter integrity.

Authors: J. R. Wessel, M. Ullsperger, H. Obrig, A. Villringer, E. Quinque, M. L. Schroeter, K. J. Bretschneider, K. Arelin, E. Roggenhofer, S. Frisch, T. A. Klein

Date Published: 14th Nov 2015

Publication Type: Not specified

Abstract (Expand)

Mathematical ability is heritable and related to several genes expressing proteins in the brain. It is unknown, however, which intermediate neural phenotypes could explain how these genes relate to mathematical ability. Here, we examined genetic effects on cerebral cortical volume of 3-6-year-old children without mathematical training to predict mathematical ability in school at 7-9 years of age. To this end, we followed an exploration sample (n = 101) and an independent replication sample (n = 77). We found that ROBO1, a gene known to regulate prenatal growth of cerebral cortical layers, is associated with the volume of the right parietal cortex, a key region for quantity representation. Individual volume differences in this region predicted up to a fifth of the behavioral variance in mathematical ability. Our findings indicate that a fundamental genetic component of the quantity processing system is rooted in the early development of the parietal cortex.

Authors: M. A. Skeide, K. Wehrmann, Z. Emami, H. Kirsten, A. M. Hartmann, D. Rujescu

Date Published: 22nd Oct 2020

Publication Type: Journal article

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BACKGROUND\backslashr\backslashnThe therapeutic capacity of human umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells (HUCB-MNC) and stem cells derived thereof is documented in animal models of focal cerebral ischemia, while mechanisms behind the reduction of lesion size and the observed improvement of behavioral skills still remain poorly understood.\backslashr\backslashnMETHODS\backslashr\backslashnA human in vitro model of neuronal hypoxia was used to address the impact of total HUCB-MNC (tMNC), a stem cell enriched fraction (CD133+, 97.38% CD133-positive cells) and a stem cell depleted fraction (CD133-, 0.06% CD133-positive cells) of HUCB-MNC by either direct or indirect co-cultivation with post-hypoxic neuronal cells (differentiated SH-SY5Y). Over three days, development of apoptosis and necrosis of neuronal cells, chemotaxis of MNC and production of chemokines (CCL2, CCL3, CCL5, CXCL8, CXCL9) and growth factors (G-CSF, GM-CSF, VEGF, bFGF) were analyzed using fluorescence microscopy, FACS and cytometric bead array.\backslashr\backslashnRESULTS\backslashr\backslashntMNC, CD133+ and surprisingly CD133- reduced neuronal apoptosis in direct co-cultivations significantly to levels in the range of normoxic controls (7% +/- 3%). Untreated post-hypoxic control cultures showed apoptosis rates of 85% +/- 11%. tMNC actively migrated towards injured neuronal cells. Both co-cultivation types using tMNC or CD133- reduced apoptosis comparably. CD133- produced high concentrations of CCL3 and neuroprotective G-CSF within indirect co-cultures. Soluble factors produced by CD133+ cells were not detectable in direct co-cultures.\backslashr\backslashnCONCLUSION\backslashr\backslashnOur data show that heterogeneous tMNC and even CD133-depleted fractions have the capability not only to reduce apoptosis in neuronal cells but also to trigger the retaining of neuronal phenotypes. BACKGROUND The therapeutic capacity of human umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells (HUCB-MNC) and stem cells derived thereof is documented in animal models of focal cerebral ischemia, while mechanisms behind the reduction of lesion size and the observed improvement of behavioral skills still remain poorly understood. METHODS A human in vitro model of neuronal hypoxia was used to address the impact of total HUCB-MNC (tMNC), a stem cell enriched fraction (CD133+, 97.38% CD133-positive cells) and a stem cell depleted fraction (CD133-, 0.06% CD133-positive cells) of HUCB-MNC by either direct or indirect co-cultivation with post-hypoxic neuronal cells (differentiated SH-SY5Y). Over three days, development of apoptosis and necrosis of neuronal cells, chemotaxis of MNC and production of chemokines (CCL2, CCL3, CCL5, CXCL8, CXCL9) and growth factors (G-CSF, GM-CSF, VEGF, bFGF) were analyzed using fluorescence microscopy, FACS and cytometric bead array. RESULTS tMNC, CD133+ and surprisingly CD133- reduced neuronal apoptosis in direct co-cultivations significantly to levels in the range of normoxic controls (7% +/- 3%). Untreated post-hypoxic control cultures showed apoptosis rates of 85% +/- 11%. tMNC actively migrated towards injured neuronal cells. Both co-cultivation types using tMNC or CD133- reduced apoptosis comparably. CD133- produced high concentrations of CCL3 and neuroprotective G-CSF within indirect co-cultures. Soluble factors produced by CD133+ cells were not detectable in direct co-cultures. CONCLUSION Our data show that heterogeneous tMNC and even CD133-depleted fractions have the capability not only to reduce apoptosis in neuronal cells but also to trigger the retaining of neuronal phenotypes.

Authors: Doreen M. Reich, Susann Hau, Tobias Stahl, Markus Scholz, Wilfried Naumann, Frank Emmrich, Johannes Boltze, Manja Kamprad

Date Published: 1st Dec 2008

Publication Type: Journal article

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BACKGROUND Community-acquired pneumonia and associated sepsis cause high mortality despite antibiotic treatment. Uncontrolled inflammatory host responses contribute to the unfavorable outcome by drivingg lung and extrapulmonary organ failure. The complement fragment C5a holds significant proinflammatory functions and is associated with tissue damage in various inflammatory conditions. The authors hypothesized that C5a concentrations are increased in pneumonia and C5a neutralization promotes barrier stabilization in the lung and is protective in pneumococcal pulmonary sepsis. METHODS The authors investigated regulation of C5a in pneumonia in a prospective patient cohort and in experimental pneumonia. Two complementary models of murine pneumococcal pneumonia were applied. Female mice were treated with NOX-D19, a C5a-neutralizing L-RNA-aptamer. Lung, liver, and kidney injury and the inflammatory response were assessed by measuring pulmonary permeability (primary outcome), pulmonary and blood leukocytes, cytokine concentrations in lung and blood, and bacterial load in lung, spleen, and blood, and performing histologic analyses of tissue damage, apoptosis, and fibrin deposition (n = 5 to 13). RESULTS In hospitalized patients with pneumonia (n = 395), higher serum C5a concentrations were observed compared to healthy subjects (n = 24; 6.3 nmol/l [3.9 to 10.0] vs. 4.5 nmol/l [3.8 to 6.6], median [25 to 75% interquartile range]; difference: 1.4 [95% CI, 0.1 to 2.9]; P = 0.029). Neutralization of C5a in mice resulted in lower pulmonary permeability in pneumococcal pneumonia (1.38 \pm 0.89 vs. 3.29 \pm 2.34, mean \pm SD; difference: 1.90 [95% CI, 0.15 to 3.66]; P = 0.035; n = 10 or 11) or combined severe pneumonia and mechanical ventilation (2.56 \pm 1.17 vs. 7.31 \pm 5.22; difference: 4.76 [95% CI, 1.22 to 8.30]; P = 0.011; n = 9 or 10). Further, C5a neutralization led to lower blood granulocyte colony-stimulating factor concentrations and protected against sepsis-associated liver injury. CONCLUSIONS Systemic C5a is elevated in pneumonia patients. Neutralizing C5a protected against lung and liver injury in pneumococcal pneumonia in mice. Early neutralization of C5a might be a promising adjunctive treatment strategy to improve outcome in community-acquired pneumonia. : WHAT WE ALREADY KNOW ABOUT THIS TOPIC: Pneumonia, sepsis, and immune dysregulation cause morbidity and mortalityC5a is a component of the complement system and a proinflammatory mediator that modulates the innate immune response in critical illnessDisruption of the C5a receptor axis with antibodies or antagonists was previously protective in various animal sepsis models WHAT THIS ARTICLE TELLS US THAT IS NEW: In hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia, serum C5a concentrations were 1.4-fold higher compared to healthy subjectsIn two mouse models of pneumonia and sepsis, NOX-D19, a C5a-neutralizing L-RNA aptamer, caused lower pulmonary hyperpermeability and sepsis-related acute liver injury.

Authors: Holger Müller-Redetzky, Ute Kellermann, Sandra-Maria Wienhold, Birgitt Gutbier, Jasmin Lienau, Katharina Hellwig, Katrin Reppe, Eleftheria Letsiou, Thomas Tschernig, Markus Scholz, Peter Ahnert, Christian Maasch, Kai Hoehlig, Sven Klussmann, Axel Vater, Theresa C. Firsching, Judith Hoppe, Norbert Suttorp, Martin Witzenrath

Date Published: 2020

Publication Type: Journal article

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The differentiation of human monocytes into macrophages is influenced by environmental signals. Here we asked in how far nicotinamide (NAM), a vitamin B3 derivative known to play a major role in nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)-mediated signaling events, is able to modulate monocyte differentiation into macrophages developed in the presence of granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-MO) or macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-MO). We found that GM-MO undergo biochemical, morphological and functional modifications in response to NAM, whereas M-MO were hardly affected. GM-MO exposed to NAM acquired an M-MO-like structure while the LPS-induced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and COX-derived eicosanoids were down-regulated. In contrast, NAM had no effect on the production of IL-10 or the cytochrome P450-derived eicosanoids. Administration of NAM enhanced intracellular NAD concentrations; however, it did not prevent the LPS-mediated drain on NAD pools. In search of intracellular molecular targets of NAM known to be involved in LPS-induced cytokine and eicosanoid synthesis, we found NF-kappaB activity to be diminished. In conclusion, our data show that vitamin B3, when present during the differentiation of monocytes into GM-MO, interferes with biochemical pathways resulting in strongly reduced pro-inflammatory features.

Authors: R. Weiss, E. Schilling, A. Grahnert, V. Kolling, J. Dorow, U. Ceglarek, U. Sack, S. Hauschildt

Date Published: 20th Sep 2015

Publication Type: Not specified

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OBJECTIVE The functional variant C77G (rs17612648) of PTPRC (CD45) was described to confer risk for systemic sclerosis (SSc) in German Caucasians. We analyzed this association in an independent, largerr German cohort. METHODS We genotyped 171 cases and 179 controls. Cases were subgrouped according to sex, autoantibody profiles, or clinical subsets. RESULTS No association of SSc with C77G was detected in the whole dataset, in subgroups, or in combined analyses with a previous study. CONCLUSION The results do not confirm PTPRC C77G as a general and independent risk factor for development of SSc.

Authors: Holger Kirsten, Mechthild Blume, Frank Emmrich, Nico Hunzelmann, Rudolf Mierau, Rita Rzepka, Peter Vaith, Torsten Witte, Inga Melchers, Peter Ahnert

Date Published: 2008

Publication Type: Journal article

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In recent years, genome-wide association studies have identified 58 independent risk loci for coronary artery disease (CAD) on the autosome. However, due to the sex-specific data structure of the X chromosome, it has been excluded from most of these analyses. While females have 2 copies of chromosome X, males have only one. Also, one of the female X chromosomes may be inactivated. Therefore, special test statistics and quality control procedures are required. Thus, little is known about the role of X-chromosomal variants in CAD. To fill this gap, we conducted a comprehensive X-chromosome-wide meta-analysis including more than 43,000 CAD cases and 58,000 controls from 35 international study cohorts. For quality control, sex-specific filters were used to adequately take the special structure of X-chromosomal data into account. For single study analyses, several logistic regression models were calculated allowing for inactivation of one female X-chromosome, adjusting for sex and investigating interactions between sex and genetic variants. Then, meta-analyses including all 35 studies were conducted using random effects models. None of the investigated models revealed genome-wide significant associations for any variant. Although we analyzed the largest-to-date sample, currently available methods were not able to detect any associations of X-chromosomal variants with CAD.

Authors: C. Loley, M. Alver, T. L. Assimes, A. Bjonnes, A. Goel, S. Gustafsson, J. Hernesniemi, J. C. Hopewell, S. Kanoni, M. E. Kleber, K. W. Lau, Y. Lu, L. P. Lyytikainen, C. P. Nelson, M. Nikpay, L. Qu, E. Salfati, M. Scholz, T. Tukiainen, C. Willenborg, H. H. Won, L. Zeng, W. Zhang, S. S. Anand, F. Beutner, E. P. Bottinger, R. Clarke, G. Dedoussis, R. Do, T. Esko, M. Eskola, M. Farrall, D. Gauguier, V. Giedraitis, C. B. Granger, A. S. Hall, A. Hamsten, S. L. Hazen, J. Huang, M. Kahonen, T. Kyriakou, R. Laaksonen, L. Lind, C. Lindgren, P. K. Magnusson, E. Marouli, E. Mihailov, A. P. Morris, K. Nikus, N. Pedersen, L. Rallidis, V. Salomaa, S. H. Shah, A. F. Stewart, J. R. Thompson, P. A. Zalloua, J. C. Chambers, R. Collins, E. Ingelsson, C. Iribarren, P. J. Karhunen, J. S. Kooner, T. Lehtimaki, R. J. Loos, W. Marz, R. McPherson, A. Metspalu, M. P. Reilly, S. Ripatti, D. K. Sanghera, J. Thiery, H. Watkins, P. Deloukas, S. Kathiresan, N. J. Samani, H. Schunkert, J. Erdmann, I. R. Konig

Date Published: 12th Oct 2016

Publication Type: Journal article

Human Diseases: coronary artery disease

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BACKGROUND The transforming growth factor beta-1 gene (TGFB1) is a plausible candidate for breast cancer susceptibility. The L10P variant of TGFB1 is associated with higher circulating levels andd secretion of TGF-beta, and recent large-scale studies suggest strongly that this variant is associated with breast cancer risk in the general population. METHODS To evaluate whether TGFB1 L10P also modifies the risk of breast cancer in BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation carriers, we undertook a multi-center study of 3,442 BRCA1 and 2,095 BRCA2 mutation carriers. RESULTS We found no evidence of association between TGFB1 L10P and breast cancer risk in either BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation carriers. The per-allele HR for the L10P variant was 1.01 (95%CI: 0.92-1.11) in BRCA1 carriers and 0.92 (95%CI: 0.81-1.04) in BRCA2 mutation carriers. CONCLUSIONS These results do not support the hypothesis that TGFB1 L10P genotypes modify the risk of breast cancer in BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation carriers.

Authors: Timothy R. Rebbeck, Antonis C. Antoniou, Trinidad Caldes Llopis, Heli Nevanlinna, Kristiina Aittomäki, Jacques Simard, Amanda B. Spurdle, Fergus J. Couch, Lutecia H. Mateus Pereira, Mark H. Greene, Irene L. Andrulis, Boris Pasche, Virginia Kaklamani, Ute Hamann, Csilla Szabo, Susan Peock, Margaret Cook, Patricia A. Harrington, Alan Donaldson, Allison M. Male, Carol Anne Gardiner, Helen Gregory, Lucy E. Side, Anne C. Robinson, Louise Emmerson, Ian Ellis, Jean-Philippe Peyrat, Joëlle Fournier, Philippe Vennin, Claude Adenis, Danièle Muller, Jean-Pierre Fricker, Michel Longy, Olga M. Sinilnikova, Dominique Stoppa-Lyonnet, Rita K. Schmutzler, Beatrix Versmold, Christoph Engel, Alfons Meindl, Karin Kast, Dieter Schaefer, Ursula G. Froster, Georgia Chenevix-Trench, Douglas F. Easton

Date Published: 1st May 2009

Publication Type: Journal article

Human Diseases: hereditary breast ovarian cancer syndrome

Abstract (Expand)

OBJECTIVE Clinical genetic testing is commercially available for rs61764370, an inherited variant residing in a KRAS 3’ UTR microRNA binding site, based on suggested associations with increased ovariann and breast cancer risk as well as with survival time. However, prior studies, emphasizing particular subgroups, were relatively small. Therefore, we comprehensively evaluated ovarian and breast cancer risks as well as clinical outcome associated with rs61764370. METHODS Centralized genotyping and analysis were performed for 140,012 women enrolled in the Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium (15,357 ovarian cancer patients; 30,816 controls), the Breast Cancer Association Consortium (33,530 breast cancer patients; 37,640 controls), and the Consortium of Modifiers of BRCA1 and BRCA2 (14,765 BRCA1 and 7904 BRCA2 mutation carriers). RESULTS We found no association with risk of ovarian cancer (OR=0.99, 95% CI 0.94-1.04, p=0.74) or breast cancer (OR=0.98, 95% CI 0.94-1.01, p=0.19) and results were consistent among mutation carriers (BRCA1, ovarian cancer HR=1.09, 95% CI 0.97-1.23, p=0.14, breast cancer HR=1.04, 95% CI 0.97-1.12, p=0.27; BRCA2, ovarian cancer HR=0.89, 95% CI 0.71-1.13, p=0.34, breast cancer HR=1.06, 95% CI 0.94-1.19, p=0.35). Null results were also obtained for associations with overall survival following ovarian cancer (HR=0.94, 95% CI 0.83-1.07, p=0.38), breast cancer (HR=0.96, 95% CI 0.87-1.06, p=0.38), and all other previously-reported associations. CONCLUSIONS rs61764370 is not associated with risk of ovarian or breast cancer nor with clinical outcome for patients with these cancers. Therefore, genotyping this variant has no clinical utility related to the prediction or management of these cancers.

Authors: Antoinette Hollestelle, Frederieke H. van der Baan, Andrew Berchuck, Sharon E. Johnatty, Katja K. Aben, Bjarni A. Agnarsson, Kristiina Aittomäki, Elisa Alducci, Irene L. Andrulis, Hoda Anton-Culver, Natalia N. Antonenkova, Antonis C. Antoniou, Carmel Apicella, Volker Arndt, Norbert Arnold, Banu K. Arun, Brita Arver, Alan Ashworth, Laura Baglietto, Rosemary Balleine, Elisa V. Bandera, Daniel Barrowdale, Yukie T. Bean, Lars Beckmann, Matthias W. Beckmann, Javier Benitez, Andreas Berger, Raanan Berger, Benoit Beuselinck, Maria Bisogna, Line Bjorge, Carl Blomqvist, Natalia V. Bogdanova, Anders Bojesen, Stig E. Bojesen, Manjeet K. Bolla, Bernardo Bonanni, Judith S. Brand, Hiltrud Brauch, Hermann Brenner, Louise Brinton, Angela Brooks-Wilson, Fiona Bruinsma, Joan Brunet, Thomas Brüning, Agnieszka Budzilowska, Clareann H. Bunker, Barbara Burwinkel, Ralf Butzow, Saundra S. Buys, Maria A. Caligo, Ian Campbell, Jonathan Carter, Jenny Chang-Claude, Stephen J. Chanock, Kathleen B. M. Claes, J. Margriet Collée, Linda S. Cook, Fergus J. Couch, Angela Cox, Daniel Cramer, Simon S. Cross, Julie M. Cunningham, Cezary Cybulski, Kamila Czene, Francesca Damiola, Agnieszka Dansonka-Mieszkowska, Hatef Darabi, Miguel de La Hoya, Anna deFazio, Joseph Dennis, Peter Devilee, Ed M. Dicks, Orland Diez, Jennifer A. Doherty, Susan M. Domchek, Cecilia M. Dorfling, Thilo Dörk, Isabel Dos Santos Silva, Andreas Du Bois, Martine Dumont, Alison M. Dunning, Mercedes Duran, Douglas F. Easton, Diana Eccles, Robert P. Edwards, Hans Ehrencrona, Bent Ejlertsen, Arif B. Ekici, Steve D. Ellis, Christoph Engel, Mikael Eriksson, Peter A. Fasching, Lidia Feliubadalo, Jonine Figueroa, Dieter Flesch-Janys, Olivia Fletcher, Annette Fontaine, Stefano Fortuzzi, Florentia Fostira, Brooke L. Fridley, Tara Friebel, Eitan Friedman, Grace Friel, Debra Frost, Judy Garber, Montserrat García-Closas, Simon A. Gayther, Aleksandra Gentry-Maharaj, Anne-Marie Gerdes, Graham G. Giles, Rosalind Glasspool, Gord Glendon, Andrew K. Godwin, Marc T. Goodman, Martin Gore, Mark H. Greene, Mervi Grip, Jacek Gronwald, Daphne Gschwantler Kaulich, Pascal Guénel, Starr R. Guzman, Lothar Haeberle, Christopher A. Haiman, Per Hall, Sandra L. Halverson, Ute Hamann, Thomas v. O. Hansen, Philipp Harter, Jaana M. Hartikainen, Sue Healey, Alexander Hein, Florian Heitz, Brian E. Henderson, Josef Herzog, Michelle A. T Hildebrandt, Claus K. Høgdall, Estrid Høgdall, Frans B. L. Hogervorst, John L. Hopper, Keith Humphreys, Tomasz Huzarski, Evgeny N. Imyanitov, Claudine Isaacs, Anna Jakubowska, Ramunas Janavicius, Katarzyna Jaworska, Allan Jensen, Uffe Birk Jensen, Nichola Johnson, Arja Jukkola-Vuorinen, Maria Kabisch, Beth Y. Karlan, Vesa Kataja, Noah Kauff, Linda E. Kelemen, Michael J. Kerin, Lambertus A. Kiemeney, Susanne K. Kjaer, Julia A. Knight, Jacoba P. Knol-Bout, Irene Konstantopoulou, Veli-Matti Kosma, Camilla Krakstad, Vessela Kristensen, Karoline B. Kuchenbaecker, Jolanta Kupryjanczyk, Yael Laitman, Diether Lambrechts, Sandrina Lambrechts, Melissa C. Larson, Adriana Lasa, Pierre Laurent-Puig, Conxi Lazaro, Nhu D. Le, Loic Le Marchand, Arto Leminen, Jenny Lester, Douglas A. Levine, Jingmei Li, Dong Liang, Annika Lindblom, Noralane Lindor, Jolanta Lissowska, Jirong Long, Karen H. Lu, Jan Lubinski, Lene Lundvall, Galina Lurie, Phuong L. Mai, Arto Mannermaa, Sara Margolin, Frederique Mariette, Frederik Marme, John W. M. Martens, Leon F. A. G. Massuger, Christine Maugard, Sylvie Mazoyer, Lesley McGuffog, Valerie McGuire, Catriona McLean, Iain McNeish, Alfons Meindl, Florence Menegaux, Primitiva Menéndez, Janusz Menkiszak, Usha Menon, Arjen R. Mensenkamp, Nicola Miller, Roger L. Milne, Francesmary Modugno, Marco Montagna, Kirsten B. Moysich, Heiko Müller, Anna Marie Mulligan, Taru A. Muranen, Steven A. Narod, Katherine L. Nathanson, Roberta B. Ness, Susan L. Neuhausen, Heli Nevanlinna, Patrick Neven, Finn C. Nielsen, Sune F. Nielsen, Børge G. Nordestgaard, Robert L. Nussbaum, Kunle Odunsi, Kenneth Offit, Edith Olah, Olufunmilayo I. Olopade, Janet E. Olson, Sara H. Olson, Jan C. Oosterwijk, Irene Orlow, Nick Orr, Sandra Orsulic, Ana Osorio, Laura Ottini, James Paul, Celeste L. Pearce, Inge Sokilde Pedersen, Bernard Peissel, Tanja Pejovic, Liisa M. Pelttari, Jo Perkins, Jenny Permuth-Wey, Paolo Peterlongo, Julian Peto, Catherine M. Phelan, Kelly-Anne Phillips, Marion Piedmonte, Malcolm C. Pike, Radka Platte, Joanna Plisiecka-Halasa, Elizabeth M. Poole, Bruce Poppe, Katri Pylkäs, Paolo Radice, Susan J. Ramus, Timothy R. Rebbeck, Malcolm W. R. Reed, Gad Rennert, Harvey A. Risch, Mark Robson, Gustavo C. Rodriguez, Atocha Romero, Mary Anne Rossing, Joseph H. Rothstein, Anja Rudolph, Ingo Runnebaum, Ritu Salani, Helga B. Salvesen, Elinor J. Sawyer, Joellen M. Schildkraut, Marjanka K. Schmidt, Rita K. Schmutzler, Andreas Schneeweiss, Minouk J. Schoemaker, Michael G. Schrauder, Fredrick Schumacher, Ira Schwaab, Giulietta Scuvera, Thomas A. Sellers, Gianluca Severi, Caroline M. Seynaeve, Mitul Shah, Martha Shrubsole, Nadeem Siddiqui, Weiva Sieh, Jacques Simard, Christian F. Singer, Olga M. Sinilnikova, Dominiek Smeets, Christof Sohn, Maria Soller, Honglin Song, Penny Soucy, Melissa C. Southey, Christa Stegmaier, Dominique Stoppa-Lyonnet, Lara Sucheston, Anthony Swerdlow, Ingvild L. Tangen, Muy-Kheng Tea, Manuel R. Teixeira, Kathryn L. Terry, Mary Beth Terry, Mads Thomassen, Pamela J. Thompson, Laima Tihomirova, Marc Tischkowitz, Amanda Ewart Toland, Rob A. E. M. Tollenaar, Ian Tomlinson, Diana Torres, Thérèse Truong, Helen Tsimiklis, Nadine Tung, Shelley S. Tworoger, Jonathan P. Tyrer, Celine M. Vachon, Laura J. van ’t Veer, Anne M. van Altena, C. J. van Asperen, David van den Berg, Ans M. W. van den Ouweland, Helena C. van Doorn, Els van Nieuwenhuysen, Elizabeth J. van Rensburg, Ignace Vergote, Senno Verhoef, Robert A. Vierkant, Joseph Vijai, Allison F. Vitonis, Anna von Wachenfeldt, Christine Walsh, Qin Wang, Shan Wang-Gohrke, Barbara Wappenschmidt, Maren Weischer, Jeffrey N. Weitzel, Caroline Weltens, Nicolas Wentzensen, Alice S. Whittemore, Lynne R. Wilkens, Robert Winqvist, Anna H. Wu, Xifeng Wu, Hannah P. Yang, Daniela Zaffaroni, M. Pilar Zamora, Wei Zheng, Argyrios Ziogas, Georgia Chenevix-Trench, Paul D. P. Pharoah, Matti A. Rookus, Maartje J. Hooning, Ellen L. Goode

Date Published: 1st May 2016

Publication Type: Journal article

Human Diseases: hereditary breast ovarian cancer syndrome

Abstract (Expand)

INTRODUCTION\backslashr\backslashnThe objective was to study the potential genetic contribution of Toll-like receptor (TLR) genes in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). TLRs bind to pathogen-associated molecular patterns, and TLR genes influence both proinflammatory cytokine production and autoimmune responses. Host-pathogen interactions are involved in RA physiopathology.\backslashr\backslashnMETHODS\backslashr\backslashnWe tested SNPs of five TLR genes (TLR9, TLR2, TLR6, TLR1, and TLR4) in a cohort of 100 French families with RA. Genotypes were analyzed using the transmission disequilibrium test. As TLR2, TLR6, and TLR1 are located on chromosome 4, we determined the haplotype relative risk. Analyses were performed in subgroups defined by status for rheumatoid factor, anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide autoantibodies, and erosions.\backslashr\backslashnRESULTS\backslashr\backslashnWe found no disequilibrium in allele transmission for any of the SNPs of the five TLR genes. In subgroup analyses, no associations were detected linking TLR9, TLR2, or TLR9/TLR2 to rheumatoid factor, anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide autoantibodies, or erosions. Haplotype analysis of the polymorphisms showed no haplotype associations in any of the subgroups.\backslashr\backslashnCONCLUSIONS\backslashr\backslashnWe found no evidence of major effects of TLR gene polymorphisms in RA, although we tested different TLR phenotypes. Moreover, no associations were noted with autoantibody production or erosions.

Authors: Olivier Jaen, Elisabeth Petit-Teixeira, Holger Kirsten, Peter Ahnert, Luca Semerano, Céline Pierlot, François Cornelis, Marie-Christophe Boissier, Geraldine Falgarone

Date Published: 2009

Publication Type: Journal article

Abstract (Expand)

Background: Patients with cardiac complaints but without confirmed diagnosis of coronary heart disease by angiography frequently develop cardiac events in the following years. This follow-up study investigated the frequency of cardiac symptoms and cardiovascular events (CVE) 5 years after initial angiography of patients with nonobstructive coronary artery disease (NobCAD, LIFE Heart study), with the aim to identify gender-specific indicators for CVE. Methods: In 2014/2015, 1462 women and men with NobCAD, defined as no or non-relevant obstructive coronary artery disease were identified among 2660 subjects participating in the observational angiographic LIFE Heart study. Questionnaires of 820 responding patients were analyzed. Results: The median observation time was 55 months. Cardiac symptoms were found in 53.6% of all patients, significantly more often in women than in men (59.4% vs. 48.8%; p = 0.002). CVE occurred in 46.1% of all participants (n = 378/820). Patients with cardiac symptoms had a 2.94 time higher risk for CVE than those without cardiac symptoms (p \textless 0.001). Men with no cardiac symptoms had significantly more CVE (p = 0.042) than women. Common risk factors for CVE comprised cardiac symptoms, atrial fibrillation, and age. Sex-specific risk factors comprised body mass index (BMI) \geq25 kg/m2 for women and anxiety for men. Conclusions: Patients with cardiac symptoms have about three times higher risk for CVE within 5 years than patients without cardiac symptoms. Sex differences exist in patients without symptoms where men were at higher risk for CVE. Atrial fibrillation was the strongest indicator for CVE, whereas anxiety was an indicator only in men and BMI \geq25 kg/m2 only in women, suggesting sex- and gender-specific phenotypic profiles.

Authors: Ahmad T. Nauman, Andrej Teren, Samira Zeynalova, Joachim Thiery, Vera Regitz-Zagrosek, Markus Scholz, Ute Seeland

Date Published: 1st Mar 2020

Publication Type: Journal article

Abstract (Expand)

PURPOSE: Daytime sleepiness is associated with several medical problems. The aim of this paper is to provide normative values for one of the most often used questionnaires measuring daytime sleepiness, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). METHODS: A large sample of 9711 people from the German general population took part in this study. In addition to the ESS, several other questionnaires were used, and sociodemographic and behavioral factors were recorded. RESULTS: Normative values for the ESS are given. According to the generally accepted criterion ESS > 10, 23 % of the sample showed excessive daytime sleepiness. Males reported significantly more daytime sleepiness than females (effect size d = 0.19). In the age range of 40-80 years, a continuous decline of daytime sleepiness was observed. Psychometric properties of the ESS were good. Alcohol intake and nicotine consumption were marginally associated with daytime sleepiness, and obese people reported significantly more sleepiness than people of normal weight (OR = 1.39). CONCLUSIONS: The normative tables allow clinicians and researchers to assess the degree of their patients' daytime sleepiness, especially in the upper range of scores.

Authors: C. Sander, U. Hegerl, K. Wirkner, N. Walter, R. D. Kocalevent, K. Petrowski, H. Glaesmer, A. Hinz

Date Published: 29th May 2016

Publication Type: Journal article

Abstract (Expand)

Purpose: The onset and progression of optic neuropathies like glaucoma often occurs asymmetrically between the two eyes of a patient. Interocular circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (cpRNFLT) differences could detect disease earlier. To apply such differences diagnostically, detailed location specific norms are necessary. Methods: Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography cpRNFLT circle scans from the population-based Leipzig Research Centre for Civilization Diseases–Adult study were selected. At each of the 768 radial scanning locations, normative interocular cpRNFLT difference distributions were calculated based on age and interocular radius difference. Results: A total of 8966 cpRNFLT scans of healthy eyes (4483 patients; 55% female; age range, 20–79 years) were selected. Global cpRNFLT average was 1.53 µm thicker in right eyes (P < 2.2 × 10–16). On 96% of the 768 locations, left minus right eye differences were significant (P < 0.05), varying between +11.6 µm (superonasal location) and −11.8 µm (nasal location). Increased age and difference in interocular scanning radii were associated with an increased mean and variance of interocular cpRNFLT difference at most retinal locations, apart from the area temporal to the inferior RNF bundle where cpRNFLT becomes more similar between eyes with age. Conclusions: We provide pointwise normative distributions of interocular cpRNFLT differences at an unprecedentedly high spatial resolution of 768 A-scans and reveal considerable location specific asymmetries as well as their associations with age and scanning radius differences between eyes. Translational Relevance: To facilitate clinical application, we implement these age- and radius-specific norms across all 768 locations in an open-source software to generate patient-specific normative color plots.

Authors: Neda Baniasadi, Franziska G. Rauscher, Dian Li, Mengyu Wang, Eun Young Choi, Hui Wang, Thomas Peschel, Kerstin Wirkner, Toralf Kirsten, Joachim Thiery, Christoph Engel, Markus Loeffler, Tobias Elze

Date Published: 3rd Aug 2020

Publication Type: Journal article

Abstract

Not specified

Authors: A. Häber, C. Heide, M. Friedrich, Alfred Winter

Date Published: 2001

Publication Type: Journal article

Abstract (Expand)

Three-dimensional (3D) whole body scanners are increasingly used as precise measuring tools for the rapid quantification of anthropometric measures in epidemiological studies. We analyzed 3D whole body scanning data of nearly 10,000 participants of a cohort collected from the adult population of Leipzig, one of the largest cities in Eastern Germany. We present a novel approach for the systematic analysis of this data which aims at identifying distinguishable clusters of body shapes called body types. In the first step, our method aggregates body measures provided by the scanner into meta-measures, each representing one relevant dimension of the body shape. In a next step, we stratified the cohort into body types and assessed their stability and dependence on the size of the underlying cohort. Using self-organizing maps (SOM) we identified thirteen robust meta-measures and fifteen body types comprising between 1 and 18 percent of the total cohort size. Thirteen of them are virtually gender specific (six for women and seven for men) and thus reflect most abundant body shapes of women and men. Two body types include both women and men, and describe androgynous body shapes that lack typical gender specific features. The body types disentangle a large variability of body shapes enabling distinctions which go beyond the traditional indices such as body mass index, the waist-to-height ratio, the waist-to-hip ratio and the mortality-hazard ABSI-index. In a next step, we will link the identified body types with disease predispositions to study how size and shape of the human body impact health and disease.

Authors: H. Loffler-Wirth, E. Willscher, P. Ahnert, K. Wirkner, C. Engel, M. Loeffler, H. Binder

Date Published: 29th Jul 2016

Publication Type: Not specified

Human Diseases: obesity

Abstract (Expand)

Chromosomal translocations involving an immunoglobulin (IG) locus and a proto-oncogene play a major role in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) pathogenesis. Recurrent IG translocation partners in DLBCL are the BCL6, BCL2, and MYC genes, but other rare translocation partners are also known. We studied 20 DLBCL with fluorescence in situ hybridization-based evidence for IG heavy chain (IGH) locus-associated translocations not involving BCL6, BCL2, MALT1, or MYC by long distance inverse PCR to identify the translocation partners. Moreover, we studied eight DLBCL with MYC translocations not involving IG or known non-IG loci as translocation partner to search for novel MYC translocations. We identified three novel IGH-associated translocations. Chromosomal breakpoints involved the IMMP2L gene in 7q31, the BCAS2 gene in 1p13, and the PVRL2 gene in 19q13. The latter gene, which is recurrently translocated in T-cell lymphomas, is significantly higher expressed in the biopsy with the translocation compared to cases without this genetic aberration, indicating a pathogenetic role of PVRL2 also in DLBCL. In one case with a MYC break we obtained a novel MYC-SOCS1 translocation representing an unusual translocation of a proto-oncogene with a tumor suppressor gene. Indeed, we demonstrate that the oncogene was deregulated and the tumor suppressor gene inactivated. As both genes undergo aberrant somatic hypermutation in the region of the chromosomal breakpoints, this translocation likely happened as a byproduct of the hypermutation process. Overall, our study suggests that chromosomal translocations in DLBCL are more heterogeneous than previously known. (c) 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Authors: C. Otto, R. Scholtysik, R. Schmitz, M. Kreuz, C. Becher, M. Hummel, A. Rosenwald, L. Trumper, W. Klapper, R. Siebert, R. Kuppers

Date Published: 30th Jun 2016

Publication Type: Journal article

Human Diseases: diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Abstract (Expand)

The genetic background of childhood body mass index (BMI), and the extent to which the well-known associations of childhood BMI with adult diseases are explained by shared genetic factors, are largely unknown. We performed a genome-wide association study meta-analysis of BMI in 61,111 children aged between 2 and 10 years. Twenty-five independent loci reached genome-wide significance in the combined discovery and replication analyses. Two of these, located near NEDD4L and SLC45A3, have not previously been reported in relation to either childhood or adult BMI. Positive genetic correlations of childhood BMI with birth weight and adult BMI, waist-to-hip ratio, diastolic blood pressure and type 2 diabetes were detected (Rg ranging from 0.11 to 0.76, P-values <0.002). A negative genetic correlation of childhood BMI with age at menarche was observed. Our results suggest that the biological processes underlying childhood BMI largely, but not completely, overlap with those underlying adult BMI. The well-known observational associations of BMI in childhood with cardio-metabolic diseases in adulthood may reflect partial genetic overlap, but in light of previous evidence, it is also likely that they are explained through phenotypic continuity of BMI from childhood into adulthood.

Authors: S. Vogelezang, J. P. Bradfield, T. S. Ahluwalia, J. A. Curtin, T. A. Lakka, N. Grarup, M. Scholz, P. J. van der Most, C. Monnereau, E. Stergiakouli, A. Heiskala, M. Horikoshi, I. O. Fedko, N. Vilor-Tejedor, D. L. Cousminer, M. Standl, C. A. Wang, J. Viikari, F. Geller, C. Iniguez, N. Pitkanen, A. Chesi, J. Bacelis, L. Yengo, M. Torrent, I. Ntalla, O. Helgeland, S. Selzam, J. M. Vonk, M. H. Zafarmand, B. Heude, I. S. Farooqi, A. Alyass, R. N. Beaumont, C. T. Have, P. Rzehak, J. R. Bilbao, T. M. Schnurr, I. Barroso, K. Bonnelykke, L. J. Beilin, L. Carstensen, M. A. Charles, B. Chawes, K. Clement, R. Closa-Monasterolo, A. Custovic, J. G. Eriksson, J. Escribano, M. Groen-Blokhuis, V. Grote, D. Gruszfeld, H. Hakonarson, T. Hansen, A. T. Hattersley, M. Hollensted, J. J. Hottenga, E. Hypponen, S. Johansson, R. Joro, M. Kahonen, V. Karhunen, W. Kiess, B. A. Knight, B. Koletzko, A. Kuhnapfel, K. Landgraf, J. P. Langhendries, T. Lehtimaki, J. T. Leinonen, A. Li, V. Lindi, E. Lowry, M. Bustamante, C. Medina-Gomez, M. Melbye, K. F. Michaelsen, C. S. Morgen, T. A. Mori, T. R. H. Nielsen, H. Niinikoski, A. J. Oldehinkel, K. Pahkala, K. Panoutsopoulou, O. Pedersen, C. E. Pennell, C. Power, S. A. Reijneveld, F. Rivadeneira, A. Simpson, P. D. Sly, J. Stokholm, K. K. Teo, E. Thiering, N. J. Timpson, A. G. Uitterlinden, C. E. M. van Beijsterveldt, B. D. C. van Schaik, M. Vaudel, E. Verduci, R. K. Vinding, M. Vogel, E. Zeggini, S. Sebert, M. V. Lind, C. D. Brown, L. Santa-Marina, E. Reischl, C. Frithioff-Bojsoe, D. Meyre, E. Wheeler, K. Ong, E. A. Nohr, T. G. M. Vrijkotte, G. H. Koppelman, R. Plomin, P. R. Njolstad, G. D. Dedoussis, P. Froguel, T. I. A. Sorensen, B. Jacobsson, R. M. Freathy, B. S. Zemel, O. Raitakari, M. Vrijheid, B. Feenstra, L. P. Lyytikainen, H. Snieder, H. Kirsten, P. G. Holt, J. Heinrich, E. Widen, J. Sunyer, D. I. Boomsma, M. R. Jarvelin, A. Korner, G. Davey Smith, J. C. Holm, M. Atalay, C. Murray, H. Bisgaard, M. I. McCarthy, V. W. V. Jaddoe, S. F. A. Grant, J. F. Felix

Date Published: 13th Oct 2020

Publication Type: Journal article

Abstract (Expand)

Literacy learning depends on the flexibility of the human brain to reconfigure itself in response to environmental influences. At the same time, literacy and disorders of literacy acquisition are heritable and thus to some degree genetically predetermined. Here we used a multivariate non-parametric genetic model to relate literacy-associated genetic variants to grey and white matter volumes derived by voxel-based morphometry in a cohort of 141 children. Subsequently, a sample of 34 children attending grades 4 to 8, and another sample of 20 children, longitudinally followed from kindergarten to first grade, were classified as dyslexics and controls using linear binary support vector machines. The NRSN1-associated grey matter volume of the ’visual word form area’ achieved a classification accuracy of ~ 73% in literacy-experienced students and distinguished between later dyslexic individuals and controls with an accuracy of 75% at kindergarten age. These findings suggest that the cortical plasticity of a region vital for literacy might be genetically modulated, thereby potentially preconstraining literacy outcome. Accordingly, these results could pave the way for identifying and treating the most common learning disorder before it manifests itself in school.   Literacy learning depends on the flexibility of the human brain to reconfigure itself in response to environmental influences. At the same time, literacy and disorders of literacy acquisition are heritable and thus to some degree genetically predetermined. Here we used a multivariate non-parametric genetic model to relate literacy-associated genetic variants to grey and white matter volumes derived by voxel-based morphometry in a cohort of 141 children. Subsequently, a sample of 34 children attending grades 4 to 8, and another sample of 20 children, longitudinally followed from kindergarten to first grade, were classified as dyslexics and controls using linear binary support vector machines. The NRSN1-associated grey matter volume of the ’visual word form area’ achieved a classification accuracy of ~ 73% in literacy-experienced students and distinguished between later dyslexic individuals and controls with an accuracy of 75% at kindergarten age. These findings suggest that the cortical plasticity of a region vital for literacy might be genetically modulated, thereby potentially preconstraining literacy outcome. Accordingly, these results could pave the way for identifying and treating the most common learning disorder before it manifests itself in school. //  Literacy learning depends on the flexibility of the human brain to reconfigure itself in response to environmental influences. At the same time, literacy and disorders of literacy acquisition are heritable and thus to some degree genetically predetermined. Here we used a multivariate non-parametric genetic model to relate literacy-associated genetic variants to grey and white matter volumes derived by voxel-based morphometry in a cohort of 141 children. Subsequently, a sample of 34 children attending grades 4 to 8, and another sample of 20 children, longitudinally followed from kindergarten to first grade, were classified as dyslexics and controls using linear binary support vector machines. The NRSN1-associated grey matter volume of the ’visual word form area’ achieved a classification accuracy of ~ 73% in literacy-experienced students and distinguished between later dyslexic individuals and controls with an accuracy of 75% at kindergarten age. These findings suggest that the cortical plasticity of a region vital for literacy might be genetically modulated, thereby potentially preconstraining literacy outcome. Accordingly, these results could pave the way for identifying and treating the most common learning disorder before it manifests itself in school.

Authors: Michael A. Skeide, Indra Kraft, Bent Muller, Gesa Schaadt, Nicole E. Neef, Jens Brauer, Arndt Wilcke, Holger Kirsten, Johannes Boltze, Angela D. Friederici

Date Published: 26th Sep 2016

Publication Type: Journal article

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