FELLINGER Paul

Previous University and Subject: Medical University of Vienna / Human Medicine

Thesis since: 12/2016 

Metabolic and Molecular Imaging for Characterization of Clinical Features and Their Change in the Course of Treatment in Patients with Acromegaly

Acromegaly is a rare disease with severe metabolic and musculoskeletal disturbances. We have recently shown, that patients with acromegaly exhibit inadequately low intracellular lipid content in the liver and the heart, which stands in sharp contrast to other insulin resistant states. Now we hypothesize that changes in mitochondrial oxidation capacity, de novo lipogenesis and VLDL secretion relate to ectopic lipid deposition in skeletal muscle and liver and aim to assess these alterations in the course of treatment and in comparison to healthy controls. Furthermore, molecular imaging should identify underlying mechanisms of the acromegalic tendinopathy.
This in-depth characterization of metabolic and musculoskeletal features may contribute the implementation of innovative diagnostic tools for therapy monitoring and the development of therapeutic approaches that target beneficial (anti-lipid deposition) and limit adverse (insulin resistance, tendinopathy) effects of acromegaly.

Aim 1: Assessment of the impact of GH on metabolic activity and ectopic lipid accumulation.
Aim 2: Assessment of the impact of insulin sensitivity on metabolic activity and ectopic lipid accumulation in acromegalic patients.
Aim 3: Assessment of de novo lipogenesis and VLDL-secretion by plasma fatty acid-, VLDL- and Apo-lipoprotein-profiling
Aim 4: Measurement of collagen- and gag-content in the Achilles tendon (by T2* and sodium MR-imaging)

Methods and Skills:

Clinical studies; magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Publications:

Spiegel W, Goldberg D, Princz C, Fellinger P. New concepts for ICD-classification of common mental disorders from the perspective of general medical practice. Wien Med Wochenschr 165: 310-314, 2015

Kuenburg A, Fellinger P, Fellinger J. Health Care Access Among Deaf People. J Deaf Stud Deaf Educ 21: 1-10, 2016

Holzinger D, Weishaupt A, Fellinger P, Beitel C, Fellinger J. Prevalence of 2.2 per mille of significant hearing loss at school age suggests rescreening after NHS. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 87: 121-125, 2016