The effect of the top 20 Alzheimer disease risk genes on gray-matter density and FDG PET brain metabolism

INTRODUCTION: We analyzed the effects of the top 20 Alzheimer disease (AD) risk genes on gray-matter density (GMD) and metabolism. METHODS: We ran stepwise linear regression analysis using posterior cingulate hypometabolism and medial temporal GMD as outcomes and all risk variants as predictors while controlling for age, gender, and APOE ε4 genotype. We explored the results in 3D using Statistical Parametric Mapping 8. RESULTS: Significant predictors of brain GMD were SLC24A4/RIN3 in the pooled and mild cognitive impairment (MCI); ZCWPW1 in the MCI; and ABCA7, EPHA1, and INPP5D in the AD groups. Significant predictors of hypometabolism were EPHA1 in the pooled, and SLC24A4/RIN3, NME8, and CD2AP in the normal control group. DISCUSSION: Multiple variants showed associations with GMD and brain metabolism. For most genes, the effects were limited to specific stages of the cognitive continuum, indicating that the genetic influences on brain metabolism and GMD in AD are complex and stage dependent

Associations of the Top 20 Alzheimer Disease Risk Variants With Brain Amyloidosis

Importance: Late-onset Alzheimer disease (AD) is highly heritable. Genome-wide association studies have identified more than 20 AD risk genes. The precise mechanism through which many of these genes are associated with AD remains unknown. Objective: To investigate the association of the top 20 AD risk variants with brain amyloidosis. Design, Setting, and Participants: This study analyzed the genetic and florbetapir F 18 data from 322 cognitively normal control individuals, 496 individuals with mild cognitive impairment, and 159 individuals with AD dementia who had genome-wide association studies and 18F-florbetapir positron emission tomographic data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), a prospective, observational, multisite tertiary center clinical and biomarker study. This ongoing study began in 2005. Main Outcomes and Measures: The study tested the association of AD risk allele carrier status (exposure) with florbetapir mean standard uptake value ratio (outcome) using stepwise multivariable linear regression while controlling for age, sex, and apolipoprotein E ε4 genotype. The study also reports on an exploratory 3-dimensional stepwise regression model using an unbiased voxelwise approach in Statistical Parametric Mapping 8 with cluster and significance thresholds at 50 voxels and uncorrected P < .01. Results: This study included 977 participants (mean [SD] age, 74 [7.5] years; 535 [54.8%] male and 442 [45.2%] female) from the ADNI-1, ADNI-2, and ADNI-Grand Opportunity. The adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette subfamily A member 7 (ABCA7) gene had the strongest association with amyloid deposition (χ2 = 8.38, false discovery rate-corrected P < .001), after apolioprotein E ε4. Significant associations were found between ABCA7 in the asymptomatic and early symptomatic disease stages, suggesting an association with rapid amyloid accumulation. The fermitin family homolog 2 (FERMT2) gene had a stage-dependent association with brain amyloidosis (FERMT2 × diagnosis χ2 = 3.53, false discovery rate-corrected P = .05), which was most pronounced in the mild cognitive impairment stage. Conclusions and Relevance: This study found an association of several AD risk variants with brain amyloidosis. The data also suggest that AD genes might differentially regulate AD pathologic findings across the disease stages

Current treatment strategies in malignant pleural mesothelioma with a treatment algorithm

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare disease with a poor prognosis. The main therapeutic options for MPM include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy (RT). Although multimodality therapy has been reported to improve survival, not every medically operable patient is able to undergo all recommended therapy. With improvements in surgical techniques and systemic therapies, as well as advancements in RT, there has been a potential new paradigm in the management of this disease. In this review, we discuss the current literature on MPM management and propose a functional treatment algorithm

Neurodegenerative changes in early- and late-onset cognitive impairment with and without brain amyloidosis

Background A substantial number of patients clinically diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease do not harbor amyloid pathology. We analyzed the presence and extent of tau deposition and neurodegeneration in amyloid-positive (AD) and amyloid-negative (nonAD) ADNI subjects while also taking into account age of onset ( 65 years) as we expected that the emerging patterns could vary by age and presence or absence of brain amyloidosis. Methods One hundred and ten early-onset AD (EOAD), 121 EOnonAD, 364 late-onset AD (LOAD), and 175 LOnonAD mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia (DEM) subjects were compared to 291 ADNI amyloid-negative control subjects using voxel-wise regression in SPM12 with cluster-level family-wise error correction at pFWE < 0.05). A subset of these subjects also received 18F-flortaucipir scans and allowed for analysis of global tau burden. Results As expected, relative to LOAD, EOAD subjects showed more extensive neurodegeneration and tau deposition in AD-relevant regions. EOnonADMCI showed no significant neurodegeneration, while EOnonADDEM showed bilateral medial and lateral temporal, and temporoparietal hypometabolism. LOnonADMCI and LOnonADDEM showed diffuse brain atrophy and a fronto-temporo-parietal hypometabolic pattern. LOnonAD and EOnonAD subjects failed to show significant tau binding. Conclusions LOnonAD subjects show a fronto-temporal neurodegenerative pattern in the absence of tau binding, which may represent underlying hippocampal sclerosis with TDP-43, also known as limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy (LATE). The hypometabolic pattern observed in EOnonADDEM seems similar to the one observed in EOADMCI. Further investigation into the underlying etiology of EOnonAD is warranted

Post-intervention Status in Patients With Refractory Myasthenia Gravis Treated With Eculizumab During REGAIN and Its Open-Label Extension

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether eculizumab helps patients with anti-acetylcholine receptor-positive (AChR+) refractory generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) achieve the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA) post-intervention status of minimal manifestations (MM), we assessed patients' status throughout REGAIN (Safety and Efficacy of Eculizumab in AChR+ Refractory Generalized Myasthenia Gravis) and its open-label extension. METHODS: Patients who completed the REGAIN randomized controlled trial and continued into the open-label extension were included in this tertiary endpoint analysis. Patients were assessed for the MGFA post-intervention status of improved, unchanged, worse, MM, and pharmacologic remission at defined time points during REGAIN and through week 130 of the open-label study. RESULTS: A total of 117 patients completed REGAIN and continued into the open-label study (eculizumab/eculizumab: 56; placebo/eculizumab: 61). At week 26 of REGAIN, more eculizumab-treated patients than placebo-treated patients achieved a status of improved (60.7% vs 41.7%) or MM (25.0% vs 13.3%; common OR: 2.3; 95% CI: 1.1-4.5). After 130 weeks of eculizumab treatment, 88.0% of patients achieved improved status and 57.3% of patients achieved MM status. The safety profile of eculizumab was consistent with its known profile and no new safety signals were detected. CONCLUSION: Eculizumab led to rapid and sustained achievement of MM in patients with AChR+ refractory gMG. These findings support the use of eculizumab in this previously difficult-to-treat patient population. CLINICALTRIALSGOV IDENTIFIER: REGAIN, NCT01997229; REGAIN open-label extension, NCT02301624. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This study provides Class II evidence that, after 26 weeks of eculizumab treatment, 25.0% of adults with AChR+ refractory gMG achieved MM, compared with 13.3% who received placebo

Minimal Symptom Expression' in Patients With Acetylcholine Receptor Antibody-Positive Refractory Generalized Myasthenia Gravis Treated With Eculizumab

The efficacy and tolerability of eculizumab were assessed in REGAIN, a 26-week, phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody-positive (AChR+) refractory generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG), and its open-label extension

Detection of Extracellular Lipases and Genotypic Identification from Yeast Causing Spoilage of Some Dairy Products Produced in Gaziantep

WOS: 000491877200027Yeasts are usually found in high amounts in dairy products, which show their ability to adapt to substrates rich in protein, lipid. sugar and organic acids. A wide distribution of yeast in dairy products is a result of proteolytic and lipolytic is activities. Spoilage yeasts and molds can grow in most. processed and raw limits. where environmental conditions are not suitable for most bacteria (low pH low water activity, aw). Nutrients and oxygen in food are the main factors that determine the type of fungal spoilage. in this study, dairy products samples (yoghurt, cream. butter, curd cheese. Antep cheese) were collected from local markets in Gaziantep province. in our study, a total of 20 yeast strains were isolated from dairy products and investigated for lipase activities in solid media containing tributyrin. Twenty yeast isolates identified by amplification and sequencing of the ITS region using ITS1 and ITS4 primers Yeasts were identified as Kluyveromyces marxianus (8 isolates), Candida intermedia (8 isolates), Pichia fermentans (2 isolates), Yarrowia lipolytica (1 isolate), Kluyveromyces lactis (1 isolate).Scientific Research Unit of Gaziantep University [FEF. 15.03]; Scientific Research Unit of Gaziantep UniversityThis work was supported by the Scientific Research Unit of Gaziantep University (FEF. 15.03). We would like to sincerely thank the Scientific Research Unit of Gaziantep University for providing funding and necessary logistics for this research work