| 1. |
- Ch'ng, Jun-Hong, et al.
(författare)
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Epitopes of anti-RIFIN antibodies and characterization of rif-expressing Plasmodium falciparum parasites by RNA sequencing
- 2017
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Variable surface antigens of Plasmodium falciparum have been a major research focus since they facilitate parasite sequestration and give rise to deadly malaria complications. Coupled with its potential use as a vaccine candidate, the recent suggestion that the repetitive interspersed families of polypeptides (RIFINs) mediate blood group A rosetting and influence blood group distribution has raised the research profile of these adhesins. Nevertheless, detailed investigations into the functions of this highly diverse multigene family remain hampered by the limited number of validated reagents. In this study, we assess the specificities of three promising polyclonal anti-RIFIN antibodies that were IgG-purified from sera of immunized animals. Their epitope regions were mapped using a 175,000-peptide microarray holding overlapping peptides of the P. falciparum variable surface antigens. Through immunoblotting and immunofluorescence imaging, we show that different antibodies give varying results in different applications/assays. Finally, we authenticate the antibody-based detection of RIFINs in two previously uncharacterized non-rosetting parasite lines by identifying the dominant rif transcripts using RNA sequencing.
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| 2. |
- Nilsson, Ulrika Nilsson, et al.
(författare)
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SPE and HPLC/UV of resin acids in colophonium-containing products.
- 2008
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Ingår i: Journal of separation science. - Weinheim, Fed. Rep. of Germany : Wiley. - 1615-9314 .- 1615-9306. ; 31:15, s. 2784-90
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A new method, involving SPE and HPLC/UV diode-array detection (DAD), was developed for the quantification of colophonium components in different consumer products, such as cosmetics. Colophonium is a common cause of contact dermatitis since its components can oxidize into allergens on exposure to air. Three different resin acids were used as markers for native and oxidized colophonium, abietic acid (AbA), dehydroabietic acid (DeA), and 7-oxodehydroabietic acid (7-O-DeA). The SPE method, utilizing a mixed-mode hydrophobic and anion exchange retention mechanism, was shown to yield very clean extracts. The use of a urea-embedded C(12) HPLC stationary phase improved the separation of the resin acids compared to common C(18). Concentrations higher than 2 mg/g of both AbA and DeA were detected in wax strips. In this product also 7-O-DeA, a marker for oxidized colophonium, was detected at a level of 28 microg/g. The LODs were in the range of 7-19 microg/g and the LOQs 22-56 microg/g. The method is simple to use and can be applied on many types of technical products, not only cosmetics. For the first time, a method for technical products was developed, which separates AbA from pimaric acid.
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| 3. |
- Vinnars, Marie-Therese, et al.
(författare)
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Enhanced Th1 and inflammatory mRNA responses upregulate NK cell cytotoxicity and NKG2D ligand expression in human pre-eclamptic placenta and target it for NK cell attack
- 2018
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Ingår i: American Journal of Reproductive Immunology. - : Wiley. - 1046-7408 .- 1600-0897. ; 80:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- ProblemPre-eclampsia (PE), a severe human pregnancy disorder, is associated with exaggerated systemic inflammation, enhanced cytokine production, and increased shedding of microvesicles leading to endothelial dysfunction, coagulopathy, and extensive placenta destruction. The cause of PE is still unclear. Evidence suggests that its origin lies in the placenta and that the maternal immune system is involved. A shift in cytokine production in PE pregnancy promotes NK cell activation, suggested to be important in PE pathogenesis. In line with this suggestion, we studied NK cell cytotoxicity in peripheral blood of PE patients and controls and the mRNA expression of cytokines and of the NKG2D receptor and its ligands MICA/B and ULBP1-3 in PE- and normal placenta. Method of studyThe cytotoxic capacity of peripheral blood NK cells was analyzed using K562 target cells. The cytokine mRNA profiles and the mRNA expression of the NKG2D receptor and its ligands MICA/B and ULBP 1-3 in PE placenta were assessed and compared to those in normal placenta using real-time quantitative RT-PCR. ResultsThe cytotoxicity of peripheral blood NK cells was upregulated in PE cases. Further, we found an enhanced inflammatory cytokine mRNA response combined with a dysregulated regulatory response and a significant mRNA overexpression of NKG2D receptor and its ligands MICA/B and ULBP in PE placenta. ConclusionThe destruction of chorionic villi observed in PE placenta might be conveyed by an enhanced local cytotoxic response through the NKG2D receptor-ligand pathway, which in turn might be promoted by an intense inflammatory response not counteracted by regulatory cytokine responses.
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| 4. |
- Alves, Andreia, et al.
(författare)
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Case Study on Screening Emerging Pollutants in Urine and Nails
- 2017
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Ingår i: Environmental Science and Technology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851. ; 51:7, s. 4046-4053
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Alternative plasticizers and flame retardants (FRs) have been introduced as replacements for banned or restricted chemicals, but much is still unknown about their metabolism and occurrence in humans. We identified the metabolites formed in vitro for four alternative plasticizers (acetyltributyl citrate (ATBC), bis(2-propylheptyl) phthalate (DPHP), bis(2-ethylhexyl) terephthalate (DEHTP), bis(2ethylhexyl) adipate (DEHA)), and one FR (2,2-bis (chloromethyl)-propane-1,3-diyltetrakis(2-chloroethyl) bisphosphate (V6)). Further, these compounds and their metabolites were investigated by LC/ESI-Orbitrap-MS in urine and finger nails collected from a Norwegian cohort. Primary and secondary ATBC metabolites had detection frequencies (% DF) in finger nails ranging from 46 to 95%. V6 was identified for the first time in finger nails, suggesting that this matrix may also indicate past exposure to FRs as well as alternative plasticizers. Two isomeric forms of DEHTP primary metabolite were highly detected in urine (97% DF) and identified in finger nails, while no DPHP metabolites were detected in vivo. Primary and secondary DEHA metabolites were identified in both matrices, and the relative proportion of the secondary metabolites was higher in urine than in finger nails; the opposite was observed for the primary metabolites. As many of the metabolites present in in vitro extracts were further identified in vivo in urine and finger nail samples, this suggests that in vitro assays can reliably mimic the in vivo processes. Finger nails may be a useful noninvasive matrix for human biomonitoring of specific organic contaminants, but further validation is needed.
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| 5. |
- Ameur, Adam, et al.
(författare)
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SweGen : a whole-genome data resource of genetic variability in a cross-section of the Swedish population
- 2017
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Ingår i: European Journal of Human Genetics. - : NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP. - 1018-4813 .- 1476-5438. ; 25:11, s. 1253-1260
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Here we describe the SweGen data set, a comprehensive map of genetic variation in the Swedish population. These data represent a basic resource for clinical genetics laboratories as well as for sequencing-based association studies by providing information on genetic variant frequencies in a cohort that is well matched to national patient cohorts. To select samples for this study, we first examined the genetic structure of the Swedish population using high-density SNP-array data from a nation-wide cohort of over 10 000 Swedish-born individuals included in the Swedish Twin Registry. A total of 1000 individuals, reflecting a cross-section of the population and capturing the main genetic structure, were selected for whole-genome sequencing. Analysis pipelines were developed for automated alignment, variant calling and quality control of the sequencing data. This resulted in a genome-wide collection of aggregated variant frequencies in the Swedish population that we have made available to the scientific community through the website https://swefreq.nbis.se. A total of 29.2 million single-nucleotide variants and 3.8 million indels were detected in the 1000 samples, with 9.9 million of these variants not present in current databases. Each sample contributed with an average of 7199 individual-specific variants. In addition, an average of 8645 larger structural variants (SVs) were detected per individual, and we demonstrate that the population frequencies of these SVs can be used for efficient filtering analyses. Finally, our results show that the genetic diversity within Sweden is substantial compared with the diversity among continental European populations, underscoring the relevance of establishing a local reference data set.
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| 6. |
- Amoudruz, Petra, et al.
(författare)
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Impaired Toll-like receptor 2 signaling in monocytes from 5-year-old allergic children
- 2009
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Ingår i: Clinical and Experimental Immunology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0009-9104 .- 1365-2249. ; 155:3, s. 387-394
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The relative composition of the two major monocytic subsets CD14+CD16− and CD14+CD16+ is altered in some allergic diseases. These two subsets display different patterns of Toll-like receptor levels, which could have implications for activation of innate immunity leading to reduced immunoglobulin E-specific adaptive immune responses. This study aimed to investigate if allergic status at the age of 5 years is linked to differences in monocytic subset composition and their Toll-like receptor levels, and further, to determine if Toll-like receptor regulation and cytokine production upon microbial stimuli is influenced by the allergic phenotype. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 5-year-old allergic and non-allergic children were stimulated in vitro with lipopolysaccharide and peptidoglycan. Cells were analysed with flow cytometry for expression of CD14, Toll-like receptors 2 and 4 and p38-mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). The release of cytokines and chemokines [tumour necrosis factor, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p70] into culture supernatants was measured with cytometric bead array. For unstimulated cells there were no differences in frequency of the monocytic subsets or their Toll-like receptor levels between allergic and non-allergic children. However, monocytes from allergic children had a significantly lower up-regulation of Toll-like receptor 2 upon peptidoglycan stimulation. Further, monocytes from allergic children had a higher spontaneous production of IL-6, but there were no differences between the two groups regarding p38-MAPK activity or cytokine and chemokine production upon stimulation. The allergic subjects in this study have a monocytic population that seems to display a hyporesponsive state as implicated by impaired regulation of Toll-like receptor 2 upon peptidoglycan stimulation.
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| 7. |
- Anrup, Roland, et al.
(författare)
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Centrala universitetsvärden hotas av bolagiseringsidén
- 2013
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Ingår i: Dagens nyheter. - 1101-2447.
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Tidskriftsartikel (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- Högskolestiftelser. Förslaget att driva svenska universitet i stiftelseform öppnar för bolagisering. Men det är ingen riktig utredning, utan en politisk pamflett utan eftertanke. Privatisering av universitet hotar både oberoendet, forskningskvaliteten och samhällsnyttan, skriver 36 forskare vid svenska högskolor och universitet.
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| 8. |
- Axelsson, Sara, et al.
(författare)
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Determination of resin acids during production of wood pellets-a comparison of HPLC/ESI-MS with the GC/FID MDHS 83/2 method
- 2011
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Ingår i: Journal of Environmental Monitoring. - Cambridge : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 1464-0325 .- 1464-0333. ; 13:10, s. 2940-2945
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Resin acids are constituents of natural and technical products of widespread use. Exposure is known to cause health effects in the airways and on the skin. Liquid chromatography/positive ion electrospray-mass spectrometry (HPLC/pos ESI-MS) was investigated for determination of 7-oxodehydroabietic (7-OXO), dehydroabietic (DHAA) and abietic acid (AA) in wood dust-containing air samples as a derivatisation-free alternative to the GC/FID HSE method 83/2, developed by the Health and Safety Executive UK. The resin acid 7-OXO was measured as a marker for oxidised resin acids, which are known to be the main contact allergens in colophonium. The found detection limits were 0.42 ng m(-3) for 7-OXO, 5.2 ng m(-3) for DHAA and 9.4 ng m(-3) for AA, respectively, which are considerably lower than with the GC/FID method (24, 115 and 89 ng m(-3)). The two methods correlated well, although consistently and significantly lower concentrations of 7-OXO were detected with LC/MS. The higher concentration of this compound with MDHS 83/2 is suggested to be an artefact from the derivatisation step in the presence of soluble wood dust remains.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Axelsson, Sara, 1975-
(författare)
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Resin acids in commercial products and the work environment of Swedish wood pellets production : Analytical methodology, occurrence and exposure
- 2012
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The aims of the work this thesis is based upon were to develop convenient analytical procedures for determining resin acids in biological and environmental matrices, and apply them to enhance understanding of the occurrence, exposure to and uptake by exposed individuals of resin acids. Particular focus has been on the workplace environment of the Swedish wood pellets industry. Sample extraction procedures and high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionisation-mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESI-MS) methodologies were developed for measuring resin acids in dust, skin and urine samples. Chromatographic separation of abietic (AA) and pimaric acid was achieved by using a polar-embedded C12 stationary phase. The HPLC/ESI-MS method avoids undesirable oxidation of AA, which was found to occur during the derivatisation step in the standard MDHS 83/2 gas chromatography/flame ionisation detection (GC/FID) methodology, leading to false observations of both AA and the oxidation product 7-oxodehydroabietic acid (7-OXO). Personal exposures to resin acids in the Swedish wood pellet production industry were found to be lower, on average, than the British Occupational Exposure Limit for rosin (50 µg/m3). The oxidised resin acid 7-OXO, was detected in both dust and skin samples indicating the presence of allergenic resin acids. A correlation between air and post-shift urinary concentrations of dehydroabietic acid (DHAA), and a trend towards an increase in urinary 7-OXO during work shifts, were also observed. Whether the increase in 7-OXO was due to direct uptake or metabolism of other resin acids cannot be concluded from the results. An efficient HPLC/UV methodology with diode-array detection was developed for screening commercial products for rosin that could be used in laboratories lacking mass spectrometers. Very high concentrations of free resin acids were detected in depilatory wax strips using the method.
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