Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) accounts for less than 1% of all lymphatic malignancies... more Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) accounts for less than 1% of all lymphatic malignancies. Oligoclonality or monoclonality for any of the T-cell receptor (TCR) chain genes can be demonstrated in the majority of the cases. During systematic screening for the presence of circulating lymphocytes with atypical coexpression of differentiation antigens in patients with T-cell lymphomas, we have discovered a minor population (accounting for 0.2% to 10.% of all lymphocytes) of atypical lymphocytes in the blood of five of seven patients consecutively diagnosed in 1997/1998 by lymph node histology to have AITL. The major distinguishing feature of these cells consists of the lack of the surface expression of the CD3 antigen, but not of the intracellular expression. These cells express the T-cell antigens CD2 and CD5 on their surface, but not CD7, and they express CD4 and CD45 at numbers of molecules per cell typical for T lymphocytes. Gene scan analyses for the TCR gamma chain revealed oligoclonality of these flow-sorted cells in one patient and monoclonality in two patients, the same patterns of TCR gamma chain gene as determined processing the respective diagnostic lymph nodes. Circulating CD4-expressing T lymphocytes with exclusively cytoplasmic expression of CD3 appear to represent the malignant population in patients with histologically diagnosed AITL.
The obligate intracellular pathogen Chlamydophila pneumoniae (Chlamydia pneumoniae) initiates inf... more The obligate intracellular pathogen Chlamydophila pneumoniae (Chlamydia pneumoniae) initiates infections in humans via the mucosal epithelia of the respiratory tract. Here, we report that epithelial cells infected with C. pneumoniae are resistant to apoptosis induced by treatment with drugs or by death receptor ligation. The induction of protection from apoptosis depended on the infection conditions since only cells containing large inclusions were protected. The underlying mechanism of infection-induced apoptosis resistance probably involves mitochondria, the major integrators of apoptotic signaling. In the infected cells, mitochondria did not respond to apoptotic stimuli by the release of apoptogenic factors required for the activation of caspases. Consequently, active caspase-3 was absent in infected cells. Our data suggest a direct modulation of apoptotic pathways in epithelial cells by C. pneumoniae.
Chlamydophila pneumoniae is an obligate intracellular pathogen implicated in a variety of acute a... more Chlamydophila pneumoniae is an obligate intracellular pathogen implicated in a variety of acute and chronic diseases. Long-term infections are associated with a persistent life stage, in which bacteria can stay for years. They are less accessible to antibiotic treatment but still prone to sustain an inflammatory response. Different in vitro models have been established to mimic and characterize chlamydial persistency. For C. pneumoniae and Chlamydia trachomatis, altered metabolic activities and changed antigenic profiles compared to acute infections have been reported. Most studies including transcriptome and proteome analyses describe persistency induced by IFNgamma treatment. Here, we use iron depletion of the infected cell culture that also leads into persistent infection. We describe differently regulated proteins found by subtractive proteome analysis comparing two early stages of infection with and without addition of the iron chelator deferoxamine-mesylate. While only one bacterial protein was up-regulated during iron deficiency up to 24 h post infection (p.i.), 11 were found to be up-regulated and eight to be down-regulated from 24-48 h p.i. Two down-regulated proteins could be identified by peptide mass fingerprinting as thioredoxin reductase and chromosome partitioning protein (ParB). The latter is involved in chromosome segregation. Thus, using a comparative approach we identified on a proteome level down-regulation of ParB in persistent chlamydial forms, which is in agreement with previous results describing changes in cell division and atypical altered morphology of persistent Chlamydiae.
Infection with Chlamydophila pneumoniae (Cpn) renders host cells resistant to apoptosis induced b... more Infection with Chlamydophila pneumoniae (Cpn) renders host cells resistant to apoptosis induced by a variety of stimuli. While modulation of apoptosis has been extensively studied in cells acutely infected with Cpn, very little is known on how persistent chlamydial infection influences host cell survival. Here we show that epithelial cells persistently infected with Cpn resist apoptosis induced with TNFalpha or staurosporine. Cpn induced the activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB) and inhibition of NF-kappaB with a chemical inhibitor or by silencing expression of the p65 subunit sensitized infected cells for apoptosis induction by staurosporine or TNFalpha. Persistent infection resulted in the upregulation of the NF-kappaB regulated inhibitor of apoptosis protein 2 (cIAP-2) but not inhibitor of apoptosis protein 1 (cIAP-1). Interestingly, silencing of either cIAP-1 or cIAP-2 sensitized infected cells, suggesting that IAPs play an important role in the apoptosis resistance of persistently infected cells.
Editorial on the Research Topic Neuroimmunology of the Inner Ear Although the term was first offi... more Editorial on the Research Topic Neuroimmunology of the Inner Ear Although the term was first officially used in 1982 (1), neuroimmunology is now a mature field that has gained immense traction in the past decade. Thanks to novel technological advances, the cellular and molecular mechanisms that mediate the crosstalk between the immune and nervous systems are increasingly appreciated in both physiological and pathological states (1). Similar to the brain, the inner ear has long been considered an "isolated" system devoted to auditory and vestibular signal processing and protected by a blood-labyrinth barrier (BLB) (2-5), and the early neuroimmunology of the inner ear was mainly focused on autoimmunity (6, 7), and on the role of macrophages in cochlear damage (8, 9). In parallel to the brain, awareness about non-neural cells and molecules affecting inner ear functions has been steadily growing 1 , and neuro-immunological studies of the inner ear face multiple challenges, including an overwhelming number of cellular and molecular interactions, which will require a systems biology approach to grasp their full functionality. In addition, the inner ear poses unique difficulties due to its tight bone encasing and complex fluid regulation. Like most organs, including the brain, the inner ear immune cells are dominated by several populations of macrophages [reviewed in (10, 11)], which largely contribute to both inflammatory/phagocytic and regenerative/protective responses. However, several questions are still open, such as:
The population of circulating B cells in myeloma patients includes an apparently large but variab... more The population of circulating B cells in myeloma patients includes an apparently large but variable subset with the IgH VDJ rearrangement diagnostic for the malignant clone of plasma cells in individual myeloma patients. Although the biological significance is at present unknown, it is likely that they include both malignant and non-malignant clonal relatives of the myeloma plasma cells. This article presents speculations on the significance of these cells in the origin of myeloma and the relationship between monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and frank myeloma. MGUS appears to represent the establishment of clonal dominance probably by a chronically antigen-stimulated B cell clone. It seems likely that malignant transformation event(s) occurring in a clonal daughter cell give rise to myeloma. If correct, this implies that in a myeloma patient, non-malignant antigen-responsive B cells expressing the patient-specific IgH rearrangement coexist in the circulation and probably all lymphoid tissues, with their malignant antigen-independent relatives. However, the significance one attributes to the clonotypic B cells detected in the blood of myeloma patients depends in part on the view one takes of the progression from MGUS to myeloma. An alternative perspective is that MGUS represents a dormant state of malignancy held in check by controlled apoptosis, arrested cell cycling, and/or by immunoregulatory networks. Although lacking in experimental support, if this interpretation were correct, myeloma would occur when the regulatory mechanisms fail, allowing uncontrolled malignant cell renewal. This alternative view would imply that the majority of circulating clonotypic B cells might be malignant. Thus, an analysis of the biology of these clonotypic circulating B cells, with an emphasis on measures of malignancy, is likely to shed considerable light on the events underlying myeloma genesis, progression and spread.
Background: According to the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), the levels of asthma symptom co... more Background: According to the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), the levels of asthma symptom control can be divided into controlled, partially controlled and uncontrolled asthma. Optional therapy for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)-hypersensitive asthmatics uses aspirin desensitization, but until now, this therapy is not established in difficult to treat cases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of aspirin desensitization in patients with poorly controlled asthma. Methods: Patients with poorly controlled asthma, NDAIDs hypersensitivity and aspirin desensitization were included in the retrospective study. The data were compared to those obtained from patients with controlled asthma and aspirin therapy. Lung function, levels of asthma symptom control, asthma medication, the size of nasal polyps (NP) and smell function were evaluated over 18 months. Results: Thirty-two patients were included in the study (uncontrolled/partially controlled asthma n = 12; controlled asthma n = 20).
ABSTRACT Emotional stress is a constant companion of tinnitus patients, since this phantom sound ... more ABSTRACT Emotional stress is a constant companion of tinnitus patients, since this phantom sound can unfortunately be a very effective stressor. However, the mechanism of stress contribution to the onset or progression of tinnitus remains unknown. Here, we review the pathways induced by emotional stress and the outcome of their induction: corticosteroid-dependent changes in gene expression, epigenetic modulations, and impact of stress on neuronal plasticity and neurotransmission. Using clinical examples, we demonstrate the presence of emotional stress among tinnitus patients and we present methods to measure the degree of stress. The evidence causally linking emotional stress with tinnitus is still indirect-the main difficulty lies in the inaccessibility of human auditory tissues and the inability to directly measure tinnitus-induced psychological distress in animal models. However, we believe that translational research is the future way of filling this gap, finding the answers, and thereby improving both the diagnosis and treatment of tinnitus patients.
Background: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)-exacerbated respiratory disease (N-ERD... more Background: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)-exacerbated respiratory disease (N-ERD) complicates the clinical course of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) and severe asthma. We aimed to determine the detection rate of NERD in patients with CRSwNP, asthma, and history of NSAID intolerance using nasal challenge with acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) and the relationship between the severities of response to ASA challenges and the grade of N-ERD. Materials and methods: Three groups of patients were included: CRSwNP with asthma and clinical history of analgesics intolerance (CRSwNP-AAI n = 18), CRSwNP with asthma but without a clinical history of analgesics intolerance (CRSwNP-A n = 20), and CRSwNP without asthma or analgesics intolerance (n = 18). All subjects were challenged nasally with 16 mg ASA and monitored with active anterior rhinomanometry. Rhinological (nasal polyp score), pulmonary (spirometry, Asthma Control Test (ACT), and asthma treatment), and psychometric questionnaire scores were recorded and correlated with rhinomanometric data following nasal challenges (flow depressions and symptom scores). Results: Nasal ASA challenge detected N-ERD in 96.7% of CRSwNP-AAI patients and 45% of CRSwNP-A patients. No N-ERD was seen in the CRSwNP group. The control grade of asthma measured with ACT scores was significantly lower in the groups CRSwNP-AAI (MV 18.22) and CRSwNP-A (MV 19.75) when compared to the CRSwNP group (MV 24.39) (p = 0.000). In the CRSwNP-AAI group, 11 patients had uncontrolled asthma (61%), and in the CRSwNP-A group, 9 patients had uncontrolled asthma (45%). No correlation was found between rhinology and pulmonary parameters, nasal symptoms, and the severity of nasal ASA challenges. Specific reactions were detectable under the therapy of prednisolone and omalizumab. Conclusion: N-ERD might not always be detected by screening a patient’s medical history. Nasal ASA challenges are recommended in patients with CRSwNP and asthma. The nasal challenge with ASA positively confirms the N-ERD diagnosis. Moreover, N-ERD is a differential diagnosis in patients with severe asthma with the need for prednisolone or omalizumab therapy. The severity of the reaction to the ASA challenge in controlled and uncontrolled asthma patients is independent of the grade of N-ERD.
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Kognitive Fähigkeiten wie die fluide Intelligenz sind essenziell um alltägliche Lebenssituationen... more Kognitive Fähigkeiten wie die fluide Intelligenz sind essenziell um alltägliche Lebenssituationen gut zu meistern. Es wurde in Studien gezeigt, dass Patienten mit hochgradiger Schwerhörigkeit vermehrt kognitive Einbußen zeigen (1,2). Die Zielsetzung dieser Arbeit ist es, den Effekt der Hörrehabilitation mittels CI auf die fluide Intelligenz, konkret auf das Arbeitsgedächtnis (AG) und die Verarbeitungsgeschwindigkeit (VG) zu zeigen. Material & Methoden • Prospektive Studie mit 33 postlingual ertaubten über 65jährigen Patienten.
Current Directions in Biomedical Engineering, Oct 19, 2020
Tinnitus is a phantom percept of noise heard only by the affected person. The principal problem o... more Tinnitus is a phantom percept of noise heard only by the affected person. The principal problem of persons suffering from tinnitus is the inability to deflect their attention from the phantom sound, resulting in insomnia and problems with concentration, followed by significant health issues. To date, no therapy would relieve patients from the phantom sound. Instead, commonly used therapeutic approaches for tinnitus aim primarily at the reduction of tinnitus-induced distress and are based on various tinnitus habituation methods. Our project aims to quench the tinnitus percept using an implant. To develop such an implant, this research group joined the INTAKT network initiated by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and dedicated to the development of smart implants. During this still ongoing, prospective clinical study, the efficacy of two protocols using electrical stimulation is assessed for tinnitus silencing. The electrical stimulation used in the presented study is noninvasive and applied on three consecutive days in the form of short sessions. In a sample of 48 subjects, following three stimulation sessions, 48% of patients reported a significant reduction of tinnitus loudness; 10% reported a brief increase of tinnitus loudness, and 42% stated no change. In one case, the first course of stimulation led to the total distinguishing of tinnitus. On average, the stimulation did not affect the grade of tinnitus-induced distress during the time of measurement. Our current results prompt us to broaden our investigations, expand the subject sample, and further optimize the stimulation conditions.
Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) accounts for less than 1% of all lymphatic malignancies... more Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) accounts for less than 1% of all lymphatic malignancies. Oligoclonality or monoclonality for any of the T-cell receptor (TCR) chain genes can be demonstrated in the majority of the cases. During systematic screening for the presence of circulating lymphocytes with atypical coexpression of differentiation antigens in patients with T-cell lymphomas, we have discovered a minor population (accounting for 0.2% to 10.% of all lymphocytes) of atypical lymphocytes in the blood of five of seven patients consecutively diagnosed in 1997/1998 by lymph node histology to have AITL. The major distinguishing feature of these cells consists of the lack of the surface expression of the CD3 antigen, but not of the intracellular expression. These cells express the T-cell antigens CD2 and CD5 on their surface, but not CD7, and they express CD4 and CD45 at numbers of molecules per cell typical for T lymphocytes. Gene scan analyses for the TCR gamma chain revealed oligoclonality of these flow-sorted cells in one patient and monoclonality in two patients, the same patterns of TCR gamma chain gene as determined processing the respective diagnostic lymph nodes. Circulating CD4-expressing T lymphocytes with exclusively cytoplasmic expression of CD3 appear to represent the malignant population in patients with histologically diagnosed AITL.
The obligate intracellular pathogen Chlamydophila pneumoniae (Chlamydia pneumoniae) initiates inf... more The obligate intracellular pathogen Chlamydophila pneumoniae (Chlamydia pneumoniae) initiates infections in humans via the mucosal epithelia of the respiratory tract. Here, we report that epithelial cells infected with C. pneumoniae are resistant to apoptosis induced by treatment with drugs or by death receptor ligation. The induction of protection from apoptosis depended on the infection conditions since only cells containing large inclusions were protected. The underlying mechanism of infection-induced apoptosis resistance probably involves mitochondria, the major integrators of apoptotic signaling. In the infected cells, mitochondria did not respond to apoptotic stimuli by the release of apoptogenic factors required for the activation of caspases. Consequently, active caspase-3 was absent in infected cells. Our data suggest a direct modulation of apoptotic pathways in epithelial cells by C. pneumoniae.
Chlamydophila pneumoniae is an obligate intracellular pathogen implicated in a variety of acute a... more Chlamydophila pneumoniae is an obligate intracellular pathogen implicated in a variety of acute and chronic diseases. Long-term infections are associated with a persistent life stage, in which bacteria can stay for years. They are less accessible to antibiotic treatment but still prone to sustain an inflammatory response. Different in vitro models have been established to mimic and characterize chlamydial persistency. For C. pneumoniae and Chlamydia trachomatis, altered metabolic activities and changed antigenic profiles compared to acute infections have been reported. Most studies including transcriptome and proteome analyses describe persistency induced by IFNgamma treatment. Here, we use iron depletion of the infected cell culture that also leads into persistent infection. We describe differently regulated proteins found by subtractive proteome analysis comparing two early stages of infection with and without addition of the iron chelator deferoxamine-mesylate. While only one bacterial protein was up-regulated during iron deficiency up to 24 h post infection (p.i.), 11 were found to be up-regulated and eight to be down-regulated from 24-48 h p.i. Two down-regulated proteins could be identified by peptide mass fingerprinting as thioredoxin reductase and chromosome partitioning protein (ParB). The latter is involved in chromosome segregation. Thus, using a comparative approach we identified on a proteome level down-regulation of ParB in persistent chlamydial forms, which is in agreement with previous results describing changes in cell division and atypical altered morphology of persistent Chlamydiae.
Infection with Chlamydophila pneumoniae (Cpn) renders host cells resistant to apoptosis induced b... more Infection with Chlamydophila pneumoniae (Cpn) renders host cells resistant to apoptosis induced by a variety of stimuli. While modulation of apoptosis has been extensively studied in cells acutely infected with Cpn, very little is known on how persistent chlamydial infection influences host cell survival. Here we show that epithelial cells persistently infected with Cpn resist apoptosis induced with TNFalpha or staurosporine. Cpn induced the activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB) and inhibition of NF-kappaB with a chemical inhibitor or by silencing expression of the p65 subunit sensitized infected cells for apoptosis induction by staurosporine or TNFalpha. Persistent infection resulted in the upregulation of the NF-kappaB regulated inhibitor of apoptosis protein 2 (cIAP-2) but not inhibitor of apoptosis protein 1 (cIAP-1). Interestingly, silencing of either cIAP-1 or cIAP-2 sensitized infected cells, suggesting that IAPs play an important role in the apoptosis resistance of persistently infected cells.
Editorial on the Research Topic Neuroimmunology of the Inner Ear Although the term was first offi... more Editorial on the Research Topic Neuroimmunology of the Inner Ear Although the term was first officially used in 1982 (1), neuroimmunology is now a mature field that has gained immense traction in the past decade. Thanks to novel technological advances, the cellular and molecular mechanisms that mediate the crosstalk between the immune and nervous systems are increasingly appreciated in both physiological and pathological states (1). Similar to the brain, the inner ear has long been considered an "isolated" system devoted to auditory and vestibular signal processing and protected by a blood-labyrinth barrier (BLB) (2-5), and the early neuroimmunology of the inner ear was mainly focused on autoimmunity (6, 7), and on the role of macrophages in cochlear damage (8, 9). In parallel to the brain, awareness about non-neural cells and molecules affecting inner ear functions has been steadily growing 1 , and neuro-immunological studies of the inner ear face multiple challenges, including an overwhelming number of cellular and molecular interactions, which will require a systems biology approach to grasp their full functionality. In addition, the inner ear poses unique difficulties due to its tight bone encasing and complex fluid regulation. Like most organs, including the brain, the inner ear immune cells are dominated by several populations of macrophages [reviewed in (10, 11)], which largely contribute to both inflammatory/phagocytic and regenerative/protective responses. However, several questions are still open, such as:
The population of circulating B cells in myeloma patients includes an apparently large but variab... more The population of circulating B cells in myeloma patients includes an apparently large but variable subset with the IgH VDJ rearrangement diagnostic for the malignant clone of plasma cells in individual myeloma patients. Although the biological significance is at present unknown, it is likely that they include both malignant and non-malignant clonal relatives of the myeloma plasma cells. This article presents speculations on the significance of these cells in the origin of myeloma and the relationship between monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and frank myeloma. MGUS appears to represent the establishment of clonal dominance probably by a chronically antigen-stimulated B cell clone. It seems likely that malignant transformation event(s) occurring in a clonal daughter cell give rise to myeloma. If correct, this implies that in a myeloma patient, non-malignant antigen-responsive B cells expressing the patient-specific IgH rearrangement coexist in the circulation and probably all lymphoid tissues, with their malignant antigen-independent relatives. However, the significance one attributes to the clonotypic B cells detected in the blood of myeloma patients depends in part on the view one takes of the progression from MGUS to myeloma. An alternative perspective is that MGUS represents a dormant state of malignancy held in check by controlled apoptosis, arrested cell cycling, and/or by immunoregulatory networks. Although lacking in experimental support, if this interpretation were correct, myeloma would occur when the regulatory mechanisms fail, allowing uncontrolled malignant cell renewal. This alternative view would imply that the majority of circulating clonotypic B cells might be malignant. Thus, an analysis of the biology of these clonotypic circulating B cells, with an emphasis on measures of malignancy, is likely to shed considerable light on the events underlying myeloma genesis, progression and spread.
Background: According to the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), the levels of asthma symptom co... more Background: According to the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), the levels of asthma symptom control can be divided into controlled, partially controlled and uncontrolled asthma. Optional therapy for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)-hypersensitive asthmatics uses aspirin desensitization, but until now, this therapy is not established in difficult to treat cases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of aspirin desensitization in patients with poorly controlled asthma. Methods: Patients with poorly controlled asthma, NDAIDs hypersensitivity and aspirin desensitization were included in the retrospective study. The data were compared to those obtained from patients with controlled asthma and aspirin therapy. Lung function, levels of asthma symptom control, asthma medication, the size of nasal polyps (NP) and smell function were evaluated over 18 months. Results: Thirty-two patients were included in the study (uncontrolled/partially controlled asthma n = 12; controlled asthma n = 20).
ABSTRACT Emotional stress is a constant companion of tinnitus patients, since this phantom sound ... more ABSTRACT Emotional stress is a constant companion of tinnitus patients, since this phantom sound can unfortunately be a very effective stressor. However, the mechanism of stress contribution to the onset or progression of tinnitus remains unknown. Here, we review the pathways induced by emotional stress and the outcome of their induction: corticosteroid-dependent changes in gene expression, epigenetic modulations, and impact of stress on neuronal plasticity and neurotransmission. Using clinical examples, we demonstrate the presence of emotional stress among tinnitus patients and we present methods to measure the degree of stress. The evidence causally linking emotional stress with tinnitus is still indirect-the main difficulty lies in the inaccessibility of human auditory tissues and the inability to directly measure tinnitus-induced psychological distress in animal models. However, we believe that translational research is the future way of filling this gap, finding the answers, and thereby improving both the diagnosis and treatment of tinnitus patients.
Background: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)-exacerbated respiratory disease (N-ERD... more Background: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)-exacerbated respiratory disease (N-ERD) complicates the clinical course of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) and severe asthma. We aimed to determine the detection rate of NERD in patients with CRSwNP, asthma, and history of NSAID intolerance using nasal challenge with acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) and the relationship between the severities of response to ASA challenges and the grade of N-ERD. Materials and methods: Three groups of patients were included: CRSwNP with asthma and clinical history of analgesics intolerance (CRSwNP-AAI n = 18), CRSwNP with asthma but without a clinical history of analgesics intolerance (CRSwNP-A n = 20), and CRSwNP without asthma or analgesics intolerance (n = 18). All subjects were challenged nasally with 16 mg ASA and monitored with active anterior rhinomanometry. Rhinological (nasal polyp score), pulmonary (spirometry, Asthma Control Test (ACT), and asthma treatment), and psychometric questionnaire scores were recorded and correlated with rhinomanometric data following nasal challenges (flow depressions and symptom scores). Results: Nasal ASA challenge detected N-ERD in 96.7% of CRSwNP-AAI patients and 45% of CRSwNP-A patients. No N-ERD was seen in the CRSwNP group. The control grade of asthma measured with ACT scores was significantly lower in the groups CRSwNP-AAI (MV 18.22) and CRSwNP-A (MV 19.75) when compared to the CRSwNP group (MV 24.39) (p = 0.000). In the CRSwNP-AAI group, 11 patients had uncontrolled asthma (61%), and in the CRSwNP-A group, 9 patients had uncontrolled asthma (45%). No correlation was found between rhinology and pulmonary parameters, nasal symptoms, and the severity of nasal ASA challenges. Specific reactions were detectable under the therapy of prednisolone and omalizumab. Conclusion: N-ERD might not always be detected by screening a patient’s medical history. Nasal ASA challenges are recommended in patients with CRSwNP and asthma. The nasal challenge with ASA positively confirms the N-ERD diagnosis. Moreover, N-ERD is a differential diagnosis in patients with severe asthma with the need for prednisolone or omalizumab therapy. The severity of the reaction to the ASA challenge in controlled and uncontrolled asthma patients is independent of the grade of N-ERD.
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Kognitive Fähigkeiten wie die fluide Intelligenz sind essenziell um alltägliche Lebenssituationen... more Kognitive Fähigkeiten wie die fluide Intelligenz sind essenziell um alltägliche Lebenssituationen gut zu meistern. Es wurde in Studien gezeigt, dass Patienten mit hochgradiger Schwerhörigkeit vermehrt kognitive Einbußen zeigen (1,2). Die Zielsetzung dieser Arbeit ist es, den Effekt der Hörrehabilitation mittels CI auf die fluide Intelligenz, konkret auf das Arbeitsgedächtnis (AG) und die Verarbeitungsgeschwindigkeit (VG) zu zeigen. Material & Methoden • Prospektive Studie mit 33 postlingual ertaubten über 65jährigen Patienten.
Current Directions in Biomedical Engineering, Oct 19, 2020
Tinnitus is a phantom percept of noise heard only by the affected person. The principal problem o... more Tinnitus is a phantom percept of noise heard only by the affected person. The principal problem of persons suffering from tinnitus is the inability to deflect their attention from the phantom sound, resulting in insomnia and problems with concentration, followed by significant health issues. To date, no therapy would relieve patients from the phantom sound. Instead, commonly used therapeutic approaches for tinnitus aim primarily at the reduction of tinnitus-induced distress and are based on various tinnitus habituation methods. Our project aims to quench the tinnitus percept using an implant. To develop such an implant, this research group joined the INTAKT network initiated by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and dedicated to the development of smart implants. During this still ongoing, prospective clinical study, the efficacy of two protocols using electrical stimulation is assessed for tinnitus silencing. The electrical stimulation used in the presented study is noninvasive and applied on three consecutive days in the form of short sessions. In a sample of 48 subjects, following three stimulation sessions, 48% of patients reported a significant reduction of tinnitus loudness; 10% reported a brief increase of tinnitus loudness, and 42% stated no change. In one case, the first course of stimulation led to the total distinguishing of tinnitus. On average, the stimulation did not affect the grade of tinnitus-induced distress during the time of measurement. Our current results prompt us to broaden our investigations, expand the subject sample, and further optimize the stimulation conditions.
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