Engineering Bacteriophytochrome-coupled Photoactivated Adenylyl Cyclases for Enhanced Optogenetic cAMP Modulation

Sensory photoreceptors abound in nature and enable organisms to adapt behavior, development, and physiology to environmental light. In optogenetics, photoreceptors allow spatiotemporally precise, reversible, and non-invasive control by light of cellular processes. Notwithstanding the development of numerous optogenetic circuits, an unmet demand exists for efficient systems sensitive to red light, given its superior penetration of biological tissue. Bacteriophytochrome photoreceptors sense the ratio of red and far-red light to regulate the activity of enzymatic effector modules. The recombination of bacteriophytochrome photosensor modules with cyclase effectors underlies photoactivated adenylyl cyclases (PAC) that catalyze the synthesis of the ubiquitous second messenger 3', 5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). Via homologous exchanges of the photosensor unit, we devised novel PACs, with the variant DmPAC exhibiting 40-fold activation of cyclase activity under red light, thus surpassing previous red-light-responsive PACs. Modifications of the PHY tongue modulated the responses to red and far-red light. Exchanges of the cyclase effector offer an avenue to further enhancing PACs but require optimization of the linker to the photosensor. DmPAC and a derivative for 3', 5'-cyclic guanosine monophosphate allow the manipulation of cyclic-nucleotide-dependent processes in mammalian cells by red light. Taken together, we advance the optogenetic control of second-messenger signaling and provide insight into the signaling and design of bacteriophytochrome receptors.

High interindividual variability in LDL-cholesterol reductions after inclisiran administration in a real-world multicenter setting in Germany

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is the main therapeutic target in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) inclisiran is a new drug, which targets PCSK9 mRNA in the liver, reducing concentrations of circulating LDL-C. In randomized trials, inclisiran demonstrated a substantial reduction in LDL-C. The German Inclisiran Network (GIN) aims to evaluate LDL-C reductions in a real-world cohort of patients treated with inclisiran in Germany.

METHODS

Patients who received inclisiran in 14 lipid clinics in Germany for elevated LDL-C levels between February 2021 and July 2022 were included in this analysis. We described baseline characteristics, individual LDL-C changes (%) and side effects in 153 patients 3 months (n = 153) and 9 months (n = 79) after inclisiran administration.

RESULTS

Since all patients were referred to specialized lipid clinics, only one-third were on statin therapy due to statin intolerance. The median LDL-C reduction was 35.5% at 3 months and 26.5% at 9 months. In patients previously treated with PCSK9 antibody (PCSK9-mAb), LDL-C reductions were less effective than in PCSK9-mAb-naïve patients (23.6% vs. 41.1% at 3 months). Concomitant statin treatment was associated with more effective LDL-C lowering. There was a high interindividual variability in LDL-C changes from baseline. Altogether, inclisiran was well-tolerated, and side effects were rare (5.9%).

CONCLUSION

In this real-world patient population referred to German lipid clinics for elevated LDL-C levels, inclisiran demonstrated a high interindividual variability in LDL-C reductions. Further research is warranted to elucidate reasons for the interindividual variability in drug efficacy.

High individual variability in LDL-reductions after inclisiran administration in a “real-world setting”

Background and aims

Inclisiran inhibits hepatic synthesis of proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin type 9 (PCSK9) (1). Previous studies suggest that inclisiran provides sustained reductions in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels with infrequent dosing. Patients included in the ORION program received inclisiran on top of maximally tolerated statin therapy and demonstrated a profound 50% LDL-C reduction as early as 3 months (2). The aim of this retrospective, multi-center analysis was to use individual patient data to determine the extent of the variability in LDL-C reduction in response to inclisiran administration in a real-world setting.

Methods

Since February 2021 the German Inclisiran Network (GIN) enrolled patients who received inclisiran due elevated LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels in German lipid clinics. In contrast to patients included in the ORION program inclisiran could be administered to a broad range of patients with elevated LDL-C levels, including patients naive of lipid-lowering drugs, as well as patients on apheresis who failed to attain LDL-C goals.

Results

In 10 lipid clinics in Germany a total of 117 consecutive patients received inclisiran. Patients, who were not on stable lipid-lowering medication at least 3 months prior to inclisiran administration, were excluded. Thus, a total of 61 patients were analyzed. Mean LDL-C level at baseline was 151.86±64.31 mg/dl (95 percent confidence interval (CI): 135.39 to 168.33 mg/dl). After 3 months, inclisiran reduced LDL-C levels by 34.6% (95% CI: 29.3 to 39.8%), mean LDL-C levels were 103.26±60.36 mg/dl (95% CI: 87.8 to 118.72 mg/dl). At baseline 18 (30%) patients received statins, 22 (36%) ezetimibe and 13 (21%) bempedoic acid. Twenty-five (41%) patients were not on any lipid lowering therapy at baseline and 15 (25%) were on apheresis and failed to attain LDL-C target levels at baseline. Altogether there was a high inter-individual variability in LDL-C reduction 3 months after the first administration of inclisiran (Figure 1). Interestingly, patients who received statins at baseline demonstrated a trend towards a more profound LDL-C reduction (42.6±20.6 vs. 30.33±19.2%). This effect, however, was not significant. Two patients did not demonstrate any LDL-C reduction after the first administration. Inclisiran was well tolerated. Only one patient reported a minor injection-site reaction. No further side-effects were reported.

Conclusion

These results indicate that there is substantial individual variability in the LDL-C reduction after the first administration of inclisiran. Inclisiran was well tolerated without any serious side-effects. A longer follow-up period and further research is warranted to elucidate reasons for the high inter-individual variability in LDL-reductions in this real-world setting.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.

High long-term persistence to evolocumab treatment regimens in European clinical practice: analysis of the HEYMANS registry

Background

Lipid-lowering treatments (LLTs) require both adherence and persistence to the treatment regimen long-term to maximise treatment benefits. Small molecules require self-medication daily but therapies such as evolocumab are labelled for self-medication every 2 weeks or monthly. Limited data exist concerning the long-term persistence to evolocumab in routine clinical practice.

Purpose

Using data from the HEYMANS registry, the objective of this analysis was to evaluate persistence and discontinuation of evolocumab in Europe.

Methods

HEYMANS was a prospective registry including adults initiating evolocumab treatment in routine clinical practice in 12 European countries between August 2015 and June 2020. Originally designed to have up to 12 months of follow-up, the protocol was amended (February 2018) to extend follow-up for up to 30 months. Patients yet to complete 12 months follow-up at this date, were followed up for up to 30 months. Therefore, we analysed evolocumab discontinuation separately for the two time periods: 0–12 months (all), 12–30 months (subset).

Results

Of the 1951 total patients, 30 patients discontinued participation in the study before 12 months (evolocumab use still ongoing at study discontinuation). Therefore, evolocumab use status was determined for 1921 patients at 12 months. Of these, 1781 (92.7%), remained on evolocumab at 12 months of follow-up (Figure). At 12 months, LDL-C levels were reduced from baseline by a median of 58% (Q1, Q3: 41%, 69%). In total, 1136 patients were eligible for extended follow up after protocol amendment. Of these, 137 patients discontinued study participation before 30 months of follow-up (with evolocumab ongoing). Therefore, evolocumab use status was determined in 999 patients, of whom, 92.2% (921) remained on evolocumab treatment at 30 months of follow-up (Figure). The reductions in LDL-C levels seen at 12 months were sustained throughout the study, with patients continuing to achieve median LDL-C reductions of 58% (Q1, Q3: 42%, 70%) from baseline at 30 months of follow-up.

Conclusions

In this real-world study, representative of European practice, of patients who entered the extension phase, the proportion of patients who remained on evolocumab up to 30 months exceeded 90%, and treatment was associated with sustained LDL-C reductions. These data suggest that the self-administration regimen of evolocumab is both feasible and acceptable in general populations, providing long-term sustained, reductions in LDL-C with likely associated health benefits.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: Private company. Main funding source(s): Amgen (Europe) GmbH

Evolocumab treatment is associated with early and sustained reductions in low-density cholesterol (LDL-C) over 30 months: final results from the pan-European observational HEYMANS registry

Background

Variability in LDL-C control at a population level associates with worse CV outcomes. This could in part be related to variations in patient adherence to self-administration regimens or variability in the response to a given therapy. Potent therapies such as PCSK9 inhibitors (PCSK9i) reduce cardiovascular events but some have questioned whether these therapies, which require dosing every 2 weeks, can offer sustained population level control of LDL-C.

Purpose

Using data from the HEYMANS registry, the objective of these analyses was to evaluate, at a population level, various metrics of variability in LDL-C reduction over time with evolocumab treatment.

Methods

HEYMANS was a prospective registry including adults initiating evolocumab treatment in clinical practice in 12 European countries between August 2015 to June 2020. Patient data were collected for ≤6 months before evolocumab initiation (baseline) and ≤30 months post initiation. LDL-C measurements were collected per clinical practice. At each 3-month time point in the study, we analysed median (and 95% CI) reductions in LDL-C, and the proportion of patients achieving ≥30% and ≥50% reductions in LDL-C from baseline.

Results

Data from 1951 patients were included in this final analysis (62% male, mean age 60 years, median baseline LDL-C 3.98 [Q1–Q3 3.17–5.07]) mmol/L). Most patients (85%) were receiving evolocumab for secondary prevention, with 40% not on oral LLT of whom the majority reported a history of statin intolerance. There was a median of 4 (Q1, Q3: 2, 6) LDL-C measurements per patient during follow-up. Within 3 months of initiating evolocumab treatment, LDL-C levels had reduced by a median of 58% and this reduction was maintained over 30 months (Figure 1). Among patients with an LDL-C value, ∼85% achieved a ≥30% reduction at each follow-up throughout the study, and ∼63% achieved a ≥50% reduction at each visit (Figure 2).

Conclusions

In European clinical practice, evolocumab treatment was associated with early and sustained reductions in LDL-C of over 30 months, with limited variability in LDL-C reductions at a population level. Within 3 months of treatment, evolocumab was associated with ∼58% reduction in LDL-C levels that was maintained throughout the study. These data should reassure the clinical community that meaningful, consistent additional reductions in LDL-C can be achieved with use of evolocumab. As greater use of combination therapies is required to achieve lower LDL-C goals, expanding the use of PCSK9i could provide improvements in population level control of LDL-C in European clinical practice.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: Private company. Main funding source(s): Amgen (Europe) GmbH

Examination of Genetic Susceptibility in Radiation-Associated Meningioma

Previous epidemiological studies have demonstrated elevated susceptibility to ionizing radiation in some families, thus suggesting the presence of genetic components that conferred increased rate of radiation-associated meningioma (RAM). In this study, we exome-sequenced and investigated the segregation pattern of rare deleterious variants in 11 RAM pedigrees. In addition, we performed a rare-variant association analysis in 92 unrelated familial cases of RAM that were ancestry-matched with 88 meningioma-free controls. In the pedigree analysis, we found that each family carried mostly a unique set of rare deleterious variants. A follow-up pathway analysis of the union of the genes that segregated within each of the 11 pedigrees identified a single statistically significant (q value = 7.90E-04) “ECM receptor interaction” set. In the case-control association analysis, we observed no statistically significant variants or genes after multiple testing correction; however, examination of ontological categories of the genes that associated with RAM at nominal P values <0.01 identified biologically relevant pathways such as DNA repair, cell cycle and apoptosis. These results suggest that it is unlikely that a small number of highly penetrant genes are involved in the pathogenesis of RAM. Substantially larger studies are needed to identify genetic risk variants and genes in RAM.

Rodent models for gait network disorders in Parkinson's disease - a translational perspective

Gait impairments in Parkinson's disease remain a scientific and therapeutic challenge. The advent of new deep brain stimulation (DBS) devices capable of recording brain activity from chronically implanted electrodes has fostered new studies of gait in freely moving patients. The hope is to identify gait-related neural biomarkers and improve therapy using closed-loop DBS. In this context, animal models offer the opportunity to investigate gait network activity at multiple biological scales and address unresolved questions from clinical research. Yet, the contribution of rodent models to the development of future neuromodulation therapies will rely on translational validity. In this review, we summarize the most effective strategies to model parkinsonian gait in rodents. We discuss how clinical observations have inspired targeted brain lesions in animal models, and whether resulting motor deficits and network oscillations match recent findings in humans. Gait impairments with hypo-, bradykinesia and altered limb rhythmicity were successfully modelled in rodents. However, clear evidence for the presence of freezing of gait was missing. The identification of reliable neural biomarkers for gait impairments has remained challenging in both animals and humans. Moving forward, we expect that the ongoing investigation of circuit specific neuromodulation strategies in animal models will lead to future optimizations of gait therapy in Parkinson's disease.

Current controversies in trichology: a European expert consensus statement

INTRODUCTION

Hair disorders are one of the most common conditions within dermatology practice but, although new diagnostic tools and therapeutic options have arisen, the management of these patients still represents a major clinical challenge.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed at gathering information and achieving consensus on relevant recommendations on the latest advances in alopecia, trichoscopy and hair dermocosmetics.

METHODS

Experts of the steering committee consulted the available evidence on trichology-related areas from the past 5 years and formulated recommendations based on the evidence and their experience. A modified two-round Delphi procedure was performed among 45 European dermatologists experts in trichology to consult their degree of agreement on twenty recommendations, using a 4-point Likert scale. Consensus was defined as >80% of participants scoring either 1 (totally agree) or 2 (agree).

RESULTS

In the first round of the Delphi questionnaire, 75% of the recommendations reached consensus. Those that were not agreed upon were reformulated by the steering committee and voted again after an online meeting, where consensus was achieved in all recommendations.

CONCLUSIONS

All recommendations reached consensus after the two-round Delphi questionnaire and may be useful in clinical practice for dermatologists. The participants agreed that besides this consensus, further clinical studies are needed to assess the benefits of the emerging tools and treatments and to clarify the controversies that still exist in the field, aiming at improving patients' quality of life.

Evolocumab use in Europe: clinical guidelines vs. reimbursement thresholds – results from the HEYMANS study

Background

2019 ESC/EAS guidelines recommend a 50% lowering in untreated LDL-C and use of PCSK9 inhibitors (PCSK9i) for patients (pts) at very high cardiovascular (CV) risk when LDL-C goals of <1.4mmol/L are not met despite maximally tolerated statins and ezetimibe. However, the LDL-C threshold at which PCSK9i are reimbursed are higher than the goals recommended in clinical guidelines.

Purpose

This prospective observational cohort study describes clinical characteristics and LDL-C control among pts initiating evolocumab across 12 EU countries.

Methods

Pts are followed from evolocumab initiation (baseline). Demographic/clinical characteristics, lipid lowering therapy (LLT) and lipid values are being collected from medical records (6 months before evolocumab up to 30 months post initiation). We report interim data from pts initiating evolocumab from August 2015 followed-up until July 2020.

Results

Of the 1,952 pts in whom evolocumab was initiated as per local reimbursement criteria, most (1844 [94%]) had 12 months follow-up, 785 (40%) had 24 months follow-up; mean follow-up: 20 months. Mean (SD) age was 60 (10.8) years; 85% of pts had a history of CV disease, 45% had familial hypercholesterolemia, 19% had type 2 diabetes, 65% were hypertensive, 7% had chronic kidney disease and 51% were prior/current smokers. At evolocumab initiation, 60% reported statin intolerance and 41% were on no background LLT. Fewer than half (846 [43%]) were receiving a statin (± ezetimibe); of these, most received a high/moderate intensity (68%/22%), with 13% receiving statin monotherapy. Median (Q1, Q3) baseline LDL-C was 3.98 (3.17, 5.07) mmol/L. Within 3 months of initiation median LDL-C fell by 58% to 1.63mmol/L. This reduction was maintained over time (Figure 1). Overall, 58% of pts achieved at least one LDL-C <1.4mmol/L during follow-up. Among pts receiving background statins ± ezetimibe at evolocumab initiation, 67% (710/1053) achieved at least one LDL-C <1.4mmol/L, versus 44% (317/714) of pts not receiving background statins/ezetimibe. During follow-up background oral LLT did not materially change; 40–45% pts received no LLT, 41–44% received statin ± ezetimibe, 12–14% received statin monotherapy.

Conclusion

In Europe, pts initiated on evolocumab had baseline LDL-C levels almost 3x higher than the present threshold for PCSK9i use recommended in guidelines reflecting disparities between local reimbursement criteria and guidelines. Although evolocumab led to a >50% reduction in LDL-C, only ∼50% pts achieved an LDL-C <1.4mmol/L, as approximately 41% received only evolocumab as monotherapy. LDL-C goal attainment was however higher among pts receiving evolocumab with background LLT. Therefore, lowering the LDL-C threshold for PCSK9i reimbursement, would result in more patients receiving combination therapy with oral LLT plus PCSK9i, thus increasing the likelihood of more pts achieving very-high risk LDL-C goals.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: Private company. Main funding source(s): Amgen Europe GmbH

Health care utilization and excess costs after pelvic fractures among older people in Germany

Our study demonstrates a strong increase in utilization of inpatient health care and clear excess costs in older people in the first year after pelvic fracture, the latter even after adjustment for several confounders. Excess costs were particularly high in the first few months and mainly attributable to inpatient treatment.

INTRODUCTION

We aimed to estimate health care utilization and excess costs in patients aged minimum 60 years up to 1 year after pelvic fracture compared to a population without pelvic fracture.

METHODS

In this retrospective population-based observational study, we used routine data from a large statutory health insurance (SHI) in Germany. Patients with a first pelvic fracture between 2008 and 2010 (n=5685, 82% female, mean age 80±9 years) were frequency matched with controls (n=193,159) by sex, age at index date, and index month. We estimated health care utilization and mean total direct costs (SHI perspective) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using BCA bootstrap procedures for 52 weeks before and after the index date. We calculated cost ratios (CRs) in 4-week intervals after the index date by fitting mixed two-part models including adjustment for possible confounders and repeated measurement. All analyses were further stratified for men/women, in-/outpatient-treated, and major/minor pelvic fractures.

RESULTS

Health care utilization and mean costs in the year after the index date were higher for cases than for controls, with inpatient treatment being particularly pronounced. CRs (95% CIs) decreased from 10.7 (10.2-11.1) within the first 4 weeks to 1.3 (1.2-1.4) within week 49-52. Excess costs were higher for inpatient than for outpatient-treated persons (CRs of 13.4 (12.9-13.9) and 2.3 (2.0-2.6) in week 1-4). In the first few months, high excess costs were detected for both persons with major and minor pelvic fracture.

CONCLUSION

Pelvic fractures come along with high excess costs and should be considered when planning and allocating health care resources.

Guidelines for clinical trials of frontal fibrosing alopecia: consensus recommendations from the International FFA Cooperative Group (IFFACG)

BACKGROUND

Frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) has become one of the most common causes of cicatricial alopecia worldwide. However, there is a lack of clear aetiology and robust clinical trial evidence for the efficacy and safety of agents currently used for treatment.

OBJECTIVES

To enable data to be collected worldwide on FFA using common criteria and assessment methods.

METHODS

A multicentre, international group of experts in hair loss was convened by email to create consensus recommendations for clinical trials. Consensus was defined at > 90% agreement on each recommended part of these guidelines.

RESULTS

Standardized diagnostic criteria, severity rating, staging, and investigator and patient assessment of scalp hair loss and other clinical features of FFA were created.

CONCLUSIONS

These guidelines should allow the collection of reliable aggregate data on FFA and advance efforts in both clinical and basic research to close knowledge gaps in this condition.

The Safety and Immunogenicity of GTU®MultiHIV DNA Vaccine Delivered by Transcutaneous and Intramuscular Injection With or Without Electroporation in HIV-1 Positive Subjects on Suppressive ART

Previous studies have shown targeting different tissues via the transcutaneous (TC) and intramuscular injection (IM) with or without electroporation (EP) has the potential to trigger immune responses to DNA vaccination. The CUTHIVTHER 001 Phase I/II randomized controlled clinical trial was designed to determine whether the mode of DNA vaccination delivery (TC+IM or EP+IM) could influence the quality and function of induced cellular immune responses compared to placebo, in an HIV positive clade B cohort on antiretroviral therapy (ART). The GTU^®MultiHIV B DNA vaccine DNA vaccine encoded a MultiHIV B clade fusion protein to target the cellular response. Overall the vaccine and regimens were safe and well-tolerated. There were robust pre-vaccination IFN-γ responses with no measurable change following vaccination compared to placebo. However, modest intracellular cytokine staining (ICS) responses were seen in the TC+IM group. A high proportion of individuals demonstrated potent viral inhibition at baseline that was not improved by vaccination. These results show that HIV positive subjects with nadir CD4+ counts ≥250 on suppressive ART display potent levels of cellular immunity and viral inhibition, and that DNA vaccination alone is insufficient to improve such responses. These data suggest that more potent prime-boost vaccination strategies are likely needed to improve pre-existing responses in similar HIV-1 cohorts (This study has been registered at http://ClinicalTrials.gov under registration no. NCT02457689).

Lipoprotein apheresis is an optimal therapeutic option to reduce increased Lp(a) levels

BACKGROUND

Lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) is a genetic risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and is associated with the induction and sustaining of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVD). Since 2008 Lp(a) along with progressive CVD has been approved as an indication for regular lipoprotein apheresis (LA) in Germany. The German Lipoprotein Apheresis Registry (GLAR) has been initiated to provide statistical evidence for the assessment of extracorporeal procedures to treat dyslipidemia for both LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) and Lp(a). The GLAR now allows prospective investigations over a 5-year period about annual incidence rates of cardiovascular events. Here Lp(a) patients (LDL-C < 100 mg/dl; Lp(a) > 60 mg/dl or >120 nmol/l) showed the same reduction of major coronary (83%) and non-coronary events (63%) as had been formerly shown in the Pro(a)LiFe study. However, Lp(a) is not only an apolipoprotein(a) (apo(a)) and LDL-C containing particle, which is covalently bound to a LDL-C core by a disulphide bridge. The composition of this particle, inter alia containing oxidized phospholipids, gives pro-atherosclerotic, pro-inflammatory, and pro-thrombotic properties, inducing atherosclerotic processes mainly in the arterial wall. However, recent investigations have shown that a reduction of inflammatory settings without LDL-C or Lp(a) reduction may reduce ASCVD events. Lipoprotein apheresis (LA) could not only reduce LDL-C and Lp(a) in parallel, but also different inflammatory and coagulation parameters. In summary lipoprotein apheresis is not only anti-atherosclerotic, but also anti-inflammatory and anti-thrombotic and therefore an ideal treatment option with respect to the shown reduction of major adverse coronary events (MACE) and major adverse non-coronary events (MANCE) by reducing Lp(a) levels.

Design of a light-gated proton channel based on the crystal structure of Coccomyxa rhodopsin

The light-driven proton pump Coccomyxa subellipsoidea rhodopsin (CsR) provides-because of its high expression in heterologous host cells-an opportunity to study active proton transport under controlled electrochemical conditions. In this study, solving crystal structure of CsR at 2.0-Å resolution enabled us to identify distinct features of the membrane protein that determine ion transport directivity and voltage sensitivity. A specific hydrogen bond between the highly conserved Arg⁸³ and the nearby nonconserved tyrosine (Tyr¹⁴) guided our structure-based transformation of CsR into an operational light-gated proton channel (CySeR) that could potentially be used in optogenetic assays. Time-resolved electrophysiological and spectroscopic measurements distinguished pump currents from channel currents in a single protein and emphasized the necessity of Arg⁸³ mobility in CsR as a dynamic extracellular barrier to prevent passive conductance. Our findings reveal that molecular constraints that distinguish pump from channel currents are structurally more confined than was generally expected. This knowledge might enable the structure-based design of novel optogenetic tools, which derive from microbial pumps and are therefore ion specific.

Soft X-ray microscopy for probing of topical tacrolimus delivery via micelles

The penetration of topically applied tacrolimus formulated in micelles into murine skin is reported, measured by X-ray microscopy. Tacrolimus and micelles are probed for the first time by this high spatial resolution technique by element-selective excitation in the C 1s- and O 1s-regimes. This method allows selective detection of the distribution and penetration depth of drugs and carrier molecules into biologic tissues. It is observed that small, but distinct quantities of the drug and micelles, acting as a drug carrier, penetrate the stratum corneum. A comparison is made with the paraffin-based commercial tacrolimus ointment Protopic^®, where local drug concentrations show to be low. A slight increase in local drug concentration in the stratum corneum is observed, if tacrolimus is formulated in micelles, as compared to Protopic^®. This underscores the importance of the drug formulations for effective drug delivery. Time-resolved penetration shows presence of drug in the stratum corneum 100 min after formulation application, with penetration to deeper skin layers at 1000 min. High resolution micrographs give indications for a penetration pathway along the lipid membranes between corneocytes, but also suggest that the compound may penetrate corneocytes.

Near-real-time pulmonary shunt and dead space measurement with micropore membrane inlet mass spectrometry in pigs with induced pulmonary embolism or acute lung failure

The multiple inert gas elimination technique (MIGET) using gas chromatography (GC) is an established but time-consuming method of determining ventilation/perfusion (VA/Q) distributions. MIGET-when performed using Micropore Membrane Inlet Mass Spectrometry (MMIMS)-has been proven to correlate well with GC-MIGET and reduces analysis time substantially. We aimed at comparing shunt fractions and dead space derived from MMIMS-MIGET with Riley shunt and Bohr dead space, respectively. Thirty anesthetized pigs were randomly assigned to lavage or pulmonary embolism groups. Inert gas infusion (saline mixture of SF6, krypton, desflurane, enflurane, diethyl ether, acetone) was maintained, and after induction of lung damage, blood and breath samples were taken at 15-min intervals over 4 h. The samples were injected into the MMIMS, and resultant retention and excretion data were translated to VA/Q distributions. We compared MMIMS-derived shunt (MM-S) to Riley shunt, and MMIMS-derived dead space (MM-VD) to Bohr dead space in 349 data pairs. MM-S was on average lower than Riley shunt (- 0.05 ± 0.10), with lower and upper limits of agreement of - 0.15 and 0.04, respectively. MM-VD was on average lower than Bohr dead space (- 0.09 ± 0.14), with lower and upper limits of agreement of - 0.24 and 0.05. MM-S and MM-VD correlated and agreed well with Riley shunt and with Bohr dead space. MM-S increased significantly after lung injury only in the lavage group, whereas MM-VD increased significantly in both groups. This is the first work evaluating and demonstrating the feasibility of near real-time VA/Q distribution measurements with the MIGET and the MMIMS methods.

Enhanced Quadrupole and Octupole Strength in Doubly Magic ^{132}Sn

The first 2^{+} and 3^{-} states of the doubly magic nucleus ^{132}Sn are populated via safe Coulomb excitation employing the recently commissioned HIE-ISOLDE accelerator at CERN in conjunction with the highly efficient MINIBALL array. The ^{132}Sn ions are accelerated to an energy of 5.49  MeV/nucleon and impinged on a ^{206}Pb target. Deexciting γ rays from the low-lying excited states of the target and the projectile are recorded in coincidence with scattered particles. The reduced transition strengths are determined for the transitions 0_{g.s.}^{+}→2_{1}^{+}, 0_{g.s.}^{+}→3_{1}^{-}, and 2_{1}^{+}→3_{1}^{-} in ^{132}Sn. The results on these states provide crucial information on cross-shell configurations which are determined within large-scale shell-model and Monte Carlo shell-model calculations as well as from random-phase approximation and relativistic random-phase approximation. The locally enhanced B(E2;0_{g.s.}^{+}→2_{1}^{+}) strength is consistent with the microscopic description of the structure of the respective states within all theoretical approaches. The presented results of experiment and theory can be considered to be the first direct verification of the sphericity and double magicity of ^{132}Sn.

Treatment-related and health-related quality of life in lipoprotein apheresis patients

BACKGROUND

There is evidence for beneficial effects of lipoprotein apheresis (LA) in terms of reduction of cardiovascular events and interventions, but quality of life (QOL) in LA patients has only been explored in small samples.

OBJECTIVE

In this study, both LA- or treatment-related and health-related QOL (HRQOL) were assessed in 206 LA patients.

METHODS

Mental and physical HRQOL of the LA patients was assessed by means of the SF-12 as well as the EQ-5D. Physical complaints were assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire-15 and LA- or treatment-related QOL by the Apheresis Quality of Life Form, developed for this study.

RESULTS

Comparison with general population norms showed that LA patients scored significantly lower on HRQOL and significantly higher on physical complaints. A higher perceived impact of the treatment proved to have a significant negative association with HRQOL and a positive one with physical complaints.

CONCLUSION

Previous studies reported higher levels of QOL in LA patients. This study showed that treatment-related QOL contributes to HRQOL and physical complaints in LA patients. While many patients do not experience LA as a real burden and report positive effects of the treatment, there is also an important group of patients for whom this is not the case. Although the impact on QOL of LA patients does most probably not outweigh the cardiovascular benefits of the treatment, it is important to screen treatment-related QOL in LA patients to optimize care in a personalized way. Future research is needed to compare QOL in LA with non-LA patients with similar medical conditions.

Coagulation Markers Predict Survival in Cancer Patients

In order to prospectively evaluate the predictive value of coagulation markers such as the fibrin Ddimer for survival of cancer patients, we analyzed their role in a prospective study at a University Hospital Institute of Medical Oncology.

268 consecutive outpatients with cancer were included, 72 in remission and 196 with active disease. All cause mortality in relation to the marker levels was measured.

99/268 patients died during the observation period of 4484 patient months (mean: 17 months). Patients with active disease had a significant, 1.5-5-fold increased marker concentration compared to patients in remission. When analyzed in quartiles, the data showed a lower than predicted death rate in the first quartile and a significantly elevated mortality in the fourth marker quartile. The odds ratio for death predicted by the fibrin monomer (FM) in the fourth vs. the first quartile was 4.1 (95% C. I.: 1.7-9.7) and p = 0.005 for the multivariate analysis of the markers.

We conclude that a single determination of coagulation markers, particularly of TAT, FM, and Ddimer is sufficient to strongly predict survival in cancer patients over the following 1-3 years.

Combined skin and muscle vaccination differentially impact the quality of effector T cell functions: the CUTHIVAC-001 randomized trial

Targeting of different tissues via transcutaneous (TC), intradermal (ID) and intramuscular (IM) injection has the potential to tailor the immune response to DNA vaccination. In this Phase I randomised controlled clinical trial in HIV-1 negative volunteers we investigate whether the site and mode of DNA vaccination influences the quality of the cellular immune responses. We adopted a strategy of concurrent immunization combining IM injection with either ID or TC administration. As a third arm we assessed the response to IM injection administered with electroporation (EP). The DNA plasmid encoded a MultiHIV B clade fusion protein designed to induce cellular immunity. The vaccine and regimens were well tolerated. We observed differential shaping of vaccine induced virus-specific CD4 + and CD8 + cell-mediated immune responses. DNA given by IM + EP promoted strong IFN-γ responses and potent viral inhibition. ID + IM without EP resulted in a similar pattern of response but of lower magnitude. By contrast TC + IM (without EP) shifted responses towards a more Th-17 dominated phenotype, associated with mucosal and epidermal protection. Whilst preliminary, these results offer new perspectives for differential shaping of desired cellular immunity required to fight the wide range of complex and diverse infectious diseases and cancers.

Measuring acne using Coproporphyrin III, Protoporphyrin IX, and lesion-specific inflammation: an exploratory study

Propionibacterium acnes: (P. acnes) produce Porphyrins; however, fluorescence measurement of Porphyrins from Ultraviolet-A (UVA) images has failed to establish a correlation. Acne clinical research and imaging has ignored the spectral excitation-emission characteristics and the exact pattern of the Porphyrins synthesized by P. acnes. In this exploratory study, for the first time, the possible relationships of Coproporphyrin III (CpIII) and Protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) fluorescence as well as acne lesion-specific inflammation measurements with clinical signs of acne are investigated. Furthermore, the sensitivity of these measurements in tracking and differentiating the known treatment effects of Benzoyl Peroxide (BPO) 5%, and combination of Clindamycin + BPO are also evaluated. Comedonal and papulopustular lesions identified by investigators during a live assessment of 24 mild-to-severe acne subjects were compared with fluorescence and inflammation measurements obtained from analysis of VISIA^®-CR images. CpIII fluorescence spots showed a strong correlation (r = 0.69-0.83), while PpIX fluorescence spots showed a weak correlation (r = 0.19-0.27) with the investigators' comedonal lesion counts. A strong correlation was also observed between the investigators' papulopustular lesion counts and acne lesion-specific inflammation (r = 0.76). Our results suggest that CpIII fluorescence and acne lesion-specific-inflammation measurement can provide objective indication of comedonal and papulopustular acne severity, respectively. Furthermore, these measurements may be more sensitive and specific in evaluating treatment effects and early signs of acne lesion progression compared to investigators' lesion counts.

[PCSK9 inhibitors : Current clinical relevance]

BACKGROUND

Hypercholesterolemias are known risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. Although statins have reduced the cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and further therapeutic measures are available, treatment goals are often not achieved. In cases of very high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol or of intolerability, the established therapies are often not sufficiently effective or cannot be used in adequate doses. For these high-risk patients further treatment options are required.

OBJECTIVES

The current clinical relevance of the new substance class of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors for the treatment of hypercholesterolemias is presented on the basis of the available data and the German regulations.

CURRENT DATA

The two PCSK9 inhibitors, evolocumab and alirocumab, were approved in 2015. Data from many different patient groups are available for both substances. The significant reduction of LDL cholesterol of 50-60% and the very good tolerability and safety profile (at placebo level) are shown for both substances. The PCSK9 inhibitors are not as effective only in homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. The first long-term data and one imaging study raise hope that the endpoint trials will show the expected reduction in cardiovascular events. Long-term trials have to show the long-term safety. In Germany it is legally regulated which patients can be treated by PCSK9 inhibitors and these prerequisites are largely in accordance with clinical practice.

CONCLUSION

The body of evidence is rapidly increasing thereby facilitating the decision making when PCSK9 inhibitors could be used. The PCSK9 inhibitors will considerably improve the options for optimal treatment of high-risk patients.

Impact of Steroids on the Inflammatory Response after Ischemic Acute Kidney Injury in Rats

Inflammation plays a crucial role in acute kidney injury (AKI). The current study was designed to analyze the influence of prednisolone treatment on the inflammatory reaction during the first 96 h after AKI induction in a rat model. AKI was induced by unilateral clipping of the renal vessels. The treatment group received prednisolone 5 mg/kg s.c. daily. Infiltration rates of macrophages, leukocytes, and T-cells (24, 96 h) as well as plasma concentrations of the inflammatory markers intercellular adhesion molecule, interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), IL-18, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (0, 6, 24, 96 h) were determined by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis only. Ninety-six hours after AKI induction, the prednisolone group demonstrated significantly lower creatinine concentrations compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Twenty-four hours after induction of AKI, a significantly higher rate of infiltrating leukocytes was detectable with FACS analysis in the control group (P < 0.01) with a corresponding significantly higher rate of macrophages after 96 h (P < 0.01). IL-6 and IL-1β demonstrated a peak after 6 h with a significantly higher release in the control group (IL-6: P < 0.01; IL-1β: P < 0.05). In contrast to the control group, the prednisolone group demonstrated no further incline of IL-18 after 24 h. The results demonstrate the importance of stretching the observation period in an ischemia-reperfusion-induced AKI setting beyond the first 24 h. Despite the demonstrated protective effects of a continuous prednisolone application, it seems that this single anti-inflammatory agent will not be able to completely suppress the inflammatory response after an ischemia-reperfusion-induced AKI.

Sensitivity to change of the Dermatology Life Quality Index in adult females with facial acne vulgaris: a validation study

BACKGROUND

The postadolescent form of acne papulopustulosa, also referred to as 'acne tarda' can have substantial negative impact on Quality of Life, especially in adult female patients.

OBJECTIVE

Although the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) is widely used, empirical evidence about its performance in adult female acne patients is lacking.

METHODS

In this prospective cohort study, we have investigated the sensitivity to change of the DLQI in 53 female adult acne patients with mild to moderate facial acne treated with azelaic acid (AzA) 15% gel twice daily over 24 weeks.

RESULTS

Mean Investigator Static Global Assessment (ISGA) score was 2.3 (SD 0.5) at baseline and ranged from 0.9 (SD 0.3) to 2.1 (SD 0.4) at the end of the study in the 'Highly Improved' and 'Unchanged' responder groups respectively. The mean baseline DLQI score was 5.1 (SD 4.2). The Effect Size in the responder group 'Highly Improved' was 0.66; in group 'Improved' 0.62 and 0.23 in group 'Unchanged'. At the end of study, the mean DLQI score ranged from 1.1 (SD 1.5) in the 'Highly Improved' group to 3.7 (SD 6.0) in the 'Unchanged' group.

CONCLUSION

The results support the sensitivity to change of the DLQI in this population.

Influence of the skin barrier on the penetration of topically-applied dexamethasone probed by soft X-ray spectromicroscopy

The penetration of dexamethasone into human skin ex vivo is reported. X-ray microscopy is used for label-free probing of the drug and quantification of the local drug concentration with a spatial resolution reaching 70±5nm. This is accomplished by selective probing the dexamethasone by X-ray absorption. Varying the penetration time between 10min and 1000min provides detailed information on the penetration process. In addition, the stratum corneum has been damaged by tape-stripping in order to determine the importance of this barrier regarding temporally resolved drug penetration profiles. Dexamethasone concentrations distinctly vary, especially close to the border of the stratum corneum and the viable epidermis, where a local minimum in drug concentration is observed. Furthermore, near the basal membrane the drug concentration strongly drops. High spatial resolution studies along with a de-convolution procedure reveal the spatial distribution of dexamethasone in the interspaces between the corneocytes consisting of stratum corneum lipids. These results on local drug concentrations are interpreted in terms of barriers affecting the drug penetration in human skin.

Drug delivery across intact and disrupted skin barrier: Identification of cell populations interacting with penetrated thermoresponsive nanogels

Nanoscaled soft particles, such as nanogels, can be designed to incorporate different types of compounds and release them in a controlled and triggered manner. Thermoresponsive nanogels (tNG), releasing their cargo above a defined temperature, are promising carrier systems for inflammatory skin diseases, where the temperature of diseased skin differs from that of healthy skin areas. In this study a polyglycerol-based tNG with diameter of 156nm was investigated for penetration and release properties upon topical application on ex vivo human skin with intact or disrupted barrier. Furthermore, temperature-triggered effects and the internalization of tNG by skin cells upon translocation to the viable skin layers were analyzed. The investigated tNG were tagged with indodicarbocyanine and loaded with fluorescein, so that fluorescent microscopy and flow cytometry could be used to evaluate simultaneously particle penetration and release of the fluorochrome. Topically applied tNG penetrated into the SC of both intact and disrupted skin explants. Only in barrier-disrupted skin significant amounts of released fluorochrome and tNG penetrated in the epidermis and dermis 2h after topical application. When a thermal trigger was applied by infrared radiation (30s, 3.9mJ/cm²), a significantly higher penetration of tNG in the SC and release of the dye in the epidermis were detected with respect to non-triggered samples. Penetrated tNG particles were internalized by skin cells in both epidermis and dermis. Only few CD1a-positive Langerhans cells associated with tNG were found in the epidermis. However, in the dermis a significant percentage of cells associated with tNG were identified to be antigen presenting cells, i.e. HLA-DR+and CD206+cells. Thus, tNG represent promising carrier systems for the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases, not only because of their improved penetration and controlled release properties, but also because of their ability to effectively reach dermal dendritic cells in barrier-disrupted skin.

Studies for improved understanding of lipid distributions in human skin by combining stimulated and spontaneous Raman microscopy

Advanced Raman techniques, such as stimulated Raman spectroscopy (SRS), have become a valuable tool for investigations of distributions of substances in biological samples. However, these techniques lack spectral information and are therefore highly affected by cross-sensitivities, which are due to blended Raman bands. One typical example is the symmetric CH₂ stretching vibration of lipids, which is blended with the more intense Raman band of proteins. We report in this work an approach to reduce such cross-sensitivities by a factor of 8 in human skin samples. This is accomplished by careful spectral deconvolutions revealing the neat spectra of skin lipids. Extensive Raman studies combining the complementary advantages of fast mapping and scanning, i.e. SRS, as well as spectral information provided by spontaneous Raman spectroscopy, were performed on the same skin regions. In addition, an approach for correcting artifacts is reported, which are due to transmission and reflection geometries in Raman microscopy as well as scattering of radiation from rough and highly structured skin samples. As a result, these developments offer improved results obtained from label-free spectromicroscopy provided by Raman techniques. These yield substance specific information from spectral regimes in which blended bands dominate. This improvement is illustrated by studies on the asymmetric CH₂ stretching vibration of lipids, which was previously difficult to identify due to the strong background signal from proteins. The advantage of the correction procedures is demonstrated by higher spatial resolution permitting to perform more detailed investigations on lipids and their composition in skin.

Core-multishell nanocarriers: Transport and release of dexamethasone probed by soft X-ray spectromicroscopy

Label-free detection of core-multishell (CMS) nanocarriers and the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone is reported. Selective excitation by tunable soft X-rays in the O 1s-regime is used for probing either the CMS nanocarrier or the drug. Furthermore, the drug loading efficiency into CMS nanocarriers is determined by X-ray spectroscopy. The drug-loaded nanocarriers were topically applied to human skin explants providing insights into the penetration and drug release processes. It is shown that the core-multishell nanocarriers remain in the stratum corneum when applied for 100min to 1000min. Dexamethasone, if applied topically to human ex vivo skin explants using different formulations, shows a vehicle-dependent penetration behavior. Highest local drug concentrations are found in the stratum corneum as well as in the viable epidermis. If the drug is loaded to core-multishell nanocarriers, the concentration of the free drug is low in the stratum corneum and is enhanced in the viable epidermis as compared to other drug formulations. The present results provide insights into the penetration of drug nanocarriers as well as the mechanisms of controlled drug release from CMS nanocarriers in human skin. They are also compared to related work using dye-labeled nanocarriers and dyes that were used as model drugs.

[Adherence to Phase III Cardiac Rehabilitation Programs: A Prospective, Randomized Comparison between a Conventionally Conducted Program and a Tai Chi-Based Program]

INTRODUCTION

In patients with cardiac diseases, lifestyle changes such as an increase in physical activity are recommended to prevent further cardiac events. In Germany this is possible by attending outpatient heart groups. A problem inherent in these programs is the lack of adherence since more than two thirds of patients stop attending cardiac rehabilitation programs after six months. An alternative to the conventional implementation of heart groups is Tai Chi, which was found to improve adherence to cardiac rehabilitation programs in international studies.

METHODS

Patients were randomly assigned to a conventional heart group or a heart group with Tai Chi exercises. At the beginning of the study, a medical history was taken and physical and instrumental tests were carried out, including an assessment of anxiety/depression (HADS questionnaire) and physical well-being (SD-12). Follow-up tests were performed every three months.

RESULTS

Patients were 62.6 ± 8.5 years old, the mean BMI was 28.6 ± 62 kg/m(2), and the proportion of women was 29.8 %. The groups were different in terms of age (conventional heart group: 65.0 ± 7.5; Tai Chi group: 59.9 ± 8.9 years). Therefore, age-adjusted analyses were performed in addition to the planned analyses. Regarding the primary endpoint of the study, there was no difference between the groups. After twelve months, 50 % of subjects were active in the Tai Chi group and 48 % in the conventional heart group (odds ratio 0.92, p = 0.891). After adjustment for age by logistic regression, the odds ratio was 0.47 (p = 0.285). Furthermore, both the participation period in weeks (Tai Chi group: 43.3 ± 26.0; conventional group: 45.5 ± 24.2, p = 0.766) and the participation rate (Tai Chi group: 66.8 ± 19.2 % Tai Chi, conventional group: 76.3 ± 16.5 %, p = 0.074) did not differ between the two groups. A further analysis showed a non-significant trend for improvement of anxiety, depression and physical well-being in the Tai Chi group compared with the conventional group.

CONCLUSION

The insight gained in international studies regarding a better adherence to Tai Chi-guided prevention programs was not transferable to heart group participants from Germany. However, there was a trend regarding a better mental condition in the Tai Chi group.

Optogenetic approaches addressing extracellular modulation of neural excitability

The extracellular ionic environment in neural tissue has the capacity to influence, and be influenced by, natural bouts of neural activity. We employed optogenetic approaches to control and investigate these interactions within and between cells, and across spatial scales. We began by developing a temporally precise means to study microdomain-scale interactions between extracellular protons and acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs). By coupling single-component proton-transporting optogenetic tools to ASICs to create two-component optogenetic constructs (TCOs), we found that acidification of the local extracellular membrane surface by a light-activated proton pump recruited a slow inward ASIC current, which required molecular proximity of the two components on the membrane. To elicit more global effects of activity modulation on ‘bystander’ neurons not under direct control, we used densely-expressed depolarizing (ChR2) or hyperpolarizing (eArch3.0, eNpHR3.0) tools to create a slow non-synaptic membrane current in bystander neurons, which matched the current direction seen in the directly modulated neurons. Extracellular protons played contributory role but were insufficient to explain the entire bystander effect, suggesting the recruitment of other mechanisms. Together, these findings present a new approach to the engineering of multicomponent optogenetic tools to manipulate ionic microdomains, and probe the complex neuronal-extracellular space interactions that regulate neural excitability.

Total Thyroidectomy for Amiodarone-induced Thyrotoxicosis in the Hyperthyroid State

Amiodarone is a potent antiarrhythmic agent, indicated for the treatment of refractory arrhythmias, which may lead to thyrotoxicosis. In these patients, thyroidectomy is a valid therapeutic option. Antithyroid therapy in the immediate preoperative setting and the subsequently accepted minimal delay until thyroidectomy have not been clearly defined yet. The aim of the present study was to show, that total thyroidectomy under general anaesthesia in patients with amiodarone-induced thyrotoxicosis (AIT) is safe without necessarily obtaining an euthyroid state preoperatively.We conducted a retrospective cohort study of prospectively gathered data on 11 patients undergoing total thyroidectomy under general anaesthesia between January 2008 and December 2013 for AIT at our University Hospital.All patients were preoperatively treated with carbimazole, steroids and β-receptor antagonists. Additionally, 3 patients received potassium perchlorate and in one patient carbimazole was changed to propylthiouracil. Plasmapheresis was performed in 3 patients. Only one patient was euthyroid at the time of operation. There were no significant intra- and postoperative complications, especially no signs of thyroid storm. One patient could postoperatively be removed from the cardiac transplant waiting list due to improved cardiac function.Improvements in the interdisciplinary surgical management for AIT between cardiologists, endocrinologists, anaesthetists and endocrine surgeons provide the basis of safe total thyroidectomy under general anaesthesia in hyperthyroid state. Early surgery without long delay for medical antithyroid treatment (with its potential negative side effects) is recommended.

Engineering thermoresponsive polyether-based nanogels for temperature dependent skin penetration

Improved skin penetration of thermoresponsive nanogels into human skin at temperatures above the phase-transition temperature.

Dielectric properties of Co(CO3)(H2O)2(C3H4N2)2 and [Co(C3H3N2)2]n

Dielectric relaxation phenomenon with non-Debye dynamics in Co(CO₃)(H₂O)₂(C₃H₄N₂)₂ and [Co(C₃H₃N₂)₂]_n, resembling the behaviour of ferroelectric relaxors is presumably connected with the charge carriers.

Synthetic retinal analogues modify the spectral and kinetic characteristics of microbial rhodopsin optogenetic tools

Optogenetic tools have become indispensable in neuroscience to stimulate or inhibit excitable cells by light. Channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) variants have been established by mutating the opsin backbone or by mining related algal genomes. As an alternative strategy, we surveyed synthetic retinal analogues combined with microbial rhodopsins for functional and spectral properties, capitalizing on assays in C. elegans, HEK cells and larval Drosophila. Compared with all-trans retinal (ATR), Dimethylamino-retinal (DMAR) shifts the action spectra maxima of ChR2 variants H134R and H134R/T159C from 480 to 520 nm. Moreover, DMAR decelerates the photocycle of ChR2(H134R) and (H134R/T159C), thereby reducing the light intensity required for persistent channel activation. In hyperpolarizing archaerhodopsin-3 and Mac, naphthyl-retinal and thiophene-retinal support activity alike ATR, yet at altered peak wavelengths. Our experiments enable applications of retinal analogues in colour tuning and altering photocycle characteristics of optogenetic tools, thereby increasing the operational light sensitivity of existing cell lines or transgenic animals.

[Two forms of familial hypercholesterolemia: differences in cardiovascular risk factors, cardiac and extracardiac atherosclerosis]

BACKGROUND AND AIM

The monogenetic hypercholesterolemias (HC) are associated with a very high risk of premature coronary heart disease (CHD). We sought to assess the influence of the genetic defect and the cardiovascular risk factors on the manifestation of atherosclerotic complications in two forms of genetic HC.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Data of patients with genetically defined HC (54 LDL-receptor defective familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) and 54 familial defective apolipoprotein B (FDB)) were analysed retrospectively for cardiac and extracardiac atherosclerosis.

RESULTS

Total and LDL-cholesterol were significantly higher in FH men than in FDB men, but not so in women. 41.8% of FH patients had CHD (mean age 41 years), 5.6% of FDB (mean age 52 years). Stenoses (>50% narrowing) of the internal carotid artery were verified in 15% of FH and 4% of FDB patients. Peripheral arterial disease was found in 3 FH and 2 FDB patients. Hypertension and active smoking were allotted almost equally, body weight was normal in most of the patients (BMI ≤ 25 kg/m(2)). Conlusion: Patients with genetic HC suffer from early manifestation of cardiac disease. Patients with FH seem to be affected more often than patients with FDB. Early diagnosis and early and lifelong treatment are essential and, according to the literature, lead to a delay of disease manifestation.