| 1. |
- Akhter, Tansim, 1967-, et al.
(författare)
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Elevated Plasma Levels of Arginines During Labor Among Women with Spontaneous Preterm Birth : A Prospective Cohort Study
- 2024
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Ingår i: American Journal of Reproductive Immunology. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1046-7408 .- 1600-0897. ; 91:6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Problem: Preterm birth (PTB) is a leading cause of infant mortality and morbidity. The pathogenesis of PTB is complex and involves many factors, including socioeconomy, inflammation and infection. Asymmetric dimethylarginine, ADMA and symmetric dimethylarginine, SDMA are involved in labor as inhibitors of nitric oxide, a known relaxant of the uterine smooth muscles. Arginines are scarcely studied in relation to PTB and we aimed to investigate arginines (ADMA, SDMA and L-arginine) in women with spontaneous PTB and term birth.Methods of the Study: The study was based on data from the population-based, prospective cohort BASIC study conducted in Uppsala County, Sweden, between September 2009 and November 2018. Arginines were analyzed by Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography using plasma samples taken at the onset of labor from women with spontaneous PTB (n = 34) and term birth (n = 45). We also analyzed the inflammation markers CRP, TNF-R1 and TNF-R2 and GDF-15.Results: Women with spontaneous PTB had higher plasma levels of ADMA (p < 0.001), and L-Arginine (p = 0.03). In addition, inflammation marker, TNF-R1 (p = 0.01) was higher in spontaneous PTB compared to term birth. Further, in spontaneous PTB, no significant correlations could be observed when comparing levels of arginines with inflammation markers, except ADMA versus CRP.Conclusions: These findings provide novel evidence for the potential involvement of arginines in the pathogenesis of spontaneous PTB and it seems that arginine levels at labor vary independently of several inflammatory markers. Further research is warranted to investigate the potential of arginines as therapeutic targets in the prevention and management of spontaneous PTB.
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| 2. |
- Alehagen, Urban, et al.
(författare)
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Selenoprotein P increases upon selenium and coenzyme Q10 supplementation and is associated with telomere length, quality of life and reduced inflammation and mortality
- 2024
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Ingår i: Free Radical Biology & Medicine. - : Elsevier. - 0891-5849 .- 1873-4596. ; 222, s. 403-413
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Selenoprotein P (SELENOP) transports selenium to extrahepatic tissues and is a biomarker of selenium status. Low soil selenium leads to low dietary selenium intake. A consequence is an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.OBJECTIVE: To investigate clinical aspects associated with SELENOP deficiency, including biomarkers of inflammation, quality of life, and mortality within 12 years, and the effect of dietary selenium and coenzyme Q10 supplementation on SELENOP.METHODS: SELENOP was determined at inclusion and after four years of supplementation in 403 elderly community-living participants low in selenium receiving selenium yeast (200 μg/day) and coenzyme Q10 (200 mg/day), or placebo. Pre-intervention, the average serum selenium level was 67 μg/L. T-tests, repeated measures of variance, Cox proportional regressions analyses, Kaplan-Meier graphs and ANCOVA analyses were applied. Associations with biomarkers of inflammation, telomere length, quality of life and mortality were investigated. Benchmark modelling was used to determine the serum selenium concentration at which the saturation levels of SELENOP and GPx3 was achieved. Comparison with GPx3 and serum selenium to identify increased mortality risk was performed, and the effect of supplementation on SELENOP levels were evaluated.RESULTS: Inverse associations were observed between the level of SELENOP at inclusion and biomarkers for inflammation. At follow-up, shorter telomere lengths were seen in those with low levels of SELENOP at inclusion, whereas high levels of SELENOP were associated with better quality of life and decreased mortality. SELENOP had increased prognostic power compared to GPx3 and selenium. Saturation of SELENOP was achieved at a serum selenium level of 146 μg/L, and for GPx3 at 99 μg/L. Supplementation induced higher levels of SELENOP.CONCLUSION: Significant associations between SELENOP and inflammation, length of telomeres, quality of life, and mortality were observed. Thus, selenium supplementation improved SELENOP expression, thereby facilitating systemic selenium bioavailability and resulting in the observed positive health effects.
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| 3. |
- Alehagen, Urban, et al.
(författare)
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Supplementation with selenium and coenzyme Q10 in an elderly Swedish population low in selenium - positive effects on thyroid hormones, cardiovascular mortality, and quality of life
- 2024
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Ingår i: BMC Medicine. - : BioMed Central (BMC). - 1741-7015. ; 22:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Selenium-dependent deiodinases play a central role in thyroid hormone regulation and metabolism. In many European countries, insufficient selenium intake may consequently lead to adverse effects on thyroid function. In this randomised placebo-controlled double-blind study, we examined the effect of supplementation with selenium and coenzyme Q10 on thyroid hormonal status, cardiovascular (CV) mortality and health-related quality of life (Hr-QoL).METHODS: Free T3, free T4, reverse T3, and TSH were determined in 414 individuals at baseline, and the effect of selenium yeast (200 µg/day) and coenzyme Q10 (200 mg/day) supplementation on hormone concentrations, CV mortality and Hr-QoL was evaluated after 48 months using Short Form 36 (SF-36). Pre-intervention plasma selenium was low, mean 67 µg/L, corresponding to an estimated intake of 35 µg/day. Changes in concentrations of thyroid hormones following the intervention were assessed using T-tests, repeated measures of variance, and ANCOVA analyses.RESULTS: In the total population, the group with the lowest selenium concentration at baseline presented with significantly higher levels of TSH and lower levels of fT3 as compared to subjects with the highest selenium concentration. Supplementation with selenium and coenzyme Q10 for 4 years significantly increased fT3 and rT3, decreased fT4, and diminished the increase in TSH levels compared with placebo treatment (p = 0.03, all). In the placebo group, TSH and fT4 values above the median were associated with an increase in 10-year CV mortality, as compared with the mortality rate among those with TSH and fT4 below the median (p < 0.04, both), with no difference in mortality rate according to TSH and fT4 levels in the active intervention group. Similarly, TSH > median and fT3 < median were associated with a decline in mental Hr-QoL measures vs. TSH < and fT3 > median in the placebo group during 4 years of follow-up, but this was wiped out in the active group.CONCLUSIONS: Supplementation with selenium and coenzyme Q10 had a beneficial effect on thyroid hormones with respect to CV mortality and Hr-QoL outcomes. The initial deficient selenium status was associated with an impaired thyroid function and the changes in thyroid hormone levels can be explained by increased activity of deiodinases. We conclude that a substantial part of the elderly study population might suffer from suboptimal thyroidal function with adverse clinical implications due to selenium deficiency.TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov and has the identifier NCT01443780. Since it was not mandatory to register at the time the study began, the study has been registered retrospectively.
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| 5. |
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Allmänningen
- 2024
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Konstnärligt arbeteabstract
- Utställningen Allmänningen handlar om våra gemensamma rum. De torg, stråk och gröningar dit allmänheten idag har tillträde. Mellan tätort och landsbygd, längs med åar och vattendrag, via våtmarker och kulturminnesplatser, över höjder och ängsmarker. Det är platser för demokrati, kulturellt utbyte, handel och rekreation.I utställningen Allmänningen möts historiska spår, planerare och några nedgrävda kartor. Genom olika kartläggningspraktiker som rör sig mellan plats och representation visas hur allmänningen som fenomen har transformerats över tid. Den har genomgått ett antal olika förändringar och människor har trots dessa skiften alltid tagit platser i anspråk: gröningar, gator, parker, stråk, torg – på landsbygd, i tätort, längs med åar och vattendrag, via våtmarker och kulturminnesplatser, över höjder och ängsmarker. Det är platser för demokrati, kulturellt utbyte, handel och vila. Här presenteras allmänningen som ett begrepp, som fysisk plats och kulturell enhet. Från kroppens intima skala till värderingen och regleringen av mark. Utställningen är kopplad till forskningsprojektet Allmänningar och stråk för rumslig rättvisa i urban fullåkersbygd finansierat av forskningsrådet FORMAS.
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| 7. |
- Bandert, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Different distances between central venous catheter tips can affect antibiotic clearance during continuous renal replacement therapy
- 2024
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Ingår i: Intensive Care Medicine Experimental. - : Springer Nature. - 2197-425X. ; 12:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: The aim of this experimental study was to elucidate whether different distances between central venous catheter tips can affect drug clearance during continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). Central venous catheters (CVCs) are widely used in intensive care patients for drug infusion. If a patient receives CRRT, a second central dialysis catheter (CDC) is required. Where to insert CVCs is directed by guidelines, but recommendations regarding how to place multiple catheters are scarce. There are indications that a drug infused in a CVC with the tip close to the tip of the CDC, could be directly aspirated into the dialysis machine, with a risk of increased clearance. However, studies on whether clearance is affected by different CVC and CDC tip positions, when the two catheters are in the same vessel, are few.METHODS: In this model with 18 piglets, gentamicin (GM) and vancomycin (VM) were infused through a CVC during CRRT. The CVC tip was placed in different positions in relation to the CDC tip from caudal, i.e., proximal to the heart, to cranial, i.e., distal to the heart. Serum and dialysate concentrations were sampled after approximately 30 min of CRRT at four different positions: when the CVC tip was 2 cm caudally (+ 2), at the same level (0), and at 2 (- 2) and 4 (- 4) cm cranially of the tip of the CDC. Clearance was calculated. A mixed linear model was performed, and level of significance was set to p < 0.05.RESULTS: Clearance of GM had median values at + 2 cm, 0 cm, - 2 cm and - 4 cm of 17.3 (5.2), 18.6 (7.4), 20.0 (16.2) and 26.2 (12.2) ml/min, respectively (p = 0.04). Clearance of VM had median values at + 2 cm, 0 cm, - 2 cm and - 4 cm of 16.2 (4.5), 14.7 (4.9), 19.0 (10.2) and 21.2 (11.4) ml/min, respectively (p = 0.02).CONCLUSIONS: The distance between CVC and CDC tips can affect drug clearance during CRRT. A cranial versus a caudal tip position of the CVC in relation to the tip of the CDC led to the highest clearance.
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| 8. |
- Bjarnadóttir, Kristín J., et al.
(författare)
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Body mass index is associated with pulmonary gas and blood distribution mismatch in COVID-19 acute respiratory failure : A physiological study
- 2024
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Physiology. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 1664-042X. ; 15
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The effects of obesity on pulmonary gas and blood distribution in patients with acute respiratory failure remain unknown. Dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) is a X-ray-based method used to study regional distribution of gas and blood within the lung. We hypothesized that 1) regional gas/blood mismatch can be quantified by DECT; 2) obesity influences the global and regional distribution of pulmonary gas and blood; 3) regardless of ventilation modality (invasive vs. non-invasive ventilation), patients’ body mass index (BMI) has an impact on pulmonary gas/blood mismatch.Methods: This single-centre prospective observational study enrolled 118 hypoxic COVID-19 patients (92 male) in need of respiratory support and intensive care who underwent DECT. The cohort was divided into three groups according to BMI: 1. BMI<25 kg/m2 (non-obese), 2. BMI = 25–40 kg/m2 (overweight to obese), and 3. BMI>40 kg/m2 (morbidly obese). Gravitational analysis of Hounsfield unit distribution of gas and blood was derived from DECT and used to calculate regional gas/blood mismatch. A sensitivity analysis was performed to investigate the influence of the chosen ventilatory modality and BMI on gas/blood mismatch and adjust for other possible confounders (i.e., age and sex).Results: 1) Regional pulmonary distribution of gas and blood and their mismatch were quantified using DECT imaging. 2) The BMI>40 kg/m2 group had less hyperinflation in the non-dependent regions and more lung collapse in the dependent regions compared to the other BMI groups. In morbidly obese patients, gas and blood were more evenly distributed; therefore, the mismatch was lower than in other patients (30% vs. 36%, p < 0.05). 3) An increase in BMI of 5 kg/m2 was associated with a decrease in mismatch of 3.3% (CI: 3.67% to −2.93%, p < 0.05). Neither the ventilatory modality nor age and sex affected the gas/blood mismatch (p > 0.05).Conclusion: 1) In a hypoxic COVID-19 population needing intensive care, pulmonary gas/blood mismatch can be quantified at a global and regional level using DECT. 2) Obesity influences the global and regional distribution of gas and blood within the lung, and BMI>40 kg/m2 improves pulmonary gas/blood mismatch. 3) This is true regardless of the ventilatory mode and other possible confounders, i.e., age and sex.Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov, identifier NCT04316884, NCT04474249.
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| 9. |
- Brunet-Ratnasingham, Elsa, et al.
(författare)
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Sustained IFN signaling is associated with delayed development of SARS-CoV-2-specific immunity.
- 2024
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Ingår i: Nature Communications. - 2041-1723. ; 15:1, s. 4177-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Plasma RNAemia, delayed antibody responses and inflammation predict COVID-19 outcomes, but the mechanisms underlying these immunovirological patterns are poorly understood. We profile 782 longitudinal plasma samples from 318 hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Integrated analysis using k-means reveals four patient clusters in a discovery cohort: mechanically ventilated critically-ill cases are subdivided into good prognosis and high-fatality clusters (reproduced in a validation cohort), while non-critical survivors segregate into high and low early antibody responders. Only the high-fatality cluster is enriched for transcriptomic signatures associated with COVID-19 severity, and each cluster has distinct RBD-specific antibody elicitation kinetics. Both critical and non-critical clusters with delayed antibody responses exhibit sustained IFN signatures, which negatively correlate with contemporaneous RBD-specific IgG levels and absolute SARS-CoV-2-specific B and CD4+ T cell frequencies. These data suggest that the "Interferon paradox" previously described in murine LCMV models is operative in COVID-19, with excessive IFN signaling delaying development of adaptive virus-specific immunity.
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| 10. |
- Bülow Anderberg, Sara
(författare)
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Inflammatory aspects of acute kidney injury development during severe infections
- 2024
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Acute kidney injury is common in intensive care. In this setting sepsis, by definition a dysregulated inflammatory response secondary to infection, is the most common cause. Sepsis associated acute kidney injury is in turn linked to worse outcome. The syndrome is considered to be the result of multiple mechanisms elicited by the inflammatory response and not merely hypoperfusion. COVID-19 has become an additional cause of acute kidney injury in critically ill patients. The present thesis focused on investigating contributing aspects of the inflammatory response in regard to acute kidney injury development in sepsis and COVID-19.The innate immune response recognizes invading pathogens through preserved molecular structures. When detected small and short-acting immunomodulatory molecules, cytokines, are produced shaping the reaction. Neutrophils are quickly mobilized. They engage in degranulation and expulsion of extracellular traps aiming at eradicating pathogens but may in doing so cause collateral tissue damage. Neutrophils are proposed contributors to renal dysfunction during sepsis and COVID-19.We investigated the effect of hydrocortisone, a glucocorticoid, on renal function and neutrophil infiltration in an ovine sepsis model with associated renal impairment. The observed reduction in glomerular filtration and tubular sodium transport efficiency during sepsis was ameliorated. Neutrophil infiltration which was observed post mortem in renal tissue was not reduced by hydrocortisone.The progression of organ dysfunction and by extension also acute kidney injury during severe COVID-19 was early on considered caused by a hyperinflammatory state. We analysed plasma cytokine concentrations in patients admitted to intensive care because of respiratory failure secondary to COVID-19. Only a moderate increase of theses mediators was found. The majority of the cytokines analysed were in turn associated with acute kidney injury development.Human neutrophil lipocalin is a neutrophil granular protein. It was used to first evaluate neutrophil reactivity by measuring its concentration after ex vivo stimulation and second systemic activity by estimating its concentration in plasma. In turn the association with renal dysfunction in severe COVID-19 was explored. Increased concentrations in both instances were linked to a greater risk of developing severe acute kidney injury.Lastly, the effect of dexamethasone, another glucocorticoid, on AKI development and neutrophil extracellular markers including histones and myeloperoxidase-DNA in critical COVID-19 was investigated. Dexamethasone was associated with lower AKI incidence and reduced extracellular trap formation.
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