2021-1-28, Schleusener, Johannes, Guo, Shuxia, Darvin, Maxim E., Thiede, Gisela, Chernavskaia, Olga, Knorr, Florian, Lademann, Jürgen, Popp, Jürgen, Bocklitz, Thomas W.

Psoriasis is considered a widespread dermatological disease that can strongly affect the quality of life. Currently, the treatment is continued until the skin surface appears clinically healed. However, lesions appearing normal may contain modifications in deeper layers. To terminate the treatment too early can highly increase the risk of relapses. Therefore, techniques are needed for a better knowledge of the treatment process, especially to detect the lesion modifications in deeper layers. In this study, we developed a fiber-based SORS-SERDS system in combination with machine learning algorithms to non-invasively determine the treatment efficiency of psoriasis. The system was designed to acquire Raman spectra from three different depths into the skin, which provide rich information about the skin modifications in deeper layers. This way, it is expected to prevent the occurrence of relapses in case of a too short treatment. The method was verified with a study of 24 patients upon their two visits: the data is acquired at the beginning of a standard treatment (visit 1) and four months afterwards (visit 2). A mean sensitivity of ≥85% was achieved to distinguish psoriasis from normal skin at visit 1. At visit 2, where the patients were healed according to the clinical appearance, the mean sensitivity was ≈65%.

2020, Kässner F., Kirstein A., Händel N., Schmid G.L., Landgraf K., Berthold A., Tannert A., Schaefer M., Wabitsch M., Kiess W., Körner A., Garten A.

Few human cell strains are suitable and readily available as in vitro adipocyte models. We used resected lipoma tissue from a patient with germline phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) haploinsufficiency to establish a preadipocyte cell strain termed LipPD1 and aimed to characterize cellular functions and signalling pathway alterations in comparison to the established adipocyte model Simpson-Golabi-Behmel-Syndrome (SGBS) and to primary stromal-vascular fraction cells. We found that both cellular life span and the capacity for adipocyte differentiation as well as adipocyte-specific functions were preserved in LipPD1 and comparable to SGBS adipocytes. Basal and growth factor-stimulated activation of the PI3 K/AKT signalling pathway was increased in LipPD1 preadipocytes, corresponding to reduced PTEN levels in comparison to SGBS cells. Altogether, LipPD1 cells are a novel primary cell model with a defined genetic lesion suitable for the study of adipocyte biology. © 2020, © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

2008, Delb, W., Strauss, D.J., Low, Y.F., Seidler, H., Rheinschmitt, A., Wobrock, T., D'Amelio, R.

Tinnitus related distress corresponds to different degrees of attention paid to the tinnitus. Shifting attention to a signal other than the tinnitus is therefore particularly difficult for patients with high tinnitus related distress. As attention effects on Event Related Potentials (ERP) have been shown this should be reflected in ERP measurements (N100, phase locking). In order to prove this hypothesis single sweep ERP recordings were obtained in 41 tinnitus patients as well as 10 control subjects during a period of time when attention was shifted to a tone (attended) and during a second phase (unattended) when they did not focus attention to the tone. Whereas tinnitus patients with low distress showed a significant reduction in both N100 amplitude and phase locking when comparing the attended and unattended measurement condition a group of patients with high tinnitus related distress did not show such ERP alterations. Using single sweep ERP measurements the results of our study show, that attention in high tinnitus related distress patients is captured by their tinnitus significantly more than in low distress patients. Furthermore our results provide the basis for future neurofeedback based tinnitus therapies aiming at maximizing the ability to shift attention away from the tinnitus. © 2008 The Author(s).