Publications

959 Publications visible to you, out of a total of 959

Abstract (Expand)

OBJECTIVES: A proof of principle study was conducted for microscopic tissue volume reconstructions using a new image processing chain operating on alternately stained large histological serial sections. METHODS: Digital histological images were obtained from conventional brightfield transmitted light microscopy. A powerful nonparametric nonlinear optical flow-based registration approach was used. In order to apply a simple but computationally feasible sum-of-squared-differences similarity measure even in case of differing histological stainings, a new consistent tissue segmentation procedure was placed upstream. RESULTS: Two reconstructions from uterine cervix carcinoma specimen were accomplished, one alternately stained with p16(INK4a) (surrogate tumor marker) and H&E (routine reference), and another with three different alternate stainings, H&E, p16(INK4a), and CD3 (a T-lymphocyte marker). For both cases, due to our segmentation-based reference-free nonlinear registration procedure, resulting tissue reconstructions exhibit utmost smooth image-to-image transitions without impairing warpings. CONCLUSIONS: Our combination of modern nonparametric nonlinear registration and consistent tissue segmentation has turned out to provide a superior tissue reconstruction quality.

Authors: U. D. Braumann, N. Scherf, J. Einenkel, L. C. Horn, N. Wentzensen, M. Loeffler, J. P. Kuska

Date Published: 17th Oct 2007

Publication Type: Not specified

Human Diseases: cervical cancer

Abstract (Expand)

BACKGROUND Sound data about the prevalence of acute renal failure (ARF) among patients with severe sepsis and septic shock are lacking. Further, it is not known whether ARF is an independent risk factorr for mortality in septic patients or merely an indicator of disease severity. METHODS A prospective cross-sectional one-day prevalence study was carried out in a representative sample of German ICUs, divided into five strata (\textless 200 beds; 201-400 beds; 401-600 beds; \textgreater 600 beds; university hospitals). 3877 patients were screened of whom 415 had severe sepsis and septic shock. RESULTS Fourteen patients (3.4%) had chronic dialysis-dependent RF and were excluded from analysis. Of the remaining 401 patients, 166 (41.4%) had ARF, as defined by a rise in creatinine above twice the upper limit of normal and/or a drop in urine output to \textless 0.5 ml/kg bodyweight. Median APACHE II score was 22 in patients with ARF and 16 in patients without ARF (p\textless 0.0001). Patients with severe sepsis/septic shock had an overall hospital mortality of 55.2%. Hospital mortality in patients with ARF was 67.3% and without ARF 42.8% (p\textless 0.0001). After adjustment for APACHE II score and age, ARF remained a significant independent risk factor for death [odds ratio (OR) 2.11, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.27-3.52]. Mortality in septic patients was not associated with pre-existing, non-dialysis-dependent chronic kidney disease, whereas in dialysis-dependent patients with sepsis mortality increased to 86%. CONCLUSION In this representative survey in patients with severe sepsis/septic shock, prevalence of ARF is high with 41.4%. ARF represents a significant independent risk factor for mortality in these patients.

Authors: Michael Oppert, Christoph Engel, Frank-Martin Brunkhorst, Holger Bogatsch, Konrad Reinhart, Ulrich Frei, Kai-Uwe Eckardt, Markus Loeffler, Stefan John

Date Published: 15th Oct 2007

Publication Type: Journal article

Human Diseases: disease by infectious agent

Abstract (Expand)

Medulloblastoma is a malignant invasive embryonal tumor, occurring in children mainly. It is rare in adults (\textless1% of adult brain tumors), and so comprehensive cytogenetic and molecular biological data on adult medulloblastomas are very limited. Conventional therapies provide disappointing long-term disease control, and new therapeutic options are being tested. We performed comprehensive cytogenetic analyses of an adult medulloblastoma, WHO grade IV, using trypsin-Giemsa staining (GTG-banding), multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization (M-FISH), and locus-specific FISH, complemented by molecular karyotyping using high-density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays. GTG-banding of 25 metaphases revealed 31 structural chromosomal aberrations, predominantly located on chromosomes 4q, 9q, 10q, 11p, and 20q, which were confirmed by M-FISH. Two novel, so far not described translocations were found: t(4;11)(q25;p15) and t(9;20)(p23;p12). GTG-banding, locus-specific FISH, and M-FISH detected numerical changes of chromosomes 8, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, and 22. Molecular karyotyping by SNP array confirmed chromosomal changes -2p, -10q, -16q, and -Xq and revealed de novo partial uniparental disomy 1q and 9q. Applying an upcoming therapeutic approach, we found that primary medulloblastoma cells were resistant to TRAIL, a novel anticancer cytokine, but could be efficiently sensitized by cotreatment with the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib. Bortezomib-TRAIL cotreatment may serve as a powerful therapeutic option for medulloblastoma patients.

Authors: Heidrun Holland, Ronald Koschny, Wolfgang Krupp, Jürgen Meixensberger, Manfred Bauer, Ralf Schober, Holger Kirsten, Tom M. Ganten, Peter Ahnert

Date Published: 1st Oct 2007

Publication Type: Journal article

Abstract (Expand)

Familial breast carcinomas that are attributable to BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations have characteristic morphologic and immunhistochemical features. BRCA1-associated carcinomas are poorly differentiated infiltrating ductal carcinomas frequently exhibiting morphologic features of typical or atypical medullary carcinomas such as prominent lymphocytic infiltrate and pushing margins. We report on a patient carrying the deleterious BRCA1 germline mutation R1699W, who presented with a malignant phyllodes tumor of the breast. The re-investigation of archival material by a reference pathologist of the German Consortium for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer (GCHBOC) revealed BRCA-associated pronounced pushing margins. In a total of 618 unrelated index patients who are registered in the GCHBOC database, no other phyllodes tumor has been described, while 10 carriers of the R1699W mutant have been identified. We conclude that the histopathologic appearance of the phyllodes tumor indicates an association with the BRCA1 mutation R1699W although it is a rare event in BRCA-positive families.

Authors: Kerstin Rhiem, Uta Flucke, Christoph Engel, Barbara Wappenschmidt, Axel Reinecke-Lüthge, Reinhard Büttner, Rita Katharina Schmutzler

Date Published: 1st Jul 2007

Publication Type: Journal article

Human Diseases: hereditary breast ovarian cancer syndrome

Abstract (Expand)

The AURKA oncogene is associated with abnormal chromosome segregation and aneuploidy and predisposition to cancer. Amplification of AURKA has been detected at higher frequency in tumors from BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers than in sporadic breast tumors, suggesting that overexpression of AURKA and inactivation of BRCA1 and BRCA2 cooperate during tumor development and progression. The F31I polymorphism in AURKA has been associated with breast cancer risk in the homozygous state in prior studies. We evaluated whether the AURKA F31I polymorphism modifies breast cancer risk in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers from the Consortium of Investigators of Modifiers of BRCA1/2. Consortium of Investigators of Modifiers of BRCA1/2 was established to provide sufficient statistical power through increased numbers of mutation carriers to identify polymorphisms that act as modifiers of cancer risk and can refine breast cancer risk estimates in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers. A total of 4,935 BRCA1 and 2,241 BRCA2 mutation carriers and 11 individuals carrying both BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations was genotyped for F31I. Overall, homozygosity for the 31I allele was not significantly associated with breast cancer risk in BRCA1 and BRCA2 carriers combined [hazard ratio (HR), 0.91; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.77-1.06]. Similarly, no significant association was seen in BRCA1 (HR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.75-1.08) or BRCA2 carriers (HR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.67-1.29) or when assessing the modifying effects of either bilateral prophylactic oophorectomy or menopausal status of BRCA1 and BRCA2 carriers. In summary, the F31I polymorphism in AURKA is not associated with a modified risk of breast cancer in BRCA1 and BRCA2 carriers.

Authors: Fergus J. Couch, Olga Sinilnikova, Robert A. Vierkant, V. Shane Pankratz, Zachary S. Fredericksen, Dominique Stoppa-Lyonnet, Isabelle Coupier, David Hughes, Agnès Hardouin, Pascaline Berthet, Susan Peock, Margaret Cook, Caroline Baynes, Shirley Hodgson, Patrick J. Morrison, Mary E. Porteous, Anna Jakubowska, Jan Lubinski, Jacek Gronwald, Amanda B. Spurdle, Rita Schmutzler, Beatrix Versmold, Christoph Engel, Alfons Meindl, Christian Sutter, Jurgen Horst, Dieter Schaefer, Kenneth Offit, Tomas Kirchhoff, Irene L. Andrulis, Eduard Ilyushik, Gordon Glendon, Peter Devilee, Maaike P. G. Vreeswijk, Hans F. A. Vasen, Ake Borg, Katja Backenhorn, Jeffery P. Struewing, Mark H. Greene, Susan L. Neuhausen, Timothy R. Rebbeck, Katherine Nathanson, Susan Domchek, Theresa Wagner, Judy E. Garber, Csilla Szabo, Michal Zikan, Lenka Foretova, Janet E. Olson, Thomas A. Sellers, Noralane Lindor, Heli Nevanlinna, Johanna Tommiska, Kristiina Aittomaki, Ute Hamann, Muhammad U. Rashid, Diana Torres, Jacques Simard, Francine Durocher, Frederic Guenard, Henry T. Lynch, Claudine Isaacs, Jeffrey Weitzel, Olufunmilayo I. Olopade, Steven Narod, Mary B. Daly, Andrew K. Godwin, Gail Tomlinson, Douglas F. Easton, Georgia Chenevix-Trench, Antonis C. Antoniou

Date Published: 1st Jul 2007

Publication Type: Journal article

Human Diseases: hereditary breast ovarian cancer syndrome

Abstract (Expand)

PURPOSE\backslashr\backslashnMalignant gliomas are the most aggressive human brain tumors without any curative treatment. The antitumor effect of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) in gliomas has thus far only been thoroughly established in tumor cell lines. In the present study, we investigated the therapeutic potential of TRAIL in primary human glioma cells.\backslashr\backslashnEXPERIMENTAL DESIGN\backslashr\backslashnWe isolated primary tumor cells from 13 astrocytoma and oligoastrocytoma patients of all four WHO grades of malignancy and compared the levels of TRAIL-induced apoptosis induction, long-term tumor cell survival, caspase, and caspase target cleavage.\backslashr\backslashnRESULTS\backslashr\backslashnWe established a stable culture model for isolated primary human glioma cells. In contrast to cell lines, isolated primary tumor cells from all investigated glioma patients were highly TRAIL resistant. Regardless of the tumor heterogeneity, cotreatment with the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib efficiently sensitized all primary glioma samples for TRAIL-induced apoptosis and tremendously reduced their clonogenic survival. Due to the pleiotropic effect of bortezomib-enhanced TRAIL DISC formation upon TRAIL triggering, down-regulation of cFLIP(L) and activation of the intrinsic apoptosis pathway seem to cooperatively contribute to the antitumor effect of bortezomib/TRAIL cotreatment.\backslashr\backslashnCONCLUSION\backslashr\backslashnTRAIL sensitivity of tumor cell lines is not a reliable predictor for the behavior of primary tumor cells. The widespread TRAIL resistance in primary glioma cells described here questions the therapeutic clinical benefit of TRAIL as a monotherapeutic agent. Overcoming TRAIL resistance by bortezomib cotreatment might, however, provide a powerful therapeutic option for glioma patients.

Authors: Ronald Koschny, Heidrun Holland, Jaromir Sykora, Tobias L. Haas, Martin R. Sprick, Tom M. Ganten, Wolfgang Krupp, Manfred Bauer, Peter Ahnert, Jürgen Meixensberger, Henning Walczak

Date Published: 1st Jun 2007

Publication Type: Journal article

Abstract (Expand)

The invasion front pattern of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a conspicuous histological phenomenon, which is assessed without precise criteria. The current study was performed to introduce the classical (C(C)) and discrete compactness (C(D)) as new morphometric parameters for quantification of this pattern. A retrospective analysis of 76 surgically treated patients with cervical carcinoma was conducted and the pattern of invasion was qualitatively classified as closed, finger-like or diffuse, respectively, by two pathologists. After digitization of the histological slides with a field of view of 10.4 mm x 8.3mm, tumor areas were labeled and C(C) and C(D) were computed based on the drawings (binary images). Additionally, intraindividual variation of compactness was evaluated for 12 selected tumors. The qualitative pattern assessment by the pathologists was moderately reproducible with an interobserver agreement of 72% and a kappa coefficient of 0.44. The values of C(C) and C(D) referring to the invasion front patterns assigned by both pathologists were significantly different between the three classified groups (p< or =0.01 and p< or =0.0001), so that, both theoretically and in practice, compactness regards the same morphological feature. In due consideration of the analysis of the area under the ROC (receiver operating characteristic) curves and the variation coefficient of different tumor regions, C(D) is more suitable for practical use than C(C). Tumors with a microscopic invasion into the parametria and with lymph-vascular space invasion were found to have a lower value of C(D), which indicates a more diffuse pattern of invasion (p=0.028 and p=0.033). We conclude that the discrete compactness C(D) is a new and reproducible parameter for a computer assisted quantification of the invasion front pattern and, thus, defines a further phenotypic feature of SCC of the uterine cervix.

Authors: J. Einenkel, U. D. Braumann, L. C. Horn, N. Pannicke, J. P. Kuska, A. Schutz, B. Hentschel, M. Hockel

Date Published: 25th May 2007

Publication Type: Not specified

Human Diseases: cervical cancer

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