| 1. |
- Emma, Rosalia, et al.
(författare)
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Enhanced oxidative stress in smoking and ex-smoking severe asthma in the U-BIOPRED cohort
- 2018
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library Science. - 1932-6203. ; 13:9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Oxidative stress is believed to be a major driver of inflammation in smoking asthmatics. The U-BIOPRED project recruited a cohort of Severe Asthma smokers/ex-smokers (SAs/ex) and non-smokers (SAn) with extensive clinical and biomarker information enabling characterization of these subjects. We investigated oxidative stress in severe asthma subjects by analysing urinary 8-iso-PGF(2 alpha) and the mRNA-expression of the main pro-oxidant (NOX2; NOSs) and anti-oxidant (SODs; CAT; GPX1) enzymes in the airways of SAs/ex and SAn. All the severe asthma U-BIOPRED subjects were further divided into current smokers with severe asthma (CSA), ex-smokers with severe asthma (ESA) and non-smokers with severe asthma (NSA) to deepen the effect of active smoking. Clinical data, urine and sputum were obtained from severe asthma subjects. A bronchoscopy to obtain bronchial biopsy and brushing was performed in a subset of subjects. The main clinical data were analysed for each subset of subjects (urine-8-iso-PGF(2 alpha); IS-transcriptomics; BB-transcriptomics; BBrtranscriptomics). Urinary 8-iso-PGF(2 alpha) was quantified using mass spectrometry. Sputum, bronchial biopsy and bronchial brushing were processed for mRNA expression microarray analysis. Urinary 8-iso-PGF(2 alpha) was increased in SAs/ex, median (IQR) = 31.7 (24.5 +/- 44.7) ng/mmol creatinine, compared to SAn, median (IQR) = 26.6 (19.6 +/- 36.6) ng/mmol creatinine (p< 0.001), and in CSA, median (IQR) = 34.25 (24.4 +/- 47.7), vs. ESA, median (IQR) = 29.4 (22.3 +/- 40.5), and NSA, median (IQR) = 26.5 (19.6 +/- 16.6) ng/mmol creatinine (p = 0.004). Sputum mRNA expression of NOX2 was increased in SAs/ex compared to SAn (probe sets 203922_PM_s_at fold-change = 1.05 p = 0.006; 203923_PM_s_at fold-change = 1.06, p = 0.003; 233538_PM_s_at fold-change = 1.06, p = 0.014). The mRNA expression of antioxidant enzymes were similar between the two severe asthma cohorts in all airway samples. NOS2 mRNA expression was decreased in bronchial brushing of SAs/ex compared to SAn (fold-change = -1.10; p = 0.029). NOS2 mRNA expression in bronchial brushing correlated with FeNO (Kendal's Tau = 0.535; p< 0.001). From clinical and inflammatory analysis, FeNO was lower in CSA than in ESA in all the analysed subject subsets (p< 0.01) indicating an effect of active smoking. Results about FeNO suggest its clinical limitation, as inflammation biomarker, in severe asthma active smokers. These data provide evidence of greater systemic oxidative stress in severe asthma smokers as reflected by a significant changes of NOX2 mRNA expression in the airways, together with elevated urinary 8-iso-PGF(2 alpha) in the smokers/ex-smokers group.
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| 2. |
- Hou, Ruihua, et al.
(författare)
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The role of inflammation in anxiety and depression in the European U-BIOPRED asthma cohorts
- 2023
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Ingår i: Brain, behavior, and immunity. - : Academic Press. - 0889-1591 .- 1090-2139. ; 111, s. 249-258
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Growing evidence indicates high comorbid anxiety and depression in patients with asthma. However, the mechanisms underlying this comorbid condition remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of inflammation in comorbid anxiety and depression in three asthma patient cohorts of the Unbiased Biomarkers for the Prediction of Respiratory Disease Outcomes (U-BIOPRED) project. Methods: U-BIOPRED was conducted by a European Union consortium of 16 academic institutions in 11 European countries. A subset dataset from subjects with valid anxiety and depression measures and a large blood biomarker dataset were analysed, including 198 non-smoking patients with severe asthma (SAn), 65 smoking patients with severe asthma (SAs), 61 non-smoking patients with mild-to-moderate asthma (MMA), and 20 healthy non-smokers (HC). The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was used to measure anxiety and depression and a series of inflammatory markers were analysed by the SomaScan v3 platform (SomaLogic, Boulder, Colo). ANOVA and the Kruskal-Wallis test were used for multiple-group comparisons as appropriate. Results: There were significant group effects on anxiety and depression among the four cohort groups (p < 0.05). Anxiety and depression of SAn and SAs groups were significantly higher than that of MMA and HC groups (p < 0.05. There were significant differences in serum IL6, MCP1, CCL18, CCL17, IL8, and Eotaxin among the four groups (p < 0.05). Depression was significantly associated with IL6, MCP1, CCL18 level, and CCL17; whereas anxiety was associated with CCL17 only (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The current study suggests that severe asthma patients are associated with higher levels of anxiety and depression, and inflammatory responses may underlie this comorbid condition.
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| 3. |
- Kolmert, Johan, et al.
(författare)
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Urinary Leukotriene E-4 and Prostaglandin D-2 Metabolites Increase in Adult and Childhood Severe Asthma Characterized by Type 2 Inflammation A Clinical Observational Study
- 2021
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Ingår i: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. - NEW YORK, USA : AMER THORACIC SOC. - 1073-449X .- 1535-4970. ; 203:1, s. 37-53
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Rationale: New approaches are needed to guide personalized treatment of asthma. Objectives: To test if urinary eicosanoid metabolites can direct asthma phenotyping. Methods: Urinary metabolites of prostaglandins (PGs), cysteinyl leukotrienes (CysLTs), and isoprostanes were quantified in the U-BIOPRED (Unbiased Biomarkers for the Prediction of Respiratory Diseases Outcomes) study including 86 adults with mild-to-moderate asthma (MMA), 411 with severe asthma (SA), and 100 healthy control participants. Validation was performed internally in 302 participants with SA followed up after 12-18 months and externally in 95 adolescents with asthma. Measurement and Main Results: Metabolite concentrations in healthy control participants were unrelated to age, body mass index, and sex, except for the PGE(2) pathway. Eicosanoid concentrations were generally greater in participants with MMA relative to healthy control participants, with further elevations in participants with SA. However, PGE(2) metabolite concentrations were either the same or lower in male nonsmokers with asthma than in healthy control participants. Metabolite concentrations were unchanged in those with asthma who adhered to oral corticosteroid treatment as documented by urinary prednisolone detection, whereas those with SA treated with omalizumab had lower concentrations of LTE4 and the PGD(2) metabolite 2,3-dinor-11 beta-PGF(2 alpha). High concentrations of LTE4 and PGD(2) metabolites were associated with lower lung function and increased amounts of exhaled nitric oxide and eosinophil markers in blood, sputum, and urine in U-BIOARED participants and in adolescents with asthma. These type 2 (T2) asthma associations were reproduced in the follow-up visit of the U-BIOPRED study and were found to be as sensitive to detect T2 inflammation as the established biomarkers. Conclusions: Monitoring of urinary eicosanoids can identify T2 asthma and introduces a new noninvasive approach for molecular phenotyping of adult and adolescent asthma.
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| 4. |
- Kuo, Chih-Hsi Scott, et al.
(författare)
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A transcriptome-driven analysis of epithelial brushings and bronchial biopsies to define asthma phenotypes in U-BIOPRED
- 2017
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Ingår i: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. - 1073-449X .- 1535-4970. ; 194:4, s. 443-455
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Asthma is a heterogeneous disease driven by diverse immunologic and inflammatory mechanisms. We used transcriptomic profiling of airway tissues to help define asthma phenotypes.METHODS: The transcriptome from bronchial biopsies and epithelial brushings of 107 moderate-to-severe asthmatics were annotated by gene-set variation analysis (GSVA) using 42 gene-signatures relevant to asthma, inflammation and immune function. Topological data analysis (TDA) of clinical and histological data was used to derive clusters and the nearest shrunken centroid algorithm used for signature refinement.RESULTS: 9 GSVA signatures expressed in bronchial biopsies and airway epithelial brushings distinguished two distinct asthma subtypes associated with high expression of T-helper type 2 (Th-2) cytokines and lack of corticosteroid response (Group 1 and Group 3). Group 1 had the highest submucosal eosinophils, high exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) levels, exacerbation rates and oral corticosteroid (OCS) use whilst Group 3 patients showed the highest levels of sputum eosinophils and had a high BMI. In contrast, Group 2 and Group 4 patients had an 86% and 64% probability of having non-eosinophilic inflammation. Using machine-learning tools, we describe an inference scheme using the currently-available inflammatory biomarkers sputum eosinophilia and exhaled nitric oxide levels along with OCS use that could predict the subtypes of gene expression within bronchial biopsies and epithelial cells with good sensitivity and specificity.CONCLUSION: This analysis demonstrates the usefulness of a transcriptomic-driven approach to phenotyping that segments patients who may benefit the most from specific agents that target Th2-mediated inflammation and/or corticosteroid insensitivity.
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| 5. |
- Yasinska, Valentyna, et al.
(författare)
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Low levels of endogenous anabolic androgenic steroids in females with severe asthma taking corticosteroids
- 2023
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Ingår i: ERJ Open Research. - : European Respiratory Society. - 2312-0541. ; 9:5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Rationale: Patients with severe asthma are dependent upon treatment with high doses of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and often also oral corticosteroids (OCS). The extent of endogenous androgenic anabolic steroid (EAAS) suppression in asthma has not previously been described in detail. The objective of the present study was to measure urinary concentrations of EAAS in relation to exogenous corticosteroid exposure.Methods: Urine collected at baseline in the U-BIOPRED (Unbiased Biomarkers for the Prediction of Respiratory Disease outcomes) study of severe adult asthmatics (SA, n=408) was analysed by quantitative mass spectrometry. Data were compared to that of mild-to-moderate asthmatics (MMA, n=70) and healthy subjects (HC, n=98) from the same study.Measurements and main results: The concentrations of urinary endogenous steroid metabolites were substantially lower in SA than in MMA or HC. These differences were more pronounced in SA patients with detectable urinary OCS metabolites. Their dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) concentrations were <5% of those in HC, and cortisol concentrations were below the detection limit in 75% of females and 82% of males. The concentrations of EAAS in OCS-positive patients, as well as patients on high-dose ICS only, were more suppressed in females than males (p<0.05). Low levels of DHEA were associated with features of more severe disease and were more prevalent in females (p<0.05). The association between low EAAS and corticosteroid treatment was replicated in 289 of the SA patients at follow-up after 12–18 months.Conclusion: The pronounced suppression of endogenous anabolic androgens in females might contribute to sex differences regarding the prevalence of severe asthma.
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| 6. |
- Geale, Kirk, et al.
(författare)
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Late Breaking Abstract - NORdic Database for aSThmA Research (NORDSTAR) : Swedish and Finnish patients
- 2018
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Ingår i: European Respiratory Journal. - : European Respiratory Society. - 0903-1936 .- 1399-3003. ; 52
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background: A cross-border research collaboration was recently initiated across the Nordic countries. These countries maintain population-based registers containing a variety of patient-level health and socioeconomic variables, providing a basis for nation-wide, longitudinal research.Aims and objectives: Describe key characteristics of Swedish and Finnish asthma populations in 2014.Methods: NORDSTAR is a research platform with ethical approval based on Nordic register data. Patients with an asthma diagnosis (ICD-10: J45/46) at any age in specialist care, or ≥2 dispensed respiratory prescriptions (ATC: R03) while aged 6-44, during 2004-2014 were included. Those with diagnosis and treatment pairs unlikely to be asthma were excluded. Demographics (age, sex, income, education level, and urban residence), treatment, comorbidities, and asthma specialist visits in 2014 were described using summary statistics.Results: Finnish comorbidity levels appeared higher than in Sweden. More Finnish patients filled OCS prescriptions (24%) than Swedish patients (20%). Most Swedish patients lived in an urban setting, and the distribution of education level was similar to the general population. Mean family income was 49,960 and 42,840 EUR in Sweden and Finland respectively, while 31% and 44% of patients visited an asthma specialist. Prevalence of asthma was highest among women in both countries, and age distributions were similar.Conclusions: NORDSTAR is a platform for conducting asthma outcomes research in the Nordics. Swedish and Finnish patients appear to be similar in many dimensions except for prevalence of asthma specialist care contacts.
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| 7. |
- Kuo, Chih-Hsi S., et al.
(författare)
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Contribution of airway eosinophils in airway wall remodeling in asthma : Role of MMP-10 and MET
- 2019
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Ingår i: Allergy. European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0105-4538 .- 1398-9995. ; 74:6, s. 1102-1112
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Eosinophils play an important role in the pathophysiology of asthma being implicated in airway epithelial damage and airway wall remodeling. We determined the genes associated with airway remodeling and eosinophilic inflammation in patients with asthma. Methods We analyzed the transcriptomic data from bronchial biopsies of 81 patients with moderate-to-severe asthma of the U-BIOPRED cohort. Expression profiling was performed using Affymetrix arrays on total RNA. Transcription binding site analysis used the PRIMA algorithm. Localization of proteins was by immunohistochemistry. Results Using stringent false discovery rate analysis, MMP-10 and MET were significantly overexpressed in biopsies with high mucosal eosinophils (HE) compared to low mucosal eosinophil (LE) numbers. Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed increased expression of MMP-10 and MET in bronchial epithelial cells and in subepithelial inflammatory and resident cells in asthmatic biopsies. Using less-stringent conditions (raw P-value < 0.05, log2 fold change > 0.5), we defined a 73-gene set characteristic of the HE compared to the LE group. Thirty-three of 73 genes drove the pathway annotation that included extracellular matrix (ECM) organization, mast cell activation, CC-chemokine receptor binding, circulating immunoglobulin complex, serine protease inhibitors, and microtubule bundle formation pathways. Genes including MET and MMP10 involved in ECM organization correlated positively with submucosal thickness. Transcription factor binding site analysis identified two transcription factors, ETS-1 and SOX family proteins, that showed positive correlation with MMP10 and MET expression. Conclusion Pathways of airway remodeling and cellular inflammation are associated with submucosal eosinophilia. MET and MMP-10 likely play an important role in these processes.
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| 8. |
- Löfdahl, Magnus J, et al.
(författare)
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Increased intraepithelial T-cells in stable COPD
- 2008
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Ingår i: Respiratory Medicine. - : Elsevier BV. - 0954-6111 .- 1532-3064. ; 102:12, s. 1812-1818
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: The airway epithelium is the first line of defence in the response to inhaled particles and irritants. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an inflammatory disease characterised by an irreversible loss of lung function, with cigarette smoking as a major risk factor. Here, we address intraepithelial T-cells in COPD, as these cells are a distinct T-cell subtype thought to have important regulatory functions. We hypothesised that intraepithelial T-cells play a role in the response to lung irritants and that the T-cell populations would be altered and associated with signs of inflammation in COPD. METHODS: Bronchoscopy with endobronchial mucosal biopsy sampling was performed in 22 patients (mean age; 57) with stable COPD (median FEV(1)% predicted: 51). Age- and smoking- matched smokers (S) with normal lung function (n=14) and age-matched non-smokers (NS) (n=15) served as controls. Airway inflammation was recorded visually using bronchitis index (BI). Biopsy specimens were processed into glycol methacrylate resin and inflammatory cells were stained immunohistochemically. RESULTS: The number of intraepithelial CD4+ T-cells were significantly higher in COPD patients compared to smokers as well as trend towards significance in non-smokers (p=0.005 and p=0.036, respectively), whereas intraepithelial CD8+ T-cells number were increased in patients with COPD compared to non-smokers (p=0.017). Both patients with COPD and smokers had a higher BI than non-smokers (p<0.001 for both). CONCLUSIONS: The present data suggest a role for intraepithelial CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells in stable COPD and indicate that T-cells are of importance in the long-term inflammatory response in COPD or, alternatively, play a regulatory role.
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| 9. |
- Wilson, Susan J., et al.
(författare)
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Airway Elastin is increased in severe asthma and relates to proximal wall area : histological and computed tomography findings from the U-BIOPRED severe asthma study
- 2021
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Ingår i: Clinical and Experimental Allergy. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0954-7894 .- 1365-2222. ; 51:2, s. 296-304
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Airway remodelling, which may include goblet cell hyperplasia / hypertrophy, changes in epithelial integrity, accumulation of extracellular matrix components, smooth muscle hypertrophy and thickening of the lamina reticularis, is a feature of severe asthma and contributes to the clinical phenotype.Objective: Within the U-BIOPRED severe asthma study, we have assessed histological elements of airway remodelling and their relationship to computed tomography (CT) measures of proximal airway dimensions.Methods: Bronchial biopsies were collected from two severe asthma groups, one non-smoker (SAn, n = 28) and one current/ex-smoker (SAs/ex, n = 13), and a mild-moderate asthma group (MMA, n = 28) classified and treated according to GINA guidelines, plus a healthy control group (HC, n = 33). Movat's pentachrome technique was used to identify mucin, elastin and total collagen in these biopsies. The number of goblet cells (mucin+) was counted as a percentage of the total number of epithelial cells and the percentage mucin epithelial area measured. The percentage area of elastic fibres and total collagen within the submucosa was also measured, and the morphology of the elastic fibres classified. Participants in the asthma groups also had a CT scan to assess large airway morphometry.Results: The submucosal tissue elastin percentage was higher in both severe asthma groups (16.1% SAn, 18.9% SAs/ex) compared with the HC (9.7%) but did not differ between asthma groups. There was a positive relationship between elastin and airway wall area measured by CT (n = 18-20, rho=0.544, p = 0.024), which also related to an increase in elastic fibres with a thickened lamellar morphological appearance. Mucin epithelial area and total collagen were not different between the four groups. Due to small numbers of suitable CT scans, it was not feasible to compare airway morphometry between the asthma groups.Conclusion: These findings identify a link between extent of elastin deposition and airway wall thickening in severe asthma.
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| 10. |
- Wilson, Susan Jane, et al.
(författare)
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Periostin expression in the U-BIOPRED severe asthma bronchoscopy cohort
- 2018
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Ingår i: European Respiratory Journal. - : European Respiratory Society. - 0903-1936 .- 1399-3003. ; 52
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Periostin (POSTN) is secreted basolaterally by bronchial epithelial cells in asthma and is expressed in the extracellular matrix where it is thought to play a role in fibrosis and is associated with airway eosinophilia.In this study we have assessed the protein expression of POSTN in bronchial biopsies by immunohistochemistry, in serum by the Elecsys Periostin Immunoassay and measured gene expression by Affymetrix arrays in bronchial biopsies, bronchial brushings and in sputum in the U-BIOPRED severe asthma study in the bronchoscopy sub-cohort, which included 4 groups; severe non-smoker asthmatics (SAns), current / ex-smoker severe asthmatics (SAs), mild-moderate asthmatics (MMA) and non-asthmatic healthy controls (HC).Subepithelial protein expression in the bronchial biopsies was higher (p=0.02) in SAns, 9.2% (IQR 5.8-12.6)(n=44) compared to SAs 6.2% (3-9.2)(n=16), and in MMA 11% (7.5-12.6)(n=32) compared to SAs (p=0.002) or HC 7.1% (5.5-10.3)(p=0.01)(n=39). There was no difference between SAns and MMA. Gene expression was higher in biopsies from SAns (n=30), -0.044 (IQR -0.425-0.508), compared to both the SAs (n=9), -0.274 (-0.590-0.200), (p=0.02) and HC (n=21), -0.377 (-0.583-0.125), (p=0.008), but similar in MMA. There was no difference between the groups in POSTN serum levels or in gene expression in bronchial brushings or sputum.In asthmatics, the biopsy protein expression correlated with the biopsy gene expression, and both correlated with eosinophils numbers in the biopsies and blood, exhaled NO, and thickness of the lamina reticularis.These results highlight the potential relevance of tissue POSTN to asthma pathophysiology however, this does not appear to be reflected by serum POSTN measures.
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