Infrared spectra of some fructans

Abstract. The FT-IR spectra of fructan -inulin (RAFTILINE), widely applied in the food industry and crystalline fructose as the main component of fructans, were studied. Special interest was to study the spectra of the levan precipitate and fructan syrup -produced by Zymomonas mobilis during the fermentation on sucrose-based medium. It was shown that levan precipitate and fructose syrup does not contain lipids and nucleic acids. Levan precipitate consists of ∼93% of fructose and admixture of glucose, mannan and enzyme -levansucrase. Fructan polymer inulin consists principally of linear chains of fructosyl units linked by a β(2-1) bonds ended by a glycosyl unit. The links between the molecules are of a very special type: the β(2-1) form (2

Metformin and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I and T trajectories in type 2 diabetes patients: a post-hoc analysis of a randomized controlled trial

Background: Metformin has favorable effects on cardiovascular outcomes in both newly onset and advanced type 2 diabetes, as previously reported findings from the UK Prospective Diabetes Study and the HOME trial have demonstrated. Patients with type 2 diabetes present with chronically elevated circulating cardiac troponin levels, an established predictor of cardiovascular endpoints and prognostic marker of subclinical myocardial injury. It is unknown whether metformin affects cardiac troponin levels. The study aimed to evaluate cardiac troponin I and T trajectories in patients with diabetes treated either with metformin or placebo. Methods: This study is a post-hoc analysis of a randomized controlled trial (HOME trial) that included 390 patients with advanced type 2 diabetes randomized to 850 mg metformin or placebo up to three times daily concomitant to continued insulin treatment. Cardiac troponin I and T concentrations were measured at baseline and after 4, 17, 30, 43 and 52 months. We evaluated cardiac troponin trajectories by linear mixed-effects modeling, correcting for age, sex, smoking status and history of cardiovascular disease. Results: This study enrolled 390 subjects, of which 196 received metformin and 194 received placebo. In the treatment and placebo groups, mean age was 64 and 59 years; with 50% and 58% of subjects of the female sex, respectively. Despite the previously reported reduction of macrovascular disease risk in this cohort by metformin, linear mixed-effects regression modelling did not reveal evidence for an effect on cardiac troponin I and cardiac troponin T levels [− 8.4% (− 18.6, 3.2), p = 0.150, and − 4.6% (− 12, 3.2), p = 0.242, respectively]. A statistically significant time-treatment interaction was found for troponin T [− 1.6% (− 2.9, − 0.2), p = 0.021] but not troponin I concentrations [− 1.5% (− 4.2, 1.2), p = 0.263]. Conclusions: In this post-hoc analysis of a 4.3-year randomized controlled trial, metformin did not exert a clinically relevant effect on cardiac troponin I and cardiac troponin T levels when compared to placebo. Cardioprotective effects of the drug observed in clinical studies are not reflected by a reduction in these biomarkers of subclinical myocardial injury. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT00375388

Myositis ossificans : another condition with USP6 rearrangement, providing evidence of a relationship with nodular fasciitis and aneurysmal bone cyst

Myositis ossificans is defined as a self-limiting pseudotumor composed of reactive hypercellular fibrous tissue and bone. USP6 rearrangements have been identified as a consistent genetic driving event in aneurysmal bone cyst and nodular fasciitis. It is therefore an integral part of the diagnostic workup when dealing with (myo)fibroblastic lesions of soft tissue and bone. Two cases of myositis ossificans with USP6 rearrangement were published so far. We determine herein the incidence of USP6 rearrangement in myositis ossificans using USP6 fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis (FISH). Of the 11 cases included, seven patients were female and four were male. Age ranged from 6 to 56 years (mean 27 years). Lesions were located in the thigh (n = 5), knee (n = 1), lower leg (n = 1), lower arm (n = 1), perineum (n = 1), gluteal (n = 1) and thoracic wall (n = 1). All assessable cases except one (8/9) showed rearrangement of USP6 providing evidence that myositis ossificans is genetically related to nodular fasciitis and aneurysmal bone cyst

Increased circulating desmosine and age-dependent elastinolysis in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Abstract Although chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) seem to be opposite entities from a clinical perspective, common initial pathogenic steps have been suggested in both lung diseases. Emphysema is caused by an elastase/anti-elastase imbalance leading to accelerated elastin degradation. Elastinolysis is however, also accelerated in the IPF patients’ lungs. The amino acids desmosine and isodesmosine (DES) are unique to elastin. During the degradation process, elastases liberate DES from elastin fibers. Blood DES levels consequently reflect the rate of systemic elastinolysis and are increased in COPD. This is the first report describing elevated DES levels in IPF patients. We also demonstrated that the age-related increment of DES concentrations is enhanced in IPF. Our current study suggests that elastinolysis is a shared pathogenic step in both COPD and IPF. Further investigation is required to establish the relevance of accelerated elastin degradation in IPF and to determine whether decelerating this process leads to slower progression of lung fibrosis and better survival for patients with IPF.https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/142803/1/12931_2018_Article_747.pd

The accuracy and intra- and interobserver variability of PSMA PET/CT for the local staging of primary prostate cancer

PURPOSE: Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography/ computed tomography (PET/CT) is recognized as the most accurate imaging modality for detection of metastatic high-risk prostate cancer (PCa). Its role in the local staging of disease is yet unclear. We assessed the intra- and interobserver variability, as well as the diagnostic accuracy of the PSMA PET/CT based molecular imaging local tumour stage (miT-stage) for the local tumour stage assessment in a large, multicentre cohort of patients with intermediate and high-risk primary PCa, with the radical prostatectomy specimen (pT-stage) serving as the reference standard.METHODS: A total of 600 patients who underwent staging PSMA PET/CT before robot-assisted radical prostatectomy was studied. In 579 PSMA positive primary prostate tumours a comparison was made between miT-stage as assessed by four nuclear physicians and the pT-stage according to ISUP protocol. Sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy were determined. In a representative subset of 100 patients, the intra-and interobserver variability were assessed using Kappa-estimates.RESULTS: The sensitivity and specificity of the PSMA PET/CT based miT-stage were 58% and 59% for pT3a-stage, 30% and 97% for ≥ pT3b-stage, and 68% and 61% for overall ≥ pT3-stage, respectively. No statistically significant differences in diagnostic accuracy were found between tracers. We found a substantial intra-observer agreement for PSMA PET/CT assessment of ≥ T3-stage (k 0.70) and ≥ T3b-stage (k 0.75), whereas the interobserver agreement for the assessment of ≥ T3-stage (k 0.47) and ≥ T3b-stage (k 0.41) were moderate.CONCLUSION: In a large, multicentre study evaluating 600 patients with newly diagnosed intermediate and high-risk PCa, we showed that PSMA PET/CT may have a value in local tumour staging when pathological tumour stage in the radical prostatectomy specimen was used as the reference standard. The intra-observer and interobserver variability of assessment of tumour extent on PSMA PET/CT was moderate to substantial.</p

The accuracy and intra- and interobserver variability of PSMA PET/CT for the local staging of primary prostate cancer

PURPOSE: Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography/ computed tomography (PET/CT) is recognized as the most accurate imaging modality for detection of metastatic high-risk prostate cancer (PCa). Its role in the local staging of disease is yet unclear. We assessed the intra- and interobserver variability, as well as the diagnostic accuracy of the PSMA PET/CT based molecular imaging local tumour stage (miT-stage) for the local tumour stage assessment in a large, multicentre cohort of patients with intermediate and high-risk primary PCa, with the radical prostatectomy specimen (pT-stage) serving as the reference standard.METHODS: A total of 600 patients who underwent staging PSMA PET/CT before robot-assisted radical prostatectomy was studied. In 579 PSMA positive primary prostate tumours a comparison was made between miT-stage as assessed by four nuclear physicians and the pT-stage according to ISUP protocol. Sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy were determined. In a representative subset of 100 patients, the intra-and interobserver variability were assessed using Kappa-estimates.RESULTS: The sensitivity and specificity of the PSMA PET/CT based miT-stage were 58% and 59% for pT3a-stage, 30% and 97% for ≥ pT3b-stage, and 68% and 61% for overall ≥ pT3-stage, respectively. No statistically significant differences in diagnostic accuracy were found between tracers. We found a substantial intra-observer agreement for PSMA PET/CT assessment of ≥ T3-stage (k 0.70) and ≥ T3b-stage (k 0.75), whereas the interobserver agreement for the assessment of ≥ T3-stage (k 0.47) and ≥ T3b-stage (k 0.41) were moderate.CONCLUSION: In a large, multicentre study evaluating 600 patients with newly diagnosed intermediate and high-risk PCa, we showed that PSMA PET/CT may have a value in local tumour staging when pathological tumour stage in the radical prostatectomy specimen was used as the reference standard. The intra-observer and interobserver variability of assessment of tumour extent on PSMA PET/CT was moderate to substantial.</p

The effect of exercise training on the course of cardiac troponin T and i levels: Three independent training studies

With the introduction of high-sensitive assays, cardiac troponins became potential biomarkers for risk stratification and prognostic medicine. Observational studies have reported an inverse association between physical activity and basal cardiac troponin levels. However, causality has never been demonstrated. This study investigated whether basal cardiac troponin concentrations are receptive to lifestyle interventions such as exercise training. Basal high-sensitive cardiac troponin T ( cTnT ) and I ( cTnI ) were monitored in two resistance-type exercise training programs ( 12-week ( study 1 ) and 24-week ( study 2 ) ) in older adults ( ≥65 years ). In addition, a retrospective analysis for high sensitive troponin I in a 24-week exercise controlled trial in ( pre )frail older adults was performed ( study 3 ). In total, 91 subjects were included in the final data analyses. There were no significant changes in cardiac troponin levels over time in study 1 and 2 ( study 1: cTnT −0.13 ( −0.33–+0.08 ) ng/L/12-weeks, cTnI −0.10 ( −0.33–+0.12 ) ng/L/12-weeks; study 2: cTnT −1.99 ( −4.79–+0.81 ) ng/L/24-weeks, cTnI −1.59 ( −5.70–+2.51 ) ng/L/24-weeks ). Neither was there a significant interaction between training and the course of cardiac troponin in study 3 ( p = 0.27 ). In conclusion, this study provides no evidence that prolonged resistance-type exercise training can modulate basal cardiac troponin levels