| 1. |
- Birgander, Mats, et al.
(författare)
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Relationship Between Mild Primary Hyperparathyroidism and Left Ventricular Structure and Diastolic Performance
- 2009
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Ingår i: The Endocrinologist. - 1539-9192. ; 19:4, s. 187-191
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aim: This study aims to investigate cardiac structure and function in patients with asymptomatic primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) and if there is any relation to severity regarding serum levels of calcium (Ca) and parathyroid hormone. Methods and Results: We consecutively included 50 patients (mean age 62.9 +/- 11 years, 45 women) with clinically diagnosed pHPT. We prospectively recruited 50 healthy control subjects, matched for age and sex. Standard transthoracic echocardiographic examination was performed using the 4 standard views and structural parameters as well as left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic function was determined. Mean LV ejection fraction and atrioventricular plane displacement were on average normal and did not differ between patients and controls. However, pHPT patients had significantly greater LV mass (148 +/- 37 vs. 127 +/- 29 g, P = 0.002), LV end diastolic area (81 +/- 20 vs. 68 +/- 18 cm(2), p = 0.003), LV posterior wall diameter (8.9 +/- 1 vs. 8.1 +/- 1 min, P = 0.006), and LA size (21 +/- 3 vs. 19 +/- 2 mm, P < 0.001). A moderate to severe LV diastolic filling impairment was present in substantially more pHPT patients, compared with control subjects (36% vs. 4%, P < 0:001). Conclusion: Patients with asymptomatic pHPT showed LV structural changes and impaired LV diastolic function.
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| 2. |
- Belpomme, D., et al.
(författare)
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The growing incidence of cancer : Role of lifestyle and screening detection (Review)
- 2007
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Ingår i: International Journal of Oncology. - : Spandidos Publications. - 1019-6439 .- 1791-2423. ; 30:5, s. 1037-1049
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The increasing incidence of a variety of cancers after the Second World War confronts scientists with the question of their origin. In Western countries, expansion and ageing of the population, as well as progress in cancer detection using new diagnostic and screening tests cannot fully account for the observed growing incidence of cancer. Our hypothesis is that environmental factors play a more important role in cancer genesis than it is usually agreed: i) over the last 2-3 decades, alcohol consumption and tobacco smoking in men have significantly decreased; ii) obesity is increasing in many countries, but the growing incidence of cancer also concerns cancers not related to obesity nor to other lifestyle-related factors; iii) there is evidence that the environment has changed over the same time scale as the recent rise in cancer incidence, and that this change included the accumulation of many new carcinogenic factors in the environment; iv) genetic susceptibility to cancer due to genetic polymorphism cannot have changed over one generation and actually favours the role of exogenous factors through gene-environment interactions; v) age is not the unique factor to be considered since the rising incidence of cancers is seen across all age categories, including children; vi) the fetus is specifically vulnerable to exogenous factors. A fetal exposure during a critical window period may explain why current epidemiological studies may be negative in adults. We therefore propose that the involuntary exposure to many carcinogens in the environment contributes to the rising trend in cancer incidence.
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| 3. |
- Ghavami, Saeid, et al.
(författare)
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Apoptosis in liver diseases - detection and therapeutic applications
- 2005
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Ingår i: Medical Science Monitor. - 1234-1010 .- 1643-3750. ; 11:11, s. RA337-RA345
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The liver is continuously exposed to a large antigenic load that includes pathogens, toxins, tumor cells and dietary antigens. Amongst the hepatitis viruses, only hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) cause chronic hepatitis, which can progress to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Of the different antiviral defense systems employed by the tissue, apoptosis significantly contributes to the prevention of viral replication, dissemination, and persistence. Loss of tolerance to the liver autoantigens may result in autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). This review outlines the recent findings that highlight the role and mechanisms of apoptotic processes in the course of liver diseases. Among factors that contribute to liver pathology, we discuss the role of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, HBx, ds-PKR, TRAIL, FasL, and IL-1 alpha. Since TNF and FasL-induced hepatocyte apoptosis is implicated in a wide range of liver diseases, including viral hepatitis, alcoholic hepatitis, ischemia/reperfusion liver injury, and fulminant hepatic failure, these items will be discussed in greater detail in this review. We also highlight some recent discoveries that pave the way for the development of new therapeutic strategies by protecting hepatocytes (for example by employing Bcl-2, Bcl-X-L or A1/Bfl-1, IAPs, or synthetic caspase inhibitors), or by the induction of apoptosis in stellate cells. The assessment of the severity of liver disease, as well as monitoring of patients with chronic liver disease, remains a major challenge in clinical hepatology practice. Therefore, a separate chapter is devoted to a novel cytochrome c - based method useful for the diagnosis and monitoring of fulminant hepatitis.
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| 4. |
- van Leeuwen, Barbara L., et al.
(författare)
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The effect of age and gender on outcome after treatment for colon carcinoma : A population-based study in the Uppsala and Stockholm region
- 2008
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Ingår i: Critical reviews in oncology/hematology. - : Elsevier BV. - 1040-8428 .- 1879-0461. ; 67:3, s. 229-236
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- RATIONALE: The aim of this study was to assess whether there are differences in treatment strategy and outcome between different age cohorts among men and women with colon cancer. METHODS: All patients with colon cancer included in the regional quality registry in Uppsala/Orebro and Stockholm between 1996 and December 2004 were analysed (n=11002). Patients were divided into three age categories: < or =65 years, 66-80 years and >80 years. RESULTS: Overall and cancer-specific survival decreased with increasing age for stages II and III colon cancer but was not influenced by gender. Older patients with stage III tumours were less likely to be referred for chemotherapeutic treatment and there was a decrease in cancer-specific survival with increasing age, from 63.7% to 51.0% to 38.4% in the three age groups. Postoperative morbidity and the number of reoperations was significantly higher in men than in women. CONCLUSION: The present study shows lower cancer-specific survival among older patients than among younger patients. Gender was not a prognostic factor in cancer-specific survival.
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| 5. |
- Mattsson, Elisabet, et al.
(författare)
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Are there any positive consequences of childhood cancer? : A review of the literature
- 2008
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Ingår i: Acta Oecologica. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1146-609X .- 1873-6238 .- 0284-186X .- 1651-226X. ; 47:2, s. 199-206
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim was to investigate whether there are any positive consequences of childhood cancer. Studies published 1990-2005 reporting survivors' descriptions of positive consequences of childhood cancer were identified through a search in the databases CINAHL, PsycINFO, and PubMed. According to a manifest content analysis, positive consequences were referred to three themes: life values, relations to others, and relation to self. A second search in the same databases was conducted to identify studies investigating whether survivors of childhood cancer differ from comparison groups with regard to variables assigned to these themes. In these studies, no conclusions about positive consequences with regard to the theme life values can be drawn, as only one study was identified. In addition, only a small minority of findings from comparative studies indicate that childhood cancer has any positive consequences with regard to relations to others and relation to self. A majority of the results indicate that survivors do not differ from comparison groups, whereas some findings highlight that friendship and marital status are areas of concern, and parenthood and sexuality are areas of potential concern. It is recommended that survivors of childhood cancer are followed up by a multi-professional team, focusing not only on the survivors' health status but also on relations to family, friends, and partners.
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| 6. |
- Ekman, Simon, et al.
(författare)
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Esophageal cancer : current and emerging therapy modalities
- 2008
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Ingår i: Expert Review of Anticancer Therapy. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1473-7140 .- 1744-8328. ; 8:9, s. 1433-1448
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- During the last few years, there has been a gradual increase in treatment options for patients with esophageal malignancies. Several clinical studies have been performed, covering not only radiation and chemotherapy, but also the introduction of novel biological agents into the treatment arsenal. Patients with esophageal carcinoma are now offered second-line and sometimes even third-line treatments, and the number of research protocols is increasing. Despite the newly awakened interest in this malignancy, the overall 5-year survival rate has remained at approximately 10% since the 1980s. This review contains a compilation of available studies of esophageal malignancies and discusses current treatment options as well as newly developed therapies targeted at growth factor receptors.
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| 7. |
- Hombach-Klonisch, Sabine, et al.
(författare)
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Cancer stem cells as targets for cancer therapy : selected cancers as examples
- 2008
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Ingår i: Archivum Immunologiae et Therapiae Experimentalis. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0004-069X .- 1661-4917. ; 56:3, s. 165-180
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- It is becoming increasingly evident that cancer constitutes a group of diseases involving altered stem-cell maturation/differentiation and the disturbance of regenerative processes. The observed malignant transformation is merely a symptom of normal differentiation processes gone astray rather than the primary event. This review focuses on the role of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in three common but also relatively under-investigated cancers: head and neck, ovarian, and testicular cancer. For didactic purpose, the physiology of stem cells is first introduced using hematopoietic and mesenchymal stem cells as examples. This is followed by a discussion of the (possible) role of CSCs in head and neck, ovarian, and testicular cancer. Aside from basic information about the pathophysiology of these cancers, current research results focused on the discovery of molecular markers specific to these cancers are also discussed. The last part of the review is largely dedicated to signaling pathways active within various normal and CSC types (e.g. Nanog, Nestin, Notch1, Notch2, Oct3 and 4, Wnt). Different elements of these pathways are also discussed in the context of therapeutic opportunities for the development of targeted therapies aimed at CSCs. Finally, alternative targeted anticancer therapies arising from recently identified molecules with cancer-(semi-)selective capabilities (e.g. apoptin, Brevinin-2R) are considered.
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| 8. |
- Fuchs, Dieter, 1979-
(författare)
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Djurmodeller ökar överlevnaden för barn med neuroblastom
- 2009
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Ingår i: Onkologi i Sverige. ; :3, s. 58-62
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Forskningsöversikt (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Djurmodeller är oumbärliga för att utveckla nya behandlingsformer för cancer. För barn med neuroblastom är exempelvis djurstudier en viktig länk för att öka överlevnaden, skriver Dieter Fuchs, Ph.D., institutionen för medicinsk cellbiologi vid Uppsala universitet. Målet på sikt är att studier på djurmodeller leder till en skräddarsydd terapi för barn med neuroblastom.
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| 9. |
- Genkinger, Jeanine M., et al.
(författare)
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Alcohol Intake and Pancreatic Cancer Risk : A Pooled Analysis of Fourteen Cohort Studies
- 2009
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Ingår i: Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention. - 1055-9965 .- 1538-7755. ; 18:3, s. 765-776
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Few risk factors have been implicated in pancreatic cancer etiology. Alcohol has been theorized to promote carcinogenesis. However, epidemiologic studies have reported inconsistent results relating alcohol intake to pancreatic cancer risk. Methods: We conducted a pooled analysis of the primary data from 14 prospective cohort studies. The study sample consisted of 862,664 individuals among whom 2,187 incident pancreatic cancer cases were identified. Study-specific relative risks and 95% confidence intervals were calculated using Cox proportional hazards models and then pooled using a random effects model. Results: A slight positive association with pancreatic cancer risk was observed for alcohol intake (pooled multivariate relative risk, 1.22; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.45 comparing >= 30 to 0 grams/day of alcohol; P value, test for between-studies heterogeneity = 0.80). For this comparison, the positive association was only statistically significant among women although the difference in the results by gender was not statistically significant (P value, test for interaction = 0.19). Slightly stronger results for alcohol intake were observed when we limited the analysis to cases with adenocarcinomas of the pancreas. No statistically significant associations were observed for alcohol from wine, beer, and spirits comparing intakes of >= 5 to 0 grams/day. A stronger positive association between alcohol consumption and pancreatic cancer risk was observed among normal weight individuals compared with overweight and obese individuals (P value, test for interaction = 0.01). Discussion: Our findings are consistent with a modest increase in risk of pancreatic cancer with consumption of 30 or more grams of alcohol per day. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2009;18(3):765-76)
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| 10. |
- Maddika, Subbareddy, et al.
(författare)
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Cancer-selective therapy of the future : Apoptin and its mechanism of action
- 2006
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Ingår i: Cancer Biology & Therapy. - : Landes Bioscience. - 1538-4047 .- 1555-8576. ; 5:1, s. 10-19
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Classical chemotherapy that specifically targets rapidly proliferating cells has been in existence for over eighty years and has proven to be fully successful in only a limited number of cancers. Thus, this review focuses on a novel, emerging approach for cancer therapy that uses alternative, and more unique features of cancer cells. This new approach facilitates the selective targeting of cancer, while sparing normal, non-transformed cells. Examples of molecules that kill cancer cells selectively are: apoptin, E4orf4, viral protein R (VpR), and Brevinin-2R. Below we focus on apoptin, a product of the third open reading frame (VP3) of the chicken anemia virus. Besides discussing apoptin's mechanism of action, we also provide concise insight into the biology of a chicken anemia virus infection. Since apoptin's cancer-selective toxicity depends on its nuclear localization, we broadly discuss mechanism(s) involved in its nuclear retention (both nuclear import and export). We also discuss recent findings on apoptin's molecular mechanism of action, with a focus on the role of Nur77 in apoptin's nucleo-cytoplasmic signaling. Finally, we compare the current findings on apoptin to the mechanism of cancer selective toxicity of E4orf4. In the 'summary' section, besides highlighting important issues related to cancer-selective therapy, we also discuss concurrent approaches towards therapy personalization, particularly those related to the in vivo, and real time cancer therapy efficacy monitoring, using "lab-on-the-chip" and other emerging technologies.
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