TY - JOUR A1 - Wirsching, Jan A1 - Grassmann, Sophie A1 - Eichelmann, Fabian A1 - Harms, Laura Malin A1 - Schenk, Matthew A1 - Barth, Eva A1 - Berndzen, Alide A1 - Olalekan, Moses A1 - Sarmini, Leen A1 - Zuberer, Hedwig A1 - Aleksandrova, Krasimira T1 - Development and reliability assessment of a new quality appraisal tool for cross-sectional studies using biomarker data (BIOCROSS) JF - BMC Medical Research Methodology N2 - Background Biomarker-based analyses are commonly reported in observational epidemiological studies; however currently there are no specific study quality assessment tools to assist evaluation of conducted research. Accounting for study design and biomarker measurement would be important for deriving valid conclusions when conducting systematic data evaluation. Methods We developed a study quality assessment tool designed specifically to assess biomarker-based cross-sectional studies (BIOCROSS) and evaluated its inter-rater reliability. The tool includes 10-items covering 5 domains: ‘Study rational’, ‘Design/Methods’, ‘Data analysis’, ‘Data interpretation’ and ‘Biomarker measurement’, aiming to assess different quality features of biomarker cross-sectional studies. To evaluate the inter-rater reliability, 30 studies were distributed among 5 raters and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC-s) were derived from respective ratings. Results The estimated overall ICC between the 5 raters was 0.57 (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.38–0.74) indicating a good inter-rater reliability. The ICC-s ranged from 0.11 (95% CI: 0.01–0.27) for the domain ‘Study rational’ to 0.56 (95% CI: 0.40–0.72) for the domain ‘Data interpretation’. Conclusion BIOCROSS is a new study quality assessment tool suitable for evaluation of reporting quality from cross-sectional epidemiological studies employing biomarker data. The tool proved to be reliable for use by biomedical scientists with diverse backgrounds and could facilitate comprehensive review of biomarker studies in human research. KW - BIOCROSS KW - Quality appraisal KW - Evaluation tool KW - Cross-sectional studies Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-018-0583-x SN - 1471-2288 VL - 18 PB - BMC CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Graja, Antonia A1 - Garcia-Carrizo, Francisco A1 - Jank, Anne-Marie A1 - Gohlke, Sabrina A1 - Ambrosi, Thomas H. A1 - Jonas, Wenke A1 - Ussar, Siegfried A1 - Kern, Matthias A1 - Schürmann, Annette A1 - Aleksandrova, Krasimira A1 - Bluher, Matthias A1 - Schulz, Tim Julius T1 - Loss of periostin occurs in aging adipose tissue of mice and its genetic ablation impairs adipose tissue lipid metabolism JF - Aging Cell N2 - Remodeling of the extracellular matrix is a key component of the metabolic adaptations of adipose tissue in response to dietary and physiological challenges. Disruption of its integrity is a well-known aspect of adipose tissue dysfunction, for instance, during aging and obesity. Adipocyte regeneration from a tissue-resident pool of mesenchymal stem cells is part of normal tissue homeostasis. Among the pathophysiological consequences of adipogenic stem cell aging, characteristic changes in the secretory phenotype, which includes matrix-modifying proteins, have been described. Here, we show that the expression of the matricellular protein periostin, a component of the extracellular matrix produced and secreted by adipose tissue-resident interstitial cells, is markedly decreased in aged brown and white adipose tissue depots. Using a mouse model, we demonstrate that the adaptation of adipose tissue to adrenergic stimulation and high-fat diet feeding is impaired in animals with systemic ablation of the gene encoding for periostin. Our data suggest that loss of periostin attenuates lipid metabolism in adipose tissue, thus recapitulating one aspect of age-related metabolic dysfunction. In human white adipose tissue, periostin expression showed an unexpected positive correlation with age of study participants. This correlation, however, was no longer evident after adjusting for BMI or plasma lipid and liver function biomarkers. These findings taken together suggest that age-related alterations of the adipose tissue extracellular matrix may contribute to the development of metabolic disease by negatively affecting nutrient homeostasis. KW - adipogenic progenitor cells KW - adipose tissue KW - aging KW - extracellular matrix KW - fatty acid metabolism KW - periostin Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/acel.12810 SN - 1474-9718 SN - 1474-9726 VL - 17 IS - 5 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - GEN A1 - Ponce, Carol Barahona A1 - Scherer, Dominique A1 - Boekstegers, Felix A1 - Garate-Calderon, Valentina A1 - Jenab, Mazda A1 - Aleksandrova, Krasimira A1 - Katzke, Verena A1 - Weiderpass, Elisabete A1 - Bonet, Catalina A1 - Moradi, Tahereh A1 - Fischer, Krista A1 - Bossers, Willem A1 - Brenner, Hermann A1 - Schöttker, Ben A1 - Holleczek, Bernd A1 - Hveem, Kristian A1 - Eklund, Niina A1 - Voelker, Uwe A1 - Waldenberger, Melanie A1 - Bermejo, Justo Lorenzo T1 - Arsenic and gallbladder cancer risk BT - Mendelian randomization analysis of European prospective data T2 - International journal of cancer KW - arsenic KW - gallbladder cancer KW - Mendelian randomization Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/ijc.32837 SN - 0020-7136 SN - 1097-0215 VL - 146 IS - 9 SP - 2648 EP - 2650 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Harms, Laura M. A1 - Scalbert, Augustin A1 - Zamora-Ros, Raul A1 - Rinaldi, Sabina A1 - Jenab, Mazda A1 - Murphy, Neil A1 - Achaintre, David A1 - Tjønneland, Anne A1 - Olsen, Anja A1 - Overvad, Kim A1 - Aleksandrova, Krasimira T1 - Plasma polyphenols associated with lower high-sensitivity C-reactive protein concentrations BT - a cross-sectional study within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort JF - British Journal of Nutrition N2 - Experimental studies have reported on the anti-inflammatory properties of polyphenols. However, results from epidemiological investigations have been inconsistent and especially studies using biomarkers for assessment of polyphenol intake have been scant. We aimed to characterise the association between plasma concentrations of thirty-five polyphenol compounds and low-grade systemic inflammation state as measured by high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP). A cross-sectional data analysis was performed based on 315 participants in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort with available measurements of plasma polyphenols and hsCRP. In logistic regression analysis, the OR and 95 % CI of elevated serum hsCRP (>3 mg/l) were calculated within quartiles and per standard deviation higher level of plasma polyphenol concentrations. In a multivariable-adjusted model, the sum of plasma concentrations of all polyphenols measured (per standard deviation) was associated with 29 (95 % CI 50, 1) % lower odds of elevated hsCRP. In the class of flavonoids, daidzein was inversely associated with elevated hsCRP (OR 0 center dot 66, 95 % CI 0 center dot 46, 0 center dot 96). Among phenolic acids, statistically significant associations were observed for 3,5-dihydroxyphenylpropionic acid (OR 0 center dot 58, 95 % CI 0 center dot 39, 0 center dot 86), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylpropionic acid (OR 0 center dot 63, 95 % CI 0 center dot 46, 0 center dot 87), ferulic acid (OR 0 center dot 65, 95 % CI 0 center dot 44, 0 center dot 96) and caffeic acid (OR 0 center dot 69, 95 % CI 0 center dot 51, 0 center dot 93). The odds of elevated hsCRP were significantly reduced for hydroxytyrosol (OR 0 center dot 67, 95 % CI 0 center dot 48, 0 center dot 93). The present study showed that polyphenol biomarkers are associated with lower odds of elevated hsCRP. Whether diet rich in bioactive polyphenol compounds could be an effective strategy to prevent or modulate deleterious health effects of inflammation should be addressed by further well-powered longitudinal studies. KW - polyphenols KW - plasma measurements KW - C-reactive protein KW - inflammation KW - chronic diseases Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114519002538 SN - 0007-1145 SN - 1475-2662 VL - 123 IS - 2 SP - 198 EP - 208 PB - Cambridge University Press CY - Cambridge ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Koelman, Liselot A. A1 - Pivovarova-Ramich, Olga A1 - Pfeiffer, Andreas F. H. A1 - Grune, Tilman A1 - Aleksandrova, Krasimira T1 - Cytokines for evaluation of chronic inflammatory status in ageing research BT - reliability and phenotypic characterisation JF - Immunity & Ageing N2 - Background: There is a growing interest in the role of inflammageing for chronic disease development. Cytokines are potent soluble immune mediators that can be used as target biomarkers of inflammageing; however, their measurement in human samples has been challenging. This study aimed to assess the reliability of a pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine panel in a sample of healthy people measured with a novel electrochemiluminescent multiplex immunoassay platform (Meso Scale Discovery, MSD), and to characterize their associations with metabolic and inflammatory phenotypes. KW - Reliability KW - Cytokines KW - Multiplex platforms KW - Inflammaging KW - Biomarkers KW - Ageing KW - BMI Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12979-019-0151-1 SN - 1742-4933 VL - 16 PB - BMC CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Eichelmann, Fabian A1 - Schulze, Matthias Bernd A1 - Wittenbecher, Clemens A1 - Menzel, Juliane A1 - Weikert, Cornelia A1 - di Giuseppe, Romina A1 - Biemann, Ronald A1 - Isermann, Berend A1 - Fritsche, Andreas A1 - Boeing, Heiner A1 - Aleksandrova, Krasimira T1 - Association of Chemerin Plasma Concentration With Risk of Colorectal Cancer JF - JAMA network open N2 - IMPORTANCE Inflammatory processes have been suggested to have an important role in colorectal cancer (CRC) etiology. Chemerin is a recently discovered inflammatory biomarker thought to exert chemotactic, adipogenic, and angiogenic functions. However, its potential link with CRC has not been sufficiently explored. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the prospective association of circulating plasma chemerin concentrations with incident CRC. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Prospective case-cohort study based on 27 548 initially healthy participants from the European Prospective Investigation Into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Potsdam cohort who were followed for up to 16 years. Baseline study information and samples were collected between August 23, 1994, and September 25, 1998. Recruitment was according to random registry sampling from the geographical area of Potsdam, Germany, and surrounding municipalities. The last date of study follow-up was May 10, 2010. Statistical analysis was conducted in 2018. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Incident CRC, colon cancer, and rectal cancer. Baseline chemerin plasma concentrations were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This study found that the association between chemerin concentration and the risk of incident CRC was linear and independent of established CRC risk factors. Further studies are warranted to evaluate chemerin as a novel immune-inflammatory agent in colorectal carcinogenesis. Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.0896 SN - 2574-3805 VL - 2 IS - 3 PB - American Veterinary Medical Association CY - Chicago ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schenk, Matthew A1 - Eichelmann, Fabian A1 - Schulze, Matthias Bernd A1 - Rudovich, Natalia A1 - Pfeiffer, Andreas F. H. A1 - di Giuseppe, Romina A1 - Böing, Heiner A1 - Aleksandrova, Krasimira T1 - Reproducibility of novel immune-inflammatory biomarkers over 4 months BT - an analysis with repeated measures design JF - Biomarkers in medicine N2 - Aim: Assessment of the feasibility and reliability of immune-inflammatory biomarker measurements. Methods: The following biomarkers were assessed in 207 predominantly healthy participants at baseline and after 4 months: MMF, TGF-beta, suPAR and clusterin. Results: Intraclass correlation coefficients (95% CIs) ranged from good for TGF-beta (0.75 [95% CI: 0.33-0.90]) to excellent for MMF (0.81 [95% CI: 0.64-0.90]), clusterin (0.83 [95% CI: 0.78-0.87]) and suPAR (0.91 [95% CI: 0.88-0.93]). Measurement of TGF-beta was challenged by the large number of values below the detection limit. Conclusion: Single measurements of suPAR, clusterin and MMF could serve as feasible and reliable biomarkers of immune-inflammatory pathways in biomedical research. KW - clusterin KW - immune-inflammatory biomarkers KW - MMF KW - repeated measures design KW - reproducibility KW - suPAR KW - TGF-beta Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.2217/bmm-2018-0351 SN - 1752-0363 SN - 1752-0371 VL - 13 IS - 8 SP - 639 EP - 648 PB - Future Medicine CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Boekstegers, Felix A1 - Marcelain, Katherine A1 - Barahona Ponce, Carol A1 - Baez Benavides, Pablo F. A1 - Müller, Bettina A1 - de Toro, Gonzalo A1 - Retamales, Javier A1 - Barajas, Olga A1 - Ahumada, Monica A1 - Aleksandrova, Krasimira A1 - Bermejo, Justo Lorenzo T1 - ABCB1/4 gallbladder cancer risk variants identified in India also show strong effects in Chileans JF - Cancer Epidemiology N2 - Background: The first large-scale genome-wide association study of gallbladder cancer (GBC) recently identified and validated three susceptibility variants in the ABCB1 and ABCB4 genes for individuals of Indian descent. We investigated whether these variants were also associated with GBC risk in Chileans, who show the highest incidence of GBC worldwide, and in Europeans with a low GBC incidence. Methods: This population-based study analysed genotype data from retrospective Chilean case-control (255 cases, 2042 controls) and prospective European cohort (108 cases, 181 controls) samples consistently with the original publication. Results: Our results confirmed the reported associations for Chileans with similar risk effects. Particularly strong associations (per-allele odds ratios close to 2) were observed for Chileans with high Native American (=Mapuche) ancestry. No associations were noticed for Europeans, but the statistical power was low. Conclusion: Taking full advantage of genetic and ethnic differences in GBC risk may improve the efficiency of current prevention programs. KW - cancer epidemiology KW - gallbladder cancer KW - native American ancestry KW - population-specific risk marker Y1 - 2020 VL - 65 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - THES A1 - Aleksandrova, Krasimira T1 - Understanding the link between obesity and colorectal cancer BT - the role of biomarkers of iflammation, immunity and metabolic dysfunction Y1 - 2020 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Boekstegers, Felix A1 - Marcelain, Katherine A1 - Barahona Ponce, Carol A1 - Baez Benavides, Pablo F. A1 - Müller, Bettina A1 - de Toro, Gonzalo A1 - Retamales, Javier A1 - Barajas, Olga A1 - Ahumada, Monica A1 - Aleksandrova, Krasimira A1 - Bermejo, Justo Lorenzo T1 - ABCB1/4 gallbladder cancer risk variants identified in India also show strong effects in Chileans T2 - Postprints der Universität Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe N2 - Background: The first large-scale genome-wide association study of gallbladder cancer (GBC) recently identified and validated three susceptibility variants in the ABCB1 and ABCB4 genes for individuals of Indian descent. We investigated whether these variants were also associated with GBC risk in Chileans, who show the highest incidence of GBC worldwide, and in Europeans with a low GBC incidence. Methods: This population-based study analysed genotype data from retrospective Chilean case-control (255 cases, 2042 controls) and prospective European cohort (108 cases, 181 controls) samples consistently with the original publication. Results: Our results confirmed the reported associations for Chileans with similar risk effects. Particularly strong associations (per-allele odds ratios close to 2) were observed for Chileans with high Native American (=Mapuche) ancestry. No associations were noticed for Europeans, but the statistical power was low. Conclusion: Taking full advantage of genetic and ethnic differences in GBC risk may improve the efficiency of current prevention programs. T3 - Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe - 1204 KW - gallbladder cancer KW - population-specific risk marker KW - cancer epidemiology KW - native American ancestry Y1 - 2020 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-526833 SN - 1866-8372 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Harms, Laura M. A1 - Scalbert, Augustin A1 - Zamora-Ros, Raul A1 - Rinaldi, Sabina A1 - Jenab, Mazda A1 - Murphy, Neil A1 - Achaintre, David A1 - Tjønneland, Anne A1 - Olsen, Anja A1 - Overvad, Kim A1 - Aleksandrova, Krasimira T1 - Plasma polyphenols associated with lower high-sensitivity C-reactive protein concentrations BT - a cross-sectional study within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort T2 - Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe N2 - Experimental studies have reported on the anti-inflammatory properties of polyphenols. However, results from epidemiological investigations have been inconsistent and especially studies using biomarkers for assessment of polyphenol intake have been scant. We aimed to characterise the association between plasma concentrations of thirty-five polyphenol compounds and low-grade systemic inflammation state as measured by high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP). A cross-sectional data analysis was performed based on 315 participants in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort with available measurements of plasma polyphenols and hsCRP. In logistic regression analysis, the OR and 95 % CI of elevated serum hsCRP (>3 mg/l) were calculated within quartiles and per standard deviation higher level of plasma polyphenol concentrations. In a multivariable-adjusted model, the sum of plasma concentrations of all polyphenols measured (per standard deviation) was associated with 29 (95 % CI 50, 1) % lower odds of elevated hsCRP. In the class of flavonoids, daidzein was inversely associated with elevated hsCRP (OR 0 center dot 66, 95 % CI 0 center dot 46, 0 center dot 96). Among phenolic acids, statistically significant associations were observed for 3,5-dihydroxyphenylpropionic acid (OR 0 center dot 58, 95 % CI 0 center dot 39, 0 center dot 86), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylpropionic acid (OR 0 center dot 63, 95 % CI 0 center dot 46, 0 center dot 87), ferulic acid (OR 0 center dot 65, 95 % CI 0 center dot 44, 0 center dot 96) and caffeic acid (OR 0 center dot 69, 95 % CI 0 center dot 51, 0 center dot 93). The odds of elevated hsCRP were significantly reduced for hydroxytyrosol (OR 0 center dot 67, 95 % CI 0 center dot 48, 0 center dot 93). The present study showed that polyphenol biomarkers are associated with lower odds of elevated hsCRP. Whether diet rich in bioactive polyphenol compounds could be an effective strategy to prevent or modulate deleterious health effects of inflammation should be addressed by further well-powered longitudinal studies. T3 - Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe - 1404 KW - polyphenols KW - plasma measurements KW - C-reactive protein KW - inflammation KW - chronic diseases Y1 - 2020 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-515774 SN - 1866-8372 IS - 2 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Rothwell, Joseph A. A1 - Murphy, Neil A1 - Aleksandrova, Krasimira A1 - Schulze, Matthias Bernd A1 - Bešević, Jelena A1 - Kliemann, Nathalie A1 - Jenab, Mazda A1 - Ferrari, Pietro A1 - Achaintre, David A1 - Gicquiau, Audrey A1 - Vozar, Béatrice A1 - Scalbert, Augustin A1 - Huybrechts, Inge A1 - Freisling, Heinz A1 - Prehn, Cornelia A1 - Adamski, Jerzy A1 - Cross, Amanda J. A1 - Pala, Valeria Maria A1 - Boutron-Ruault, Marie-Christine A1 - Dahm, Christina C. A1 - Overvad, Kim A1 - Gram, Inger Torhild A1 - Sandanger, Torkjel M. A1 - Skeie, Guri A1 - Jakszyn, Paula A1 - Tsilidis, Kostas K. A1 - Hughes, David J. A1 - van Guelpen, Bethany A1 - Bodén, Stina A1 - Sánchez, Maria-José A1 - Schmidt, Julie A. A1 - Katzke, Verena A1 - Kühn, Tilman A1 - Colorado-Yohar, Sandra A1 - Tumino, Rosario A1 - Bueno-de-Mesquita, Bas A1 - Vineis, Paolo A1 - Masala, Giovanna A1 - Panico, Salvatore A1 - Eriksen, Anne Kirstine A1 - Tjønneland, Anne A1 - Aune, Dagfinn A1 - Weiderpass, Elisabete A1 - Severi, Gianluca A1 - Chajès, Véronique A1 - Gunter, Marc J. T1 - Metabolic signatures of healthy lifestyle patterns and colorectal cancer risk in a European cohort JF - Clinical gastroenterology and hepatology N2 - BACKGROUND & AIMS: Colorectal cancer risk can be lowered by adherence to the World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) guidelines. We derived metabolic signatures of adherence to these guidelines and tested their associations with colorectal cancer risk in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort. METHODS: Scores reflecting adherence to the WCRF/AICR recommendations (scale, 1-5) were calculated from participant data on weight maintenance, physical activity, diet, and alcohol among a discovery set of 5738 cancer-free European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition participants with metabolomics data. Partial least-squares regression was used to derive fatty acid and endogenous metabolite signatures of the WCRF/AICR score in this group. In an independent set of 1608 colorectal cancer cases and matched controls, odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs were calculated for colorectal cancer risk per unit increase in WCRF/AICR score and per the corresponding change in metabolic signatures using multivariable conditional logistic regression. RESULTS: Higher WCRF/AICR scores were characterized by metabolic signatures of increased odd-chain fatty acids, serine, glycine, and specific phosphatidylcholines. Signatures were inversely associated more strongly with colorectal cancer risk (fatty acids: OR, 0.51 per unit increase; 95% CI, 0.29-0.90; endogenous metabolites: OR, 0.62 per unit change; 95% CI, 0.50-0.78) than the WCRF/AICR score (OR, 0.93 per unit change; 95% CI, 0.86-1.00) overall. Signature associations were stronger in male compared with female participants. CONCLUSIONS: Metabolite profiles reflecting adherence to WCRF/AICR guidelines and additional lifestyle or biological risk factors were associated with colorectal cancer. Measuring a specific panel of metabolites representative of a healthy or unhealthy lifestyle may identify strata of the population at higher risk of colorectal cancer. KW - colorectal neoplasm KW - risk factors KW - World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research Recommendations KW - targeted metabolomics Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cgh.2020.11.045 SN - 1542-3565 SN - 1542-7714 VL - 20 SP - E1061 EP - E1082 PB - Elsevier CY - New York, NY ER -