University of Düsseldorf

About: University of Düsseldorf is a education organization based out in Düsseldorf, Germany. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Diabetes mellitus. The organization has 25225 authors who have published 49155 publications receiving 1946434 citations.

Spin-Vibronic Mechanism for Intersystem Crossing

Abstract: Intersystem crossing (ISC), formally forbidden within nonrelativistic quantum theory, is the mechanism by which a molecule changes its spin state. It plays an important role in the excited state decay dynamics of many molecular systems and not just those containing heavy elements. In the simplest case, ISC is driven by direct spin–orbit coupling between two states of different multiplicities. This coupling is usually assumed to remain unchanged by vibrational motion. It is also often presumed that spin-allowed radiationless transitions, i.e. internal conversion, and the nonadiabatic coupling that drives them, can be considered separately from ISC and spin–orbit coupling owing to the vastly different time scales upon which these processes are assumed to occur. However, these assumptions are too restrictive. Indeed, the strong mixing brought about by the simultaneous presence of nonadiabatic and spin–orbit coupling means that often the spin, electronic, and vibrational dynamics cannot be described independe...

Human 60-kDa Heat-Shock Protein: A Danger Signal to the Innate Immune System

Abstract: Mammalian 60-kDa heat-shock protein (hsp60) is a key target of T cell and Ab responses in chronic inflammation or atherosclerosis. We show in this study that human hsp60 is also an Ag recognized by cells of the innate immune system, such as macrophages. Both mouse and human macrophages respond to contact with exogenous human hsp60 with rapid release of TNF-alpha; mouse macrophages in addition produce nitric oxide. The proinflammatory macrophage response is hsp60 dose dependent and similar in kinetics and extent to LPS stimulation. Human hsp60 was found to synergize with IFN-gamma in its proinflammatory activity. Finally, human hsp60 induces gene expression of the Th1-promoting cytokines IL-12 and IL-15. These findings identify autologous hsp60 as a danger signal for the innate immune system, with important implications for a role of local hsp60 expression/release in chronic Th1-dependent tissue inflammation.

Marked Decrease in Plasma Antioxidants in Aged Osteoporotic Women: Results of a Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract: Although recent epidemiological studies found a positive correlation between dietary vitamin C intake and bone mineral density, data on plasma levels of vitamin C or other antioxidants in osteoporotic subjects are scanty. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether antioxidant defenses are decreased in elderly osteoporotic women and, if this is the case, to understand whether osteoporosis is a condition characterized by increased oxidative stress. To answer these questions, plasma vitamins C, E, and A; uric acid; and the enzymatic activities of superoxide dismutase in plasma and erythrocytes and of glutathione peroxidase in plasma were measured in 75 subjects with osteoporosis and 75 controls. Dietary and endogenous antioxidants were consistently lower in osteoporotic than in control subjects. On the other hand, plasma levels of malondialdehyde, a byproduct of lipid peroxidation, did not differ between groups. Our results reveal that antioxidant defenses are markedly decreased in osteoporotic women. The mechanisms underlying antioxidant depletion and its relevance to the pathogenesis of osteoporosis deserve further investigation.

Circulating Tumor Cells Predict Survival in Early Average-to-High Risk Breast Cancer Patients

Abstract: Background Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have been shown to predict reduced survival outcomes in metastatic breast cancer. Methods CTCs were analyzed in 2026 patients with early breast cancer before adjuvant chemotherapy and in 1492 patients after chemotherapy using the CellSearch System. After immuno-magnetic enrichment for cells expressing the epithelial-cell adhesion molecule, CTCs were defined as nucleated cells expressing cytokeratin and lacking CD45. The patients were followed for a median of 35 months (range = 0–54). Kaplan–Meier analyses and the log-rank test were used for survival analyses. All statistical tests were two-sided. Results Before chemotherapy, CTCs were detected in 21.5% of patients (n = 435 of 2026), with 19.6% (n = 136 of 692) of node-negative and 22.4% (n = 299 of 1334) of node-positive patients showing CTCs (P < .001). No association was found with tumor size, grading, or hormone receptor status. After chemotherapy, 22.1% of patients (n = 330 of 1493) were CTC positive. The presence of CTCs was associated with poor disease-free survival (DFS; P < .0001), distant DFS (P < .001), breast cancer-specific survival (P = .008), and overall survival (OS; P = .0002). CTCs were confirmed as independent prognostic markers in multivariable analysis for DFS (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.11; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.49 to 2.99; P < .0001) and OS (HR = 2.18; 95% CI = 1.32 to 3.59; P = .002). The prognosis was worst in patients with at least five CTCs per 30 mL blood (DFS: HR = 4.51, 95% CI = 2.59 to 7.86; OS: HR = 3.60, 95% CI = 1.56 to 8.45). The presence of persisting CTCs after chemotherapy showed a negative influence on DFS (HR = 1.12; 95% CI = 1.02 to 1.25; P = .02) and on OS (HR = 1.16; 95% CI = 0.99 to 1.37; P = .06)