| 1. |
- Conti, David, V, et al.
(author)
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Trans-ancestry genome-wide association meta-analysis of prostate cancer identifies new susceptibility loci and informs genetic risk prediction
- 2021
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In: Nature Genetics. - : Springer Nature. - 1061-4036 .- 1546-1718. ; 53:1, s. 65-75
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Prostate cancer is a highly heritable disease with large disparities in incidence rates across ancestry populations. We conducted a multiancestry meta-analysis of prostate cancer genome-wide association studies (107,247 cases and 127,006 controls) and identified 86 new genetic risk variants independently associated with prostate cancer risk, bringing the total to 269 known risk variants. The top genetic risk score (GRS) decile was associated with odds ratios that ranged from 5.06 (95% confidence interval (CI), 4.84-5.29) for men of European ancestry to 3.74 (95% CI, 3.36-4.17) for men of African ancestry. Men of African ancestry were estimated to have a mean GRS that was 2.18-times higher (95% CI, 2.14-2.22), and men of East Asian ancestry 0.73-times lower (95% CI, 0.71-0.76), than men of European ancestry. These findings support the role of germline variation contributing to population differences in prostate cancer risk, with the GRS offering an approach for personalized risk prediction. A meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies across different populations highlights new risk loci and provides a genetic risk score that can stratify prostate cancer risk across ancestries.
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| 2. |
- Sumaila, U. Rashid, et al.
(author)
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WTO must ban harmful fisheries subsidies
- 2021
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In: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 374:6567, s. 544-544
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Journal article (other academic/artistic)
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| 3. |
- Brum, Wagner S., et al.
(author)
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A two-step workflow based on plasma p-tau217 to screen for amyloid β positivity with further confirmatory testing only in uncertain cases
- 2023
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In: Nature Aging. - 2662-8465. ; 3:9, s. 1079-1090
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Cost-effective strategies for identifying amyloid-beta (A beta) positivity in patients with cognitive impairment are urgently needed with recent approvals of anti-A beta immunotherapies for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Blood biomarkers can accurately detect AD pathology, but it is unclear whether their incorporation into a full diagnostic workflow can reduce the number of confirmatory cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or positron emission tomography (PET) tests needed while accurately classifying patients. We evaluated a two-step workflow for determining A beta-PET status in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) from two independent memory clinic-based cohorts (n = 348). A blood-based model including plasma tau protein 217 (p-tau217), age and APOE epsilon 4 status was developed in BioFINDER-1 (area under the curve (AUC) = 89.3%) and validated in BioFINDER-2 (AUC = 94.3%). In step 1, the blood-based model was used to stratify the patients into low, intermediate or high risk of A beta-PET positivity. In step 2, we assumed referral only of intermediate-risk patients to CSF A beta 42/A beta 40 testing, whereas step 1 alone determined A beta-status for low-and high-risk groups. Depending on whether lenient, moderate or stringent thresholds were used in step 1, the two-step workflow overall accuracy for detecting A beta-PET status was 88.2%, 90.5% and 92.0%, respectively, while reducing the number of necessary CSF tests by 85.9%, 72.7% and 61.2%, respectively. In secondary analyses, an adapted version of the BioFINDER-1 model led to successful validation of the two-step workflow with a different plasma p-tau217 immunoassay in patients with cognitive impairment from the TRIAD cohort (n = 84). In conclusion, using a plasma p-tau217-based model for risk stratification of patients with MCI can substantially reduce the need for confirmatory testing while accurately classifying patients, offering a cost-effective strategy to detect AD in memory clinic settings.
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| 4. |
- Tustison, Nicholas J., et al.
(author)
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The ANTsX ecosystem for quantitative biological and medical imaging
- 2021
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In: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 11:1, s. 9068-9068
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Advanced Normalizations Tools ecosystem, known as ANTsX, consists of multiple open-source software libraries which house top-performing algorithms used worldwide by scientific and research communities for processing and analyzing biological and medical imaging data. The base software library, ANTs, is built upon, and contributes to, the NIH-sponsored Insight Toolkit. Founded in 2008 with the highly regarded Symmetric Normalization image registration framework, the ANTs library has since grown to include additional functionality. Recent enhancements include statistical, visualization, and deep learning capabilities through interfacing with both the R statistical project (ANTsR) and Python (ANTsPy). Additionally, the corresponding deep learning extensions ANTsRNet and ANTsPyNet (built on the popular TensorFlow/Keras libraries) contain several popular network architectures and trained models for specific applications. One such comprehensive application is a deep learning analog for generating cortical thickness data from structural T1-weighted brain MRI, both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. These pipelines significantly improve computational efficiency and provide comparable-to-superior accuracy over multiple criteria relative to the existing ANTs workflows and simultaneously illustrate the importance of the comprehensive ANTsX approach as a framework for medical image analysis.
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| 5. |
- Cullen, Nicholas C., et al.
(author)
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Individualized prognosis of cognitive decline and dementia in mild cognitive impairment based on plasma biomarker combinations
- 2021
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In: Nature Aging. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2662-8465. ; 1, s. 114-123
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We developed models for individualized risk prediction of cognitive decline in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) using plasma biomarkers of β-amyloid (Aβ), tau and neurodegeneration. A total of 573 patients with MCI from the Swedish BioFINDER study and the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) were included in the study. The primary outcomes were longitudinal cognition and conversion to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) dementia. A model combining tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 (P-tau181) and neurofilament light (NfL), but not Aβ42/Aβ40, had the best prognosis performance of all models (area under the curve = 0.88 for 4-year conversion to AD in BioFINDER, validated in ADNI), was stronger than a basic model of age, sex, education and baseline cognition, and performed similarly to cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers. A publicly available online tool for individualized prognosis in MCI based on our combined plasma biomarker models is introduced. Combination of plasma biomarkers may be of high value to identify individuals with MCI who will progress to AD dementia in clinical trials and in clinical practice.
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| 6. |
- Salvadó, Gemma, et al.
(author)
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Optimal combinations of CSF biomarkers for predicting cognitive decline and clinical conversion in cognitively unimpaired participants and mild cognitive impairment patients: A multi-cohort study
- 2023
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In: Alzheimers & Dementia. - : Wiley. - 1552-5260 .- 1552-5279. ; 19:7, s. 2943-2955
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Introduction: Our objective was determining the optimal combinations of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers for predicting disease progression in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative diseases.Methods: We included 1,983 participants from three different cohorts with longitudinal cognitive and clinical data, and baseline CSF levels of A beta 42, A beta 40, phosphorylated tau at threonine-181 (p-tau), neurofilament light (NfL), neurogranin, alpha-synuclein, soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (sTREM2), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), YKL-40, S100b, and interleukin 6 (IL-6) (Elecsys NeuroToolKit).Results: Change of modified Preclinical Alzheimer's Cognitive Composite (mPACC) in cognitively unimpaired (CU) was best predicted by p-tau/A beta 42 alone (R-2 >= 0.31) or together with NfL (R-2 = 0.25), while p-tau/A beta 42 (R-2 >= 0.19) was sufficient to accurately predict change of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients. P-tau/A beta 42 (AUC >= 0.87) and p-tau/A beta 42 together with NfL (AUC >= 0.75) were the best predictors of conversion to AD and all-cause dementia, respectively.Discussion: P-tau/A beta 42 is sufficient for predicting progression in AD, with very high accuracy. Adding NfL improves the prediction of all-cause dementia conversion and cognitive decline.
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| 7. |
- Scheeren Brum, Wagner, 1997, et al.
(author)
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A blood-based biomarker workflow for optimal tau-PET referral in memory clinic settings.
- 2024
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In: Nature communications. - 2041-1723. ; 15:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Blood-based biomarkers for screening may guide tau positrion emissition tomography (PET) scan referrals to optimize prognostic evaluation in Alzheimer's disease. Plasma Aβ42/Aβ40, pTau181, pTau217, pTau231, NfL, and GFAP were measured along with tau-PET in memory clinic patients with subjective cognitive decline, mild cognitive impairment or dementia, in the Swedish BioFINDER-2 study (n=548) and in the TRIAD study (n=179). For each plasma biomarker, cutoffs were determined for 90%, 95%, or 97.5% sensitivity to detect tau-PET-positivity. We calculated the percentage of patients below the cutoffs (who would not undergo tau-PET; "saved scans") and the tau-PET-positivity rate among participants above the cutoffs (who would undergo tau-PET; "positive predictive value"). Generally, plasma pTau217 performed best. At the 95% sensitivity cutoff in both cohorts, pTau217 resulted in avoiding nearly half tau-PET scans, with a tau-PET-positivity rate among those who would be referred for a scan around 70%. And although tau-PET was strongly associated with subsequent cognitive decline, in BioFINDER-2 it predicted cognitive decline only among individuals above the referral cutoff on plasma pTau217, supporting that this workflow could reduce prognostically uninformative tau-PET scans. In conclusion, plasma pTau217 may guide selection of patients for tau-PET, when accurate prognostic information is of clinical value.
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| 8. |
- Alifier, Marek, et al.
(author)
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Cardiac Surgery is Associated with Biomarker Evidence of Neuronal Damage.
- 2020
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In: Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD. - 1875-8908. ; 74:4, s. 1211-1220
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Anesthesia and surgery is commonly associated with central nervous system sequelae and cognitive symptoms, which may be caused by neuronal injury. Neuronal injury can be monitored by plasma concentrations of the neuronal biomarkers tau and neurofilament light protein (NFL). Currently, there are no studies examining whether neuronal injury varies between surgical procedures.Our aim was to investigate if neuronal damage is more frequent after cardiac than after otolaryngeal surgery, as estimated by tau and NFL concentrations in plasma.Blood samples were drawn before, during, and after surgery and concentrations of tau, NFL, Aβ40, and Aβ42 were measured in 25 patients undergoing cardiac surgery (9 off-pump and 16 on-pump) and 26 patients undergoing otolaryngeal surgery.Tau increased during surgery (1752%, p=0.0001) and NFL rose seven days post-surgery (1090%, p<0.0001) in patients undergoing cardiac surgery; even more in patients on-pump than off-pump. No changes were observed in patients undergoing otolaryngeal surgery and only minor fluctuations were observed for Aβ40 and Aβ42.Cardiac surgery is associated with neuronal injury, which is aggravated by extracorporeal circulation. Analyses of NFL and tau in blood may guide development of surgical procedures to minimize neuronal damage, and may also be used in longitudinal clinical studies to assess the relationship of surgery with future neurocognitive impairment or dementia.
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| 9. |
- Cullen, Nicholas C., et al.
(author)
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Accelerated inflammatory aging in Alzheimer’s disease and its relation to amyloid, tau, and cognition
- 2021
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In: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 11:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- It is unclear how pathological aging of the inflammatory system relates to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We tested whether age-related inflammatory changes in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma exist across different stages of AD, and whether such changes related to AD pathology. Linear regression was first used model chronological age in amyloid-β negative, cognitively unimpaired individuals (Aβ− CU; n = 312) based on a collection of 73 inflammatory proteins measured in both CSF and plasma. Fitted models were then applied on protein levels from Aβ+ individuals with mild cognitive impairment (Aβ+ MCI; n = 150) or Alzheimer’s disease dementia (Aβ+ AD; n = 139) to test whether the age predicted from proteins alone (“inflammatory age”) differed significantly from true chronological age. Aβ− individuals with subjective cognitive decline (Aβ− SCD; n = 125) or MCI (Aβ− MCI; n = 104) were used as an independent contrast group. The difference between inflammatory age and chronological age (InflammAGE score) was then assessed in relation to core AD biomarkers of amyloid, tau, and cognition. Both CSF and plasma inflammatory proteins were significantly associated with age in Aβ− CU individuals, with CSF-based proteins predicting chronological age better than plasma-based counterparts. Meanwhile, the Aβ− SCD and validation Aβ− CU groups were not characterized by significant inflammatory aging, while there was increased inflammatory aging in Aβ− MCI patients for CSF but not plasma inflammatory markers. Both CSF and plasma inflammatory changes were seen in the Aβ+ MCI and Aβ+ AD groups, with varying degrees of change compared to Aβ− CU and Aβ− SCD groups. Finally, CSF inflammatory changes were highly correlated with amyloid, tau, general neurodegeneration, and cognition, while plasma changes were mostly associated with amyloid and cognition. Inflammatory pathways change during aging and are specifically altered in AD, tracking closely with pathological hallmarks. These results have implications for tracking AD progression and for suggesting possible pathways for drug targeting.
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| 10. |
- Cullen, Nicholas C., et al.
(author)
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Comparing progression biomarkers in clinical trials of early Alzheimer's disease
- 2020
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In: Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology. - : Wiley. - 2328-9503. ; 7:9, s. 1661-1673
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: To investigate the statistical power of plasma, imaging, and cognition biomarkers as Alzheimer's disease (AD) clinical trial outcome measures. Methods: Plasma neurofilament light, structural magnetic resonance imaging, and cognition were measured longitudinally in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) in control (amyloid PET or CSF A beta 42 negative [A beta-] with Clinical Dementia Rating scale [CDR] = 0; n = 330), preclinical AD (A beta + with CDR = 0; n = 218) and mild AD (A beta + with CDR = 0.5-1; n = 697) individuals. A statistical power analysis was performed across biomarkers and groups based on longitudinal mixed effects modeling and using several different clinical trial designs. Results: For a 30-month trial of preclinical AD, both the temporal composite and hippocampal volumes were superior to plasma neurofilament light and cognition. For an 18-month trial of mild AD, hippocampal volume was superior to all other biomarkers. Plasma neurofilament light became more effective with increased trial duration or sampling frequency. Imaging biomarkers were characterized by high slope and low within-subject variability, while plasma neurofilament light and cognition were characterized by higher within-subject variability. Interpretation: MRI measures had properties that made them preferable to cognition and pNFL as outcome measures in clinical trials of early AD, regardless of cognitive status. However, pNfL and cognition can still be effective depending on inclusion criteria, sampling frequency, and response to therapy. Future trials will help to understand how sensitive pNfL and MRI are to detect downstream effects on neurodegeneration of drugs targeting amyloid and tau pathology in AD.
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