Publications by authors named "Brix T"

Concerns have been raised that glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP1-RAs) may increase the risk of thyroid cancer, but evidence remains conflicting. We therefore investigated if GLP1-RA use, compared with use of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4is), was associated with thyroid cancer risk in patients with type 2 diabetes. This multisite cohort study with subsequent meta-analysis included six population-based databases from Canada (Ontario), Denmark, Norway, South Korea, Sweden, and Taiwan.

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Objective: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) provides unique insights into the brain and neurological diseases. However, the potential of CSF flow cytometry applied on a large scale remains unknown.

Methods: We used data-driven approaches to analyze paired CSF and blood flow cytometry measurements from 8,790 patients (discovery cohort) and CSF only data from 3,201 patients (validation cohort) collected across neurological diseases in a real-world setting.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The EyeMatics project is part of Germany's Medical Informatics Initiative, focusing on improving treatment for eye diseases through better understanding of intravitreal injection effects.
  • - It aims to enhance patient data integration and visualization from various hospital systems, while promoting strong governance and patient involvement.
  • - The project employs AI methods to analyze data and biomarkers, emphasizing user-centered strategies for effective implementation and evaluation in a multi-site observational study.
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Cryptococcal meningitis (CM) is a severe fungal disease in immunocompromised patients affecting the central nervous system (CNS). Host response and immunological alterations in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) after invasion of Cryptococcus neoformans to the central nervous system have been investigated before but rigorous and comprehensive studies examining cellular changes in the CSF of patients with cryptococccal meningitis are still rare. We retrospectively collected CSF analysis and flow cytometry data of CSF and blood in patients with CM (n = 7) and compared them to HIV positive patients without meningitis (n = 13) and HIV negative healthy controls (n = 7).

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In this study, we sought to evaluate the capabilities of radiomics and machine learning in predicting seropositivity in patients with suspected autoimmune encephalitis (AE) from MR images obtained at symptom onset. In 83 patients diagnosed with AE between 2011 and 2022, manual bilateral segmentation of the amygdala was performed on pre-contrast T2 images using 3D Slicer open-source software. Our sample of 83 patients contained 43 seropositive and 40 seronegative AE cases.

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Background: Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is the most common cause of death in Europe. Although the 2019 European Society of Cardiology/European Atherosclerosis Society Guidelines for the management of dyslipidaemias claim a target low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) value of <55 mg/dL for very high-risk patients by use of lipid-lowering therapy (LLT) and lifestyle adaptations, the target level achievement is not satisfactory. We examined LLT use in ASCVD patients exceeding LDL-C target levels at admission and its adaptations at discharge.

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  • The study investigates immune-related thyroid adverse events (irTAEs) occurring in melanoma patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors, focusing on incidence, potential contributing factors, and treatment impact.
  • Out of 454 patients analyzed, 21.8% experienced irTAEs, with a notable split between transient (46.5%) and persistent (53.5%) conditions, typically developing within the first three months.
  • Female patients were significantly more likely to have irTAEs, but these events did not correlate with better recurrence-free or overall survival rates, suggesting no positive impact on clinical outcomes.
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Objective: Cancer is the second most common cause of death worldwide. It is currently debated whether thyroid dysfunction is a modifiable cancer risk factor. Our aim was to evaluate the risk of cancer in patients with hyperthyroidism.

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Purpose: Despite the multiprofessional concept surrounding palliative care patients (PCPs) and their high prevalence of oral issues, licensed dentists (LDs) are often not included in their treatment team. This study aimed to examine the current state of cooperation and to determine whether and how LDs should be included in the care for PCPs.

Methods: This single-centre cross-sectional study was conducted at the University Hospital Muenster, Germany.

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  • Autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) includes Graves disease (GD) and Hashimoto disease (HD), with genetic factors contributing significantly to their development, while epigenetics like DNA methylation also plays a role.
  • The study aimed to identify differences in DNA methylation patterns between patients with GD and those with HD using blood samples from Australian and Danish cohorts.
  • Findings revealed specific DNA methylation differences, including 2 significant differentially methylated positions and a differentially methylated region, which could help explain the varying development of GD and HD and suggest the influence of environmental factors.
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  • The study investigates the link between hypothyroidism and oxidative stress, focusing on biomarkers 8-oxoGuo and 8-oxodG, which indicate RNA and DNA oxidation, respectively.
  • 45 Danish women with newly diagnosed hypothyroidism were compared before and after treatment with levothyroxine, along with healthy control subjects to assess changes in these biomarkers.
  • Results showed no significant changes in oxidative stress markers after initiating treatment in patients, although hypothyroid women had higher levels of 8-oxoGuo and 8-oxodG compared to the control group.
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The System Usability Scale (SUS) is a reliable tool for usability measurement and evaluation. Since its original language is English, a translation is required before a target group can answer it in their native language. The challenge of translating questionnaires lies in the preservation of its original properties.

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The first step of a systematic review is the identification of publications related to a research question in different literature databases. The quality of the final review is mainly influenced by finding the best search query resulting in high precision and recall. Usually, this process is iterative and requires refining the initial query and comparing the different result sets.

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Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in the Western world. In this work, the non-invasive imaging technique spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) is used to acquire retinal images, which are then analyzed using deep learning techniques. The authors trained a convolutional neural network (CNN) using 1300 SD-OCT scans annotated by trained experts for the presence of different biomarkers associated with AMD.

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Lingual thyroid is a rare congenital disorder displaying ectopic thyroid tissue at the base of the tongue. This is the most common location for ectopic thyroid tissue and is usually the only thyroid tissue present. This is a case report of a 16-year-old female who presented with nasal congestion.

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Background: Graves' disease (GD) is the main cause of hyperthyroidism in women of the fertile age. In pregnant women, the disease should be carefully managed and controlled to prevent maternal and fetal complications. Observational studies provide evidence of the adverse effects of untreated hyperthyroidism in pregnancy and have in more recent years substantiated a risk of teratogenic side effects with the use of antithyroid drugs (ATDs).

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Objective: Neurological manifestations of autoimmune connective tissue diseases (CTD) are poorly understood and difficult to diagnose. We here aimed to address this shortcoming by studying immune cell compositions in CTD patients with and without neurological manifestation.

Methods: Using flow cytometry, we retrospectively investigated paired cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood samples of 28 CTD patients without neurological manifestation, 38 CTD patients with neurological manifestation (N-CTD), 38 non-inflammatory controls, and 38 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, a paradigmatic primary neuroinflammatory disease.

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Background: Graves' orbitopathy (GO) is subject to epidemiological and care-related changes. Aim of the survey was to identify trends in presentation of GO to the European Group On Graves' Orbitopathy (EUGOGO) tertiary referral centres and initial management over time.

Methods: Prospective observational multicentre study.

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Lower extremity artery disease (LEAD) affects millions of elderly patients and is associated with elevated cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Risk factor modification, including the therapy of dyslipidaemia, is mandatory to reduce cardiovascular event rates and to improve survival rates. However, only a minority achieve the recommended low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) target level < 55 mg/dL, according to the current ESC/EAS guidelines on the treatment of dyslipidaemia.

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Purpose: This study aimed to compare changes in the bone turnover markers (BTMs)-C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX-I) and procollagen I N-terminal peptide (PINP)-with changes in the bone microarchitecture, assessed by high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT), during treatment of patients with thyroid dysfunction.

Methods: In women with newly diagnosed hypo- or hyperthyroidism, HR-pQCT variables, obtained from the tibia and the radius, were compared with BTMs. Data were collected at diagnosis and after at least 12 months of euthyroidism.

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Introduction: A variety of biomarkers are considered for diagnosis (e.g., β2-microgobulin, albumin, or LDH) and prognosis [e.

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Article Synopsis
  • Long-QT syndrome (LQTS) is a prevalent condition related to ion channel issues, characterized by prolonged QT intervals and symptoms like fainting or sudden death, making early diagnosis essential for treatment.
  • The study aimed to identify congenital and concealed LQTS using advanced deep learning techniques tailored for ECG data, comparing the effectiveness of an established convolutional network (FCN) with a novel model called XceptionTime.
  • Results showed that the XceptionTime model achieved a higher accuracy (91.8%) in identifying LQTS patients than the FCN model (83.6%), suggesting AI-driven ECG analysis could greatly enhance patient diagnosis, especially in complicated cases.
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Background: Following surgery for benign nodular goiter, patients may experience neck and shoulder pain, neck pressure and tightness, choking sensation, altered voice function, and dysphagia leading to decreased short-term quality of life (QoL). This single-blinded randomized controlled trial investigated the effect of post-thyroidectomy rehabilitative neck stretching and movement exercises on these variables including QoL.

Methods: Patients undergoing thyroid lobectomy or total thyroidectomy were randomized to perform neck stretching and movement exercises three times daily in four weeks following surgery (intervention group) or conventional follow-up without exercises (control group).

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