Dr. med. Charalampos Dragonas
Type of fellowship: Early Career
Duration: 1 January 2006 - 31 December 2007
Center: “Medizinische Klinik 2, Klinikum Nürnberg” (Medical Clinic 2, Nuremberg Clinical Center),
Chair of Internal Medicine V - Geriatrics, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
Résumé (summary):
Born in Athens in 1978.
Medical studies: Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg.
Doctorate under Prof. M.W. Beckmann at “Universitätsfrauenklinik Erlangen” (Erlangen University Gynecological Clinic).
Residency at Medizinische Klinik 2 - Klinikum Nürnberg under
Prof. C. Sieber since 2003.
Previous research projects: - The influence of chlamydia pneumonia and infection on atherosclerosis (BBRC 2004 Jun 25;319(2):501-5), - The influence of insulin on tumor progression (J Cancer Res Clin Oncol. 2005 Sep 1;:1-7)
Research project
Background:
Undesirable drug effects are about three to seven times more common among older than among younger patients (Mühlberg et al. 1999). This phenomenon can be explained by many typical changes associated with older age (e.g., drug resorption, hepatic elimination, and protein binding). Recent scientific findings show substantial interindividual and interethnical differences in drug metabolism. One cause of this variability is the genetic polymorphism of numerous enzymes and proteins which are respectively metabolized and transported by drugs.
Empirical clinical observations show that many older patients have very high digitoxin levels when dosage remains unchanged. It is not clear, for example, whether age-associated changes in the body or in the genotype (or both in interaction) are responsible for the elevated digitoxin levels found in old and very old patients.
Research focus:
Duration: 1 January 2006 - 31 December 2007
Center: “Medizinische Klinik 2, Klinikum Nürnberg” (Medical Clinic 2, Nuremberg Clinical Center),
Chair of Internal Medicine V - Geriatrics, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
Résumé (summary):
Born in Athens in 1978.
Medical studies: Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg.
Doctorate under Prof. M.W. Beckmann at “Universitätsfrauenklinik Erlangen” (Erlangen University Gynecological Clinic).
Residency at Medizinische Klinik 2 - Klinikum Nürnberg under
Prof. C. Sieber since 2003.
Previous research projects: - The influence of chlamydia pneumonia and infection on atherosclerosis (BBRC 2004 Jun 25;319(2):501-5), - The influence of insulin on tumor progression (J Cancer Res Clin Oncol. 2005 Sep 1;:1-7)
Research project
Background:
Undesirable drug effects are about three to seven times more common among older than among younger patients (Mühlberg et al. 1999). This phenomenon can be explained by many typical changes associated with older age (e.g., drug resorption, hepatic elimination, and protein binding). Recent scientific findings show substantial interindividual and interethnical differences in drug metabolism. One cause of this variability is the genetic polymorphism of numerous enzymes and proteins which are respectively metabolized and transported by drugs.
Empirical clinical observations show that many older patients have very high digitoxin levels when dosage remains unchanged. It is not clear, for example, whether age-associated changes in the body or in the genotype (or both in interaction) are responsible for the elevated digitoxin levels found in old and very old patients.
Research focus:
- Genotyping of patients with elevated and normal digitoxin levels, taking into account different laboratory parameters, comedication, diagnoses, and age.
- The MDR1-Gen (Multiple Drug Resistance 1-Gene), which codes P-glycoprotein, is subject to a genetic polymorphism. Fromm et al. (1999) have shown that MDR1 polymorphism plays a significant role in the bioavailability of digoxin. The aim of this study is to examine whether MDR1 polymorphism also influences digitoxin bioavailability.
- < Oxidative stress and neurodegenerative disorders in old age.
- Changes in intoxication patterns in the elderly over the last 15 years. The data will be collected from patients with intoxication on our internal medicine and toxicological ward and from the “Giftinformationszentrale Nürnberg” (Nuremberg Poison Information Center).