Browsing by Author "Casjens, Swaantje"

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    Association of exposure to manganese and fine motor skills in welders - Results from the WELDOX II study
    (Elsevier, 2021) Lotz, Anne; Pesch, Beate; Casjens, Swaantje; Lehnert, Martin; Zschiesche, Wolfgang; Taeger, Dirk; Yeh, Chien-Lin; Weiss, Tobias; Schmidt-Wilcke, Tobias; Quetscher, Clara; Gabriel, Stefan; Samis Zella, Maria Angela; Woitalla, Dirk; Dydak, Ulrike; van Thriel, Christoph; Brüning, Thomas; Behrens, Thomas; Radiology and Imaging Sciences, School of Medicine
    The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of exposure to manganese (Mn) on fine motor functions. A total of 48 welders and 30 unexposed workers as controls completed questionnaires, underwent blood examinations, and a motor test battery. The shift exposure of welders to respirable Mn was measured with personal samplers. For all subjects accumulations of Mn in the brain were assessed with T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. Welders showed normal motor functions on the Movement Disorder Society-Sponsored Revision of the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale part III. Furthermore welders performed excellent on a steadiness test, showing better results than controls. However, welders were slightly slower than controls in motor tests. There was no association between fine motor test results and the relaxation rates R1 in globus pallidus and substantia nigra as MRI-based biomarkers to quantify Mn deposition in the brain.
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    Association of exposure to manganese and iron with relaxation rates R1 and R2*- magnetic resonance imaging results from the WELDOX II study
    (Elsevier, 2017) Pesch, Beate; Dydak, Ulrike; Lotz, Anne; Casjens, Swaantje; Quetscher, Clara; Lehnert, Martin; Abramowski, Jessica; Stewig, Christoph; Yeh, Chien-Lin; Weiss, Tobias; van Thriel, Christoph; Herrmann, Lennard; Muhlack, Siegfried; Woitalla, Dirk; Glaubitz, Benjamin; Schmidt-Wilcke, Tobias; Brüning, Thomas; Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, School of Medicine
    Objective Magnetic resonance imaging is a non-invasive method that allows the indirect quantification of manganese (Mn) and iron (Fe) accumulation in the brain due to their paramagnetic features. The WELDOX II study aimed to explore the influence of airborne and systemic exposure to Mn and Fe on the brain deposition using the relaxation rates R1 and R2* as biomarkers of metal accumulation in regions of interest in 161 men, including active and former welders. Material and methods We obtained data on the relaxation rates R1 and R2* in regions that included structures within the globus pallidus (GP), substantia nigra (SN), and white matter of the frontal lobe (FL) of both hemispheres, as well as Mn in whole blood (MnB), and serum ferritin (SF). The study subjects, all male, included 48 active and 20 former welders, 41 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), 13 patients with hemochromatosis (HC), and 39 controls. Respirable Mn and Fe were measured during a working shift for welders. Mixed regression models were applied to estimate the effects of MnB and SF on R1 and R2*. Furthermore, we estimated the influence of airborne Mn and Fe on the relaxation rates in active welders. Results MnB and SF were significant predictors of R1 but not of R2* in the GP, and were marginally associated with R1 in the SN (SF) and FL (MnB). Being a welder or suffering from PD or HC elicited no additional group effect on R1 or R2* beyond the effects of MnB and SF. In active welders, shift concentrations of respirable Mn > 100 μg/m3 were associated with stronger R1 signals in the GP. In addition to the effects of MnB and SF, the welding technique had no further influence on R1. Conclusions MnB and SF were significant predictors of R1 but not of R2*, indicative of metal accumulation, especially in the GP. Also, high airborne Mn concentration was associated with higher R1 signals in this brain region. The negative results obtained for being a welder or for the techniques with higher exposure to ultrafine particles when the blood-borne concentration was included into the models indicate that airborne exposure to Mn may act mainly through MnB.
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    Association of exposure to manganese and iron with striatal and thalamic GABA and other neurometabolites - Neuroimaging results from the WELDOX II study
    (Elsevier, 2018-01) Casjens, Swaantje; Dydak, Urike; Dharmadhikari, Shalmali; Lotz, Anne; Lehnert, Martin; Quetscher, Clara; Stewig, Christoph; Glaubitz, Benjamin; Schmidt-Wilcke, Tobias; Edmondson, David; Yeh, Chien-Lin; Weiss, Tobias; van Thriel, Christoph; Herrmann, Lennard; Muhlack, Siegfried; Woitalla, Dirk; Aschner, Michael; Brüning, Thomas; Pesch, Beate; Radiology and Imaging Sciences, School of Medicine
    OBJECTIVE: Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is a non-invasive method to quantify neurometabolite concentrations in the brain. Within the framework of the WELDOX II study, we investigated the association of exposure to manganese (Mn) and iron (Fe) with γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and other neurometabolites in the striatum and thalamus of 154 men. MATERIAL AND METHODS: GABA-edited and short echo-time MRS at 3T was used to assess brain levels of GABA, glutamate, total creatine (tCr) and other neurometabolites. Volumes of interest (VOIs) were placed into the striatum and thalamus of both hemispheres of 47 active welders, 20 former welders, 36 men with Parkinson's disease (PD), 12 men with hemochromatosis (HC), and 39 male controls. Linear mixed models were used to estimate the influence of Mn and Fe exposure on neurometabolites while simultaneously adjusting for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) content, age and other factors. Exposure to Mn and Fe was assessed by study group, blood concentrations, relaxation rates R1 and R2* in the globus pallidus (GP), and airborne exposure (active welders only). RESULTS: The median shift exposure to respirable Mn and Fe in active welders was 23μg/m3 and 110μg/m3, respectively. Airborne exposure was not associated with any other neurometabolite concentration. Mn in blood and serum ferritin were highest in active and former welders. GABA concentrations were not associated with any measure of exposure to Mn or Fe. In comparison to controls, tCr in these VOIs was lower in welders and patients with PD or HC. Serum concentrations of ferritin and Fe were associated with N-acetylaspartate, but in opposed directions. Higher R1 values in the GP correlated with lower neurometabolite concentrations, in particular tCr (exp(β)=0.87, p<0.01) and choline (exp(β)=0.84, p=0.04). R2* was positively associated with glutamate-glutamine and negatively with myo-inositol. CONCLUSIONS: Our results do not provide evidence that striatal and thalamic GABA differ between Mn-exposed workers, PD or HC patients, and controls. This may be due to the low exposure levels of the Mn-exposed workers and the challenges to detect small changes in GABA. Whereas Mn in blood was not associated with any neurometabolite content in these VOIs, a higher metal accumulation in the GP assessed with R1 correlated with generally lower neurometabolite concentrations.
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    Impairment of Motor Function Correlates with Neurometabolite and Brain Iron Alterations in Parkinson’s Disease
    (MDPI, 2019-01-29) Pesch, Beate; Casjens, Swaantje; Woitalla, Dirk; Dharmadhikari, Shalmali; Edmondson, David A.; Zella, Maria Angela Samis; Lehnert, Martin; Lotz, Anne; Herrmann, Lennard; Muhlack, Siegfried; Kraus, Peter; Yeh, Chien-Lin; Glaubitz, Benjamin; Schmidt-Wilcke, Tobias; Gold, Ralf; van Thriel, Christoph; Brüning, Thomas; Tönges, Lars; Dydak, Ulrike; Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine
    We took advantage of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and spectroscopy (MRS) as non-invasive methods to quantify brain iron and neurometabolites, which were analyzed along with other predictors of motor dysfunction in Parkinson's disease (PD). Tapping hits, tremor amplitude, and the scores derived from part III of the Movement Disorder Society-Sponsored Revision of the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS3 scores) were determined in 35 male PD patients and 35 controls. The iron-sensitive MRI relaxation rate R2* was measured in the globus pallidus and substantia nigra. γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-edited and short echo-time MRS was used for the quantification of neurometabolites in the striatum and thalamus. Associations of R2*, neurometabolites, and other factors with motor function were estimated with Spearman correlations and mixed regression models to account for repeated measurements (hands, hemispheres). In PD patients, R2* and striatal GABA correlated with MDS-UPDRS3 scores if not adjusted for age. Patients with akinetic-rigid PD subtype (N = 19) presented with lower creatine and striatal glutamate and glutamine (Glx) but elevated thalamic GABA compared to controls or mixed PD subtype. In PD patients, Glx correlated with an impaired dexterity when adjusted for covariates. Elevated myo-inositol was associated with more tapping hits and lower MDS-UPDRS3 scores. Our neuroimaging study provides evidence that motor dysfunction in PD correlates with alterations in brain iron and neurometabolites.