Goethe University Frankfurt

About: Goethe University Frankfurt is a education organization based out in Frankfurt am Main, Hessen, Germany. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Transplantation. The organization has 33342 authors who have published 69743 publications receiving 2409538 citations. The organization is also known as: Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main & University of Frankfurt am Main.

The 2016 WHO classification and diagnostic criteria for myeloproliferative neoplasms: document summary and in-depth discussion.

Abstract: The new edition of the 2016 World Health Organization (WHO) classification system for tumors of the hematopoietic and lymphoid tissues was published in September 2017. Under the category of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), the revised document includes seven subcategories: chronic myeloid leukemia, chronic neutrophilic leukemia, polycythemia vera (PV), primary myelofibrosis (PMF), essential thrombocythemia (ET), chronic eosinophilic leukemia-not otherwise specified and MPN, unclassifiable (MPN-U); of note, mastocytosis is no longer classified under the MPN category. In the current review, we focus on the diagnostic criteria for JAK2/CALR/MPL mutation-related MPNs: PV, ET, and PMF. In this regard, the 2016 changes were aimed at facilitating the distinction between masked PV and JAK2-mutated ET and between prefibrotic/early and overtly fibrotic PMF. In the current communication, we (i) provide practically useful resource tables and graphs on the new diagnostic criteria including outcome, (ii) elaborate on the rationale for the 2016 changes, (iii) discuss the complementary role of mutation screening, (iv) address ongoing controversies and propose solutions, (v) attend to the challenges of applying WHO criteria in routine clinical practice, and (vi) outline future directions from the perspectives of the clinical pathologist.

Intravenous immunoglobulins containing antibodies against β-amyloid for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease

Abstract: Objective: Active or passive immunisation can mitigate plaque pathology in murine models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Recently, it has been shown that antibodies against b-amyloid (Ab) are present in human immunoglobulin preparations (IVIgG), which specifically recognise and inhibit the neurotoxic effects of Ab. This study reports the results from a pilot study using IVIgG in patients with AD. Methods: Five patients with AD were enrolled and received monthly IVIgG over a 6 month period. Efficacy assessment included total Ab/Ab1–42 measured in the CSF/serum as well as effects on cognition (ADAS-cog; CERAD) at baseline and at 6 months following IVIgG. Results: Following IVIgG, total Ab levels in the CSF decreased by 30.1% (17.3–43.5%) compared to baseline (p,0.05). Total Ab increased in the serum by 233% (p,0.05). No significant change was found in Ab1–42 levels in the CSF/serum. Using ADAS-cog, an improvement of 3.7i2.9 points was detected. Scores in the MMSE were essentially unchanged (improved in four patients, stable in one patient) following IVIgG compared to baseline. Conclusion: Although the sample size of this pilot study is too small to draw a clear conclusion, the results of this pilot study provide evidence for a more detailed investigation of IVIgG for the treatment of AD.

Sesqui-, di-, and triterpenoids as chemosystematic markers in extant conifers—A review

Abstract: Chemosystematics is a common tool in systematics and taxonomy of extant plants. Terpenoids have been found to be especially valuable for chemosystematic investigations of conifers. A review of data in the extensive literature revealed some characteristic distribution patterns of sesqui-, di-, and triterpenoids in extant conifer families. The numerous terpenoids can be assigned to approximately 40 sesquiterpenoid, 17 diterpenoid, and only a few triterpenoid structural classes. Some of these terpenoid classes (e.g., cadinanes, humulanes, labdanes, pimaranes) are unspecific and distributed among all conifers. Other structural classes occur in certain clusters of families (e.g., totaranes in Podocarpaceae, Taxodiaceae, and Cupressaceae s.str.) or were restricted to species of only one conifer family (e.g., cuparanes in Cupressaceae s.str.).

Diagnostic efficacy of gadoxetic acid (Primovist)-enhanced MRI and spiral CT for a therapeutic strategy: comparison with intraoperative and histopathologic findings in focal liver lesions

Abstract: A multicenter study has been employed to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using the new liver-specific contrast agent gadoxetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA, Primovist), as opposed to contrast-enhanced biphasic spiral computed tomography (CT), in the diagnosis of focal liver lesions, compared with a standard of reference (SOR). One hundred and sixty-nine patients with hepatic lesions eligible for surgery underwent Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI as well as CT within 6 weeks. Pathologic evaluation of the liver specimen combined with intraoperative ultrasound established the SOR. Data sets were evaluated on-site (14 investigators) and off-site (three independent blinded readers). Gd-EOB-DTPA was well tolerated. Three hundred and two lesions were detected in 131 patients valid for analysis by SOR. The frequency of correctly detected lesions was significantly higher on Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI compared with CT in the clinical evaluation [10.44%; 95% confidence interval (CI): 4.88, 16.0]. In the blinded reading there was a trend towards Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI, not reaching statistical significance (2.14%; 95% CI: -4.32, 8.6). However, the highest rate of correctly detected lesions with a diameter below 1 cm was achieved by Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI. Differential diagnosis was superior for Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI (82.1%) versus CT (71.0%). A change in surgical therapy was documented in 19 of 131 patients (14.5%) post Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI. Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI was superior in the diagnosis and therapeutic management of focal liver lesions compared with CT.