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Kassubek R, Winter MAGR, Dreyhaupt J, Laible M, Kassubek J, Ludolph AC, Lewerenz J. Development of an algorithm for identifying paraneoplastic ischemic stroke in association with lung, pancreatic, and colorectal cancer. Ther Adv Neurol Disord 2024; 17:17562864241239123. [PMID: 38596402 PMCID: PMC11003337 DOI: 10.1177/17562864241239123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Paraneoplastic ischemic stroke has a poor prognosis. We have recently reported an algorithm based on the number of ischemic territories, C-reactive protein (CRP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and granulocytosis to predict the underlying active cancer in a case-control setting. However, co-occurrence of cancer and stroke might also be merely incidental. Objective To detect cancer-associated ischemic stroke in a large, unselected cohort of consecutive stroke patients by detailed analysis of ischemic stroke associated with specific cancer subtypes and comparison to patients with bacterial endocarditis. Methods Retrospective single-center cohort study of consecutive 1612 ischemic strokes with magnetic resonance imaging, CRP, LDH, and relative granulocytosis data was performed, including identification of active cancers, history of now inactive cancers, and the diagnosis of endocarditis. The previously developed algorithm to detect paraneoplastic cancer was applied. Tumor types associated with paraneoplastic stroke were used to optimize the diagnostic algorithm. Results Ischemic strokes associated with active cancer, but also endocarditis, were associated with more ischemic territories as well as higher CRP and LDH levels. Our previous algorithm identified active cancer-associated strokes with a specificity of 83% and sensitivity of 52%. Ischemic strokes associated with lung, pancreatic, and colorectal (LPC) cancers but not with breast and prostate cancers showed more frequent and prominent characteristics of paraneoplastic stroke. A multiple logistic regression model optimized to identify LPC cancers detected active cancer with a sensitivity of 77.8% and specificity of 81.4%. The positive predictive value (PPV) for all active cancers was 13.1%. Conclusion Standard clinical examinations can be employed to identify suspect paraneoplastic stroke with an adequate sensitivity, specificity, and PPV when it is considered that the association of ischemic stroke with breast and prostate cancers in the stroke-prone elderly population might be largely incidental.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Kassubek
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Oberer Eselsberg 45, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | | | - Jens Dreyhaupt
- Institute of Epidemiology and Medical Biometry, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Mona Laible
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Jan Kassubek
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Albert C. Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Jan Lewerenz
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
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Finsel J, Rosenbohm A, Peter RS, Bäzner H, Börtlein A, Dempewolf S, Schabet M, Hecht M, Kohler A, Opherk C, Nägele A, Sommer N, Lindner A, Rothenbacher D, Ludolph AC, Nagel G, Lulé DE. Coping as a resource to allow for psychosocial adjustment in fatal disease: results from patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1361767. [PMID: 38638511 PMCID: PMC11024296 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1361767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal disorder, which imposes a severe emotional burden on patients. Appropriate coping mechanisms may alleviate this burden and facilitate wellbeing, with social support known to be a successful coping strategy. This observational study aimed to determine the interplay of general coping traits of hope for success and fear of failure, coping behavior of social activity, and patients' wellbeing. Methods In this cross-sectional study, patients with ALS from a clinical-epidemiological registry in Southwestern Germany were interviewed regarding coping traits (achievement-motivated behavior: hope for success and fear of failure), coping behavior of social activity, and psychosocial adjustment, determined using measures of depressiveness, anxiety [both measured by Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)], and quality of life [Anamnestic Comparative Self-Assessment (ACSA)]. Demographics, clinical [ALS Functional Rating Scale revised version (ALSFRS-R)], and survival data were recorded. Results A total of 868 patients [60.70% male patients, mean age: 64.70 (±10.83) years, mean ALSFRS-R: 37.36 ± 7.07] were interviewed. Anxiety in patients was found to be associated with a high fear of failure. In contrast, a generally positive attitude in patients exemplified in high hopes for success was associated with better wellbeing. Finally, coping behavior of social activity explained up to 65% of the variance of depressiveness among the patients with ALS. Conclusion In this study, we present evidence that the wellbeing of patients with ALS is not an immediate fatalistic consequence of physical degradation but rather determined by coping traits and behavior, which may be trained to substantially increase the wellbeing of patients with ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Finsel
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Raphael S. Peter
- Institute for Epidemiology and Medical Biometry, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Hansjörg Bäzner
- Department of Neurology, Katharinenhospital Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Axel Börtlein
- Department of Neurology, Katharinenhospital Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Silke Dempewolf
- Department of Neurology, RKH Klinikum Ludwigsburg, Ludwigsburg, Germany
| | - Martin Schabet
- Department of Neurology, RKH Klinikum Ludwigsburg, Ludwigsburg, Germany
| | - Martin Hecht
- Department of Neurology, Klinikum Kaufbeuren, Kliniken Oberallgäu-Kaufbeuren, Kaufbeuren, Germany
| | - Andreas Kohler
- Department of Neurology, Klinikum am Gesundbrunnen Heilbronn, Heilbronn, Germany
| | - Christian Opherk
- Department of Neurology, Klinikum am Gesundbrunnen Heilbronn, Heilbronn, Germany
| | - Andrea Nägele
- Department of Neurology, Christophsbad Göppingen, Göppingen, Germany
| | - Norbert Sommer
- Department of Neurology, Christophsbad Göppingen, Göppingen, Germany
| | - Alfred Lindner
- Department of Neurology, Marienhospital Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | | | - Albert C. Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm Site, Ulm, Germany
| | - Gabriele Nagel
- Institute for Epidemiology and Medical Biometry, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
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Günther R, Wurster CD, Brakemeier S, Osmanovic A, Schreiber-Katz O, Petri S, Uzelac Z, Hiebeler M, Thiele S, Walter MC, Weiler M, Kessler T, Freigang M, Lapp HS, Cordts I, Lingor P, Deschauer M, Hahn A, Martakis K, Steinbach R, Ilse B, Rödiger A, Bellut J, Nentwich J, Zeller D, Muhandes MT, Baum T, Christoph Koch J, Schrank B, Fischer S, Hermann A, Kamm C, Naegel S, Mensch A, Weber M, Neuwirth C, Lehmann HC, Wunderlich G, Stadler C, Tomforde M, George A, Groß M, Pechmann A, Kirschner J, Türk M, Schimmel M, Bernert G, Martin P, Rauscher C, Meyer zu Hörste G, Baum P, Löscher W, Flotats-Bastardas M, Köhler C, Probst-Schendzielorz K, Goldbach S, Schara-Schmidt U, Müller-Felber W, Lochmüller H, von Velsen O, Kleinschnitz C, Ludolph AC, Hagenacker T. Long-term efficacy and safety of nusinersen in adults with 5q spinal muscular atrophy: a prospective European multinational observational study. Lancet Reg Health Eur 2024; 39:100862. [PMID: 38361750 PMCID: PMC10864329 DOI: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2024.100862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Background Evidence for the efficacy of nusinersen in adults with 5q-associated spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) has been demonstrated up to a period of 16 months in relatively large cohorts but whereas patients reach a plateau over time is still to be demonstrated. We investigated the efficacy and safety of nusinersen in adults with SMA over 38 months, the longest time period to date in a large cohort of patients from multiple clinical sites. Methods Our prospective, observational study included adult patients with SMA from Germany, Switzerland, and Austria (July 2017 to May 2022). All participants had genetically-confirmed, 5q-associated SMA and were treated with nusinersen according to the label. The total Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale Expanded (HFMSE) and Revised Upper Limb Module (RULM) scores, and 6-min walk test (6 MWT; metres), were recorded at baseline and 14, 26, and 38 months after treatment initiation, and pre and post values were compared. Adverse events were also recorded. Findings Overall, 389 patients were screened for eligibility and 237 were included. There were significant increases in all outcome measures compared with baseline, including mean HFMSE scores at 14 months (mean difference 1.72 [95% CI 1.19-2.25]), 26 months (1.20 [95% CI 0.48-1.91]), and 38 months (1.52 [95% CI 0.74-2.30]); mean RULM scores at 14 months (mean difference 0.75 [95% CI 0.43-1.07]), 26 months (mean difference 0.65 [95% CI 0.27-1.03]), and 38 months (mean difference 0.72 [95% CI 0.25-1.18]), and 6 MWT at 14 months (mean difference 30.86 m [95% CI 18.34-43.38]), 26 months (mean difference 29.26 m [95% CI 14.87-43.65]), and 38 months (mean difference 32.20 m [95% CI 10.32-54.09]). No new safety signals were identified. Interpretation Our prospective, observational, long-term (38 months) data provides further real-world evidence for the continuous efficacy and safety of nusinersen in a large proportion of adult patients with SMA. Funding Financial support for the registry from Biogen, Novartis and Roche.
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Affiliation(s)
- René Günther
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus at Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Svenja Brakemeier
- Department of Neurology, and Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioral Sciences (C-TNBS), University Medicine Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Alma Osmanovic
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Susanne Petri
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Zeljko Uzelac
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Miriam Hiebeler
- Friedrich Baur Institute at the Department of Neurology, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Simone Thiele
- Friedrich Baur Institute at the Department of Neurology, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Maggie C. Walter
- Friedrich Baur Institute at the Department of Neurology, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Markus Weiler
- Department of Neurology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Tobias Kessler
- Department of Neurology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Neurooncology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Maren Freigang
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus at Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Hanna Sophie Lapp
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus at Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Isabell Cordts
- Department of Neurology, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany
| | - Paul Lingor
- Department of Neurology, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany
| | - Marcus Deschauer
- Department of Neurology, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany
| | - Andreas Hahn
- Department of Child Neurology, Justus-Liebig University Gießen, Gießen, Germany
| | - Kyriakos Martakis
- Department of Child Neurology, Justus-Liebig University Gießen, Gießen, Germany
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical Faculty and University Hospital, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Robert Steinbach
- Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Benjamin Ilse
- Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | | | - Julia Bellut
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Julia Nentwich
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Daniel Zeller
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | | | - Tobias Baum
- Department of Neurology, University Medicine Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jan Christoph Koch
- Department of Neurology, University Medicine Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Bertold Schrank
- Department of Neurology, Deutsche Klinik für Diagnostik HELIOS Clinic of Wiesbaden, Wiesbaden, Germany
| | - Sophie Fischer
- Translational Neurodegeneration Section “Albrecht Kossel”, Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Rostock, 18147, Rostock, Germany
| | - Andreas Hermann
- Translational Neurodegeneration Section “Albrecht Kossel”, Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Rostock, 18147, Rostock, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Rostock/Greifswald, Rostock, Germany
| | - Christoph Kamm
- Department of Neurology, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Steffen Naegel
- Department of Neurology, University Medicine Halle, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Alexander Mensch
- Department of Neurology, University Medicine Halle, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Markus Weber
- Neuromuscular Diseases Unit/ALS Clinic, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Neuwirth
- Neuromuscular Diseases Unit/ALS Clinic, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Helmar C. Lehmann
- Department of Neurology and Center for Rare Diseases, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Gilbert Wunderlich
- Department of Neurology and Center for Rare Diseases, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Christian Stadler
- Department of Neurology, Klinikum Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Austria
| | - Maike Tomforde
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Annette George
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Center for Chronically Sick Children, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin Groß
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
- Department of Neurological Intensive Care and Rehabilitation, Evangelisches Krankenhaus Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Astrid Pechmann
- Department of Neuropediatrics and Muscle Disorders, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Janbernd Kirschner
- Department of Neuropediatrics and Muscle Disorders, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Matthias Türk
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU), Germany
| | - Mareike Schimmel
- Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Faculty of Medicine University Hospital Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Günther Bernert
- Department of Pediatrics and Pediatric Neurology, Clinic Favoriten, Vienna, Austria
| | - Pascal Martin
- Department of Neurology and Epileptology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University Hospitals Tubingen, Tubingen, Germany
| | - Christian Rauscher
- Department of Pediatrics, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | | | - Petra Baum
- Department of Neurology, University of Leipzig Medical Centre, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Löscher
- Division of Neurology, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | | | - Cornelia Köhler
- Department of Neuropaediatrics, University Children's Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | | | - Susanne Goldbach
- Initiative SMA der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Muskelkranke, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ulrike Schara-Schmidt
- Department of Paediatric Neurology, Center for Neuromuscular Disorders in Children and Adolescents, Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioral Sciences, University Hospital, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Müller-Felber
- Department of Neuropediatrics, Dr. v. Haunersche Kinderklinik, University Children's Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, München, Germany
| | - Hanns Lochmüller
- Department of Neuropediatrics and Muscle Disorders, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, The Ottawa Hospital; and Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Otgonzul von Velsen
- Institute of Medical Informatics, Biometrics, and Epidemiology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
- Center for Clinical Trials, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - SMArtCARE Study Group
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus at Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- Department of Neurology, and Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioral Sciences (C-TNBS), University Medicine Essen, Essen, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- Friedrich Baur Institute at the Department of Neurology, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany
- Department of Child Neurology, Justus-Liebig University Gießen, Gießen, Germany
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical Faculty and University Hospital, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Department of Neurology, University Medicine Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Deutsche Klinik für Diagnostik HELIOS Clinic of Wiesbaden, Wiesbaden, Germany
- Translational Neurodegeneration Section “Albrecht Kossel”, Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Rostock, 18147, Rostock, Germany
- Department of Neurology, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
- Department of Neurology, University Medicine Halle, Halle (Saale), Germany
- Neuromuscular Diseases Unit/ALS Clinic, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
- Department of Neurology and Center for Rare Diseases, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Klinikum Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Austria
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Kiel, Kiel, Germany
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Center for Chronically Sick Children, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
- Department of Neuropediatrics and Muscle Disorders, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU), Germany
- Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Faculty of Medicine University Hospital Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany
- Department of Pediatrics and Pediatric Neurology, Clinic Favoriten, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Neurology and Epileptology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University Hospitals Tubingen, Tubingen, Germany
- Department of Pediatrics, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
- Department of Neurology, University of Leipzig Medical Centre, Leipzig, Germany
- Division of Neurology, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Saarland University Hosptial, Homburg, Germany
- Department of Neuropaediatrics, University Children's Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
- Initiative SMA der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Muskelkranke, Freiburg, Germany
- Department of Paediatric Neurology, Center for Neuromuscular Disorders in Children and Adolescents, Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioral Sciences, University Hospital, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
- Department of Neuropediatrics, Dr. v. Haunersche Kinderklinik, University Children's Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, München, Germany
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, The Ottawa Hospital; and Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
- Institute of Medical Informatics, Biometrics, and Epidemiology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Neurooncology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Rostock/Greifswald, Rostock, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- Department of Neurological Intensive Care and Rehabilitation, Evangelisches Krankenhaus Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
- Center for Clinical Trials, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Christoph Kleinschnitz
- Department of Neurology, and Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioral Sciences (C-TNBS), University Medicine Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Albert C. Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Tim Hagenacker
- Department of Neurology, and Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioral Sciences (C-TNBS), University Medicine Essen, Essen, Germany
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Reilich P, Schöberl F, Hiebeler M, Tonon M, Ludolph AC, Senel M. Myelitis as a side effect of tofersen therapy in SOD1-associated ALS. J Neurol 2024; 271:2114-2118. [PMID: 38066205 PMCID: PMC10973064 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-023-12130-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Peter Reilich
- Friedrich Baur Institute at the Department of Neurology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Ziemssenstr. 1, 80336, Munich, Germany.
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
| | - Florian Schöberl
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Miriam Hiebeler
- Friedrich Baur Institute at the Department of Neurology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Ziemssenstr. 1, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Matthias Tonon
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Albert C Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, University Clinic, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Makbule Senel
- Department of Neurology, University Clinic, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
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5
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Schuster J, Dreyhaupt J, Mönkemöller K, Dupuis L, Dieterlé S, Weishaupt JH, Kassubek J, Petri S, Meyer T, Grosskreutz J, Schrank B, Boentert M, Emmer A, Hermann A, Zeller D, Prudlo J, Winkler AS, Grehl T, Heneka MT, Johannesen S, Göricke B, Witzel S, Dorst J, Ludolph AC. In-depth analysis of data from the RAS-ALS study reveals new insights in rasagiline treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Eur J Neurol 2024; 31:e16204. [PMID: 38240416 DOI: 10.1111/ene.16204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE In 2016, we concluded a randomized controlled trial testing 1 mg rasagiline per day add-on to standard therapy in 252 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients. This article aims at better characterizing ALS patients who could possibly benefit from rasagiline by reporting new subgroup analysis and genetic data. METHODS We performed further exploratory in-depth analyses of the study population and investigated the relevance of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) related to the dopaminergic system. RESULTS Placebo-treated patients with very slow disease progression (loss of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale-Revised [ALSFRS-R] per month before randomization of ≤0.328 points) showed a per se survival probability after 24 months of 0.85 (95% confidence interval = 0.65-0.94). The large group of intermediate to fast progressing ALS patients showed a prolonged survival in the rasagiline group compared to placebo after 6 and 12 months (p = 0.02, p = 0.04), and a reduced decline of ALSFRS-R after 18 months (p = 0.049). SNP genotypes in the MAOB gene and DRD2 gene did not show clear associations with rasagiline treatment effects. CONCLUSIONS These results underline the need to consider individual disease progression at baseline in future ALS studies. Very slow disease progressors compromise the statistical power of studies with treatment durations of 12-18 months using clinical endpoints. Analysis of MAOB and DRD2 SNPs revealed no clear relationship to any outcome parameter. More insights are expected from future studies elucidating whether patients with DRD2CC genotype (Rs2283265) show a pronounced benefit from treatment with rasagiline, pointing to the opportunities precision medicine could open up for ALS patients in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim Schuster
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Ulm, Germany
| | - Jens Dreyhaupt
- Institute of Epidemiology and Medical Biometry, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Karla Mönkemöller
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Institute of Education and Psychology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Luc Dupuis
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, UMR-S1118, Centre de Recherches en biomédecine de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Stéphane Dieterlé
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, UMR-S1118, Centre de Recherches en biomédecine de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Jochen H Weishaupt
- Division of Neurodegeneration, Department of Neurology, Mannheim Center for Translational Neurosciences, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Jan Kassubek
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Ulm, Germany
| | - Susanne Petri
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Thomas Meyer
- Department of Neurology, Center for ALS and other Motor Neuron Disorders, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Julian Grosskreutz
- Department of Neurology, University Clinic Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Berthold Schrank
- Department of Neurology, DKD HELIOS Klinik Wiesbaden, Wiesbaden, Germany
| | - Matthias Boentert
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Alexander Emmer
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Halle, Halle, Germany
| | - Andreas Hermann
- Translational Neurodegeneration Section "Albrecht Kossel," Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Rostock, Rostock, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Rostock/Greifswald, Rostock, Germany
| | - Daniel Zeller
- Department of Neurology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Johannes Prudlo
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Rostock/Greifswald, Rostock, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Rostock University Medical Center, Rostock, Germany
| | - Andrea S Winkler
- Department of Neurology, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Torsten Grehl
- Department of Neurology, Alfried Krupp Hospital, Essen, Germany
| | - Michael T Heneka
- Luxembourg Center for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, Belval, Luxembourg
| | | | - Bettina Göricke
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Simon Witzel
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Johannes Dorst
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Albert C Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Ulm, Germany
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6
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Wimmer N, Müller H, Metze P, Rasche V, Ludolph AC, Kassubek J. The central pattern of weakness of ALS: Morphological correlates in whole-body muscle MRI. Ann Clin Transl Neurol 2024; 11:1000-1010. [PMID: 38356047 PMCID: PMC11021606 DOI: 10.1002/acn3.52019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Monosynaptically cortically innervated α-motoneurons are early and strongly involved in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Consequently, the muscles that receive the strongest direct corticomotoneuronal input are the clinically most affected. To objectify this concept in vivo through morphological image correlates, whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with muscle signal analysis was performed in patients with ALS compared to healthy controls. METHODS Modified Dixon-based whole-body MRI was acquired in patients with ALS (n = 33) and matched healthy controls (n = 30). Manual labeling of limb muscle MRI was performed, and a specific subset of nine muscles, selected as pairs of muscle groups with different corticomotoneuronal input, was analyzed per subject based on their volume, fat fraction, and functional remaining muscle area (fRMA). RESULTS Statistical analysis of 978 muscles in total revealed significantly decreased volumes, decreased fRMA, and increased fat fraction in the muscles of patients with ALS compared to controls. The clinical degree of pareses of directly innervated muscles was significantly worse than that of less directly innervated muscles in each comparison. The muscles receiving stronger direct corticomotoneuronal input showed more pronounced morphological involvement compared to those with less monosynaptic corticomotoneuronal input (fRMA, significant in three pairwise comparisons). INTERPRETATION In conclusion, whole-body MRI-based muscle analysis provided additional evidence for a characteristic pattern of pareses in ALS. This technical approach (parameterization and quantification of muscle alterations from MRI) to patients with ALS could pave the way for the future establishment of a diagnostic algorithm of muscle MRI for ALS and may serve as a biomarker.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Patrick Metze
- Department of Internal Medicine IIUlm University Medical CenterUlmGermany
| | - Volker Rasche
- Department of Internal Medicine IIUlm University Medical CenterUlmGermany
| | - Albert C. Ludolph
- Department of NeurologyUniversity Hospital UlmUlmGermany
- German Centre of Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)UlmGermany
| | - Jan Kassubek
- Department of NeurologyUniversity Hospital UlmUlmGermany
- German Centre of Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)UlmGermany
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7
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Witzel S, Statland JM, Steinacker P, Otto M, Dorst J, Schuster J, Barohn RJ, Ludolph AC. Longitudinal course of neurofilament light chain levels in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-insights from a completed randomized controlled trial with rasagiline. Eur J Neurol 2024; 31:e16154. [PMID: 37975796 DOI: 10.1111/ene.16154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Rasagiline might be disease modifying in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The aim was to evaluate the effect of rasagiline 2 mg/day on neurofilament light chain (NfL), a prognostic biomarker in ALS. METHODS In 65 patients with ALS randomized in a 3:1 ratio to rasagiline 2 mg/day (n = 48) or placebo (n = 17) in a completed randomized controlled multicentre trial, NfL levels in plasma were measured at baseline, month 6 and month 12. Longitudinal changes in NfL levels were evaluated regarding treatment and clinical parameters. RESULTS Baseline NfL levels did not differ between the study arms and correlated with disease progression rates both pre-baseline (r = 0.64, p < 0.001) and during the study (r = 0.61, p < 0.001). NfL measured at months 6 and 12 did not change significantly from baseline in both arms, with a median individual NfL change of +1.4 pg/mL (interquartile range [IQR] -5.6, 14.2) across all follow-up time points. However, a significant difference in NfL change at month 12 was observed between patients with high and low NfL baseline levels treated with rasagiline (high [n = 13], -6.9 pg/mL, IQR -20.4, 6.0; low [n = 18], +5.9 pg/mL, IQR -1.4, 19.7; p = 0.025). Additionally, generally higher longitudinal NfL variability was observed in patients with high baseline levels, whereas disease progression rates and disease duration at baseline had no impact on the longitudinal NfL course. CONCLUSION Post hoc NfL measurements in completed clinical trials are helpful in interpreting NfL data from ongoing and future interventional trials and could provide hypothesis-generating complementary insights. Further studies are warranted to ultimately differentiate NfL response to treatment from other factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Witzel
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Petra Steinacker
- Department of Neurology, University of Halle, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Markus Otto
- Department of Neurology, University of Halle, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | | | - Joachim Schuster
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | - Richard J Barohn
- School of Medicine, NextGen Precision Health, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Albert C Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
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8
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Witzel S, Micca V, Müller HP, Huss A, Bachhuber F, Dorst J, Lulé DE, Tumani H, Kassubek J, Ludolph AC. Primary lateral sclerosis: application and validation of the 2020 consensus diagnostic criteria in an expert opinion-based PLS cohort. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2024:jnnp-2023-333023. [PMID: 38388486 DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2023-333023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Validation of the 2020 consensus criteria for primary lateral sclerosis (PLS) is essential for their use in clinical practice and future trials. METHODS In a large cohort of patients diagnosed with PLS by expert opinion prior to the new criteria with detailed clinical baseline evaluation (n=107) and longitudinal follow-up (n=63), we applied the new diagnostic criteria and analysed the clinical phenotype, electromyography (EMG), diagnostic accuracy and prognosis, adding neurofilaments and MRI as potential biomarkers. RESULTS The criteria for definite PLS were met by 28% and those for probable PLS by 19%, whereas 53% did not meet the full criteria at baseline, mainly due to the time, EMG and region criteria. Patients not meeting the criteria had less generalised upper motor neuron involvement but were otherwise similar in demographic and clinical characteristics. All patients with definite and probable PLS maintained PLS diagnosis during follow-up, while four patients not meeting the criteria developed clinical lower motor neuron involvement. Definite PLS cases showed improved survival compared with probable PLS and patients who did not meet the criteria. Despite a clinical PLS phenotype, fibrillation potentials/positive sharp waves and fasciculations in one or more muscles were a frequent EMG finding, with the extent and prognostic significance depending on disease duration. Serum neurofilament light and a multiparametric MRI fibre integrity Z-score correlated with clinical parameters and were identified as potential biomarkers. CONCLUSION Validation of the 2020 PLS consensus criteria revealed high diagnostic certainty and prognostic significance, supporting their value for research and clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Witzel
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Hans P Müller
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - André Huss
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | - Jan Kassubek
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
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9
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Van Schoor E, Strubbe D, Braems E, Weishaupt J, Ludolph AC, Van Damme P, Thal DR, Bercier V, Van Den Bosch L. TUBA4A downregulation as observed in ALS post-mortem motor cortex causes ALS-related abnormalities in zebrafish. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 18:1340240. [PMID: 38463699 PMCID: PMC10921936 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2024.1340240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Disease-associated variants of TUBA4A (alpha-tubulin 4A) have recently been identified in familial ALS. Interestingly, a downregulation of TUBA4A protein expression was observed in familial as well as sporadic ALS brain tissue. To investigate whether a decreased TUBA4A expression could be a driving factor in ALS pathogenesis, we assessed whether TUBA4A knockdown in zebrafish could recapitulate an ALS-like phenotype. For this, we injected an antisense oligonucleotide morpholino in zebrafish embryos targeting the zebrafish TUBA4A orthologue. An antibody against synaptic vesicle 2 was used to visualize motor axons in the spinal cord, allowing the analysis of embryonic ventral root projections. Motor behavior was assessed using the touch-evoked escape response. In post-mortem ALS motor cortex, we observed reduced TUBA4A levels. The knockdown of the zebrafish TUBA4A orthologue induced a motor axonopathy and a significantly disturbed motor behavior. Both phenotypes were dose-dependent and could be rescued by the addition of human wild-type TUBA4A mRNA. Thus, TUBA4A downregulation as observed in ALS post-mortem motor cortex could be modeled in zebrafish and induced a motor axonopathy and motor behavior defects reflecting a motor neuron disease phenotype, as previously described in embryonic zebrafish models of ALS. The rescue with human wild-type TUBA4A mRNA suggests functional conservation and strengthens the causal relation between TUBA4A protein levels and phenotype severity. Furthermore, the loss of TUBA4A induces significant changes in post-translational modifications of tubulin, such as acetylation, detyrosination and polyglutamylation. Our data unveil an important role for TUBA4A in ALS pathogenesis, and extend the relevance of TUBA4A to the majority of ALS patients, in addition to cases bearing TUBA4A mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelien Van Schoor
- Laboratory of Neuropathology, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven (University of Leuven) and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven (University of Leuven) and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Brain and Disease Research, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Dufie Strubbe
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven (University of Leuven) and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Brain and Disease Research, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Elke Braems
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven (University of Leuven) and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Brain and Disease Research, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Albert C. Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen, Ulm, Germany
| | - Philip Van Damme
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven (University of Leuven) and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Brain and Disease Research, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Dietmar Rudolf Thal
- Laboratory of Neuropathology, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven (University of Leuven) and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Pathology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Valérie Bercier
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven (University of Leuven) and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Brain and Disease Research, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ludo Van Den Bosch
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven (University of Leuven) and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Brain and Disease Research, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
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10
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Fazeli B, Gómez de San José N, Jesse S, Senel M, Oeckl P, Erhart DK, Ludolph AC, Otto M, Halbgebauer S, Tumani H. Quantification of blood glial fibrillary acidic protein using a second-generation microfluidic assay. Validation and comparative analysis with two established assays. Clin Chem Lab Med 2024; 0:cclm-2023-1256. [PMID: 38353147 DOI: 10.1515/cclm-2023-1256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Increased levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in blood have been identified as a valuable biomarker for some neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis. However, most blood GFAP quantifications so far were performed using the same bead-based assay, and to date a routine clinical application is lacking. METHODS In this study, we validated a novel second-generation (2nd gen) Ella assay to quantify serum GFAP. Furthermore, we compared its performance with a bead-based single molecule array (Simoa) and a homemade GFAP assay in a clinical cohort of neurological diseases, including 210 patients. RESULTS Validation experiments resulted in an intra-assay variation of 10 %, an inter-assay of 12 %, a limit of detection of 0.9 pg/mL, a lower limit of quantification of 2.8 pg/mL, and less than 20 % variation in serum samples exposed to up to five freeze-thaw cycles, 120 h at 4 °C and room temperature. Measurement of the clinical cohort using all assays revealed the same pattern of GFAP distribution in the different diagnostic groups. Moreover, we observed a strong correlation between the 2nd gen Ella and Simoa (r=0.91 (95 % CI: 0.88-0.93), p<0.0001) and the homemade immunoassay (r=0.77 (95 % CI: 0.70-0.82), p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate a high reliability, precision and reproducibility of the 2nd gen Ella assay. Although a higher assay sensitivity for Simoa was observed, the new microfluidic assay might have the potential to be used for GFAP analysis in daily clinical workups due to its robustness and ease of use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Badrieh Fazeli
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Sarah Jesse
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany
| | - Makbule Senel
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany
| | - Patrick Oeckl
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE e.V.), Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Albert C Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE e.V.), Ulm, Germany
| | - Markus Otto
- Department of Neurology, Halle University Hospital, Halle, Germany
| | - Steffen Halbgebauer
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE e.V.), Ulm, Germany
| | - Hayrettin Tumani
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE e.V.), Ulm, Germany
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11
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Abdelhak A, Antweiler K, Kowarik MC, Senel M, Havla J, Zettl UK, Kleiter I, Skripuletz T, Haarmann A, Stahmann A, Huss A, Gingele S, Krumbholz M, Benkert P, Kuhle J, Friede T, Ludolph AC, Ziemann U, Kümpfel T, Tumani H. Serum glial fibrillary acidic protein and disability progression in progressive multiple sclerosis. Ann Clin Transl Neurol 2024; 11:477-485. [PMID: 38111972 PMCID: PMC10863922 DOI: 10.1002/acn3.51969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 10/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Progression prediction is a significant unmet need in people with progressive multiple sclerosis (pwPMS). Studies on glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) have either been limited to single center with relapsing MS or were based solely on Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), which limits its generalizability to state-of-the-art clinical settings and trials applying combined outcome parameters. METHODS Serum GFAP and NfL (neurofilament light chain) were investigated in EmBioProMS participants with primary (PP) or secondary progressive MS. Six months confirmed disability progression (CDP) was defined using combined outcome parameters (EDSS, timed-25-foot walk test (T25FW), and nine-hole-peg-test (9HPT)). RESULTS 243 subjects (135 PPMS, 108 SPMS, age 55.5, IQR [49.7-61.2], 135 female, median follow-up: 29.3 months [17.9-40.9]) were included. NfL (age-) and GFAP (age- and sex-) adjusted Z scores were higher in pwPMS compared to HC (p < 0.001 for both). 111 (32.8%) CDP events were diagnosed in participants with ≥3 visits (n = 169). GFAP Z score >3 was associated with higher risk for CDP in participants with low NfL Z score (i.e., ≤1.0) (HR: 2.38 [1.12-5.08], p = 0.025). In PPMS, GFAP Z score >3 was associated with higher risk for CDP (HR: 2.88 [1.21-6.84], p = 0.016). Risk was further increased in PPMS subjects with high GFAP when NfL is low (HR: 4.31 [1.53-12.13], p = 0.006). INTERPRETATION Blood GFAP may help identify pwPPMS at risk of progression. Combination of high GFAP and low NfL levels could distinguish non-active pwPMS with particularly high progression risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Abdelhak
- Department of NeurologyUniversity of California San Francisco (UCSF)San FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
- Department of NeurologyUniversity Hospital of UlmUlmGermany
| | - Kai Antweiler
- Department of Medical StatisticsUniversity Medical Centre GöttingenGöttingenGermany
| | - Markus C. Kowarik
- Department of Neurology and StrokeUniversity Hospital of TübingenTübingenGermany
- Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain ResearchUniversity of TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Makbule Senel
- Department of NeurologyUniversity Hospital of UlmUlmGermany
| | - Joachim Havla
- Institute of Clinical Neuroimmunology, LMU HospitalLudwig‐Maximilians UniversityMunichGermany
| | - Uwe K. Zettl
- Department of Neurology, Neuroimmunological SectionUniversity of RostockRostockGermany
| | - Ingo Kleiter
- Marianne‐Strauß‐KlinikBehandlungszentrum Kempfenhausen für Multiple Sklerose Kranke gGmbHBergGermany
| | | | - Axel Haarmann
- Department of NeurologyUniversity Hospital WürzburgWürzburgGermany
| | - Alexander Stahmann
- Forschungs‐ und Projektentwicklungs‐gGmbHMS‐Registry by the German MS‐SocietyHanoverGermany
| | - Andre Huss
- Department of NeurologyUniversity Hospital of UlmUlmGermany
| | - Stefan Gingele
- Department of NeurologyHannover Medical SchoolHanoverGermany
| | - Markus Krumbholz
- Department of Neurology and StrokeUniversity Hospital of TübingenTübingenGermany
- Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain ResearchUniversity of TübingenTübingenGermany
- Department of Neurology and Pain Treatment, Multiple Sclerosis Center, Center for Translational Medicine, Immanuel Klinik RüdersdorfUniversity Hospital of the Brandenburg Medical School Theodor FontaneRüdersdorf bei BerlinGermany
- Faculty of Health Sciences BrandenburgBrandenburg Medical School Theodor FontaneRüdersdorf bei BerlinGermany
| | - Pascal Benkert
- Multiple Sclerosis Centre and Research Center for Clinical Neuroimmunology and Neuroscience (RC2NB), Department of BiomedicineUniversity Hospital and University of BaselBaselSwitzerland
- Multiple Sclerosis Centre and Research Center for Clinical Neuroimmunology and Neuroscience (RC2NB), Department of Clinical ResearchUniversity Hospital and University of BaselBaselSwitzerland
- Department of NeurologyUniversity Hospital and University of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Jens Kuhle
- Multiple Sclerosis Centre and Research Center for Clinical Neuroimmunology and Neuroscience (RC2NB), Department of BiomedicineUniversity Hospital and University of BaselBaselSwitzerland
- Multiple Sclerosis Centre and Research Center for Clinical Neuroimmunology and Neuroscience (RC2NB), Department of Clinical ResearchUniversity Hospital and University of BaselBaselSwitzerland
- Department of NeurologyUniversity Hospital and University of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Tim Friede
- Department of Medical StatisticsUniversity Medical Centre GöttingenGöttingenGermany
| | - Albert C. Ludolph
- Department of NeurologyUniversity Hospital of UlmUlmGermany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative DiseasesUlmGermany
| | - Ulf Ziemann
- Department of Neurology and StrokeUniversity Hospital of TübingenTübingenGermany
- Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain ResearchUniversity of TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Tania Kümpfel
- Institute of Clinical Neuroimmunology, LMU HospitalLudwig‐Maximilians UniversityMunichGermany
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12
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Müller S, Kassubek J, Hold ST, Kasper DC, Mayer B, Müller K, Freischmidt A, Siebert R, Braak H, Ludolph AC, Del Tredici K. Morbus Fabry and Parkinson's Disease-More Evidence for a Possible Genetic Link. Mov Disord 2024; 39:449-451. [PMID: 38226450 DOI: 10.1002/mds.29686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Müller
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Jan Kassubek
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | | | | | - Benjamin Mayer
- Institute of Epidemiology and Medical Biometry, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Kathrin Müller
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- Institute of Human Genetics, Ulm University and Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Axel Freischmidt
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- Institute of Human Genetics, Ulm University and Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Reiner Siebert
- Institute of Human Genetics, Ulm University and Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Heiko Braak
- Clinical Neuroanatomy Section, Department of Neurology, Center for Biomedical Research, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Albert C Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | - Kelly Del Tredici
- Clinical Neuroanatomy Section, Department of Neurology, Center for Biomedical Research, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
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13
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Barć K, Finsel J, Helczyk O, Baader S, Aho‐Özhan H, Ludolph AC, Lulé D, Kuźma‐Kozakiewicz M. One third of physicians discuss exit strategies with patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Results from nationwide surveys among German and Polish neurologists. Brain Behav 2024; 14:e3243. [PMID: 38183365 PMCID: PMC10897500 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.3243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This paper examines neurologists' approaches to exit strategies (ESs), such as euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide, in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (PALS) in two European countries. METHODS In a nationwide anonymous survey, we collected responses from 237 Polish and 228 German neurologists, focusing on their practices and beliefs about ESs, as well as their viewpoints on life-sustaining measures (LSMs) (percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy, non-invasive, and invasive ventilation). To analyze the data, we employed statistical methods, including Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, chi-square tests, Spearman's rank correlation, and multiple regression analysis. RESULTS One third of the neurologists initiated the discussion about ESs with PALS. Half were ready to have this conversation upon patient's request. Age, gender, religiousness, and nationality were closely associated with this approach. One in 9 neurologists received a request to terminate an LSM, whereas 1 in 10 to implement an ES. German neurologists and palliative care trainees acquired both demands more commonly. Neurologists quoted a low quality of life, decreased mood, and being a burden to the family/closest ones as primary reasons for a wish to hasten death among PALS. Although the majority expressed a willingness to terminate an LSM at a request of the patient, most opposed the legalization of euthanasia. Younger and less religious individuals were more likely to favor accepting euthanasia. CONCLUSION Neurologists vary significantly in their approaches to terminal care. Complex relationships exist among personal indices, shared beliefs, and current practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krzysztof Barć
- Department of NeurologyUniversity Clinical Centre of Medical University of WarsawWarsawPoland
| | - Julia Finsel
- Department of NeurologyUniversity of UlmUlmGermany
| | - Olga Helczyk
- Department of NeurologyUniversity of UlmUlmGermany
| | | | | | - Albert C. Ludolph
- Department of NeurologyUniversity of UlmUlmGermany
- German Centre of Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)UlmGermany
| | | | - Magdalena Kuźma‐Kozakiewicz
- Department of NeurologyMedical University of WarsawWarsawPoland
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Research GroupMedical University of WarsawWarsawPoland
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14
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Wiesenfarth M, Stamminger T, Zizer E, Tumani H, Ludolph AC. Neurological manifestation of HEV infection: still a rare disease entity? J Neurol 2024; 271:386-394. [PMID: 37737892 PMCID: PMC10769984 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-023-11985-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is the most common form of viral hepatitis and is reported to cause neurological manifestation in up to 30% of diagnosed infections. We evaluated the medical reports of all patients (n = 29,994) who were discharged from the Department of Neurology of Ulm University between 01.01.2015 and 30.09.2022 to detect neurological manifestations of HEV. In addition, we retrospectively analyzed the serum samples of n = 99 patients representing different neurological diseases possibly related to HEV for anti-HEV-IgM and anti-HEV-IgG. At the time of discharge from hospital, the etiology of neurological symptoms in these patients was unclear. Overall, five cases of extrahepatic neurological manifestation of HEV (defined as anti-HEV-IgM and HEV-IgG positive) could be detected. An increase of both, anti-IgM- and anti-IgG-serum levels was significantly more common in neuralgic amyotrophy/plexus neuritis/radiculitis than in AIDP/CIDP (P = 0.01), meningitis/encephalitis (P = 0.02), idiopathic peripheral facial paralysis (P = 0.02) and tension headache (P = 0.02). In 15% (n = 15 out of 99) of retrospectively analyzed serum samples, conspicuous positive anti-HEV-IgG levels were detected. This finding was most common in AIDP/CIDP. In conclusion, results of this study indicate neurological manifestation of HEV to be a rare but still underestimated course of disease, occurring at any age and gender. Therefore, testing for HEV should be considered in patients with neurological symptoms of unknown origin, especially in those with neuralgic amyotrophy/plexus neuritis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Eugen Zizer
- Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Ulm, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Hayrettin Tumani
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Oberer Eselsberg 45, 89081, Ulm, Germany
- German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Site Ulm, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Albert C Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Oberer Eselsberg 45, 89081, Ulm, Germany
- German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Site Ulm, 89081, Ulm, Germany
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15
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Abdelhak A, Antweiler K, Kowarik MC, Senel M, Havla J, Zettl UK, Kleiter I, Hoshi MM, Skripuletz T, Haarmann A, Stahmann A, Huss A, Gingele S, Krumbholz M, Selge C, Friede T, Ludolph AC, Overell J, Koendgen H, Clinch S, Wang Q, Ziemann U, Hauser SL, Kümpfel T, Green AJ, Tumani H. Patient-reported outcome parameters and disability worsening in progressive multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler Relat Disord 2024; 81:105139. [PMID: 38000130 PMCID: PMC10959125 DOI: 10.1016/j.msard.2023.105139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Detection and prediction of disability progression is a significant unmet need in people with progressive multiple sclerosis (PwPMS). Government and health agencies have deemed the use of patient-reported outcomes measurements (PROMs) in clinical practice and clinical trials a major strategic priority. Nevertheless, data documenting the clinical utility of PROMs in neurological diseases is scarce. This study evaluates if assessment of PROMs could track progression in PwPMS. METHODS Emerging blood Biomarkers in Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (EmBioProMS) investigated PROMs (Beck depression inventory-II (BDI-II), multiple sclerosis impact scale-29 (MSIS-29), fatigue scale for motor and cognition (FSMC)) in PwPMS (primary [PPMS] and secondary progressive MS [SPMS]). PROMs were evaluated longitudinally and compared between participants with disability progression (at baseline; retrospective evidence of disability progression (EDP), and during follow up (FU); prospective evidence of confirmed disability progression (CDP)) and those without progression. In an independent cohort of placebo participants of the phase III ORATORIO trial in PPMS, the diagnostic and prognostic value of another PROMs score (36-Item Short Form Survey [SF-36]) regarding CDP was evaluated. RESULTS EmBioProMS participants with EDP in the two years prior to inclusion (n = 136/227), or who suffered from CDP during FU (number of events= 88) had worse BDI-II, MSIS-29, and FSMC scores compared to PwPMS without progression. In addition, baseline MSIS29physical above 70th, 80th, and 90th percentiles predicted future CDP/ progression independent of relapse activity in EmBioProMS PPMS participants (HR of 3.7, 6.9, 6.7, p = 0.002, <0.001, and 0.001, respectively). In the placebo arm of ORATORIO (n = 137), the physical component score (PCS) of SF-36 worsened at week 120 compared to baseline, in cases who experienced progression over the preceding trial period (P = 0.018). Worse PCS at baseline was associated with higher hazard ratios of disability accumulation over the subsequent 120 weeks (HR: 2.01 [30th-], 2.11 [20th-], and 2.8 [10th percentile], P = 0.007, 0.012 and 0.005, respectively). CONCLUSIONS PROMs could provide additional, practical, cost-efficient, and remotely accessible insight about disability progression in PMS through standardized, structured, and quantifiable patient feedback.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Abdelhak
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, USA; Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Ulm, Oberer Eselsberg 45, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | - Kai Antweiler
- Department of Medical Statistics, University Medical Centre Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Markus C Kowarik
- Department of Neurology and Stroke, University Hospital of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Makbule Senel
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Ulm, Oberer Eselsberg 45, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | - Joachim Havla
- Institute of Clinical Neuroimmunology, LMU Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Uwe K Zettl
- Department of Neurology, Neuroimmunological Section, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Ingo Kleiter
- Marianne-Strauß-Klinik, Behandlungszentrum Kempfenhausen für Multiple Sklerose Kranke gGmbH, Berg, Germany
| | - Muna-Miriam Hoshi
- Marianne-Strauß-Klinik, Behandlungszentrum Kempfenhausen für Multiple Sklerose Kranke gGmbH, Berg, Germany
| | | | - Axel Haarmann
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Alexander Stahmann
- Forschungs- und Projektentwicklungs-gGmbH, MS-Registry by the German MS-Society, Hanover, Germany
| | - Andre Huss
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Ulm, Oberer Eselsberg 45, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | - Stefan Gingele
- Hannover Medical School, Department of Neurology, Hanover, Germany
| | - Markus Krumbholz
- Department of Neurology and Stroke, University Hospital of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Department of Neurology and Pain Treatment, Immanuel Klinik Rüdersdorf, University Hospital of the Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, Rüdersdorf bei Berlin, Germany; Faculty of Health Sciences Brandenburg, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, Rüdersdorf bei Berlin, Germany
| | - Charlotte Selge
- Marianne-Strauß-Klinik, Behandlungszentrum Kempfenhausen für Multiple Sklerose Kranke gGmbH, Berg, Germany
| | - Tim Friede
- Department of Medical Statistics, University Medical Centre Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Albert C Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Ulm, Oberer Eselsberg 45, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Qing Wang
- F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ulf Ziemann
- Department of Neurology and Stroke, University Hospital of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Stephen L Hauser
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, USA
| | - Tania Kümpfel
- Institute of Clinical Neuroimmunology, LMU Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Ari J Green
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, USA
| | - Hayrettin Tumani
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Ulm, Oberer Eselsberg 45, Ulm 89081, Germany.
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16
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Mummery CJ, Börjesson-Hanson A, Blackburn DJ, Vijverberg EGB, De Deyn PP, Ducharme S, Jonsson M, Schneider A, Rinne JO, Ludolph AC, Bodenschatz R, Kordasiewicz H, Swayze EE, Fitzsimmons B, Mignon L, Moore KM, Yun C, Baumann T, Li D, Norris DA, Crean R, Graham DL, Huang E, Ratti E, Bennett CF, Junge C, Lane RM. Author Correction: Tau-targeting antisense oligonucleotide MAPT Rx in mild Alzheimer's disease: a phase 1b, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Nat Med 2024; 30:304. [PMID: 37845513 PMCID: PMC10803246 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-023-02639-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Catherine J Mummery
- Dementia Research Centre, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London, London, UK.
| | | | - Daniel J Blackburn
- Sheffield Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, NIHR Sheffield Clinical Research Facility and NIHR Sheffield Biomedical Research Centre, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield, UK
| | - Everard G B Vijverberg
- Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Department of Neurology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Peter Paul De Deyn
- University Medical Center Groningen / RUG, Alzheimer Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Simon Ducharme
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute and McConnell Brain Imaging Centre of the Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Michael Jonsson
- Memory Clinic, Psychiatry - Cognition and Geriatric Psychiatry, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg/Molndal, Sweden
| | - Anja Schneider
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, DZNE, and Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases and Geriatric Psychiatry, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Juha O Rinne
- CRST Oy; Turku PET Centre University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Albert C Ludolph
- Department of Neurology University of Ulm and DZNE, Ulm, Germany
| | - Ralf Bodenschatz
- Pharmakologisches Studienzentrum Chemnitz GmbH Mittweida, Mittweida, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Chris Yun
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA, USA
| | | | - Dan Li
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA, USA
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17
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Ludolph AC, Grandjean H, Reviers E, De Micheli V, Bianchi C, Cardosi L, Russ H, Silani V. The preferences of people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis on riluzole treatment in Europe. Sci Rep 2023; 13:22497. [PMID: 38110502 PMCID: PMC10728064 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-49424-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The Patient Preference Survey aims to understand unmet needs related to riluzole management in people with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and to identify which characteristics of a new formulation could better match their preferences. The survey involved 117 people with ALS (PALS) treated with riluzole in four European countries. The dysphagic PALS were least satisfied with the riluzole tablet and oral suspension and with ease in self-administration; up to 68% of respondents postponed or missed the treatment due to swallowing difficulties and need of caregiver assistance. Overall, 51% of tablet and 53% of oral suspension users regularly crushed or mixed riluzole with beverages, respectively; PALS who always manipulated riluzole showed low satisfaction with the formulation and considered the risk of choking and pneumonia the most worrisome event. The survey evaluated the driving factors in choosing/switching the therapy: 67% of PALS declared a low risk of choking. The research finally evaluated which attributes of a new formulation would be preferred: the most relevant were ease of use (4.3/5), convenient/portable packaging (4.0/5) and oral-dissolving properties without tongue motility (3.9/5). The Patient Preference Survey suggests that patients have several unmet needs and preferences that could be addressed by a different formulation, e.g. using oral film technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert C Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Evy Reviers
- European Organization for Professionals and Patients with ALS (EUpALS), Leuven, Belgium
| | | | | | | | - Hermann Russ
- Sirius Scientific Consulting AG, 8852, Altendorf, Switzerland.
| | - Vincenzo Silani
- Department of Neuroscience and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Dino Ferrari Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
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18
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Strobel J, Müller HP, Ludolph AC, Beer AJ, Sollmann N, Kassubek J. New Perspectives in Radiological and Radiopharmaceutical Hybrid Imaging in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy: A Systematic Review. Cells 2023; 12:2776. [PMID: 38132096 PMCID: PMC10742083 DOI: 10.3390/cells12242776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by four-repeat tau deposition in various cell types and anatomical regions, and can manifest as several clinical phenotypes, including the most common phenotype, Richardson's syndrome. The limited availability of biomarkers for PSP relates to the overlap of clinical features with other neurodegenerative disorders, but identification of a growing number of biomarkers from imaging is underway. One way to increase the reliability of imaging biomarkers is to combine different modalities for multimodal imaging. This review aimed to provide an overview of the current state of PSP hybrid imaging by combinations of positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Specifically, combined PET and MRI studies in PSP highlight the potential of [18F]AV-1451 to detect tau, but also the challenge in differentiating PSP from other neurodegenerative diseases. Studies over the last years showed a reduced synaptic density in [11C]UCB-J PET, linked [11C]PK11195 and [18F]AV-1451 markers to disease progression, and suggested the potential role of [18F]RO948 PET for identifying tau pathology in subcortical regions. The integration of quantitative global and regional gray matter analysis by MRI may further guide the assessment of reduced cortical thickness or volume alterations, and diffusion MRI could provide insight into microstructural changes and structural connectivity in PSP. Challenges in radiopharmaceutical biomarkers and hybrid imaging require further research targeting markers for comprehensive PSP diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim Strobel
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany;
| | - Hans-Peter Müller
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany; (H.-P.M.); (A.C.L.); (J.K.)
| | - Albert C. Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany; (H.-P.M.); (A.C.L.); (J.K.)
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Ambros J. Beer
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany;
| | - Nico Sollmann
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany;
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany
- TUM-Neuroimaging Center, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Jan Kassubek
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany; (H.-P.M.); (A.C.L.); (J.K.)
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
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19
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Vernikouskaya I, Müller HP, Roselli F, Ludolph AC, Kassubek J, Rasche V. AI-assisted quantification of hypothalamic atrophy in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis by convolutional neural network-based automatic segmentation. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21505. [PMID: 38057503 PMCID: PMC10700600 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-48649-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The hypothalamus is a small structure of the brain with an essential role in metabolic homeostasis, sleep regulation, and body temperature control. Some neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and dementia syndromes are reported to be related to hypothalamic volume alterations. Despite its crucial role in human body regulation, neuroimaging studies of this structure are rather scarce due to work-intensive operator-dependent manual delineations from MRI and lack of automated segmentation tools. In this study we present a fully automatic approach based on deep convolutional neural networks (CNN) for hypothalamic segmentation and volume quantification. We applied CNN of U-Net architecture with EfficientNetB0 backbone to allow for accurate automatic hypothalamic segmentation in seconds on a GPU. We further applied our approach for the quantification of the normalized hypothalamic volumes to a large neuroimaging dataset of 432 ALS patients and 112 healthy controls (without the ground truth labels). Using the automated volumetric analysis, we could reproduce hypothalamic atrophy findings associated with ALS by detecting significant volume differences between ALS patients and controls at the group level. In conclusion, a fast and unbiased AI-assisted hypothalamic quantification method is introduced in this study (whose acceptance rate based on the outlier removal strategy was estimated to be above 95%) and made publicly available for researchers interested in the conduction of hypothalamus studies at a large scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ina Vernikouskaya
- Department of Internal Medicine II, Ulm University Medical Center, Albert-Einstein-Allee 23, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
| | | | - Francesco Roselli
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | - Albert C Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | - Jan Kassubek
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | - Volker Rasche
- Department of Internal Medicine II, Ulm University Medical Center, Albert-Einstein-Allee 23, 89081, Ulm, Germany
- Core Facility Small Animal MRI, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
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20
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Megat S, Mora N, Sanogo J, Roman O, Catanese A, Alami NO, Freischmidt A, Mingaj X, De Calbiac H, Muratet F, Dirrig-Grosch S, Dieterle S, Van Bakel N, Müller K, Sieverding K, Weishaupt J, Andersen PM, Weber M, Neuwirth C, Margelisch M, Sommacal A, Van Eijk KR, Veldink JH, Lautrette G, Couratier P, Camuzat A, Le Ber I, Grassano M, Chio A, Boeckers T, Ludolph AC, Roselli F, Yilmazer-Hanke D, Millecamps S, Kabashi E, Storkebaum E, Sellier C, Dupuis L. Author Correction: Integrative genetic analysis illuminates ALS heritability and identifies risk genes. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8026. [PMID: 38049418 PMCID: PMC10696059 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43710-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Salim Megat
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Mécanismes Centraux et Périphériques de la Neurodégénérescence, UMR-S1118, Centre de Recherches en Biomédecine, Strasbourg, France.
| | - Natalia Mora
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour and Faculty of Science, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Jason Sanogo
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Mécanismes Centraux et Périphériques de la Neurodégénérescence, UMR-S1118, Centre de Recherches en Biomédecine, Strasbourg, France
| | - Olga Roman
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Mécanismes Centraux et Périphériques de la Neurodégénérescence, UMR-S1118, Centre de Recherches en Biomédecine, Strasbourg, France
| | - Alberto Catanese
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Najwa Ouali Alami
- Clinical Neuroanatomy, Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Axel Freischmidt
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Xhuljana Mingaj
- Laboratory of Translational Research for Neurological Disorders, Imagine Institute, Université de Paris, INSERM UMR 1163, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Hortense De Calbiac
- Laboratory of Translational Research for Neurological Disorders, Imagine Institute, Université de Paris, INSERM UMR 1163, 75015, Paris, France
| | - François Muratet
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau-Paris Brain Institute-ICM, Inserm, CNRS, APHP, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Sylvie Dirrig-Grosch
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Mécanismes Centraux et Périphériques de la Neurodégénérescence, UMR-S1118, Centre de Recherches en Biomédecine, Strasbourg, France
| | - Stéphane Dieterle
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Mécanismes Centraux et Périphériques de la Neurodégénérescence, UMR-S1118, Centre de Recherches en Biomédecine, Strasbourg, France
| | - Nick Van Bakel
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour and Faculty of Science, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Kathrin Müller
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- Institute of Human Genetics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Jochen Weishaupt
- Division for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Neurology Department, University Medicine Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | | | - Markus Weber
- Neuromuscular Disease Unit/ALS Clinic, Kantonsspital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Neuwirth
- Neuromuscular Disease Unit/ALS Clinic, Kantonsspital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Markus Margelisch
- Institute for Pathology, Kanstonsspital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Sommacal
- Institute for Pathology, Kanstonsspital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Kristel R Van Eijk
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jan H Veldink
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Géraldine Lautrette
- Service de Neurologie, Centre de Référence SLA et autres maladies du neurone moteur, CHU Dupuytren 1, Limoges, France
| | - Philippe Couratier
- Service de Neurologie, Centre de Référence SLA et autres maladies du neurone moteur, CHU Dupuytren 1, Limoges, France
| | - Agnès Camuzat
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau-Paris Brain Institute-ICM, Inserm, CNRS, APHP, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Isabelle Le Ber
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau-Paris Brain Institute-ICM, Inserm, CNRS, APHP, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Maurizio Grassano
- ALS Center "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Adriano Chio
- ALS Center "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Tobias Boeckers
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Albert C Ludolph
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Francesco Roselli
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Stéphanie Millecamps
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau-Paris Brain Institute-ICM, Inserm, CNRS, APHP, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Edor Kabashi
- Laboratory of Translational Research for Neurological Disorders, Imagine Institute, Université de Paris, INSERM UMR 1163, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Erik Storkebaum
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour and Faculty of Science, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Chantal Sellier
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Mécanismes Centraux et Périphériques de la Neurodégénérescence, UMR-S1118, Centre de Recherches en Biomédecine, Strasbourg, France
| | - Luc Dupuis
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Mécanismes Centraux et Périphériques de la Neurodégénérescence, UMR-S1118, Centre de Recherches en Biomédecine, Strasbourg, France.
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21
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Nagel G, Kurz D, Peter RS, Rosenbohm A, Koenig W, Dupuis L, Bäzner H, Börtlein A, Dempewolf S, Schabet M, Hecht M, Kohler A, Opherk C, Naegele A, Sommer N, Lindner A, Tumani H, Ludolph AC, Rothenbacher D. Cystatin C based estimation of chronic kidney disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in the ALS registry Swabia: associated risk and prognostic value. Sci Rep 2023; 13:19594. [PMID: 37949878 PMCID: PMC10638424 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46179-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Kidney function as part of metabolic changes could be associated with amyotrophic lateral-sclerosis (ALS). We investigated the associations between estimated chronic kidney disease (CKD), based on the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) cystatin C equation, and the risk at onset and prognostic value of CKD for ALS. Between October 2010 and June 2014, 362 ALS cases (59.4% men, mean age 65.7 years) and 681 controls (59.5% men, means age 66.3 years) were included in a population-based case-control study based on the ALS registry Swabia in Southern Germany. All ALS cases were followed-up (median 89.7 months), 317 died. Serum samples were measured for cystatin C to estimate the glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) according to the CKD-EPI equation. Information on covariates were assessed by an interview-based standardized questionnaire. Conditional logistic regression models were applied to calculate odds ratios (OR) for risk of ALS associated with eGFR/CKD stages. Time-to-death associated with renal parameters at baseline was assessed in ALS cases only. ALS cases were characterized by lower body mass index, slightly lower smoking prevalence, more intense occupational work and lower education than controls. Median serum cystatin-C based eGFR concentrations were lower in ALS cases than in controls (54.0 vs. 59.5 mL/min pro 1.73 m2). The prevalence of CKD stage ≥ 3 was slightly higher in ALS cases than in controls (14.1 vs. 11.0%). In the adjusted models, CKD stage 2 (OR 1.82, 95% CI 1.32, 2.52) and stage 3 (OR 2.34, 95% CI 1.38, 3.96) were associated with increased ALS risk. In this cohort of ALS cases, eGFR and CKD stage ≥ 3 (HR 0.94; 95% CI 0.64, 1.38) were not associated with prognosis. In this case-control study, higher CKD stages were associated with increased ALS risk, while in the prospective cohort of ALS cases, no indication of an association of CysC-based CKD on mortality was seen. In addition, our work strengthens the importance to evaluate renal function using a marker independent of muscle mass in ALS patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Nagel
- Institute of Epidemiology and Medical Biometry, Ulm University, Helmholtzstr. 22, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
| | - Deborah Kurz
- Institute of Epidemiology and Medical Biometry, Ulm University, Helmholtzstr. 22, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Raphael S Peter
- Institute of Epidemiology and Medical Biometry, Ulm University, Helmholtzstr. 22, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Wolfgang Koenig
- Institute of Epidemiology and Medical Biometry, Ulm University, Helmholtzstr. 22, 89081, Ulm, Germany
- Deutsches Herzzentrum München, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany
| | - Luc Dupuis
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, UMR-S1118, Centre de Recherches en Biomédecine de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Hansjörg Bäzner
- Department of Neurology, Klinikum Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Axel Börtlein
- Department of Neurology, Klinikum Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Silke Dempewolf
- Department of Neurology, RKH Klinikum Ludwigsburg, Ludwigsburg, Germany
| | - Martin Schabet
- Department of Neurology, RKH Klinikum Ludwigsburg, Ludwigsburg, Germany
| | - Martin Hecht
- Department of Neurology, Klinikum Kaufbeuren, Kliniken Ostallgäu Kaufbeuren, Kaufbeuren, Germany
| | - Andreas Kohler
- Department of Neurology, Klinikum am Gesundbrunnen Heilbronn, Heilbronn, Germany
| | - Christian Opherk
- Department of Neurology, Klinikum am Gesundbrunnen Heilbronn, Heilbronn, Germany
| | - Andrea Naegele
- Department of Neurology, Christophsbad Goeppingen, Goeppingen, Germany
| | - Norbert Sommer
- Department of Neurology, Christophsbad Goeppingen, Goeppingen, Germany
| | - Alfred Lindner
- Department of Neurology, Marienhospital Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | | | - Albert C Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum Für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | - Dietrich Rothenbacher
- Institute of Epidemiology and Medical Biometry, Ulm University, Helmholtzstr. 22, 89081, Ulm, Germany
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Shefner JM, Musaro A, Ngo ST, Lunetta C, Steyn FJ, Robitaille R, De Carvalho M, Rutkove S, Ludolph AC, Dupuis L. Skeletal muscle in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Brain 2023; 146:4425-4436. [PMID: 37327376 PMCID: PMC10629757 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the major adult-onset motor neuron disease, has been viewed almost exclusively as a disease of upper and lower motor neurons, with muscle changes interpreted as a consequence of the progressive loss of motor neurons and neuromuscular junctions. This has led to the prevailing view that the involvement of muscle in ALS is only secondary to motor neuron loss. Skeletal muscle and motor neurons reciprocally influence their respective development and constitute a single functional unit. In ALS, multiple studies indicate that skeletal muscle dysfunction might contribute to progressive muscle weakness, as well as to the final demise of neuromuscular junctions and motor neurons. Furthermore, skeletal muscle has been shown to participate in disease pathogenesis of several monogenic diseases closely related to ALS. Here, we move the narrative towards a better appreciation of muscle as a contributor of disease in ALS. We review the various potential roles of skeletal muscle cells in ALS, from passive bystanders to active players in ALS pathophysiology. We also compare ALS to other motor neuron diseases and draw perspectives for future research and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy M Shefner
- Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA
- College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ, USA
- College of Medicine, Creighton University, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Antonio Musaro
- DAHFMO-Unit of Histology and Medical Embryology, Sapienza University of Rome, Laboratory affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia—Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Scuola Superiore di Studi Avanzati Sapienza (SSAS), Rome, Italy
| | - Shyuan T Ngo
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Christian Lunetta
- Neurorehabilitation Department, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Frederik J Steyn
- Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Richard Robitaille
- Département de neurosciences, CIRCA, Université de Montréal, Montréal H7G 1T7, Canada
| | - Mamede De Carvalho
- Instituto de Fisiologia, Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Seward Rutkove
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Albert C Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | - Luc Dupuis
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, UMR-S1118, Mécanismes centraux et périphériques de la neurodégénérescence, CRBS, Strasbourg, France
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23
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Heinrich F, Cordts I, Günther R, Stolte B, Zeller D, Schröter C, Weyen U, Regensburger M, Wolf J, Schneider I, Hermann A, Metelmann M, Kohl Z, Linker RA, Koch JC, Radelfahr F, Schönfelder E, Gardt P, Mohajer-Peseschkian T, Osmanovic A, Klopstock T, Dorst J, Ludolph AC, Schöffski O, Boentert M, Hagenacker T, Deschauer M, Lingor P, Petri S, Schreiber-Katz O. Economic evaluation of Motor Neuron Diseases: a nationwide cross-sectional analysis in Germany. J Neurol 2023; 270:4922-4938. [PMID: 37356024 PMCID: PMC10511618 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-023-11811-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Motor Neuron Diseases (MND) are rare diseases but have a high impact on affected individuals and society. This study aims to perform an economic evaluation of MND in Germany. METHODS Primary patient-reported data were collected including individual impairment, the use of medical and non-medical resources, and self-rated Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL). Annual socio-economic costs per year as well as Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) were calculated. RESULTS 404 patients with a diagnosis of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) or Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (HSP) were enrolled. Total annual costs per patient were estimated at 83,060€ in ALS, 206,856€ in SMA and 27,074€ in HSP. The main cost drivers were informal care (all MND) and disease-modifying treatments (SMA). Self-reported HRQoL was best in patients with HSP (mean EuroQoL Five Dimension Five Level (EQ-5D-5L) index value 0.67) and lowest in SMA patients (mean EQ-5D-5L index value 0.39). QALYs for patients with ALS were estimated to be 1.89 QALYs, 23.08 for patients with HSP and 14.97 for patients with SMA, respectively. Cost-utilities were estimated as follows: 138,960€/QALY for ALS, 525,033€/QALY for SMA, and 49,573€/QALY for HSP. The main predictors of the high cost of illness and low HRQoL were disease progression and loss of individual autonomy. CONCLUSION As loss of individual autonomy was the main cost predictor, therapeutic and supportive measures to maintain this autonomy may contribute to reducing high personal burden and also long-term costs, e.g., care dependency and absenteeism from work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Heinrich
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg Straße 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Isabell Cordts
- Department of Neurology, Klinikum Rechts Der Isar, Technical University of Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - René Günther
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Benjamin Stolte
- Department of Neurology, University Medicine Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
| | - Daniel Zeller
- Department of Neurology, University of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Carsten Schröter
- Hoher Meißner Clinic, Neurology, 37242 Bad Sooden-Allendorf, Germany
| | - Ute Weyen
- Department of Neurology, Ruhr-University Bochum, BG-Kliniken Bergmannsheil, 44789 Bochum, Germany
| | - Martin Regensburger
- Department of Molecular Neurology, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Center for Rare Diseases Erlangen (ZSEER), University Hospital Erlangen, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Joachim Wolf
- Department of Neurology, Diakonissen Hospital Mannheim, 68163 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Ilka Schneider
- Department of Neurology, Martin-Luther University Halle/Saale, 06120 Halle, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Klinikum Sankt Georg, 04129 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Andreas Hermann
- Translational Neurodegeneration Section “Albrecht-Kossel”, Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Rostock, University of Rostock, 18147 Rostock, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases Rostock/Greifswald, 18147 Rostock, Germany
| | - Moritz Metelmann
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Zacharias Kohl
- Department of Neurology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Ralf A. Linker
- Department of Neurology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Jan Christoph Koch
- Department of Neurology, University Medicine Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Florentine Radelfahr
- Friedrich-Baur-Institute, Department of Neurology, University Hospital, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Erik Schönfelder
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg Straße 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Pavel Gardt
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg Straße 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Tara Mohajer-Peseschkian
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg Straße 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Alma Osmanovic
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg Straße 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
- Essener Zentrum Für Seltene Erkrankungen (EZSE), Universitätsmedizin Essen, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Thomas Klopstock
- Friedrich-Baur-Institute, Department of Neurology, University Hospital, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, 80336 Munich, Germany
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), 80336 Munich, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Johannes Dorst
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Albert C. Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Oliver Schöffski
- Chair of Health Management, School of Business, Economics and Society, Friedrich-Alexander University (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, 90403 Nuremberg, Germany
| | - Matthias Boentert
- Department of Neurology with the Institute of Translational Neurology, University Hospital Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
- Department of Medicine, UKM Marienhospital, 48565 Steinfurt, Germany
| | - Tim Hagenacker
- Department of Neurology, University Medicine Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
| | - Marcus Deschauer
- Department of Neurology, Klinikum Rechts Der Isar, Technical University of Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Paul Lingor
- Department of Neurology, Klinikum Rechts Der Isar, Technical University of Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), 80336 Munich, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Susanne Petri
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg Straße 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Olivia Schreiber-Katz
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg Straße 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
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24
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Wiesenfarth M, Huppertz HJ, Dorst J, Lulé D, Ludolph AC, Müller HP, Kassubek J. Structural and microstructural neuroimaging signature of C9orf72-associated ALS: A multiparametric MRI study. Neuroimage Clin 2023; 39:103505. [PMID: 37696099 PMCID: PMC10500452 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2023.103505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND ALS patients with hexanucleotide expansion in C9orf72 are characterized by a specific clinical phenotype, including more aggressive disease course and cognitive decline. Computerized multiparametric MRI with gray matter volumetry and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to analyze white matter structural connectivity is a potential in vivo biomarker. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to develop a multiparametric MRI signature in a large cohort of ALS patients with C9orf72 mutations. The aim was to investigate how morphological features of C9orf72-associated ALS differ in structural MRI and DTI compared to healthy controls and ALS patients without C9orf72 mutations. METHODS Atlas-based volumetry (ABV) and whole brain-based DTI-based analyses were performed in a cohort of n = 51 ALS patients with C9orf72 mutations and compared with both n = 51 matched healthy controls and n = 51 C9orf72 negative ALS patients, respectively. Subsequently, Spearman correlation analysis of C9orf72 ALS patients' data with clinical parameters (age of onset, sex, ALS-FRS-R, progression rate, survival) as well as ECAS and p-NfH in CSF was performed. RESULTS The whole brain voxel-by-voxel comparison of fractional anisotropy (FA) maps between C9orf72 ALS patients and controls showed significant bilateral alterations in axonal structures of the white matter at group level, primarily along the corticospinal tracts and in fibers projecting to the frontal lobes. For the frontal lobes, these alterations were also significant between C9orf72 positive and C9orf72 negative ALS patients. In ABV, patients with C9orf72 mutations showed lower volumes of the frontal, temporal, and parietal lobe, with the lowest values in the gray matter of the superior frontal and the precentral gyrus, but also in hippocampi and amygdala. Compared to C9orf72 negative ALS, the differences were shown to be significant for cerebral gray matter (p = 0.04), especially in the frontal (p = 0.01) and parietal lobe (p = 0.01), and in the thalamus (p = 0.004). A correlation analysis between ECAS and averaged regional FA values revealed significant correlations between cognitive performance in ECAS and frontal association fibers. Lower FA values in the frontal lobes were associated with worse performance in all cognitive domains measured (language, verbal fluency, executive functions, memory and spatial perception). In addition, there were significant negative correlations between age of onset and atlas-based volumetry results for gray matter. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates a distinct pattern of DTI alterations of the white matter and ubiquitous volume reductions of the gray matter early in the disease course of C9orf72-associated ALS. Alterations were closely linked to a more aggressive cognitive phenotype. These results are in line with an expected pTDP43 propagation pattern of cortical affection and thus strengthen the hypothesis that an underlying developmental disorder is present in ALS with C9orf72 expansions. Thus, multiparametric MRI could contribute to the assessment of the disease as an in vivo biomarker even in the early phase of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Johannes Dorst
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Ulm, Ulm, Germany; German Centre of Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | - Dorothée Lulé
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Albert C Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Ulm, Ulm, Germany; German Centre of Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Jan Kassubek
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Ulm, Ulm, Germany; German Centre of Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany.
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25
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Jesse S, Müller HP, Huppertz HJ, Andres S, Ludolph AC, Schön M, Boeckers TM, Kassubek J. Neurodegeneration or dysfunction in Phelan-McDermid syndrome? A multimodal approach with CSF and computational MRI. Orphanet J Rare Dis 2023; 18:274. [PMID: 37670319 PMCID: PMC10481508 DOI: 10.1186/s13023-023-02863-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Phelan-McDermid syndrome (PMS) is a rare multisystem disease with global developmental delay and autistic features. Genetically, the disease is based on a heterozygous deletion of chromosome 22q13.3 with involvement of at least part of the SHANK3 gene or heterozygous pathogenic variants in SHANK3. Pathophysiologically, this syndrome has been regarded as a synaptopathy, but current data suggest an additional concept, since axonal functions of neurons are also impaired, thus, the specific pathophysiological processes in this disease are not yet fully understood. Since symptoms of the autism spectrum, regression, and stagnation in development occur, we investigated whether neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative processes may also play a role. To this end, we analysed biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and parameters from magnetic resonance imaging with high-resolution structural T1w volumetry and diffusion tensor imaging analysis in 19 Phelan-McDermid syndrome patients. RESULTS CSF showed no inflammation but abnormalities in tau protein and amyloid-ß concentrations, however, with no typical biomarker pattern as in Alzheimer's disease. It could be demonstrated that these CSF changes were correlated with integrity losses of the fibres in the corticospinal tract as well as in the splenium and dorsal part of the cingulum. High CSF levels of tau protein were associated with loss of integrity of fibres in the corticospinal tract; lower levels of amyloid-ß were associated with decreasing integrity of fibre tracts of the splenium and posterior cingulate gyrus. Volumetric investigations showed global atrophy of the white matter, but not the grey matter, and particularly not in temporal or mesiotemporal regions, as is typical in later stages of Alzheimer's disease. CONCLUSIONS In summary, alterations of neurodegenerative CSF markers in PMS individuals could be demonstrated which were correlated with structural connectivity losses of the corticospinal tract, the splenium, and the dorsal part of the cingulum, which can also be associated with typical clinical symptoms in these patients. These findings might represent a state of dysfunctional processes with ongoing degenerative and regenerative processes or a kind of accelerated aging. This study should foster further clinical diagnostics like tau- and amyloid-PET imaging as well as novel scientific approaches especially in basic research for further mechanistic proof.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Jesse
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Ulm, Oberer Eselsberg 45, D-89081, Ulm, Germany.
- German Centre of Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany.
| | - Hans-Peter Müller
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Ulm, Oberer Eselsberg 45, D-89081, Ulm, Germany
| | | | | | - Albert C Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Ulm, Oberer Eselsberg 45, D-89081, Ulm, Germany
- German Centre of Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | - Michael Schön
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Tobias M Boeckers
- German Centre of Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Jan Kassubek
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Ulm, Oberer Eselsberg 45, D-89081, Ulm, Germany
- German Centre of Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
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Bede P, Lulé D, Müller HP, Tan EL, Dorst J, Ludolph AC, Kassubek J. Presymptomatic grey matter alterations in ALS kindreds: a computational neuroimaging study of asymptomatic C9orf72 and SOD1 mutation carriers. J Neurol 2023; 270:4235-4247. [PMID: 37178170 PMCID: PMC10421803 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-023-11764-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The characterisation of presymptomatic disease-burden patterns in asymptomatic mutation carriers has a dual academic and clinical relevance. The understanding of disease propagation mechanisms is of considerable conceptual interests, and defining the optimal time of pharmacological intervention is essential for improved clinical trial outcomes. METHODS In a prospective, multimodal neuroimaging study, 22 asymptomatic C9orf72 GGGGCC hexanucleotide repeat carriers, 13 asymptomatic subjects with SOD1, and 54 "gene-negative" ALS kindreds were enrolled. Cortical and subcortical grey matter alterations were systematically appraised using volumetric, morphometric, vertex, and cortical thickness analyses. Using a Bayesian approach, the thalamus and amygdala were further parcellated into specific nuclei and the hippocampus was segmented into anatomically defined subfields. RESULTS Asymptomatic GGGGCC hexanucleotide repeat carriers in C9orf72 exhibited early subcortical changes with the preferential involvement of the pulvinar and mediodorsal regions of the thalamus, as well as the lateral aspect of the hippocampus. Volumetric approaches, morphometric methods, and vertex analyses were anatomically consistent in capturing focal subcortical changes in asymptomatic C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansion carriers. SOD1 mutation carriers did not exhibit significant subcortical grey matter alterations. In our study, none of the two asymptomatic cohorts exhibited cortical grey matter alterations on either cortical thickness or morphometric analyses. DISCUSSION The presymptomatic radiological signature of C9orf72 is associated with selective thalamic and focal hippocampal degeneration which may be readily detectable before cortical grey matter changes ensue. Our findings confirm selective subcortical grey matter involvement early in the course of C9orf72-associated neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Bede
- Computational Neuroimaging Group (CNG), School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D02 RS90, Ireland.
- Department of Neurology, St James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Dorothée Lulé
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Ee Ling Tan
- Computational Neuroimaging Group (CNG), School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D02 RS90, Ireland
| | - Johannes Dorst
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Albert C Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- German Centre of Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | - Jan Kassubek
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- German Centre of Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
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27
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Finsel J, Winroth I, Ciećwierska K, Helczyk O, Stenberg EA, Häggström AC, Ludolph AC, Uttner I, Semb O, Pilczuk B, Szejko N, Rosentul S, Lulé D, Kuźma-Kozakiewicz M, Andersen PM. Determining impairment in the Swedish, Polish and German ECAS: the importance of adjusting for age and education. Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2023; 24:475-484. [PMID: 36994762 DOI: 10.1080/21678421.2023.2192248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
Objective: Age and years of education are strong predictors of cognitive performance in several versions of the Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioral ALS Screen (ECAS) and cutoffs for the Swedish and Polish versions are not established yet. Here we evaluated the performance of healthy subjects on the national versions of the Swedish and Polish ECAS and compared cognitive performance on three European translations of the ECAS. Methods: The ECAS performances of healthy subjects from Sweden (n = 111), Poland (n = 124) and Germany (n = 86) were compared. Based on the test results on the national versions of ECAS, age- and education-adjusted cutoffs were compared for the German, Swedish and Polish versions, respectively. Results: Age and years of education correlated with performance in the ECAS. Swedish subjects under the age of 60 years and Swedish subjects with low education level scored significantly higher in memory than the respective German and Polish subgroups. German and Polish subjects over 60 years of age performed significantly better in language than the respective Swedish subgroup. The Polish cohort in total had lower executive scores compared to the Swedish cohort, and lower than the German subjects in the higher education subgroup. Conclusions: The results highlight the importance of establishing age- and education-adjusted ECAS cutoffs not only in general, but also for seemingly similar populations of different origins. The results should be taken into account when comparing cognition data across patient populations including in drug trials where an ECAS test result is being used as an inclusion criterium or outcome measure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Finsel
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Ivar Winroth
- Department of Clinical Science, Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Katarzyna Ciećwierska
- Department of Neurology, University Clinical Centre of Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Olga Helczyk
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Erica A Stenberg
- Department of Clinical Science, Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Ann-Christin Häggström
- Department of Clinical Science, Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | | | - Ingo Uttner
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Olof Semb
- Department of Bioethics, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Beata Pilczuk
- Department of Neurology, University Clinical Centre of Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Natalia Szejko
- Department of Neurology, University Clinical Centre of Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
- Department of Bioethics, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Simona Rosentul
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Dorothée Lulé
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Magdalena Kuźma-Kozakiewicz
- Department of Neurology, University Clinical Centre of Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland, and
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Group, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Peter M Andersen
- Department of Clinical Science, Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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Brockmann SJ, Buck E, Casoli T, Meirelles JL, Ruf WP, Fabbietti P, Holzmann K, Weishaupt JH, Ludolph AC, Conti F, Danzer KM. Mitochondrial genome study in blood of maternally inherited ALS cases. Hum Genomics 2023; 17:70. [PMID: 37507754 PMCID: PMC10375681 DOI: 10.1186/s40246-023-00516-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND ALS is a heterogeneous disease in which different factors such as mitochondrial phenotypes act in combination with a genetic predisposition. This study addresses the question of whether homoplasmic (total mitochondrial genome of a sample is affected) and/or heteroplasmic mutations (wildtype and mutant mitochondrial DNA molecules coexist) might play a role in familial ALS. Blood was drawn from familial ALS patients with a possible maternal pattern of inheritance according to their pedigrees, which was compared to blood of ALS patients without maternal association as well as age-matched controls. In two cohorts, we analyzed the mitochondrial genome from whole blood or isolated white blood cells and platelets using a resequencing microarray (Affymetrix MitoChip v2.0) that is able to detect homoplasmic and heteroplasmic mitochondrial DNA mutations and allows the assessment of low-level heteroplasmy. RESULTS We identified an increase in homoplasmic ND5 mutations, a subunit of respiratory chain complex I, in whole blood of ALS patients that allowed maternal inheritance. This effect was more pronounced in patients with bulbar onset. Heteroplasmic mutations were significantly increased in different mitochondrial genes in platelets of patients with possible maternal inheritance. No increase of low-level heteroplasmy was found in maternal ALS patients. CONCLUSION Our results indicate a contribution of homoplasmic ND5 mutations to maternally associated ALS with bulbar onset. Therefore, it might be conceivable that specific maternally transmitted rather than randomly acquired mitochondrial DNA mutations might contribute to the disease process. This stands in contrast with observations from Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases showing an age-dependent accumulation of unspecific mutations in mitochondrial DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Brockmann
- Department of Neurology, University Clinic, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Eva Buck
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | - Tiziana Casoli
- Center for Neurobiology of Aging, Scientific Technological Area, IRCCS INRCA, Ancona, Italy
| | - João L Meirelles
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | - Wolfgang P Ruf
- Department of Neurology, University Clinic, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Paolo Fabbietti
- Unit of Geriatric Pharmacoepidemiology, IRCCS INRCA, Ancona, Italy
| | | | - Jochen H Weishaupt
- Department of Neurology, University Clinic, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- Division for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Neurology Department, University Medicine Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Albert C Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, University Clinic, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | - Fiorenzo Conti
- Center for Neurobiology of Aging, Scientific Technological Area, IRCCS INRCA, Ancona, Italy
- Section of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Karin M Danzer
- Department of Neurology, University Clinic, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany.
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29
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Aousji O, Feldengut S, Antonucci S, Schön M, Boeckers TM, Matschke J, Mawrin C, Ludolph AC, Del Tredici K, Roselli F, Braak H. Patterns of synaptic loss in human amyotrophic lateral sclerosis spinal cord: a clinicopathological study. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2023; 11:120. [PMID: 37491361 PMCID: PMC10367350 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-023-01616-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is mainly characterized by the degeneration of corticospinal neurons and spinal α-motoneurons; vulnerable cells display prominent pTDP-43 inclusions. Evidence gathered from genetics, murine models, and iPSC-derived neurons point to the early involvement of synapses in the disease course and their crucial role in the pathogenic cascade. However, pathology studies, with specimens from large post-mortem cohorts, mapping the pattern of synaptic disturbances over clinical and neuropathological hallmarks of disease progression, are currently not available. Thus, the appearance and progression of synaptic degeneration in human ALS patients are currently not known, preventing a full validation of the murine and in vitro models. Here, we investigated the loss of synaptophysin-positive terminals in cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spinal cord samples from a retrospective cohort of n = 33 ALS patients and n = 8 healthy controls, and we correlated the loss of synapses against clinicodemographic features and neuropathological ALS stage. We found that, although dorsal and intermediate spinal cord laminae do not lose synapses, ALS patients displayed a substantial but variable loss of synapses in the ventral horn of lumbar and cervical spinal cord. The amount of synaptic loss was predicted by disease duration, by the clinical site of onset, and by the loss of α-motoneurons, although not by the fraction of pTDP-43-immunopositive α-motoneurons. Taken together, our findings validate the synaptic pathology observed in other models and suggest that pathogenic pathways unfolding in the spinal microenvironment are critical to the progressive disassembly of local synaptic connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oumayma Aousji
- Department of Neurology, Center for Biomedical Research (ZBF), Ulm University, Helmholtzstraße 8/1, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Simone Feldengut
- Clinical Neuroanatomy, Department of Neurology, Center for Biomedical Research (ZBF), Ulm University, Helmholtzstraße 8/1, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Stefano Antonucci
- Department of Neurology, Center for Biomedical Research (ZBF), Ulm University, Helmholtzstraße 8/1, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Michael Schön
- Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Tobias M Boeckers
- Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | - Jakob Matschke
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christian Mawrin
- Institute of Neuropathology, Otto-Von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Albert C Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, Center for Biomedical Research (ZBF), Ulm University, Helmholtzstraße 8/1, 89081, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | - Kelly Del Tredici
- Clinical Neuroanatomy, Department of Neurology, Center for Biomedical Research (ZBF), Ulm University, Helmholtzstraße 8/1, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Francesco Roselli
- Department of Neurology, Center for Biomedical Research (ZBF), Ulm University, Helmholtzstraße 8/1, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany.
| | - Heiko Braak
- Clinical Neuroanatomy, Department of Neurology, Center for Biomedical Research (ZBF), Ulm University, Helmholtzstraße 8/1, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
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30
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Yazar V, Kühlwein JK, Knehr A, Grozdanov V, Ekici AB, Ludolph AC, Danzer KM. Impaired ATF3 signaling involves SNAP25 in SOD1 mutant ALS patients. Sci Rep 2023; 13:12019. [PMID: 37491426 PMCID: PMC10368635 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-38684-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic remodeling is emerging as a critical process for several neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Genetics alone fails to explain the etiology of ALS, the investigation of the epigenome might therefore provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms of the disease. In this study, we interrogated the epigenetic landscape in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of familial ALS (fALS) patients with either chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (C9orf72) or superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) mutation and aimed to identify key epigenetic footprints of the disease. To this end, we used an integrative approach that combines chromatin immunoprecipitation targeting H3K27me3 (ChIP-Seq) with the matching gene expression data to gain new insights into the likely impact of blood-specific chromatin remodeling on ALS-related molecular mechanisms. We demonstrated that one of the hub molecules that modulates changes in PBMC transcriptome in SOD1-mutant ALS patients is ATF3, which has been previously reported in an SOD1G93A mouse model. We also identified potential suppression of SNAP25, with impaired ATF3 signaling in SOD1-mutant ALS blood. Together, our study shed light on the mechanistic underpinnings of SOD1 mutations in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Volkan Yazar
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 89081, Ulm, Baden-Wüerttemberg, Germany
| | - Julia K Kühlwein
- Department of Neurology, University Clinic, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Baden-Wüerttemberg, Germany
| | - Antje Knehr
- Department of Neurology, University Clinic, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Baden-Wüerttemberg, Germany
| | - Veselin Grozdanov
- Department of Neurology, University Clinic, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Baden-Wüerttemberg, Germany
| | - Arif B Ekici
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Clinic Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054, Erlangen, Bavaria, Germany
| | - Albert C Ludolph
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 89081, Ulm, Baden-Wüerttemberg, Germany
- Department of Neurology, University Clinic, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Baden-Wüerttemberg, Germany
| | - Karin M Danzer
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 89081, Ulm, Baden-Wüerttemberg, Germany.
- Department of Neurology, University Clinic, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Baden-Wüerttemberg, Germany.
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31
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Ramachandran S, Grozdanov V, Leins B, Kandler K, Witzel S, Mulaw M, Ludolph AC, Weishaupt JH, Danzer KM. Low T-cell reactivity to TDP-43 peptides in ALS. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1193507. [PMID: 37545536 PMCID: PMC10401033 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1193507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Dysregulation of the immune system in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) includes changes in T-cells composition and infiltration of T cells in the brain and spinal cord. Recent studies have shown that cytotoxic T cells can directly induce motor neuron death in a mouse model of ALS and that T cells from ALS patients are cytotoxic to iPSC-derived motor neurons from ALS patients. Furthermore, a clonal expansion to unknown epitope(s) was recently found in familial ALS and increased peripheral and intrathecal activation of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells in sporadic ALS. Results Here, we show an increased activation of peripheral T cells from patients with sporadic ALS by IL-2 treatment, suggesting an increase of antigen-experienced T cells in ALS blood. However, a putative antigen for T-cell activation in ALS has not yet been identified. Therefore, we investigated if peptides derived from TDP-43, a key protein in ALS pathogenesis, can act as epitopes for antigen-mediated activation of human T cells by ELISPOT and flow cytometry. We found that TDP-43 peptides induced only a weak MHCI or MHCII-restricted activation of both naïve and antigen-experienced T cells from healthy controls and ALS patients. Interestingly, we found less activation in T cells from ALS patients to TDP-43 and control stimuli. Furthermore, we found no change in the levels of naturally occurring auto-antibodies against full-length TDP-43 in ALS. Conclusion Our data suggests a general increase in antigen-experienced T cells in ALS blood, measured by in-vitro culture with IL-2 for 14 days. Furthermore, it suggests that TDP-43 is a weak autoantigen.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Bianca Leins
- Neurology, University Clinic, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Simon Witzel
- Neurology, University Clinic, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Medhanie Mulaw
- Institute of Experimental Cancer Research, Medical Faculty, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Albert C. Ludolph
- Neurology, University Clinic, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | - Jochen H. Weishaupt
- Neurology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Karin M. Danzer
- Neurology, University Clinic, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
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32
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Petri S, Grehl T, Grosskreutz J, Hecht M, Hermann A, Jesse S, Lingor P, Löscher W, Maier A, Schoser B, Weber M, Ludolph AC. Guideline "Motor neuron diseases" of the German Society of Neurology (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurologie). Neurol Res Pract 2023; 5:25. [PMID: 37316950 DOI: 10.1186/s42466-023-00251-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In 2021, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurology published a new guideline on diagnosis and therapy of motor neuron disorders. Motor neuron disorders affect upper motor neurons in the primary motor cortex and/or lower motor neurons in the brain stem and spinal cord. The most frequent motor neuron disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rapidly progressive disease with an average life expectancy of 2-4 years with a yearly incidence of 3.1/100,000 in Central Europe (Rosenbohm et al. in J Neurol 264(4):749-757, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-017-8413-3 ). It is considered a rare disease mainly due to its low prevalence as a consequence of short disease duration. RECOMMENDATIONS These guidelines comprise recommendations regarding differential diagnosis, neuroprotective therapies and multidisciplinary palliative care including management of respiration and nutrition as well as provision of assistive devices and end-of-life situations. CONCLUSION Diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines are necessary due the comparatively high number of cases and the aggressive disease course. Given the low prevalence and the severe impairment of patients, it is often impossible to generate evidence-based data so that ALS guidelines are partially dependent on expert opinion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Petri
- Klinik für Neurologie, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany.
| | - Torsten Grehl
- Neurologie, Alfried-Krupp-Krankenhaus, Essen, Germany
| | | | - Martin Hecht
- Neurologie, Bezirkskrankenhaus Kaufbeuren, Kaufbeuren, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Wolfgang Löscher
- Neurologie, Medizinische Universität Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
- ÖGN, Vienna, Austria
| | - André Maier
- Neurologie, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Marcus Weber
- Muskelzentrum, Kantonspital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
- SNG, St. Gallen, Switzerland
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Olde Heuvel F, Ouali Alami N, Aousji O, Pogatzki-Zahn E, Zahn PK, Wilhelm H, Deshpande D, Khatamsaz E, Catanese A, Woelfle S, Schön M, Jain S, Grabrucker S, Ludolph AC, Verpelli C, Michaelis J, Boeckers TM, Roselli F. Shank2 identifies a subset of glycinergic neurons involved in altered nociception in an autism model. Mol Autism 2023; 14:21. [PMID: 37316943 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-023-00552-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) patients experience disturbed nociception in the form of either hyposensitivity to pain or allodynia. A substantial amount of processing of somatosensory and nociceptive stimulus takes place in the dorsal spinal cord. However, many of these circuits are not very well understood in the context of nociceptive processing in ASD. METHODS We have used a Shank2-/- mouse model, which displays a set of phenotypes reminiscent of ASD, and performed behavioural and microscopic analysis to investigate the role of dorsal horn circuitry in nociceptive processing of ASD. RESULTS We determined that Shank2-/- mice display increased sensitivity to formalin pain and thermal preference, but a sensory specific mechanical allodynia. We demonstrate that high levels of Shank2 expression identifies a subpopulation of neurons in murine and human dorsal spinal cord, composed mainly by glycinergic interneurons and that loss of Shank2 causes the decrease in NMDAR in excitatory synapses on these inhibitory interneurons. In fact, in the subacute phase of the formalin test, glycinergic interneurons are strongly activated in wild type (WT) mice but not in Shank2-/- mice. Consequently, nociception projection neurons in laminae I are activated in larger numbers in Shank2-/- mice. LIMITATIONS Our investigation is limited to male mice, in agreement with the higher representation of ASD in males; therefore, caution should be applied to extrapolate the findings to females. Furthermore, ASD is characterized by extensive genetic diversity and therefore the findings related to Shank2 mutant mice may not necessarily apply to patients with different gene mutations. Since nociceptive phenotypes in ASD range between hyper- and hypo-sensitivity, diverse mutations may affect the circuit in opposite ways. CONCLUSION Our findings prove that Shank2 expression identifies a new subset of inhibitory interneurons involved in reducing the transmission of nociceptive stimuli and whose unchecked activation is associated with pain hypersensitivity. We provide evidence that dysfunction in spinal cord pain processing may contribute to the nociceptive phenotypes in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Najwa Ouali Alami
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- International PhD Program, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Esther Pogatzki-Zahn
- Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Peter K Zahn
- Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
- Clinic for Anesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, University Hospital Bergmannsheil Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Hanna Wilhelm
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | | | | | - Alberto Catanese
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Sarah Woelfle
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Michael Schön
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Sanjay Jain
- Department of Internal Medicine (Renal), Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, USA
| | | | - Albert C Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | - Chiara Verpelli
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Science Council, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Tobias M Boeckers
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany.
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
| | - Francesco Roselli
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany.
- Center for Biomedical Research (ZBF), Helmholtzstraße 8/2, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
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Ciećwierska K, Lulé D, Bielecki M, Helczyk O, Maksymowicz-Śliwińska A, Finsel J, Nieporęcki K, Andersen PM, Ludolph AC, Kuźma-Kozakiewicz M. Quality of life and depression in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis - does the country of origin matter? BMC Palliat Care 2023; 22:72. [PMID: 37312136 DOI: 10.1186/s12904-023-01189-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Given the inevitable relentless progressing nature of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), it is essential to identify factors influencing patients' wellbeing. The study aimed to prospectively assess factors influencing the quality of life (QoL) and depression in ALS patients compared to healthy controls (HCs) from Poland, Germany and Sweden and their relationship to socio-demographic and clinical factors. METHODS 314 ALS patients (120 from Poland, 140 from Germany, 54 from Sweden) and 311 age-, sex- and education-level-matched HCs underwent standardized interviews for quality of life, depression, functional status and pain. RESULTS Patients from all three countries showed similar levels of functional impairment (ALSFRS-R). Overall, ALS patients assessed their quality of life as lower compared to HCs (p < 0.001 for the anamnestic comparative self-assessment (ACSA), p = 0.002 for the Schedule for the evaluation of the subjective quality of life - SEIQoL- direct weighting (SEIQoL-DW). Also, the German and Swedish patients, but not the Polish, reported higher depression levels than the corresponding HCs (p < 0.001). Analysis of ALS groups revealed that functional impairment was related to a lower quality of life (ACSA) and higher depression levels among German ALS patients. Longer time since diagnosis predicted lower depression and (in male subjects) higher quality of life. CONCLUSIONS ALS patients assess their quality of life and mood lower than healthy individuals within the studied countries. The relationships between clinical and demographic factors are moderated by country of provenance, which bears implications for the design and interpretation of scientific and clinical studies, which should reflect the complexity and heterogeneity of mechanisms determining QoL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Ciećwierska
- Department of Neurology, University Clinical Center of Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Dorothée Lulé
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Maksymilian Bielecki
- Department of Psychology, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Olga Helczyk
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Julia Finsel
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Krzysztof Nieporęcki
- Department of Neurology, University Clinical Center of Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Peter M Andersen
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Neuroscience, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | | | - Magdalena Kuźma-Kozakiewicz
- Department of Neurology, University Clinical Center of Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Group, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
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Mummery CJ, Börjesson-Hanson A, Blackburn DJ, Vijverberg EGB, De Deyn PP, Ducharme S, Jonsson M, Schneider A, Rinne JO, Ludolph AC, Bodenschatz R, Kordasiewicz H, Swayze EE, Fitzsimmons B, Mignon L, Moore KM, Yun C, Baumann T, Li D, Norris DA, Crean R, Graham DL, Huang E, Ratti E, Bennett CF, Junge C, Lane RM. Tau-targeting antisense oligonucleotide MAPT Rx in mild Alzheimer's disease: a phase 1b, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Nat Med 2023; 29:1437-1447. [PMID: 37095250 PMCID: PMC10287562 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-023-02326-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
Tau plays a key role in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathophysiology, and accumulating evidence suggests that lowering tau may reduce this pathology. We sought to inhibit MAPT expression with a tau-targeting antisense oligonucleotide (MAPTRx) and reduce tau levels in patients with mild AD. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multiple-ascending dose phase 1b trial evaluated the safety, pharmacokinetics and target engagement of MAPTRx. Four ascending dose cohorts were enrolled sequentially and randomized 3:1 to intrathecal bolus administrations of MAPTRx or placebo every 4 or 12 weeks during the 13-week treatment period, followed by a 23 week post-treatment period. The primary endpoint was safety. The secondary endpoint was MAPTRx pharmacokinetics in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The prespecified key exploratory outcome was CSF total-tau protein concentration. Forty-six patients enrolled in the trial, of whom 34 were randomized to MAPTRx and 12 to placebo. Adverse events were reported in 94% of MAPTRx-treated patients and 75% of placebo-treated patients; all were mild or moderate. No serious adverse events were reported in MAPTRx-treated patients. Dose-dependent reduction in the CSF total-tau concentration was observed with greater than 50% mean reduction from baseline at 24 weeks post-last dose in the 60 mg (four doses) and 115 mg (two doses) MAPTRx groups. Clinicaltrials.gov registration number: NCT03186989 .
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine J Mummery
- Dementia Research Centre, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London, London, UK.
| | | | - Daniel J Blackburn
- Sheffield Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, NIHR Sheffield Clinical Research Facility and NIHR Sheffield Biomedical Research Centre, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield, UK
| | - Everard G B Vijverberg
- Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Department of Neurology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Peter Paul De Deyn
- University Medical Center Groningen / RUG, Alzheimer Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Simon Ducharme
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute and McConnell Brain Imaging Centre of the Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Michael Jonsson
- Memory Clinic, Psychiatry - Cognition and Geriatric Psychiatry, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg/Molndal, Sweden
| | - Anja Schneider
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, DZNE, and Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases and Geriatric Psychiatry, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Juha O Rinne
- CRST Oy; Turku PET Centre University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Albert C Ludolph
- Department of Neurology University of Ulm and DZNE, Ulm, Germany
| | - Ralf Bodenschatz
- Pharmakologisches Studienzentrum Chemnitz GmbH Mittweida, Mittweida, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Chris Yun
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA, USA
| | | | - Dan Li
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA, USA
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Kassubek R, Lulé D, Ludolph AC, Kassubek J, Müller HP. Bevacizumab is associated with cerebral microstructural alterations: a DTI study in high-grade glioma. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1191226. [PMID: 37305747 PMCID: PMC10247958 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1191226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background For recurrent high-grade glioma, especially glioblastoma, no standard of care treatment exists. Due to the prolongation of progression-free survival and a cortiocosteroid-sparing effect, bevacizumab is often used in this condition. Despite initial clinical responses, there is growing evidence that bevacizumab may potentiate microstructural alterations which may cause cognitive decline, mostly affecting learning and memory. Methods To investigate bevacizumab-associated microstructural damage of defined regions of interest (ROIs) in the white matter, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was performed in 10 patients with a case history or third-party report for neurological dysfunction concerning cognitive performance. Serial DTI data before and under bevacizumab were collected and longitudinal changes of fractional anisotropy (FA), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD) were assessed in mesiotemporal (hippocampal), frontal, and occipital regions. Results The longitudinal DTI data under bevacizumab compared to DTI prior to bevacizumab demonstrated a significant decrease in FA and increase in AD and RD both in mesiotemporal (hippocampal) regions and in frontal regions, whereas occipital regions showed no significant alterations in DTI metrics. Conclusion The regionally impaired microstructure in mesiotemporal (hippocampal) regions and in frontal regions is in line with the fact that neurocognitive impairment in learning and memory is mostly related to hippocampal integrity and attentional control in frontal regions. Further studies could investigate the potential of DTI to assess bevacizumab-associated microstructural damages in vulnerable brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dorothée Lulé
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Albert C. Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | - Jan Kassubek
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
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Ruf WP, Boros M, Freischmidt A, Brenner D, Grozdanov V, de Meirelles J, Meyer T, Grehl T, Petri S, Grosskreutz J, Weyen U, Guenther R, Regensburger M, Hagenacker T, Koch JC, Emmer A, Roediger A, Steinbach R, Wolf J, Weishaupt JH, Lingor P, Deschauer M, Cordts I, Klopstock T, Reilich P, Schoeberl F, Schrank B, Zeller D, Hermann A, Knehr A, Günther K, Dorst J, Schuster J, Siebert R, Ludolph AC, Müller K. Spectrum and frequency of genetic variants in sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Brain Commun 2023; 5:fcad152. [PMID: 37223130 PMCID: PMC10202555 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcad152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Therapy of motoneuron diseases entered a new phase with the use of intrathecal antisense oligonucleotide therapies treating patients with specific gene mutations predominantly in the context of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. With the majority of cases being sporadic, we conducted a cohort study to describe the mutational landscape of sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. We analysed genetic variants in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-associated genes to assess and potentially increase the number of patients eligible for gene-specific therapies. We screened 2340 sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients from the German Network for motor neuron diseases for variants in 36 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-associated genes using targeted next-generation sequencing and for the C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansion. The genetic analysis could be completed on 2267 patients. Clinical data included age at onset, disease progression rate and survival. In this study, we found 79 likely pathogenic Class 4 variants and 10 pathogenic Class 5 variants (without the C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansion) according to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics guidelines, of which 31 variants are novel. Thus, including C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansion, Class 4, and Class 5 variants, 296 patients, corresponding to ∼13% of our cohort, could be genetically resolved. We detected 437 variants of unknown significance of which 103 are novel. Corroborating the theory of oligogenic causation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, we found a co-occurrence of pathogenic variants in 10 patients (0.4%) with 7 being C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansion carriers. In a gene-wise survival analysis, we found a higher hazard ratio of 1.47 (95% confidence interval 1.02-2.1) for death from any cause for patients with the C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansion and a lower hazard ratio of 0.33 (95% confidence interval 0.12-0.9) for patients with pathogenic SOD1 variants than for patients without a causal gene mutation. In summary, the high yield of 296 patients (∼13%) harbouring a pathogenic variant and oncoming gene-specific therapies for SOD1/FUS/C9orf72, which would apply to 227 patients (∼10%) in this cohort, corroborates that genetic testing should be made available to all sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients after respective counselling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang P Ruf
- Correspondence to: Dr Wolfgang P. Ruf Department of Neurology Medical Faculty, Ulm University Albert-Einstein-Allee 23, Ulm 89081, Germany E-mail:
| | - Matej Boros
- Institute of Human Genetics, Ulm University & Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | - Axel Freischmidt
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm 89081, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | - David Brenner
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | | | - Joao de Meirelles
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | - Thomas Meyer
- Department of Neurology, Center for ALS and other Motor Neuron Disorders, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin 13353, Germany
| | - Torsten Grehl
- Department of Neurology, Alfried Krupp Hospital, Essen 45131, Germany
| | - Susanne Petri
- Department of Neurology, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hannover 30625, Germany
| | | | - Ute Weyen
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Bochum, Bochum 44789, Germany
| | - Rene Guenther
- Department of Neurology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden 01307, Germany
| | - Martin Regensburger
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen 91054, Germany
| | - Tim Hagenacker
- Department of Neurology Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioral Sciences (C-TNBS), University Medicine Essen, Essen 45147, Germany
| | - Jan C Koch
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Goettingen, Goettingen 37075, Germany
| | - Alexander Emmer
- University Clinic and Polyclinic for Neurology, University Hospital Halle, Halle 06120, Germany
| | | | - Robert Steinbach
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Jena, Jena 07747, Germany
| | - Joachim Wolf
- Department of Neurology, Diako Mannheim, Mannheim 68163, Germany
| | - Jochen H Weishaupt
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Mannheim, Mannheim 68167, Germany
| | - Paul Lingor
- Department of Neurology, Technical University Munich, Munich 80333, Germany
| | - Marcus Deschauer
- Department of Neurology, Technical University Munich, Munich 80333, Germany
| | - Isabell Cordts
- Department of Neurology, Technical University Munich, Munich 80333, Germany
| | - Thomas Klopstock
- Department of Neurology with Friedrich-Baur-Institute, University Hospital of Ludwig-Maximilians-University, München 80336, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Munich 81377, Germany
| | - Peter Reilich
- Department of Neurology with Friedrich-Baur-Institute, University Hospital of Ludwig-Maximilians-University, München 80336, Germany
| | - Florian Schoeberl
- Department of Neurology with Friedrich-Baur-Institute, University Hospital of Ludwig-Maximilians-University, München 80336, Germany
| | - Berthold Schrank
- Department of Neurology, DKD Helios Clinics, Wiesbaden 65191, Germany
| | - Daniel Zeller
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg 97080, Germany
| | - Andreas Hermann
- Translational Neurodegeneration Section ‘Albrecht Kossel’, University Medical Center Rostock, Rostock 18146, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Rostock/Greifswald 17489, Germany
| | - Antje Knehr
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | | | - Johannes Dorst
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm 89081, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | - Joachim Schuster
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm 89081, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | - Reiner Siebert
- Institute of Human Genetics, Ulm University & Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | - Albert C Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm 89081, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | - Kathrin Müller
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm 89081, Germany
- Institute of Human Genetics, Ulm University & Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm 89081, Germany
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Yazar V, Ruf WP, Knehr A, Günther K, Ammerpohl O, Danzer KM, Ludolph AC. DNA Methylation Analysis in Monozygotic Twins Discordant for ALS in Blood Cells. Epigenet Insights 2023; 16:25168657231172159. [PMID: 37152709 PMCID: PMC10161312 DOI: 10.1177/25168657231172159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
ALS is a fatal motor neuron disease that displays a broad variety of phenotypes ranging from early fatal courses to slowly progressing and rather benign courses. Such divergence can also be seen in genetic ALS cases with varying phenotypes bearing specific mutations, suggesting epigenetic mechanisms like DNA methylation act as disease modifiers. However, the epigenotype dictated by, in addition to other mechanisms, DNA methylation is also strongly influenced by the individual's genotype. Hence, we performed a DNA methylation study using EPIC arrays on 7 monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs discordant for ALS in whole blood, which serves as an ideal model for eliminating the effects of the genetic-epigenetic interplay to a large extent. We found one CpG site showing intra-pair hypermethylation in the affected co-twins, which maps to the Glutamate Ionotropic Receptor Kainate Type Subunit 1 gene (GRIK1). Additionally, we found 4 DMPs which were subsequently confirmed using 2 different statistical approaches. Differentially methylated regions or blocks could not be detected within the scope of this work. In conclusion, we revealed that despite a low sample size, monozygotic twin studies discordant for the disease can bring new insights into epigenetic processes in ALS, pointing to new target loci for further investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Volkan Yazar
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Ulm, Germany
| | - Wolfgang P Ruf
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
| | - Antje Knehr
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
| | - Kornelia Günther
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
| | - Ole Ammerpohl
- Institute of Human Genetics, Ulm University & Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Karin M Danzer
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Ulm, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
| | - Albert C Ludolph
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Ulm, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
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39
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Kühlwein JK, Ruf WP, Kandler K, Witzel S, Lang C, Mulaw MA, Ekici AB, Weishaupt JH, Ludolph AC, Grozdanov V, Danzer KM. ALS is imprinted in the chromatin accessibility of blood cells. Cell Mol Life Sci 2023; 80:131. [PMID: 37095391 PMCID: PMC10126052 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-04769-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a complex and incurable neurodegenerative disorder in which genetic and epigenetic factors contribute to the pathogenesis of all forms of ALS. The interplay of genetic predisposition and environmental footprints generates epigenetic signatures in the cells of affected tissues, which then alter transcriptional programs. Epigenetic modifications that arise from genetic predisposition and systemic environmental footprints should in theory be detectable not only in affected CNS tissue but also in the periphery. Here, we identify an ALS-associated epigenetic signature ('epiChromALS') by chromatin accessibility analysis of blood cells of ALS patients. In contrast to the blood transcriptome signature, epiChromALS includes also genes that are not expressed in blood cells; it is enriched in CNS neuronal pathways and it is present in the ALS motor cortex. By combining simultaneous ATAC-seq and RNA-seq with single-cell sequencing in PBMCs and motor cortex from ALS patients, we demonstrate that epigenetic changes associated with the neurodegenerative disease can be found in the periphery, thus strongly suggesting a mechanistic link between the epigenetic regulation and disease pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia K Kühlwein
- Department of Neurology, University Clinic, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang P Ruf
- Department of Neurology, University Clinic, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany
| | - Katharina Kandler
- Department of Neurology, University Clinic, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany
| | - Simon Witzel
- Department of Neurology, University Clinic, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany
| | - Christina Lang
- Department of Neurology, University Clinic, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany
| | - Medhanie A Mulaw
- Medical Faculty, University of Ulm, 89081, Ulm, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany
| | - Arif B Ekici
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Clinic Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054, Erlangen, Bayern, Germany
| | - Jochen H Weishaupt
- Division for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Neurology Department, University Medicine Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68167, Mannheim, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany
| | - Albert C Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, University Clinic, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 89081, Ulm, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany
| | - Veselin Grozdanov
- Department of Neurology, University Clinic, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany
| | - Karin M Danzer
- Department of Neurology, University Clinic, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany.
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 89081, Ulm, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany.
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Bolborea M, Vercruysse P, Daria T, Reiners JC, Alami NO, Guillot SJ, Dieterlé S, Sinniger J, Scekic-Zahirovic J, Londo A, Arcay H, Goy MA, de Tapia CN, Thal DR, Shibuya K, Otani R, Arai K, Kuwabara S, Ludolph AC, Roselli F, Yilmazer-Hanke D, Dupuis L. Loss of hypothalamic MCH decreases food intake in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Acta Neuropathol 2023; 145:773-791. [PMID: 37058170 PMCID: PMC10175407 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-023-02569-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is associated with impaired energy metabolism, including weight loss and decreased appetite which are negatively correlated with survival. Neural mechanisms underlying metabolic impairment in ALS remain unknown. ALS patients and presymptomatic gene carriers have early hypothalamic atrophy. The lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) controls metabolic homeostasis through the secretion of neuropeptides such as orexin/hypocretin and melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH). Here, we show loss of MCH-positive neurons in three mouse models of ALS based on SOD1 or FUS mutations. Supplementation with MCH (1.2 µg/d) through continuous intracerebroventricular delivery led to weight gain in male mutant Sod1G86R mice. MCH supplementation increased food intake, rescued expression of the key appetite-related neuropeptide AgRP (agouti-related protein) and modified respiratory exchange ratio, suggesting increased carbohydrate usage during the inactive phase. Importantly, we document pTDP-43 pathology and neurodegeneration in the LHA of sporadic ALS patients. Neuronal cell loss was associated with pTDP-43-positive inclusions and signs of neurodegeneration in MCH-positive neurons. These results suggest that hypothalamic MCH is lost in ALS and contributes to the metabolic changes, including weight loss and decreased appetite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matei Bolborea
- Université de Strasbourg, INSERM, Mécanismes centraux et périphériques de la neurodégénérescence, UMR-S1118, Strasbourg, France.
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK.
| | - Pauline Vercruysse
- Université de Strasbourg, INSERM, Mécanismes centraux et périphériques de la neurodégénérescence, UMR-S1118, Strasbourg, France
| | - Tselmen Daria
- Clinical Neuroanatomy Section, Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Johanna C Reiners
- Clinical Neuroanatomy Section, Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- Institute for Neurobiochemistry, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Najwa Ouali Alami
- Clinical Neuroanatomy Section, Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Simon J Guillot
- Université de Strasbourg, INSERM, Mécanismes centraux et périphériques de la neurodégénérescence, UMR-S1118, Strasbourg, France
| | - Stéphane Dieterlé
- Université de Strasbourg, INSERM, Mécanismes centraux et périphériques de la neurodégénérescence, UMR-S1118, Strasbourg, France
| | - Jérôme Sinniger
- Université de Strasbourg, INSERM, Mécanismes centraux et périphériques de la neurodégénérescence, UMR-S1118, Strasbourg, France
| | - Jelena Scekic-Zahirovic
- Department of Neurology, Neurology Clinic, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- Laboratory for Neuropathology, Institute for Pathology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Amela Londo
- Department of Neurology, Neurology Clinic, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- Laboratory for Neuropathology, Institute for Pathology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Hippolyte Arcay
- Université de Strasbourg, INSERM, Mécanismes centraux et périphériques de la neurodégénérescence, UMR-S1118, Strasbourg, France
| | - Marc-Antoine Goy
- Université de Strasbourg, INSERM, Mécanismes centraux et périphériques de la neurodégénérescence, UMR-S1118, Strasbourg, France
| | - Claudia Nelson de Tapia
- Université de Strasbourg, INSERM, Mécanismes centraux et périphériques de la neurodégénérescence, UMR-S1118, Strasbourg, France
| | - Dietmar R Thal
- Laboratory for Neuropathology, Institute for Pathology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- Laboratory for Neuropathology, Department of Imaging and Pathology, and Leuven Brain Institute, KU louvain, Belgium
- Department of Pathology, UZ Leuven, Japan
| | - Kazumoto Shibuya
- Department of Neurology, Chiba University School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan
| | - Ryo Otani
- Department of Neurology, Chiba University School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan
| | - Kimihito Arai
- Department of Neurology, Chiba University School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan
| | - Satoshi Kuwabara
- Department of Neurology, Chiba University School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan
| | - Albert C Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, Neurology Clinic, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | - Francesco Roselli
- Department of Neurology, Neurology Clinic, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | - Deniz Yilmazer-Hanke
- Clinical Neuroanatomy Section, Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.
| | - Luc Dupuis
- Université de Strasbourg, INSERM, Mécanismes centraux et périphériques de la neurodégénérescence, UMR-S1118, Strasbourg, France.
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Müller HP, Behler A, Münch M, Dorst J, Ludolph AC, Kassubek J. Sequential alterations in diffusion metrics as correlates of disease severity in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Neurol 2023; 270:2308-2313. [PMID: 36763176 PMCID: PMC10025190 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-023-11582-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE The neuropathology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) follows a regional distribution pattern in the brain with four stages. Using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), this pattern can be translated into a tract-based staging scheme to assess cerebral progression in vivo. This study investigates the association between the sequential alteration pattern and disease severity in patients with ALS. METHODS DTI data of 325 patients with ALS and 130 healthy controls were analyzed in a tract of interest (TOI)-based approach. Patients were categorized according to their ALS-FRS-R scores into groups with declining functionality. The fractional anisotropy (FA) values in the tracts associated with neuropathological stages were group-wise compared with healthy controls. RESULTS The FA in the tracts associated with ALS stages showed a decrease which could be related to the disease severity stratification, i.e., at the group level, the lower the ALS-FRS-R of the categorized patient group, the higher was the effect size of the stage-related tract. In the patient group with the highest ALS-FRS-R, Cohen's d showed a medium effect size in the corticospinal tract and small effect sizes in the other stage-related tracts. Overall, the lower the ALS-FRS-R of the categorized patient group the higher was the effect size of the comparison with healthy controls. CONCLUSION The progression of white matter alterations across tracts according to the model of sequential tract involvement is associated with clinical disease severity in patients with ALS, suggesting the use of staging-based DTI as a technical marker for disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans-Peter Müller
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Ulm, Oberer Eselsberg 45, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Anna Behler
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Ulm, Oberer Eselsberg 45, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Maximilian Münch
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Ulm, Oberer Eselsberg 45, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Johannes Dorst
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Ulm, Oberer Eselsberg 45, 89081, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | - Albert C Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Ulm, Oberer Eselsberg 45, 89081, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | - Jan Kassubek
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Ulm, Oberer Eselsberg 45, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany.
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Xia K, Klose V, Högel J, Huang T, Zhang L, Dorst J, Fan D, Ludolph AC. Lipids and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A two-sample Mendelian Randomization Study. Eur J Neurol 2023. [PMID: 36999624 DOI: 10.1111/ene.15810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Previous observational studies revealed a potential but partially controversial relation between lipid metabolism and risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), potentially prone to bias. Therefore, we aimed to study whether lipid metabolism involves genetically determined risk factors for ALS through Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. METHODS Using GWASs summary-level data for total cholesterol (TC) (n=188,578), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (n=403,943), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (n=440,546), apolipoprotein A1(ApoA1) (n=391,193), apolipoprotein B (ApoB) (n=439,214), and ALS (12,577 cases and 23,475 controls), we implemented a bidirectional MR study to evaluate a genetic relation between lipids and ALS risk. We performed a mediation analysis to assess whether LDL-C is a potential mediator on the pathway from traits of LDL-C-related polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) to ALS risk. RESULTS We identified genetically predicted increased lipid levels to be associated with the risk of ALS, whereby elevated LDL-C had the most potent effect (OR, 1.028; 95% CI, 1.008-1.049, p=0.006). The effect of increased levels of apolipoproteins on ALS was similar to their corresponding lipoproteins. ALS did not cause any changes in lipid levels. We found no relation between LDL-C-modifying lifestyles and ALS. The mediation analysis revealed that LDL-C could act as an active mediator for linoleic acid, with the mediation effect estimated to be 0.009. CONCLUSION We provided high-level genetic evidence verifying the positive link between preclinically elevated lipid and ALS risk that had been described in previous genetic and observational studies. We also demonstrated the mediating role of LDL-C in the pathway from PUFAs to ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kailin Xia
- Department of Neurology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Biomarker and Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, National Health Commission/Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Veronika Klose
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | - Josef Högel
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Tao Huang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Linjing Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Biomarker and Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, National Health Commission/Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | | | - Dongsheng Fan
- Department of Neurology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Biomarker and Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, National Health Commission/Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Albert C Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
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Mueller S, Decker L, Menge S, Ludolph AC, Freischmidt A. The Fragile X Protein Family in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Mol Neurobiol 2023; 60:3898-3910. [PMID: 36991279 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03330-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
The fragile X protein (FXP) family comprises the multifunctional RNA-binding proteins FMR1, FXR1, and FXR2 that play an important role in RNA metabolism and regulation of translation, but also in DNA damage and cellular stress responses, mitochondrial organization, and more. FMR1 is well known for its implication in neurodevelopmental diseases. Recent evidence suggests substantial contribution of this protein family to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) pathogenesis. ALS is a highly heterogeneous neurodegenerative disease with multiple genetic and unclear environmental causes and very limited treatment options. The loss of motoneurons in ALS is still poorly understood, especially because pathogenic mechanisms are often restricted to patients with mutations in specific causative genes. Identification of converging disease mechanisms evident in most patients and suitable for therapeutic intervention is therefore of high importance. Recently, deregulation of the FXPs has been linked to pathogenic processes in different types of ALS. Strikingly, in many cases, available data points towards loss of expression and/or function of the FXPs early in the disease, or even at the presymptomatic state. In this review, we briefly introduce the FXPs and summarize available data about these proteins in ALS. This includes their relation to TDP-43, FUS, and ALS-related miRNAs, as well as their possible contribution to pathogenic protein aggregation and defective RNA editing. Furthermore, open questions that need to be addressed before definitively judging suitability of these proteins as novel therapeutic targets are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Mueller
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Lorena Decker
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Sonja Menge
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Albert C Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
- German Center For Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Axel Freischmidt
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
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Wiesenfarth M, Günther K, Müller K, Witzel S, Weiland U, Mayer K, Herrmann C, Brenner D, Schuster J, Freischmidt A, Lulé D, Meyer T, Regensburger M, Grehl T, Emmer A, Petri S, Großkreutz J, Rödiger A, Steinbach R, Klopstock T, Reilich P, Schöberl F, Wolf J, Hagenacker T, Weyen U, Zeller D, Ludolph AC, Dorst J. Clinical and genetic features of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients with C9orf72 mutations. Brain Commun 2023; 5:fcad087. [PMID: 37006326 PMCID: PMC10065188 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcad087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
An expansion of the GGGGCC hexanucleotide in the non-coding region of C9orf72 represents the most common cause of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The objective was to describe and analyse the clinical and genetic features of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients with C9orf72 mutations in a large population. Between November 2011 and December 2020, clinical and genetic characteristics of n = 248 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis carrying C9orf72 mutations were collected from the clinical and scientific network of German motoneuron disease centres. Clinical parameters included age of onset, diagnostic delay, family history, neuropsychological examination, progression rate, phosphorylated neurofilament heavy chain levels in CSF and survival. The number of repeats was correlated with the clinical phenotype. The clinical phenotype was compared to n = 84 patients with SOD1 mutations and n = 2178 sporadic patients without any known disease-related mutations. Patients with C9orf72 featured an almost balanced sex ratio with 48.4% (n = 120) women and 51.6% (n = 128) men. The rate of 33.9% patients (n = 63) with bulbar onset was significantly higher compared to sporadic (23.4%, P = 0.002) and SOD1 patients (3.1%, P < 0.001). Of note, 56.3% (n = 138) of C9orf72, but only 16.1% of SOD1 patients reported a negative family history (P < 0.001). The GGGGCC hexanucleotide repeat length did not influence the clinical phenotypes. Age of onset (58.0, interquartile range 52.0–63.8) was later compared to SOD1 (50.0, interquartile range 41.0–58.0; P < 0.001), but earlier compared to sporadic patients (61.0, interquartile range 52.0–69.0; P = 0.01). Median survival was shorter (38.0 months) compared to SOD1 (198.0 months, hazard ratio 1.97, 95% confidence interval 1.34–2.88; P < 0.001) and sporadic patients (76.0 months, hazard ratio 2.34, 95% confidence interval 1.64–3.34; P < 0.001). Phosphorylated neurofilament heavy chain levels in CSF (2880, interquartile range 1632–4638 pg/ml) were higher compared to sporadic patients (1382, interquartile range 458–2839 pg/ml; P < 0.001). In neuropsychological screening, C9orf72 patients displayed abnormal results in memory, verbal fluency and executive functions, showing generally worse performances compared to SOD1 and sporadic patients and a higher share with suspected frontotemporal dementia. In summary, clinical features of patients with C9orf72 mutations differ significantly from SOD1 and sporadic patients. Specifically, they feature a more frequent bulbar onset, a higher share of female patients and shorter survival. Interestingly, we found a high proportion of patients with negative family history and no evidence of a relationship between repeat lengths and disease severity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kathrin Müller
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Simon Witzel
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Ulrike Weiland
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Kristina Mayer
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | | | - David Brenner
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | | | | | - Dorothée Lulé
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Thomas Meyer
- Department of Neurology, Center for ALS and other Motor Neuron Disorders, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin Regensburger
- Department of Molecular Neurology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Torsten Grehl
- Alfried Krupp Hospital, Rüttenscheid, 45131 Essen, Germany
| | - Alexander Emmer
- Department of Neurology, Halle University Hospital, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Susanne Petri
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | | | | | - Robert Steinbach
- Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Thomas Klopstock
- Department of Neurology with Friedrich-Baur-Institute, University Hospital of Ludwig-Maximilians-University, 80336 München, Germany
- German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Site Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Peter Reilich
- Department of Neurology with Friedrich-Baur-Institute, University Hospital of Ludwig-Maximilians-University, 80336 München, Germany
| | - Florian Schöberl
- Department of Neurology with Friedrich-Baur-Institute, University Hospital of Ludwig-Maximilians-University, 80336 München, Germany
| | - Joachim Wolf
- Department of Neurology, Diakonissen Hospital, 68163 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Tim Hagenacker
- Department of Neurology and Center for Translational Neuro and Behavioral Sciences (C-TNBS), University Hospital Essen, 45127 Essen, Germany
| | - Ute Weyen
- Department of Neurology, Ruhr-University Bochum, BG-Kliniken Bergmannsheil, 44789 Bochum, Germany
| | - Daniel Zeller
- Department of Neurology, University of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Albert C Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
- German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Site Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Johannes Dorst
- Correspondence to: Johannes Dorst, MD Department of Neurology, Ulm University Oberer Eselsberg 45, 89081 Ulm, Baden-Württemberg, Germany E-mail:
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Dorst J, Weydt P, Brenner D, Witzel S, Kandler K, Huss A, Herrmann C, Wiesenfarth M, Knehr A, Günther K, Müller K, Weishaupt JH, Prudlo J, Forsberg K, Andersen PM, Rosenbohm A, Schuster J, Roselli F, Dupuis L, Mayer B, Tumani H, Kassubek J, Ludolph AC. Metabolic alterations precede neurofilament changes in presymptomatic ALS gene carriers. EBioMedicine 2023; 90:104521. [PMID: 36917918 PMCID: PMC10024076 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The emergence of potentially effective new therapies for genetic forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) necessitates the identification of biomarkers to facilitate early treatment, prior to the onset of motor symptoms. Here, we sought to investigate whether metabolic alterations are detectable in presymptomatic ALS gene mutation carriers, and whether such alterations precede neurofilament light chain (NfL) changes in serum. METHODS Between 02/2014 and 11/2021, we prospectively studied 60 presymptomatic ALS gene mutation carriers (40% male, age 48.7 ± 14.9; 28 C9orf72, 22 SOD1, 10 other) compared to 73 individuals from the same families (47% male, age 47.4 ± 12.9) without pathogenic mutations as controls. Bioimpedance analysis (BIA) and indirect calorimetry were performed, and Body Mass Index (BMI), Fat Mass (FM), Body Fat Percentage, Body Water (BW), Lean Body Mass (LBM), Extracellular Mass (ECM), Body Cell Mass (BCM), ECM/BCM ratio, Cells Percentage, Phase Angle, Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR), Metabolic Ratio (MR), and NfL were measured. Participants and evaluators were blinded regarding gene carrier status. FINDINGS Presymptomatic ALS gene carriers showed reduced LBM (p = 0.02), BCM (p = 0.004), Cells Percentage (p = 0.04), BW (p = 0.02), Phase Angle (p = 0.04), and increased ECM/BCM ratio (p = 0.04), consistently indicating a loss of metabolically active body cells. While in C9orf72 mutation carriers all tissue masses were reduced, only metabolically active tissue was affected in SOD1 mutation carriers. Unexpectedly, RMR (p = 0.009) and MR (p = 0.01) were lower in presymptomatic ALS gene carriers compared to non-carriers. NfL serum levels were similar in mutation carriers and non-carriers (p = 0.60). INTERPRETATION The observed metabolic phenomena might reflect reduced physical activity and/or preemptive, insufficient compensatory mechanisms to prepare for the later hypermetabolic state. As pre-symptomatic biomarkers we propose ECM/BCM ratio and Phase Angle for SOD1, and a 4-compartment affection in BIA for C9orf72 mutation carriers. FUNDING This work was an investigator-initiated trial. On the German side, there was no institutional or industrial funding. On the Swedish side, this work was supported by grants from the Swedish Brain Foundation (grants nr. 2013-0279, 2016-0303, 2018-0310, 2020-0353), the Swedish Research Council (grants nr. 2012-3167, 2017-03100), the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation (grants nr. 2012.0091, 2014.0305, 2020.0232), the Ulla-Carin Lindquist Foundation, Umeå University (223-2808-12, 223-1881-13, 2.1.12-1605-14) and the Västerbotten County Council (grants nr 56103-7002829), King Gustaf V:s and Queen Victoria's Freemason's Foundation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Dorst
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany.
| | - Patrick Weydt
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease and Gerontopsychiatry/Neurology, University of Bonn Medical Center, Bonn, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - David Brenner
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | - Simon Witzel
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - André Huss
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | | | | | - Antje Knehr
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Kathrin Müller
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Jochen H Weishaupt
- Division of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Mannheim Center for Translational Neurosciences, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Johannes Prudlo
- Department of Neurology, Rostock University Medical Center, and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Rostock, Germany
| | - Karin Forsberg
- Department of Clinical Science, Neurosciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Peter M Andersen
- Department of Clinical Science, Neurosciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | | | - Joachim Schuster
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | - Francesco Roselli
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | - Luc Dupuis
- Inserm, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Benjamin Mayer
- Institute for Epidemiology and Medical Biometry, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Hayrettin Tumani
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | - Jan Kassubek
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | - Albert C Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
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Logroscino G, Piccininni M, Graff C, Hardiman O, Ludolph AC, Moreno F, Otto M, Remes AM, Rowe JB, Seelaar H, Solje E, Stefanova E, Traykov L, Jelic V, Rydell MT, Pender N, Anderl-Straub S, Barandiaran M, Gabilondo A, Krüger J, Murley AG, Rittman T, van der Ende EL, van Swieten JC, Hartikainen P, Stojmenović GM, Mehrabian S, Benussi L, Alberici A, Dell’Abate MT, Zecca C, Borroni B. Incidence of Syndromes Associated With Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration in 9 European Countries. JAMA Neurol 2023; 80:279-286. [PMID: 36716024 PMCID: PMC9887528 DOI: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2022.5128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Importance Diagnostic incidence data for syndromes associated with frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) in multinational studies are urgent in light of upcoming therapeutic approaches. Objective To assess the incidence of FTLD across Europe. Design, Setting, and Participants The Frontotemporal Dementia Incidence European Research Study (FRONTIERS) was a retrospective cohort study conducted from June 1, 2018, to May 31, 2019, using a population-based registry from 13 tertiary FTLD research clinics from the UK, the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden, Spain, Bulgaria, Serbia, Germany, and Italy and including all new FTLD-associated cases during the study period, with a combined catchment population of 11 023 643 person-years. Included patients fulfilled criteria for the behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia (BVFTD), the nonfluent variant or semantic variant of primary progressive aphasia (PPA), unspecified PPA, progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal syndrome, or frontotemporal dementia with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FTD-ALS). Data were analyzed from July 19 to December 7, 2021. Main Outcomes and Measures Random-intercept Poisson models were used to obtain estimates of the European FTLD incidence rate accounting for geographic heterogeneity. Results Based on 267 identified cases (mean [SD] patient age, 66.70 [9.02] years; 156 males [58.43%]), the estimated annual incidence rate for FTLD in Europe was 2.36 cases per 100 000 person-years (95% CI, 1.59-3.51 cases per 100 000 person-years). There was a progressive increase in FTLD incidence across age, reaching its peak at the age of 71 years, with 13.09 cases per 100 000 person-years (95% CI, 8.46-18.93 cases per 100 000 person-years) among men and 7.88 cases per 100 000 person-years (95% CI, 5.39-11.60 cases per 100 000 person-years) among women. Overall, the incidence was higher among men (2.84 cases per 100 000 person-years; 95% CI, 1.88-4.27 cases per 100 000 person-years) than among women (1.91 cases per 100 000 person-years; 95% CI, 1.26-2.91 cases per 100 000 person-years). BVFTD was the most common phenotype (107 cases [40.07%]), followed by PPA (76 [28.46%]) and extrapyramidal phenotypes (69 [25.84%]). FTD-ALS was the rarest phenotype (15 cases [5.62%]). A total of 95 patients with FTLD (35.58%) had a family history of dementia. The estimated number of new FTLD cases per year in Europe was 12 057. Conclusions and Relevance The findings suggest that FTLD-associated syndromes are more common than previously recognized, and diagnosis should be considered at any age. Improved knowledge of FTLD incidence may contribute to appropriate health and social care planning and in the design of future clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giancarlo Logroscino
- Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Aging Brain, University of Bari-Aldo Moro, Bari at Pia Fondazione Cardinale Giovanni Panico, Tricase, Lecce, Italy
| | - Marco Piccininni
- Institute of Public Health, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Center for Stroke Research Berlin, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Caroline Graff
- Division of Neurogeriatrics, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
- Unit for Hereditary Dementia, Theme Aging, Karolinska University Hospital–Solna, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Orla Hardiman
- Academic Unit of Neurology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Department of Neurology, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Albert C. Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen, Ulm, Germany
| | - Fermin Moreno
- Cognitive Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario Donostia, San Sebastian, Spain
- Neuroscience Area, Biodonostia Health Research Institute, San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Markus Otto
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Martin Luther University, University Hospital, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Anne M. Remes
- Research Unit of Clinical Neuroscience, Neurology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- Medical Research Center, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
- Clinical Neurosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - James B. Rowe
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Harro Seelaar
- Department of Neurology and Alzheimer Center Erasmus MC, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Eino Solje
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Neurology, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
- NeuroCenter, Neurology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Elka Stefanova
- Faculty of Medicine, Neurology Clinic, University Clinical Center, University of Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Latchezar Traykov
- Alexandrovska University Hospital, Department of Neurology, Medical University Sofia, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Vesna Jelic
- Theme Inflammation and Aging, Medical Unit Aging Brain, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Solna, Sweden
- Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - Melissa Taheri Rydell
- Division of Neurogeriatrics, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - Niall Pender
- Academic Unit of Neurology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Department of Neurology, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - Myriam Barandiaran
- Cognitive Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario Donostia, San Sebastian, Spain
- Neuroscience Area, Biodonostia Health Research Institute, San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Alazne Gabilondo
- Cognitive Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario Donostia, San Sebastian, Spain
- Neuroscience Area, Biodonostia Health Research Institute, San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Johanna Krüger
- Research Unit of Clinical Neuroscience, Neurology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- Medical Research Center, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
- Neurocenter, Neurology, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
| | - Alexander G. Murley
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Timothy Rittman
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Emma L. van der Ende
- Department of Neurology and Alzheimer Center Erasmus MC, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - John C. van Swieten
- Department of Neurology and Alzheimer Center Erasmus MC, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | | | - Shima Mehrabian
- Alexandrovska University Hospital, Department of Neurology, Medical University Sofia, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Luisa Benussi
- Molecular Markers Laboratory, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Antonella Alberici
- Centre for Neurodegenerative Disorders, Neurology Unit, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Spedali Civili Brescia and University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Dell’Abate
- Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Aging Brain, University of Bari-Aldo Moro, Bari at Pia Fondazione Cardinale Giovanni Panico, Tricase, Lecce, Italy
| | - Chiara Zecca
- Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Aging Brain, University of Bari-Aldo Moro, Bari at Pia Fondazione Cardinale Giovanni Panico, Tricase, Lecce, Italy
| | - Barbara Borroni
- Centre for Neurodegenerative Disorders, Neurology Unit, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Spedali Civili Brescia and University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
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Abstract
Objective: The goal of this meta-analysis is to improve insight into the development of cognition over the course of ALS and to assess predictors of cognitive performance.Method: A literature search was conducted in Pubmed and Web of Science on 29 July 2019 and 16 March 2021. Data were screened in Endnote® Version X9 (London, UK). Meta-analyses and meta-regressions were calculated for cross-sectional data using Rstudio®. Studies were assigned to temporal and physical categories and Hedges' g was calculated for the respective categories to provide an estimate of a cognitive course based on cross-sectional data. Due to low numbers and heterogeneity in reporting, longitudinal studies were analyzed descriptively.Results: A total of N = 45 cross-sectional and N = 13 longitudinal studies were included. Impairments in all cognitive domains, except verbal IQ, were found in ALS patients (PALS). PALS showed stable cognitive performances in cross-sectional and in most longitudinal studies. PALS with symptoms for 18-24 months and PALS who had an ALSFRS-R score of 40-36 were the most frequently reported subgroup regarding neuropsychology. Age was related to visuospatial functioning, and depressiveness to attention. In longitudinal studies, impact of site of onset and cognitive status at baseline on cognitive course was found.Conclusion: Despite vast evidence for cognitive impairment at disease onset in different domains, evidence for evolution of these deficits is rather limited, suggesting that PALS present with cognitive impairment early in the course possibly in a sense of disease trait.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Finsel
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany and
| | - Ingo Uttner
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany and
| | | | - Albert C Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany and.,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | - Dorothée Lulé
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany and
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48
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Megat S, Mora N, Sanogo J, Roman O, Catanese A, Alami NO, Freischmidt A, Mingaj X, De Calbiac H, Muratet F, Dirrig-Grosch S, Dieterle S, Van Bakel N, Müller K, Sieverding K, Weishaupt J, Andersen PM, Weber M, Neuwirth C, Margelisch M, Sommacal A, Van Eijk KR, Veldink JH, Lautrette G, Couratier P, Camuzat A, Le Ber I, Grassano M, Chio A, Boeckers T, Ludolph AC, Roselli F, Yilmazer-Hanke D, Millecamps S, Kabashi E, Storkebaum E, Sellier C, Dupuis L. Integrative genetic analysis illuminates ALS heritability and identifies risk genes. Nat Commun 2023; 14:342. [PMID: 36670122 PMCID: PMC9860017 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35724-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has substantial heritability, in part shared with fronto-temporal dementia (FTD). We show that ALS heritability is enriched in splicing variants and in binding sites of 6 RNA-binding proteins including TDP-43 and FUS. A transcriptome wide association study (TWAS) identified 6 loci associated with ALS, including in NUP50 encoding for the nucleopore basket protein NUP50. Independently, rare variants in NUP50 were associated with ALS risk (P = 3.71.10-03; odds ratio = 3.29; 95%CI, 1.37 to 7.87) in a cohort of 9,390 ALS/FTD patients and 4,594 controls. Cells from one patient carrying a NUP50 frameshift mutation displayed a decreased level of NUP50. Loss of NUP50 leads to death of cultured neurons, and motor defects in Drosophila and zebrafish. Thus, our study identifies alterations in splicing in neurons as critical in ALS and provides genetic evidence linking nuclear pore defects to ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salim Megat
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Mécanismes centraux et périphériques de la neurodégénérescence, UMR-S1118, Centre de Recherches en Biomédecine, Strasbourg, France.
| | - Natalia Mora
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour and Faculty of Science, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Jason Sanogo
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Mécanismes centraux et périphériques de la neurodégénérescence, UMR-S1118, Centre de Recherches en Biomédecine, Strasbourg, France
| | - Olga Roman
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Mécanismes centraux et périphériques de la neurodégénérescence, UMR-S1118, Centre de Recherches en Biomédecine, Strasbourg, France
| | - Alberto Catanese
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Najwa Ouali Alami
- Clinical Neuroanatomy, Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Axel Freischmidt
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Xhuljana Mingaj
- Laboratory of Translational Research for Neurological Disorders, Imagine Institute, Université de Paris, INSERM UMR 1163, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Hortense De Calbiac
- Laboratory of Translational Research for Neurological Disorders, Imagine Institute, Université de Paris, INSERM UMR 1163, 75015, Paris, France
| | - François Muratet
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute - ICM, Inserm, CNRS, APHP, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Sylvie Dirrig-Grosch
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Mécanismes centraux et périphériques de la neurodégénérescence, UMR-S1118, Centre de Recherches en Biomédecine, Strasbourg, France
| | - Stéphane Dieterle
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Mécanismes centraux et périphériques de la neurodégénérescence, UMR-S1118, Centre de Recherches en Biomédecine, Strasbourg, France
| | - Nick Van Bakel
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour and Faculty of Science, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Kathrin Müller
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- Institute of Human Genetics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Jochen Weishaupt
- Division for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Neurology Department, University Medicine Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | | | - Markus Weber
- Neuromuscular Disease Unit/ALS Clinic, Kantonsspital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Neuwirth
- Neuromuscular Disease Unit/ALS Clinic, Kantonsspital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Markus Margelisch
- Institute for Pathology, Kanstonsspital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Sommacal
- Institute for Pathology, Kanstonsspital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Kristel R Van Eijk
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jan H Veldink
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Géraldine Lautrette
- Service de Neurologie, Centre de Référence SLA et autres maladies du neurone moteur, CHU Dupuytren 1, Limoges, France
| | - Philippe Couratier
- Service de Neurologie, Centre de Référence SLA et autres maladies du neurone moteur, CHU Dupuytren 1, Limoges, France
| | - Agnès Camuzat
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute - ICM, Inserm, CNRS, APHP, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Isabelle Le Ber
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute - ICM, Inserm, CNRS, APHP, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Maurizio Grassano
- ALS Center "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Adriano Chio
- ALS Center "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Tobias Boeckers
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Albert C Ludolph
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Francesco Roselli
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Stéphanie Millecamps
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute - ICM, Inserm, CNRS, APHP, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Edor Kabashi
- Laboratory of Translational Research for Neurological Disorders, Imagine Institute, Université de Paris, INSERM UMR 1163, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Erik Storkebaum
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour and Faculty of Science, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Chantal Sellier
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Mécanismes centraux et périphériques de la neurodégénérescence, UMR-S1118, Centre de Recherches en Biomédecine, Strasbourg, France
| | - Luc Dupuis
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Mécanismes centraux et périphériques de la neurodégénérescence, UMR-S1118, Centre de Recherches en Biomédecine, Strasbourg, France.
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49
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Wohnrade C, Velling AK, Mix L, Wurster CD, Cordts I, Stolte B, Zeller D, Uzelac Z, Platen S, Hagenacker T, Deschauer M, Lingor P, Ludolph AC, Lulé D, Petri S, Osmanovic A, Schreiber-Katz O. Health-Related Quality of Life in Spinal Muscular Atrophy Patients and Their Caregivers-A Prospective, Cross-Sectional, Multi-Center Analysis. Brain Sci 2023; 13:brainsci13010110. [PMID: 36672091 PMCID: PMC9857112 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13010110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a disabling disease that affects not only the patient’s health-related quality of life (HRQoL), but also causes a high caregiver burden (CGB). The aim of this study was to evaluate HRQoL, CGB, and their predictors in SMA. In two prospective, cross-sectional, and multi-center studies, SMA patients (n = 39) and SMA patient/caregiver couples (n = 49) filled in the EuroQoL Five Dimension Five Level Scale (EQ-5D-5L) and the Short Form Health Survey 36 (SF-36). Caregivers (CGs) additionally answered the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Patients were clustered into two groups with either low or high HRQoL (EQ-5D-5L index value <0.259 or >0.679). The latter group was mostly composed of ambulatory type III patients with higher motor/functional scores. More severely affected patients reported low physical functioning but good mental health and vitality. The CGB (mean ZBI = 22/88) correlated negatively with patients’ motor/functional scores and age. Higher CGB was associated with a lower HRQoL, higher depression and anxiety, and more health impairments of the CGs. We conclude that patient and CG well-being levels interact closely, which highlights the need to consider the health of both parties while evaluating novel treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Wohnrade
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Lucas Mix
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Isabell Cordts
- Department of Neurology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Benjamin Stolte
- Department of Neurology and Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioral Science, University Medicine Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
| | - Daniel Zeller
- Department of Neurology, University of Wuerzburg, 97080 Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Zeljko Uzelac
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Sophia Platen
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Tim Hagenacker
- Department of Neurology and Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioral Science, University Medicine Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
| | - Marcus Deschauer
- Department of Neurology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Paul Lingor
- Department of Neurology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Albert C. Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Dorothée Lulé
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Susanne Petri
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Alma Osmanovic
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
- Essen Center for Rare Diseases (EZSE), University Hospital Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
| | - Olivia Schreiber-Katz
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
- Correspondence:
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50
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Xia K, Witzel S, Witzel C, Klose V, Fan D, Ludolph AC, Dorst J. Mutation-specific metabolic profiles in presymptomatic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Eur J Neurol 2023; 30:87-95. [PMID: 36169607 DOI: 10.1111/ene.15584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 09/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Growing evidence shows that ALS patients feature a disturbed energy metabolism. However, these features have rarely been investigated in the presymptomatic stage. METHODS A total of 60 presymptomatic ALS mutation carriers and 70 age- and gender-matched controls (non-mutation carriers from the same families) were recruited. All subjects underwent assessments of their metabolic profiles under fasting conditions at enrollment, including body mass index (BMI), blood pressure and serum levels of blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein. RESULTS All mutations combined, no differences between presymptomatic ALS gene carriers and controls were found. From a cardiovascular point of view, presymptomatic chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (C9ORF72) gene carriers showed lower cardiovascular risk profiles compared to healthy controls, including lower BMI (median 22.9, interquartile range [IQR] 20.6-26.1 kg/m2 vs. 24.9, IQR 22.7-30.5 kg/m2 ; p = 0.007), lower systolic blood pressure (120, IQR 110-130 mmHg vs. 128, IQR 120-140 mmHg; p = 0.02), lower fasting serum glucose (89.0, IQR 85.0-97.0 mg/dl vs. 96.0, IQR 89.3-102.0 mg/dl; p = 0.005) and higher HDL (1.6, IQR 1.3-1.8 mmol/l vs. 1.2, IQR 1.0-1.4 mmol/l; p = 0.04). However, presymptomatic superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) gene mutation carriers showed higher cardiovascular risk profiles compared to healthy controls, including higher BMI (28.0, IQR 26.1-31.5 kg/m2 vs. 24.9, IQR 22.7-30.5 kg/m2 ; p = 0.02), higher fasting serum glucose (100.0, IQR 94.0-117.0 mg/dl vs. 96.0, IQR 89.3-102.0 mg/dl; p = 0.04) and lower HDL (1.2, IQR 1.0-1.4 mmol/l vs. 1.4, IQR 1.2-1.7 mmol/l; p = 0.01). These features were most prominent in patients carrying SOD1 gene mutations associated with slow disease progression. CONCLUSIONS This study identified distinct metabolic profiles in presymptomatic ALS gene carriers, which might be associated with disease progression in the symptomatic phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kailin Xia
- Department of Neurology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Biomarker and Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, National Health Commission/Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Simon Witzel
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Veronika Klose
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | - Dongsheng Fan
- Department of Neurology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Biomarker and Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, National Health Commission/Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Albert C Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
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