University of Salford

About: University of Salford is a education organization based out in Salford, Manchester, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Context (language use). The organization has 13049 authors who have published 22957 publications receiving 537330 citations. The organization is also known as: University of Salford Manchester & The University of Salford Manchester.

Loss-of-function mutations in SMARCE1 cause an inherited disorder of multiple spinal meningiomas

Abstract: One-third of all primary central nervous system tumors in adults are meningiomas. Rarely, meningiomas occur at multiple sites, usually occurring in individuals with type 2 neurofibromatosis (NF2). We sequenced the exomes of three unrelated individuals with familial multiple spinal meningiomas without NF2 mutations. We identified two individuals with heterozygous loss-of-function mutations in the SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling complex subunit gene SMARCE1. Sequencing of SMARCE1 in six further individuals with spinal meningiomas identified two additional heterozygous loss-of-function mutations. Tumors from individuals with SMARCE1 mutations were of clear-cell histological subtype, and all had loss of SMARCE1 protein, consistent with a tumor suppressor mechanism. Our findings identify multiple-spinal-meningioma disease as a new discrete entity and establish a key role for the SWI/SNF complex in the pathogenesis of both meningiomas and tumors with clear-cell histology.

The impact of clinical, morphological, psychosocial and work-related factors on the outcome of lumbar discectomy

Abstract: In a prospective controlled trial on 46 patients undergoing lumbar discectomy, three classes of variables (medical data including MRI-identified morphological abnormalities, general psychological factors and psychosocial aspects of work) were analyzed with regard to their predictive value for the outcome of lumbar disc surgery at 2 year follow-up. Multiple regression analyses were used to identify the best predictor variables of four different outcome measures (i.e. pain relief, reduction of disability in daily activities, return to work and surgical outcome). MRI-identified nerve root compromise and social support from the spouse were independent predictors of pain relief 2 years after surgery (R2=0.40, P<0.01). Return to work 2 years after surgery was best predicted by depression and occupational mental stress (R2=0.36, P<0.001). MRI-identified extent of herniation and depression were significant predictors of a good surgical outcome after lumbar discectomy (R2=0.61, P<0.001). This study has demonstrated that the outcome of discectomy is critically dependent on which outcome variables are selected and that different sorts of predictor variables have a distinct influence on the various outcome variables. Obvious morphological alterations (i.e. disc extrusions, nerve root compromise) proved to be significant predictors of postoperative pain relief and improvement of disability in daily activities justifying a surgical treatment approach in these cases. The most important finding of this study was that return to work was not influenced by any clinical findings or MR-identified morphological alterations, but solely by psychological factors (i.e. depression) and psychological aspects of work (i.e. occupational mental stress).