Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy (CAA) is one of the main causes of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in the elderly, and affects millions of people worldwide. CAA is caused by the deposition of the... Show moreCerebral Amyloid Angiopathy (CAA) is one of the main causes of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in the elderly, and affects millions of people worldwide. CAA is caused by the deposition of the protein Amyloid-β in the walls of the cerebral and leptomeningeal vessels, which leads to vessel fragility and eventually rupture. CAA has a variable disease course and can present with a spectrum of symptoms. There is currently no cure for CAA, and certain diagnosis during life remains challenging.This thesis has used data from patients with hereditary and non-hereditary (sporadic) CAA to investigate novel clinical and radiological (MRI) markers of CAA, and has used them to formulate a pathophysiologic framework for the temporal ordering of disease processes in CAA. Our results provide new insights in the disease cascade, can aid in diagnosing the disease and have important implications for future clinical trial design, aiding in the identification and timing of candidates for disease-modifying treatments and the choice for the appropriate biomarkers to monitor treatment effect. CAA is a disease with a complex disease cascade and a large variety in disease course, both clinically and radiologically. However, it is just this variety that gives hope for the future: if we find what drives variability in CAA we might find ways for disease modification, prevention and treatment, and identification of in vivo biomarkers with specificity for CAA are a vital part of this search. Show less
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the Netherlands. For years chemotherapy was the only (palliative) treatment, with a short survival of only months. Since the introduction of... Show moreLung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the Netherlands. For years chemotherapy was the only (palliative) treatment, with a short survival of only months. Since the introduction of immunotherapy in 2015, this survival has increased significantly, with the first results showing a survival of even a few years. However, the response rate is relatively low, the treatment is expensive and the (low percentage of) side effects are severe. Therefore a biomarker is needed to predict which patients would benefit of immunotherapy.This thesis is about the search for a new biomarker. With the use of the RNA of platelets, proteins, tumor markers in blood and a an electronic nose for exhaled breath, we tried to find a non-invasive biomarker for the prediction of response on immunotherapy and for the (future) use in clinical practice, some of which are promising. Show less
Kochlik, B.; Herpich, C.; Moreno-Villanueva, M.; Klaus, S.; Müller-Werdan, U.; Weinberger, B.; ... ; Norman, K. 2023
Growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF15) might be involved in the development of cognitive frailty and depression. Therefore, we evaluated cross-sectional associations of plasma GDF15 with... Show moreGrowth differentiation factor-15 (GDF15) might be involved in the development of cognitive frailty and depression. Therefore, we evaluated cross-sectional associations of plasma GDF15 with combined cognitive-frailty-and-depression in older (i.e. ≥ 55 years) and younger adults of the MARK-AGE study. In the present work, samples and data of MARK-AGE (“European study to establish bioMARKers of human AGEing“) participants (N = 2736) were analyzed. Cognitive frailty was determined by the global cognitive functioning score (GCF) and depression by the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS score). Adults were classified into three groups: (I) neither-cognitive-frailty-nor-depression, (II) either-cognitive-frailty-or-depression or (III) both-cognitive-frailty-and-depression. Cross-sectional associations were determined by unadjusted and by age, BMI, sex, comorbidities and hsCRP-adjusted linear and logistic regression analyses. Cognitive frailty, depression, age and GDF15 were significantly related within the whole study sample. High GDF15 levels were significantly associated with both-cognitive-frailty-and-depression (adjusted β = 0.177 [0.044 – 0.310], p = 0.009), and with low GCF scores and high SDS scores. High GDF15 concentrations and quartiles were significantly associated with higher odds to have both-cognitive-frailty-and-depression (adjusted odds ratio = 2.353 [1.267 – 4.372], p = 0.007; and adjusted odds ratio = 1.414 [1.025 – 1.951], p = 0.035, respectively) independent of age, BMI, sex, comorbidities and hsCRP. These associations remained significant when evaluating older adults. We conclude that plasma GDF15 concentrations are significantly associated with combined cognitive-frailty-and-depression status and, with cognitive frailty and depressive symptoms separately in old as well as young community-dwelling adults. Show less
BackgroundCentral sensitisation is an important mechanism in migraine chronification. It is presumed to occur in second and third order neurons sequentially, resulting in an analogous spatial... Show moreBackgroundCentral sensitisation is an important mechanism in migraine chronification. It is presumed to occur in second and third order neurons sequentially, resulting in an analogous spatial distribution of cutaneous allodynia with cephalic and extracephalic symptoms. We investigated whether allodynia, and its subtypes based on spatial distribution and type of stimulus, predict response to treatment in chronic migraine patients.MethodsThis study was conducted as part of the CHARM study (NTR3440), a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in chronic migraine patients with medication overuse. We included 173 patients. The presence of cutaneous allodynia at baseline was established with the Allodynia Symptom Checklist. Primary endpoint was reversion from chronic to episodic migraine.ResultsOf all patients, 74.6% reported cutaneous allodynia. Absence of allodynia compared to presence of allodynia was predictive for reversion from chronic to episodic migraine, odds ratio (OR): 2.45 (95% CI: 1.03–5.84), p = 0.042. The predictive value was more pronounced when subdivided for spatial distribution, for participants without allodynia versus cephalic (OR: 4.16 (95% CI: 1.21–14.30), p = 0.024) and extracephalic (OR: 7.32 (95% CI: 1.98- 27.11), p = 0.003) allodynia. Mechanical, but not thermal, allodynia, was associated with outcome.ConclusionsCutaneous allodynia, an important marker for central sensitization, likely has predictive value for treatment response in chronic migraine. Show less
BackgroundTo improve tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has called for a non-sputum based triage test to focus TB testing on people with a high likelihood of having... Show moreBackgroundTo improve tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has called for a non-sputum based triage test to focus TB testing on people with a high likelihood of having active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). Various host or pathogen biomarker-based testing devices are in design stage and require validity assessment. Host biomarkers have shown promise to accurately rule out active TB, but further research is required to determine generalisability. The TriageTB diagnostic test study aims to assess the accuracy of diagnostic test candidates, as well as field-test, finalise the design and biomarker signature, and validate a point-of-care multi-biomarker test (MBT).MethodsThis observational diagnostic study will evaluate sensitivity and specificity of biomarker-based diagnostic candidates including the MBT and Xpert® TB Fingerstick cartridge compared with a gold-standard composite TB outcome classification defined by symptoms, sputum GeneXpert® Ultra, smear and culture, radiological features, response to TB therapy and presence of an alternative diagnosis. The study will be conducted in research sites in South Africa, Uganda, The Gambia and Vietnam which all have high TB prevalence. The two-phase design allows for finalisation of the MBT in Phase 1 in which candidate host proteins will be evaluated on stored serum from Asia, South Africa and South America and on fingerstick blood from 50 newly recruited participants per site. The MBT test will then be locked down and validated in Phase 2 on 250 participants per site.DiscussionBy targeting confirmatory TB testing to those with a positive triage test, 75% of negative GXPU may be avoided, thereby reducing diagnostic costs and patient losses during the care cascade. This study builds on previous biomarker research and aims to identify a point-of-care test meeting or exceeding the minimum World Health Organisation target product profile of a 90% sensitivity and 70% specificity. Streamlining TB testing by identifying individuals with a high likelihood of TB should improve TB resources use and, in so doing, improve TB care. Show less
Degenerative diseases of the nervous system, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and ALS, are severe, progressive and ultimately fatal. Most existing drugs for these neurodegenerative diseases only... Show moreDegenerative diseases of the nervous system, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and ALS, are severe, progressive and ultimately fatal. Most existing drugs for these neurodegenerative diseases only temporarily relieve symptoms, increase mobility or relieve pain, but do not slow disease progression.This dissertation describes a method to efficiently carry out the development of new drugs that could inhibit disease progression in neurodegenerative diseases. Namely, by using pharmacodynamic biomarkers. These are signaling substances to measure the magnitude of a drug response.These biomarkers can be used in early clinical-pharmacological studies in healthy volunteers or small groups of patients to select the best drug candidates and their expected therapeutic doses as early as possible in the development stage. This helps to make informed choices to advance a potential new drug into large and expensive phase 2 and 3 (registration) studies, or conversely to discontinue development of a non-potential drug as early as possible. This biomarker method was applied in this dissertation to investigate 2 new drugs that could potentially slow disease progression in Alzheimer's and ALS (a RIPK1 inhibitor) or Parkinson's disease (a LRRK2 inhibitor). The research results from multiple early clinical-pharmacological studies in healthy volunteers and patients described in this thesis form the basis for larger phase 2 and 3 follow-up studies that have now been initiated with ALS patients and Parkinson's disease patients. Both with the goal of confirming whether these agents can indeed slow disease progression, which would represent a major breakthrough in the treatment of these conditions. Show less
Sepsis is a life-threatening condition caused by a dysregulated host response to infection, it is associated with significant morbidity, mortality, and with a high financial burden on global... Show moreSepsis is a life-threatening condition caused by a dysregulated host response to infection, it is associated with significant morbidity, mortality, and with a high financial burden on global healthcare systems. Bacterial infections are the primary cause of sepsis, but the growing prevalence of antimicrobial resistance complicates the effectiveness of antimicrobial treatments. Moreover, limited understanding of the host immune response during sepsis hinders the discovery of valuable biomarkers and drug targets. As such, there is an urgent need to improve the treatment of sepsis. To tackle this challenge, we have concentrated our efforts on optimizing current treatment strategies and on facilitating the discovery of novel host inflammatory response directed therapeutics. In this thesis, we have utilized quantitative pharmacological modeling approaches to assess the adequacy of current dose regimens and to evaluate antibiotic pharmacokinetic variability, thereby optimizing antimicrobial therapies for sepsis. Additionally, our researches had aimed to deepen our understanding of the underlying dynamics of sepsis pathology, enabling the identification of promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets for sepsis. Our work demonstrated how quantitative modeling strategies can support the design of optimized treatment strategies, and how systematic model-based integration of disease mechanisms can help to overcome the translational challenges in sepsis drug development. Show less
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is often treated with chemotherapy. However, it is well known that treatment with chemotherapy comes with challenges, such as (severe) adverse events leading to loss of... Show moreColorectal cancer (CRC) is often treated with chemotherapy. However, it is well known that treatment with chemotherapy comes with challenges, such as (severe) adverse events leading to loss of quality of life, treatment discontinuation and sometimes even death. Moreover, chances for curation in the metastatic setting are low. Therefore, a large window of opportunity to improve both safety as well as efficacy of chemotherapeutic treatment for the individual patient exists. A possible approach to improve chemotherapeutic treatment for CRC patients could be the discovery, validation and implementation of new genetic biomarkers. The use of genetic biomarkers allows to identify patients that are at higher risk for severe adverse drug events and to select patients which will benefit the most from chemotherapy. The aim of this thesis was therefore to improve the safety and efficacy of chemotherapeutic drugs in patients with colorectal cancer by individualising drug dosing and choice of drug based on germline genetic biomarkers. The described studies in this thesis brought us a few steps closer to safe and effective use of chemotherapeutic drugs in the individual colorectal cancer patient. Irinotecan should no longer be administered without a UGT1A1 genotype test and a start has been made towards personalised medicine for colorectal cancer patients with peritoneal metastases. Show less
PurposeTumour-stroma ratio (TSR) is an important prognostic and predictive factor in several tumour types. The aim of this study is to determine whether TSR evaluated in breast cancer core biopsies... Show morePurposeTumour-stroma ratio (TSR) is an important prognostic and predictive factor in several tumour types. The aim of this study is to determine whether TSR evaluated in breast cancer core biopsies is representative of the whole tumour.MethodDifferent TSR scoring methods, their reproducibility, and the association of TSR with clinicopathological characteristics were investigated in 178 breast carcinoma core biopsies and corresponding resection specimens. TSR was assessed by two trained scientists on the most representative H&E-stained digitised slides. Patients were treated primarily with surgery between 2010 and 2021 at Semmelweis University, Budapest.ResultsNinety-one percent of the tumours were hormone receptor (HR)-positive (luminal-like). Interobserver agreement was highest using 100 x magnification (kappa(core) = 0.906, kappa(resection specimen) = 0.882). The agreement between TSR of core biopsies and resection specimens of the same patients was moderate (kappa = 0.514). Differences between the two types of samples were most frequent in cases with TSR scores close to the 50% cut-off point. TSR was strongly correlated with age at diagnosis, pT category, histological type, histological grade, and surrogate molecular subtype. A tendency was identified for more recurrences among stroma-high (SH) tumours (p = 0.07). Significant correlation was detected between the TSR and tumour recurrence in grade 1 HR-positive breast cancer cases (p = 0.03).ConclusionsTSR is easy to determine and reproducible on both core biopsies and in resection specimens and is associated with several clinicopathological characteristics of breast cancer. TSR scored on core biopsies is moderately representative for the whole tumour. Show less
Background: Fibrous dysplasia/McCune-Albright syndrome (FD/MAS) is a rare genetic bone disease caused by a somatic mutation in the GNAS gene. Currently used bone turnover markers (BTMs) do not... Show moreBackground: Fibrous dysplasia/McCune-Albright syndrome (FD/MAS) is a rare genetic bone disease caused by a somatic mutation in the GNAS gene. Currently used bone turnover markers (BTMs) do not correlate with the clinical picture and are not useful to predict or monitor therapy success. This study assessed the correlation of RANKL, OPG, RANKL/OPG ratio, IL-6 and sclerostin with the classic BTMs alkaline phosphatase (ALP), procollagen type 1 propeptide (P1NP) and beta crosslaps (CTX), with pain, skeletal burden score (SBS) and response to bisphosphonate or denosumab treatment.Methods: Ninety-six serum samples of adult patients >18 years of age with any subtype of FD/MAS were included from the biobank facility of the Leiden University Medical Center, Center for Bone Quality between 2015 and 2021. Standard laboratory assessments were assessed as part of usual care. The concentrations of potential biomarkers RANKL, OPG, sclerostin, IL-6 were analyzed. Data on FD/MAS subtype, age, pain, treatment history and treatment response were retrieved from the electronic patient files. Baseline characteristics were summarized by descriptive statistics. Correlations of the concentrations of the potential biomarkers with classic bone turnover markers, SBS and pain scores were cross-sectionally assessed by Spearman rank order correlation. Correction for multiple testing was performed by Benjamini and Hochberg False Discovery Rate. A sensitivity analyses was performed by excluding patients with SBS below 15 and patients using antiresorptive medication at the time of blood withdrawal or within the wash-out period. In patients treated with bisphosphonates or denosumab after blood withdrawal, pre-treatment concentrations were compared in patients with and without therapy response by Mann Whitney U test.Results: The median age of the patients was 41.2 (Q1-Q3 25.9-52.2) years, 62.5 % was female. Median SBS was 2.5 (Q1-Q3 0.5-7.8). RANKL level correlated weakly with ALP (Spearman rho 0.309, p = 0.004, n = 84), but not with P1NP or CTX. The RANKL/OPG ratio, OPG, IL-6 and sclerostin did not correlate with ALP, P1NP or CTX. None of the potential biomarkers correlated with SBS or pain. Results of the sensitivity analyses were comparable. Pre-treatment biomarker levels were similar in patients with and without improvement in pain scores following bisphosphonate therapy. Pre-treatment RANKL and sclerostin were comparable between patients with and without improvement in pain scores after denosumab therapy. Pre-treatment IL-6 level and the RANKL/OPG ratio seemed to be higher in patients with response to denosumab (IL-6: median 0.64 (Q1-Q3 0.53-0.74) pg/mL, n = 6, RANKL/OPG: median 0.062 (Q1-Q3 0.016-0.331), n = 5) compared to patients without response (IL-6: median 0.35 (0.20-0.54) pg/mL, n = 5, RANKL/OPG: 0.027 (0.024-0.046), n = 4). Pre-treatment IL-6 correlated with the improvement in maximum pain scores (rho 0.962, p < 0.001, n = 9) and average pain scores (rho 0.895, p = 0.001, n = 9) reported during denosumab therapy.Conclusion: Increased concentrations of RANKL, IL-6, sclerostin and of the RANKL/OPG ratio do not indicate severity of FD/MAS, as no correlation was observed of these potential biomarkers with the classic BTMs and SBS. Biomarker levels did not correlate with pain and had no value in predicting bisphosphonate treatment response. These biomarkers are not superior over the currently used methods of assessing ALP, P1NP and CTX or evaluating SBS to establish disease extent or activity and provide no reliable results.Yet, possibly pre-treatment IL-6 and the RANKL/OPG ratio may have some predictive value for clinical response to denosumab. Therefore, studies investigating disease activity and treatment response should include lesional imaging and patient-reported outcome measures. Show less
Ernst, S.M.; Mankor, J.M.; Riet, J. van; Thüsen, J.H. von der; Dubbink, H.J.; Aerts, J.G.J.V.; ... ; Monkhorst, K. 2023
Introduction: Patient-reported smoking history is frequently used as a stratification factor in NSCLC-directed clinical research. Nevertheless, this classification does not fully reflect the... Show moreIntroduction: Patient-reported smoking history is frequently used as a stratification factor in NSCLC-directed clinical research. Nevertheless, this classification does not fully reflect the mutational processes in a tumor. Next-generation sequencing can identify mutational signatures associated with tobacco smoking, such as single-base signature 4 and indel-based signature 3. This provides an opportunity to redefine the classification of smoking-and nonsmoking-associated NSCLC on the basis of individual genomic tumor characteristics and could contribute to reducing the lung cancer stigma.Methods: Whole genome sequencing data and clinical re-cords were obtained from three prospective cohorts of metastatic NSCLC (N = 316). Relative contributions and absolute counts of single-base signature 4 and indel-based signature 3 were combined with relative contributions of age-related signatures to divide the cohort into smoking -associated ("smoking high") and nonsmoking-associated ("smoking low") clusters.Results: The smoking high (n = 169) and smoking low (n = 147) clusters differed considerably in tumor mutational burden, signature contribution, and mutational landscape. This signature-based classification overlapped considerably with smoking history. Yet, 26% of patients with an active smoking history were included in the smoking low cluster, of which 52% harbored an EGFR/ALK/RET/ROS1 alteration, and 4% of patients without smoking history were included in the smoking high cluster. These discordant samples had similar genomic contexts to the rest of their respective cluster. Show less
Harder, A.V.E.; Vijfhuizen, L.S.; Henneman, P.; Dijk, K.W. van; Duijn, C.M. van; Terwindt, G.M.; Maagdenberg, A.M.J.M. van den 2021
Background Migraine is a common brain disorder but reliable diagnostic biomarkers in blood are still lacking. Our aim was to identify, using proton nuclear magnetic resonance (H-1-NMR) spectroscopy... Show moreBackground Migraine is a common brain disorder but reliable diagnostic biomarkers in blood are still lacking. Our aim was to identify, using proton nuclear magnetic resonance (H-1-NMR) spectroscopy, metabolites in serum that are associated with lifetime and active migraine by comparing metabolic profiles of patients and controls. Methods Fasting serum samples from 313 migraine patients and 1512 controls from the Erasmus Rucphen Family (ERF) study were available for H-1-NMR spectroscopy. Data was analysed using elastic net regression analysis. Results A total of 100 signals representing 49 different metabolites were detected in 289 cases (of which 150 active migraine patients) and 1360 controls. We were able to identify profiles consisting of 6 metabolites predictive for lifetime migraine status and 22 metabolites predictive for active migraine status. We estimated with subsequent regression models that after correction for age, sex, BMI and smoking, the association with the metabolite profile in active migraine remained. Several of the metabolites in this profile are involved in lipid, glucose and amino acid metabolism. Conclusion This study indicates that metabolic profiles, based on serum concentrations of several metabolites, including lipids, amino acids and metabolites of glucose metabolism, can distinguish active migraine patients from controls. Show less
Bovenkamp, F.S. van de; Dijkstra, D.J.; Kooten, C. van; Gelderman, K.A.; Trouw, L.A. 2021
C1q is the recognition molecule of the classical pathway of the complement system. By binding to its targets, such as antigen-bound immunoglobulins or C-reactive protein, C1q contributes to the... Show moreC1q is the recognition molecule of the classical pathway of the complement system. By binding to its targets, such as antigen-bound immunoglobulins or C-reactive protein, C1q contributes to the innate defense against infections. However, C1q also plays several other roles beyond its traditional role in complement activation. Circulating levels of C1q are determined in routine diagnostics as biomarker in several diseases. Decreased C1q levels are present in several autoimmune conditions. The decreased levels reflect the consumption of C1q by complement activation and serves as a biomarker for disease activity. In contrast, increased C1q levels are present in infectious and inflammatory diseases and may serve as a diagnostic biomarker. The increased levels of C1q are still incompletely understood but are suggested to modulate the adaptive immune response as C1q is known to impact on the maturation status of antigen-presenting cells and C1q impacts directly on T cells leading to decreased T-cell activity in high C1q conditions. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the current literature on circulating levels of C1q in health and disease, and discuss how C1q can both protect against infections as well as maintain tolerance by regulating adaptive immunity. Show less
Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence rates following locoregional treatment are high. As multireceptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors targeting vascular endothelial growth factor... Show moreBackground Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence rates following locoregional treatment are high. As multireceptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors targeting vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFRs) are effective in advanced HCC, we assessed the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant systemic treatment with dovitinib in early- and intermediate-stage HCC. Materials and Methods Twenty-four patients with modified Child-Pugh class A early- and intermediate-stage HCC received neoadjuvant oral dovitinib 500 mg daily (5 days on/2 days off) for 4 weeks, followed by locoregional therapy. Primary endpoints were objective response rates and intratumoral blood flow changes. Secondary endpoints were safety, pharmacodynamical plasma markers of VEGFR-blockade, time to progression (TTP), and overall survival (OS). Results Modified RECIST overall response rate was 48%, including 13% complete remission, and despite dose reduction/interruption in 83% of patients, intratumoral perfusion index decreased significantly. Grade 3-4 adverse events, most frequently (on-target) hypertension (54%), fatigue (25%), and thrombocytopenia (21%), occurred in 88% of patients. Plasma VEGF-A, VEGF-D, and placental growth factor increased significantly, whereas sTie-2 decreased, consistent with VEGFR-blockade. Following neoadjuvant dovitinib, all patients could proceed to their original planned locoregional treatment. No delayed toxicity occurred. Seven patients (three early, four intermediate stage) underwent orthotopic liver transplant after median 11.4 months. Censoring at transplantation, median TTP and OS were 16.8 and 34.8 months respectively; median cancer-specific survival was not reached. Conclusion Already after a short 4-week dovitinib treatment period, intratumoral blood flow reduction and modest antitumor responses were observed. Although these results support use of systemic neoadjuvant strategies, the poor tolerability indicates that dovitinib dose adaptations are required in HCC. Implications for Practice Orthotopic liver transplantation may cure early and intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma. Considering the expected waiting time >6 months because of donor liver scarcity, there is an unmet need for effective neoadjuvant downsizing strategies. Angiogenesis inhibition by dovitinib does not negatively affect subsequent invasive procedures, is safe to administer immediately before locoregional therapy, and may provide a novel treatment approach to improve patient outcomes if tolerability in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma can be improved by therapeutic drug monitoring and personalized dosing. Show less
Tio-Coma, M.; Kielbasa, S.M.; Eeden, S.J.F. van den; Mei, H.L.; Roy, J.C.; Wallinga, J.; ... ; Geluk, A. 2021
Background: Leprosy, a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, is often late-or misdiag-nosed leading to irreversible disabilities. Blood transcriptomic biomarkers that... Show moreBackground: Leprosy, a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, is often late-or misdiag-nosed leading to irreversible disabilities. Blood transcriptomic biomarkers that prospectively predict those who progress to leprosy (progressors) would allow early diagnosis, better treatment outcomes and facilitate interventions aimed at stopping bacterial transmission. To identify potential risk signatures of leprosy, we collected whole blood of household contacts (HC, n=5,352) of leprosy patients, including individuals who were diagnosed with leprosy 4-61 months after sample collection.Methods: We investigated differential gene expression (DGE) by RNA-Seq between progressors before pres-ence of symptoms (n=40) and HC (n=40), as well as longitudinal DGE within each progressor. A prospective leprosy signature was identified using a machine learning approach (Random Forest) and validated using reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Findings: Although no significant intra-individual longitudinal variation within leprosy progressors was iden-tified, 1,613 genes were differentially expressed in progressors before diagnosis compared to HC. We identi-fied a 13-gene prospective risk signature with an Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 95.2%. Validation of this RNA-Seq signature in an additional set of progressors (n=43) and HC (n=43) by RT-qPCR, resulted ina final 4 -gene signature, designated RISK4LEP (MT-ND2, REX1BD, TPGS1, UBC) (AUC=86.4%).Interpretation: This study identifies for the first time a prospective transcriptional risk signature in blood pre-dicting development of leprosy 4 to 61 months before clinical diagnosis. Assessment of this signature in con-tacts of leprosy patients can function as an adjunct diagnostic tool to target implementation of interventions to restrain leprosy development. (C) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. Show less
Many biomarkers that could be used to assess ejection fraction, heart failure, or myocardial infarction fail to translate into clinical practice because they lack essential performance... Show moreMany biomarkers that could be used to assess ejection fraction, heart failure, or myocardial infarction fail to translate into clinical practice because they lack essential performance characteristics or fail to meet regulatory standards for approval. Despite their potential, new technologies have added to the complexities of successful translation into clinical practice. Biomarker discovery and implementation require a standardized approach that includes: identification of a clinical need; identification of a valid surrogate biomarker, stepwise assay refinement, demonstration of superiority over current standard-of-care; development and understanding of a clinical pathway; and demonstration of real-world performance. Successful biomarkers should improve efficacy or safety of treatment, while being practical at a realistic cost. Everyone involved in cardiovascular healthcare, including researchers, clinicians, and industry partners, are important stakeholders in facilitating the development and implementation of biomarkers. This article provides suggestions for a development pathway for new biomarkers, discusses regulatory issues and challenges, and suggestions for accelerating the pathway to improve patient outcomes. Real-life examples of successful biomarkers-high-sensitivity cardiac troponin, T2* cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging, and echocardiography are used to illustrate the value of a standardized development pathway in the translation of concepts into routine clinical practice. Show less
Background The multi-biomarker disease activity (MBDA) test measures 12 serum protein biomarkers to quantify disease activity in RA patients. A newer version of the MBDA score, adjusted for age,... Show moreBackground The multi-biomarker disease activity (MBDA) test measures 12 serum protein biomarkers to quantify disease activity in RA patients. A newer version of the MBDA score, adjusted for age, sex, and adiposity, has been validated in two cohorts (OPERA and BRASS) for predicting risk for radiographic progression. We now extend these findings with additional cohorts to further validate the adjusted MBDA score as a predictor of radiographic progression risk and compare its performance with that of other risk factors.MethodsFour cohorts were analyzed: the BRASS and Leiden registries and the OPERA and SWEFOT studies (total N =953). Treatments included conventional DMARDs and anti-TNFs. Associations of radiographic progression (Delta TSS) per year with the adjusted MBDA score, seropositivity, and clinical measures were evaluated using linear and logistic regression. The adjusted MBDA score was (1) validated in Leiden and SWEFOT, (2) compared with other measures in all four cohorts, and (3) used to generate curves for predicting risk of radiographic progression.ResultsUnivariable and bivariable analyses validated the adjusted MBDA score and found it to be the strongest, independent predicator of radiographic progression (Delta TSS >5) compared with seropositivity (rheumatoid factor and/or anti-CCP), baseline TSS, DAS28-CRP, CRP SJC, or CDAI. Neither DAS28-CRP, CDAI, SJC, nor CRP added significant information to the adjusted MBDA score as a predictor, and the frequency of radiographic progression agreed with the adjusted MBDA score when it was discordant with these measures. The rate of progression (Delta TSS >5) increased from <2% in the low (1-29) adjusted MBDA category to 16% in the high (45-100) category. A modeled risk curve indicated that risk increased continuously, exceeding 40% for the highest adjusted MBDA scores.ConclusionThe adjusted MBDA score was validated as an RA disease activity measure that is prognostic for radiographic progression. The adjusted MBDA score was a stronger predictor of radiographic progression than conventional risk factors, including seropositivity, and its prognostic ability was not significantly improved by the addition of DAS28-CRP, CRP, SJC, or CDAI. Show less
Introduction: Mitomycin C (MMC) is commonly used in patients with colorectal peritoneal metastases (CPM) treated with cytoreductive surgery plus hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS +... Show moreIntroduction: Mitomycin C (MMC) is commonly used in patients with colorectal peritoneal metastases (CPM) treated with cytoreductive surgery plus hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS + HIPEC). MMC requires metabolic activation prior to exert its cytotoxic effect of which the main activating enzymes are NQO1 and POR. However, not all patients are able to activate MMC for example due to polymorphisms in the genes encoding these enzymes. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of NQO1*2, NQO1*3, and POR*28 with the efficacy of CRS + HIPEC with MMC in patients with CPM.Method: A retrospective follow-up design was used to study genetic association in patients with histologically proven CPM treated with CRS + HIPEC with MMC with respect to peritoneal recurrence rate after 3 months (primary endpoint), after 6 months, disease-free survival and overall survival. Genetic polymorphisms NQO1*2, NQO1*3, and POR*28 were tested for association.Results: A total of 253 patients were included. In NQO1*3 carriers the peritoneal recurrence rate 3 and 6 months after HIPEC was significantly higher than in wild type patients, respectively 30.0% vs 3.8% (p = 0.009) and 40.0% vs 12.1% (p = 0.031). In line with these results, NQO1*3 was associated with a shorter disease-free survival (HR 2.04, 95% CI [1.03-4.03]). There was no significant association with overall survival (HR 1.42, 95% CI [0.66-3.07]).Conclusion: Carriership of the NQO1*3 allele is associated with worse peritoneal recurrence rate and disease-free survival. These results suggest that individualization of patients treated with CRS + HIPEC based upon pharmacogenetics may be beneficial. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd, BASO similar to The Association for Cancer Surgery, and the European Society of Surgical Oncology. All rights reserved. Show less
Hurkmans, D.P.; Kuipers, M.E.; Smit, J.; Marion, R. van; Mathijssen, R.H.J.; Postmus, P.E.; ... ; Burg, S.H. van der 2020
Objectives A minority of NSCLC patients benefit from anti-PD1 immune checkpoint inhibitors. A rational combination of biomarkers is needed. The objective was to determine the predictive value of... Show moreObjectives A minority of NSCLC patients benefit from anti-PD1 immune checkpoint inhibitors. A rational combination of biomarkers is needed. The objective was to determine the predictive value of tumor mutational load (TML), CD8(+) T cell infiltration, HLA class-I and PD-L1 expression in the tumor. Materials and methods Metastatic NSCLC patients were prospectively included in an immune-monitoring trial (NTR7015) between April 2016-August 2017, retrospectively analyzed in FFPE tissue for TML (NGS: 409 cancer-related-genes) and by IHC staining to score PD-L1, CD8(+) T cell infiltration, HLA class-I. PFS (RECISTv1.1) and OS were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier methodology. Results 30 patients with adenocarcinoma (67%) or squamous cell carcinoma (33%) were included. High TML was associated with better PFS (p = 0.004) and OS (p = 0.025). Interaction analyses revealed that patients with both high TML and high total CD8(+) T cell infiltrate (p = 0.023) or no loss of HLA class-I (p = 0.026), patients with high total CD8(+) T cell infiltrate and no loss of HLA class-I (p = 0.041) or patients with both high PD-L1 and high TML (p = 0.003) or no loss of HLA class-I (p = 0.032) were significantly associated with better PFS. Unsupervised cluster analysis based on these markers revealed three sub-clusters, of which cluster-1A was overrepresented by patients with progressive disease (15 out of 16), with significant effect on PFS (p = 0.007). Conclusion This proof-of-concept study suggests that a combination of PD-L1 expression, TML, CD8(+) T cell infiltration and HLA class-I functions as a better predictive biomarker for response to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy. Consequently, refinement of this set of biomarkers and validation in a larger set of patients is warranted. Show less
