Publications by authors named "Berger-Sieczkowski E"

Anti-IgLON5 disease is a unique condition that bridges autoimmunity and neurodegeneration. Since its initial description 10 years ago, an increasing number of autopsies has led to the observation of a broader spectrum of neuropathologies underlying a particular constellation of clinical symptoms. In this study, we describe the neuropathological findings in 22 patients with anti-IgLON5 disease from 9 different European centers.

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Background: Since the beginning of Alzheimer's disease research, the hypothesis that infections are to some extent associated with neurodegenerative processes has been tested repeatedly. Epidemiological studies on the associations between infections and dementia have reported conflicting results.

Objectives: This study analyses common hospital-treated infections (herpes, influenza, intestinal infections, pneumonia, sepsis, urinary tract infections) and their association with subsequent dementia and time until dementia onset.

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Background: Anti-IgLON5 disease is a rare chronic autoimmune disorder characterized by IgLON5 autoantibodies predominantly of the IgG4 subclass. Distinct pathogenic effects were described for anti-IgLON5 IgG1 and IgG4, however, with uncertain clinical relevance.

Methods: IgLON5-specific IgG1-4 levels were measured in 46 sera and 20 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from 13 HLA-subtyped anti-IgLON5 disease patients (six females, seven males) using flow cytometry.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigated nine cases, revealing that patients in later stages often presented with significant tauopathy, while those in earlier stages displayed primary age-related pathology.
  • Findings showed a notable deposition of IgG4 antibodies in brain regions associated with tau pathology, suggesting that early immunotherapy could be essential to prevent lasting neuronal damage.
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  • Early-onset dementia (EOD) has a genetic basis, with whole-exome sequencing (WES) being utilized for screening and gene discovery among affected individuals.
  • In a study of 60 Austrian EOD patients, 20% were found to have likely disease-causing genetic variants, including notable genes like PSEN1 and APP, suggesting a need for further genetic understanding and patient counseling.
  • The research highlights the importance of sharing genetic data and findings to enable collaboration and potentially identify new genetic risk factors in EOD across different patient groups.
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The COVID-19 pandemic led to unprecedented restrictions on social contacts and mobility. Memory clinic patients were disproportionately affected when care was disrupted and routines were abruptly changed. This trial was designed as a pragmatic, prospective, observational study to evaluate the effects of lockdown on memory clinic patients.

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Objective: Anti-IgLON5 disease forms an interface between neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration and includes clinical phenotypes that are often similar to those of neurodegenerative diseases. An early diagnosis of patients with anti-IgLON5 disease and differentiation from neurodegenerative diseases is necessary and may have therapeutic implications.

Methods: In our small sample size study we investigated oculomotor function as a differentiating factor between anti-IgLON5 disease and neurodegenerative disorders.

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Article Synopsis
  • Anti-IgLON5 disease is a newly identified neurological disorder characterized by autoimmunity and neurodegeneration, with a substantial prevalence of abnormal movements that have been largely overlooked.
  • In a study of 72 patients, 87% exhibited at least one movement disorder, with gait and balance issues being the most common, followed by chorea and bradykinesia.
  • The majority of patients experienced additional symptoms such as sleep disturbances, bulbar dysfunction, and cognitive impairment, and many showed significant improvement in movement disorders after receiving immunotherapy treatment.
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Purely torsional spontaneous nystagmus almost always has a central vestibular cause. We describe a man with spontaneous pulse-synchronous torsional nystagmus in which the clockwise component corresponded to his pulse upswing, in keeping with a peripheral vestibular cause; following imaging we diagnosed left-sided superior canal dehiscence syndrome. Identifying pulse synchronicity of spontaneous nystagmus may help to distinguish central from peripheral vestibular torsional nystagmus, and is readily confirmed at the bedside using Frenzel's glasses and a pulse oximeter.

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  • Researchers are testing two new vaccines, AT04A and AT06A, to help lower cholesterol levels by making the body produce antibodies that fight a protein called PCSK9.
  • The study involved 72 healthy people who received shots and were monitored for side effects and how well their cholesterol levels changed over 90 weeks.
  • The results showed that the AT04A group had a significant reduction in cholesterol levels, while both vaccines caused some mild side effects like tiredness and headaches.
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Personality and dementia are connected in different ways. A broad knowledge about personality and prodromal stages of dementia might be helpful to identify dementia as early as possible. Hence, personality differences between three cognitively impaired groups on the basis of patients' self-assessments of personality traits and connections between personality and cognitive functioning were examined via a cross-sectional study.

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A link between Gaucher disease (GD) and Parkinson disease (PD) has been suggested by many studies. Lewy-body-like α-synuclein inclusions have been shown in older GD patients who developed Parkinsonism. It has been proposed that decreased levels of glucocerebrosidase mediate impaired α-synuclein degradation and hence its accumulation.

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Extrusion of chemotherapeutics by ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters like ABCB1 (P-glycoprotein) represents a crucial mechanism of multidrug resistance in cancer therapy. We have previously shown that the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor simvastatin directly inhibits ABCB1, alters the glycosylation of the transporter, and enhances the intracellular accumulation of doxorubicin with subsequent anti-cancer action. Here, we show that simvastatin reduces endogenous dolichol levels and ABCB1 in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells.

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