Publications

Abstract BACKGROUND AND AIMS Progressive fibrosis increases hepatic resistance and causes portal hypertension with complications. During progressive fibrosis remodeling and deposition of collagens and elastin occur. Elastin remodeling is crucially involved in fibrosis progression in animal models and human data. This study investigated the association of circulating elastin with the clinical outcome in cirrhotic patients […]

Abstract BACKGROUND AND AIMS A hallmark of inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] is chronic inflammation, which leads to excessive extracellular matrix [ECM] remodelling and release of specific protein fragments, called neoepitopes. We speculated that the biomarker profile panel for ulcerative colitis [UC] and Crohn’s disease [CD] represent a heterogeneous expression pattern, and may be applied as […]

Abstract BACKGROUND The extent of renal fibrosis in chronic kidney disease (CKD) is the best predictor for progression of most renal diseases. To date, no established biomarkers of renal fibrosis exist. METHODS We measured circulating and urinary-specific matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-generated collagen type I and III degradation fragments (C1M and C3M) and an N-terminal propeptide of […]

Abstract Despite massive investments in the development of novel treatments for heterogeneous diseases such as COPD, the resources spent have only benefited a fraction of the population treated. Personalized health care to guide selection of a suitable patient population already in the clinical development of new compounds could offer a solution. This review discusses past […]

Abstract Decreased physical activity in mammals increases bone turnover and uncouples bone formation from bone resorption, leading to hypercalcemia, hypercalcuria, bone loss and increased fracture risk. Black bears, however, are physically inactive for up to 6 months annually during hibernation without losing cortical or trabecular bone mass. Bears have been shown to preserve trabecular bone volume […]

Abstract BACKGROUND Exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) contribute significantly to disease progression. However, the effect on tissue structure and turnover is not well described. There is an urgent clinical need for biomarkers of disease activity associated with disease progression. Extracellular matrix (ECM) turnover reflects activity in tissues and consequently assessment of ECM turnover […]

Abstract BACKGROUND Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive and inevitably fatal disorder, has a highly variable clinical course. Biomarkers that reflect disease activity are urgently needed to inform patient management and for use as biomarkers of therapeutic response (theragnostic biomarkers) in clinical trials. We aimed to determine whether dynamic change in markers of extracellular matrix (ECM) […]

Abstract BACKGROUND AND AIMS The hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) is an important but invasive diagnostic and prognostic marker in cirrhotic patients. The aim of the study was to evaluate a novel biochemical plasma marker of true type V collagen formation (Pro-C5) for describing HVPG. METHODS Ninety-four patients mainly with alcoholic cirrhosis and fourteen liver-healthy […]

Abstract The lack of readily available biomarkers is a significant hindrance toward progressing to effective therapeutic and preventative strategies for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Blood-based biomarkers have potential to overcome access and cost barriers and greatly facilitate advanced neuroimaging and cerebrospinal fluid biomarker approaches. Despite the fact that preanalytical processing is the largest source of variability […]

Abstract PURPOSE To evaluate the structure-modifying and symptom efficacy, as well as safety and tolerability of oral salmon calcitonin (sCT) formulated with a 5-CNAC carrier (a molecule based on Eligen(®) technology), in osteoarthritis (OA) patients with moderate to severe knee pain and joint structural damage classified as Kellgren and Lawrence (KL)2-3. METHODS AND DESIGN This […]