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- Casar Borota, Olivera, et al.
(author)
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Corticotroph Aggressive Pituitary Tumors and Carcinomas Frequently Harbor ATRX Mutations
- 2021
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In: Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. - : The Endocrine Society. - 0021-972X .- 1945-7197. ; 106:4, s. 1183-1194
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Context: Aggressive pituitary tumors (APTs) are characterized by unusually rapid growth and lack of response to standard treatment. About 1% to 2% develop metastases being classified as pituitary carcinomas (PCs). For unknown reasons, the corticotroph tumors are overrepresented among APTs and PCs. Mutations in the alpha thalassemia/mental retardation syndrome X-linked (ATRX) gene, regulating chromatin remodeling and telomere maintenance, have been implicated in the development of several cancer types, including neuroendocrine tumors. Objective: To study ATRX protein expression and mutational status of the ATRX gene in APTs and PCs. Design: We investigated ATRX protein expression by using immunohistochemistry in 30 APTs and 18 PCs, mostly of Pit-1 and T-Pit cell lineage. In tumors lacking ATRX immunolabeling, mutational status of the ATRX gene was explored. Results: Nine of the 48 tumors (19%) demonstrated lack of ATRX immunolabelling with a higher proportion in patients with PCs (5/18; 28%) than in those with APTs (4/30;13%). Lack of ATRX was most common in the corticotroph tumors, 7/22 (32%), versus tumors of the Pit-1 lineage, 2/24 (8%). Loss-of-function ATRX mutations were found in all 9 ATRX immunonegative cases: nonsense mutations (n = 4), frameshift deletions (n = 4), and large deletions affecting 22-28 of the 36 exons (n = 3). More than 1 ATRX gene defect was identified in 2 PCs. Conclusion: ATRX mutations occur in a subset of APTs and are more common in corticotroph tumors. The findings provide a rationale for performing ATRX immunohistochemistry to identify patients at risk of developing aggressive and potentially metastatic pituitary tumors.
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- Papakokkinou, Eleni, et al.
(author)
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Prevalence of Nelson's syndrome after bilateral adrenalectomy in patients with cushing's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis
- 2021
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In: Pituitary. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1386-341X .- 1573-7403.
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose Bilateral adrenalectomy (BA) still plays an important role in the management of Cushing's disease (CD). Nelson's syndrome (NS) is a severe complication of BA, but conflicting data on its prevalence and predicting factors have been reported. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of NS, and identify factors associated with its development. Data sources Systematic literature search in four databases. Study Selection Observational studies reporting the prevalence of NS after BA in adult patients with CD. Data extraction Data extraction and risk of bias assessment were performed by three independent investigators. Data synthesis Thirty-six studies, with a total of 1316 CD patients treated with BA, were included for the primary outcome. Pooled prevalence of NS was 26% (95% CI 22-31%), with moderate to high heterogeneity (I-2 67%, P < 0.01). The time from BA to NS varied from 2 months to 39 years. The prevalence of NS in the most recently published studies, where magnet resonance imaging was used, was 38% (95% CI 27-50%). The prevalence of treatment for NS was 21% (95% CI 18-26%). Relative risk for NS was not significantly affected by prior pituitary radiotherapy [0.9 (95% CI 0.5-1.6)] or pituitary surgery [0.6 (95% CI 0.4-1.0)]. Conclusions Every fourth patient with CD treated with BA develops NS, and every fifth patient requires pituitary-specific treatment. The risk of NS may persist for up to four decades after BA. Life-long follow-up is essential for early detection and adequate treatment of NS.
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- Petersson, M., et al.
(author)
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Natural history and surgical outcome of Rathke's cleft cysts-A study from the Swedish Pituitary Registry
- 2022
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In: Clinical Endocrinology. - : Wiley. - 0300-0664 .- 1365-2265. ; 96:1, s. 54-61
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective Rathke's cleft cysts are benign, embryological remnants in the pituitary gland. The majority of them are small and asymptomatic but a few may become large, and cause mass effects, pituitary hormone deficiencies and visual impairment. Recommendations for the follow-up of Rathke's cleft cysts vary since data on the natural history are sparse. Patients and Design Data at diagnosis and at 1, 5 and 10 years for patients with a Rathke's cleft cyst (434 at diagnosis, 317 females) were retrieved from the Swedish Pituitary Registry. Cysts <= 3 mm in diameter were excluded from the study. Measurements Data included demographics, cyst size, pituitary function, visual defects and surgery. Results The mean age at diagnosis was 45 years. In patients with cysts <10 mm in diameter (n = 204) 2.9% had pituitary hormone deficiencies and 2% had visual field impairments. Cyst size did not progress during the 5 years. Cysts with a diameter of >= 10 mm that were not operated (n = 174) decreased in size over the years (p < .01). Pituitary hormone deficiencies and visual impairments were more frequent (18% and 5.7%, respectively) but were stable over time. Transphenoidal surgery was performed in 56 patients of whom 51 underwent surgery before the 1-year follow-up. The mean cyst diameter at diagnosis was 18 mm (range: 930 mm), 36% had pituitary hormone deficiency, 45% had visual field defects and 20% had impaired visual acuity. One year after surgery 60% had no cyst remnants, 50% had a pituitary deficiency, 26% had visual field defects and 12% had impaired visual acuity. No major changes were observed after 5 years. Twelve of the operated patients had a follow-up at 10 years, in eight the cyst remnants or recurrences increased in size over time (p < .05). Conclusions Rathke's cleft cysts with a size less than 10 mm rarely grow and our results indicate that radiological follow-up can be restricted to 5 years. In contrast, progression of postoperative remnants or recurrent cysts is more likely and require long-term follow-up.
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- Rodriguez, L. , V, et al.
(author)
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Doubly-magic character of Sn-132 studied via electromagnetic moments of( 13)(3)Sn
- 2020
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In: Physical Review C. - : American Physical Society. - 2469-9985 .- 2469-9993. ; 102:5
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report the first measurement of the magnetic dipole and electric quadrupole moment of the exotic nucleus Sn-133 by high-resolution laser spectroscopy at ISOLDE/CERN. These, in combination with state-of-the-art shell-model calculations, demonstrate the single-particle character of the ground state of this short-lived isotope and, hence, the doubly-magic character of its immediate neighbor Sn-132. The trend of the electromagnetic moments along the N = 83 isotonic chain, now enriched with the values of tin, are discussed on the basis of realistic shell-model calculations.
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- Sampaio, J. M., et al.
(author)
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Simulation of (125) I Auger emission spectrum with new atomic parameters from MCDHF calculations
- 2022
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In: Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer. - : Elsevier. - 0022-4073 .- 1879-1352. ; 277
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- New 125 I atomic decay emission data of medical interest are presented. The calculations are based on two atomic structure codes that implement the multi-configuration Dirac-Hartree-Fock method. Radiative and non-radiative ransition rates are calculated in this method and then used to generate the atomic deexcitation cascade. Subshell transition rates, level widths and fluorescence yields are compared to the Evaluated Atomic Data Library. Coster-Kronig and Auger electron emission yields are also compared with results from other authors. The comparison with the experimental electron emission spectrum shows that the new calculations can reproduce very well the structure of the K-LL Auger electron peaks and improve the description of the M Auger peaks below 300 eV. The 125 I dose-point kernel is also simulated using the new data, resulting in higher values below 10 nm when compared those obtained with the Evaluated Atomic Data Library.
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- Smyrlaki, I, et al.
(author)
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Massive and rapid COVID-19 testing is feasible by extraction-free SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR
- 2020
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In: Nature communications. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2041-1723. ; 11:1, s. 4812-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is commonly diagnosed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to detect viral RNA in patient samples, but RNA extraction constitutes a major bottleneck in current testing. Methodological simplification could increase diagnostic availability and efficiency, benefitting patient care and infection control. Here, we describe methods circumventing RNA extraction in COVID-19 testing by performing RT-PCR directly on heat-inactivated or lysed samples. Our data, including benchmarking using 597 clinical patient samples and a standardised diagnostic system, demonstrate that direct RT-PCR is viable option to extraction-based tests. Using controlled amounts of active SARS-CoV-2, we confirm effectiveness of heat inactivation by plaque assay and evaluate various generic buffers as transport medium for direct RT-PCR. Significant savings in time and cost are achieved through RNA-extraction-free protocols that are directly compatible with established PCR-based testing pipelines. This could aid expansion of COVID-19 testing.
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- Albrecht, Franziska, et al.
(author)
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Effects of a Highly Challenging Balance Training Program on Motor Function and Brain Structure in Parkinson's Disease
- 2021
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In: Journal of Parkinson's Disease. - : IOS Press. - 1877-7171 .- 1877-718X. ; 11:4, s. 2057-2071
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by motor deficits and brain alterations having a detrimental impact on balance, gait, and cognition. Intensive physical exercise can induce changes in the neural system, potentially counteracting neurodegeneration in PD and improving clinical symptoms. Objective: This randomized controlled trial investigated effects of a highly challenging, cognitively demanding, balance and gait training (HiBalance) program in participants with PD on brain structure. Methods: 95 participants were assigned to either the HiBalance or an active control speech training program. The group-based interventions were performed in 1-hour sessions, twice per week over a 10-week period. Participants underwent balance, gait, cognitive function, and structural magnetic resonance imaging assessments before and after the interventions. Voxel-based morphometry was analyzed in 34 HiBalance and 31 active controls. Additionally, structural covariance networks were assessed. Results: There was no significant time by group interaction between the HiBalance and control training in balance, gait, or brain volume. Within-HiBalance-group analyses showed higher left putamen volumes post-training. In repeated measures correlation a positive linear, non-significant relationship between gait speed and putamen volume was revealed. In the HiBalance group we found community structure changes and stronger thalamic-cerebellar connectivity in structural covariance networks. Neither brain volume changes nor topology changes were found for the active controls after the training. Conclusion: Thus, subtle structural brain changes occur after balance and gait training. Future studies need to determine whether training modifications or other assessment methods lead to stronger effects.
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