| 1. |
- Belfrage, Emma, et al.
(författare)
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Predictive and Prognostic Biomarkers in Patients With Mycosis Fungoides and Sézary Syndrome (BIO-MUSE) : Protocol for a Translational Study
- 2024
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Ingår i: JMIR Research Protocols. - 1929-0748. ; 13
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) is a rare group of lymphomas that primarily affects the skin. Mycosis fungoides (MF) is the most common form of CTCL and Sézary syndrome (SS) is more infrequent. Early stages (IA-IIA) have a favorable prognosis, while advanced stages (IIB-IVB) have a worse prognosis. Around 25% of patients with early stages of the disease will progress to advanced stages. Malignant skin-infiltrating T-cells in CTCL are accompanied by infiltrates of nonmalignant T-cells and other immune cells that produce cytokines that modulate the inflammation. Skin infection, often with Staphylococcus aureus, is frequent in advanced stages and can lead to sepsis and death. S. aureus has also been reported to contribute to the progression of the disease. Previous reports indicate a shift from Th1 to Th2 cytokine production and dysfunction of the skin barrier in CTCL. Treatment response is highly variable and often unpredictable, and there is a need for new predictive and prognostic biomarkers.OBJECTIVE: This prospective translational study aims to identify prognostic biomarkers in the blood and skin of patients with MF and SS.METHODS: The Predictive and Prognostic Biomarkers in Patients With MF and SS (BIO-MUSE) study aims to recruit 120 adult patients with MF or SS and a control group of 20 healthy volunteers. The treatments will be given according to clinical routine. The sampling of each patient will be performed every 3 months for 3 years. The blood samples will be analyzed for lactate dehydrogenase, immunoglobulin E, interleukins, thymus and activation-regulated chemokine, and lymphocyte subpopulations. The lymphoma microenvironment will be investigated through digital spatial profiling and single-cell RNA sequencing. Microbiological sampling and analysis of skin barrier function will be performed. The life quality parameters will be evaluated. The results will be evaluated by the stage of the disease.RESULTS: Patient inclusion started in 2021 and is still ongoing in 2023, with 18 patients and 20 healthy controls enrolled. The publication of selected translational findings before the publication of the main results of the trial is accepted.CONCLUSIONS: This study aims to investigate blood and skin with a focus on immune cells and the microbiological environment to identify potential new prognostic biomarkers in MF and SS.TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04904146; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04904146.INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/55723.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Drott, Andreas, et al.
(författare)
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Do Potential Methylation Rates Reflect Accumulated Methyl Mercury in Contaminated Sediments?
- 2008
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Ingår i: Environmental Science and Technology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851. ; 42:1, s. 153-158
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Relationships between the short-term mono-methyl mercury (MeHg) production, determined as the specific, potential methylation rate constant Km (day−1) after 48 h of incubation with isotope-enriched 201Hg(II) at 23 °C, and the long-term accumulation of ambient MeHg, were investigated in contaminated sediments. The sediments covered a range of environments from small freshwater lakes to large brackish water estuaries and differed with respect to source and concentration of Hg, salinity, primary productivity, quantity and quality of organic matter, and temperature climate. Significant (p < 0.001), positive relationships were observed between Km (day−1) and the concentration of MeHg normalized to total Hg (%MeHg) for surface sediments (0–10, 0–15, and in one case 0–20 cm) across all environments, and across subsets of organic and minerogenic freshwaters. This suggests that the methylation process (MeHg production) overruled demethylation and net transport processes in the surface sediments. The lack of a relationship between Km and %MeHg in two brackish water sediment depth profiles (0–100 cm) indicates that demethylation and the net effect of input−output are relatively more important at greater depths. Differences in the primary production and subsequent availability of easily degradable organic matter (serving as electron donor for methylating bacteria) was indicated to be the most important factor behind observed differences in %MeHg and Km among sites. In contrast, concentrations of sulfate were not correlated to Km, %MeHg, or absolute concentrations of MeHg. We conclude that total concentrations of Hg are of importance for the long-term accumulation of MeHg, and that %MeHg in surface sediments can be used as a proxy for the rate of methylation, across a range of sites from different environments.
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| 4. |
- Drott, Andreas, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of oxic and anoxic filtration on determined methyl mercury concentrations in sediment pore waters
- 2007
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Ingår i: Marine Chemistry. - : Elsevier BV. - 0304-4203. ; 103, s. 76-83
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Accurate determination of methyl mercury (MeHg) concentrations in sediment pore waters is crucial for an improved understanding of mercury (Hg) biogeochemistry, and for improved risk assessment of Hg contaminated sites. In the present study, effects of oxic (air) and anoxic (N2) filtration (after centrifugation) on determined pore water MeHg concentrations were investigated in severely Hg contaminated pulp fibre sediments from two estuaries of the Bothnian Sea, Sweden. MeHg was determined in the filtrate using species-specific isotope dilution gas chromatography inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SSID–GC–ICPMS), after ethylation with sodium tetraethylborate. Determined concentrations of MeHg were greater after anoxic filtration than after oxic filtration for all samples investigated, with MeHg(N2)/MeHg(air) ratios ranging between 3.4 and 343. Adsorption to newly formed Fe(III)/Mn(III/IV)-oxy/hydroxide surfaces is proposed as the main mechanism responsible for MeHg removal during oxic filtration. This is supported by decreases in dissolved Fe and Mn concentrations during oxic filtration, and by decreases in dissolved sulphur concentrations during oxic filtration in the samples with largest effect on MeHg concentrations. The latter is explained by adsorption of SO42− to newly formed Fe(III)/Mn(III/IV)-oxy/hydroxide surfaces. The effect of oxidation during filtration on pore water MeHg concentrations was largest in samples in which FeS(s) was not present, but with calculated pe-values below − 3. Thus, our results indicate that the largest errors with respect to pore water MeHg concentrations when filtering in air can be expected in samples with an intermediate redox potential, possibly buffered by a mixture of oxidation sensitive Fe(II/III) minerals.
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| 5. |
- Drott, Andreas, et al.
(författare)
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Importance of Dissolved Neutral Mercury Sulfides for Methyl Mercury Production in Contaminated Sediments
- 2007
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Ingår i: Environmental Science and Technology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851. ; 41:7, s. 2270-6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Biotic transformation of inorganic mercury, Hg(II), to mono methyl mercury (MeHg) is proposed to be largely controlled by passive uptake of neutral Hg complexes by sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB). In this study, the chemical speciation of Hg(II) in seven locally contaminated sediments covering environments such as (i) brackish water, (ii) low-productivity freshwater, and, (iii) high-productivity freshwater was related to potential Hg methylation rates, determined by incubation at 23 C for 48 h under N2(g), and to total MeHg concentrations in sediments. Pore water speciation was modeled considering Hg complexes with halides, organic thiols [Hg(SR)2(aq), associated to dissolved organic matter], monosulfides, and bisulfides. The sum of neutral mercury sulfides [Hg(SH)20(aq)] and [HgS0(aq)] was significantly, positively (p < 0.001, n = 20) correlated to the specific methylation rate constant (Km, day-1) at depths of 5-100 cm in two brackish water sediments. Total Hg, total mercury sulfides or Hg(SR)2(aq) in pore water gave no significant relationships with Km. In two sub-sets of freshwater sediments, neutral mercury sulfides were positively correlated to total Hg in pore water, and therefore, total Hg also gave significant relationships with Km. The sum of [Hg(SH)20(aq)] and [HgS0(aq)] was significantly, positively correlated to total sediment MeHg (g kg-1) in brackish waters (p < 0.001, n = 23), in southern, high-productivity freshwaters (p < 0.001, n = 20), as well as in northern, low-productivity freshwater (p = 0.048, n = 6). The slopes (b, b') of the relationships Km (day-1) = a + b([Hg(SH)20(aq)] + [HgS0(aq)]) and MeHg (g kg-1) = a' + b'([Hg(SH)20(aq)] + [HgS0(aq)]) showed an inverse relationship with the C/N ratio, supposedly reflecting differences in primary production and energy-rich organic matter availability among sites. We conclude that concentrations of neutral inorganic mercury sulfide species, together with the availability of energy-rich organic matter, largely control Hg methylation rates in contaminated sediments. Furthermore, Hg(SH)20(aq) is suggested to be the dominant species taken up by MeHg producing bacteria in organic-rich sediments without formation of HgS(s).
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| 6. |
- Drott, Andreas, et al.
(författare)
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Potential demethylation rate determinations in relation to concentrations of MeHg, Hg and pore water speciation of MeHg in contaminated sediments
- 2008
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Ingår i: Marine Chemistry. - : Elsevier. - 0304-4203 .- 1872-7581. ; 112:1-2, s. 93-101
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Specific, potential demethylation rate constants (kd, day− 1) were determined in fresh and brackish water sediments from seven different sites in Sweden originally contaminated with either Hg0(l) or phenyl-Hg. Variations in kd among and within sites were related to ambient concentrations of Hg (1–1143 nmol g− 1) and MeHg (4.4–575pmol g− 1), and to pore water speciation of MeHg. Chemical speciation modeling revealed that MeHgSH(aq), MeHgS−(aq) and MeHg–thiol complexes [MeHgSR(aq)] associated to dissolved organic matter were the dominant MeHg species in the sediment pore water at all sites. Potential rates of MeHg demethylation were determined as the decomposition of isotopically enriched Me204HgCl during 48 h of incubation in darkness under N2(g) at 23 °C. There was a significant (p < 0.001) positive relationship between ambient MeHg concentrations in sediments and kd across all sites, but no significant relationship between ambient Hg and kd. At the three sites with the highest ambient Hg concentrations in sediments (average ± SD, 185 ± 249 nmol g− 1), kd was not significantly correlated with pore water MeHg speciation. At sites with lower concentrations of ambient Hg in sediments (average ± SD, 11 ± 8.4 nmol g− 1), there was a significant (p = 0.02) positive relationship between calculated concentrations of MeHgSH(aq), MeHgS−(aq), or the sum of these two species, and kd. If it is assumed that an oxidative demethylation process dominated at sites with lower concentrations of ambient Hg in sediments, the results suggest that it may be dependent on a passive uptake of inorganic MeHgSH molecules. It was shown that additions of different amounts of MeHg and Hg tracers, in relation to the ambient concentrations of MeHg and Hg, could result in dramatically different kd values within and between sites. At one brackish water site, both absolute demethylation rates and kds were significantly, inversely related to ambient concentrations of MeHg (and Hg). In contrast, at another brackish water site with generally less kds, samples with low ambient MeHg experienced toxic effects and demethylation was not detected. This implies that added (and possibly ambient) MeHg/Hg, depending on the environmental conditions, may have either stimulating or inhibitory effects on demethylation processes.
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| 7. |
- Drott, Andreas, et al.
(författare)
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Refining Thermodynamic Constants for Mercury(II)-Sulfides in Equilibrium with Metacinnabar at Sub-Micromolar Aqueous Sulfide Concentrations
- 2013
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Ingår i: Environmental Science and Technology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851. ; 47:9, s. 4197-4203
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- An important issue in mercury (Hg) biogeochemistry is to explore the influence of aqueous Hg(II) forms on bacterial uptake, and subsequent methyl mercury formation, under iron(III) and sulfate reducing conditions. The success of this is dependent on relevant information on the thermodynamic stability of Hg-sulfides. In the present study, we determined the solubility of a commercially available HgS(s) phase, which was shown by X-ray diffraction to be a mixture of 83% metacinnabar and 17% cinnabar. At aqueous sulfide concentrations between 0.060 and 84 µM, well below levels in previous studies, we report a solubility product (log Ksp±SE) of -36.8±0.3 (HgS(s) + H+ = Hg2+ + HS-, I=0, T=25°C, pH 6-10, n=20) for metacinnabar. This value is 0.7 log units higher than previous estimates. Complementing our data with data from Paquette and Helz (1997), we took advantage of a large data set (n=65) covering a wide range of aqueous sulfide (0.06 µM-140 mM), and pH (1-11). Based on this we report refined formation constants (±SE) for the three aqueous Hg(II)-sulfide species proposed by Schwarzenbach and Widmer (1963): Hg2+ + 2HS- = Hg(SH)20; log K = 39.1±0.1, Hg2+ + 2HS- = HgS2H- + H+; log K = 32.5±0.1, Hg2+ + 2HS- = HgS22- + 2H+; log K = 23.2±0.1. Our refined log K values differ from previous estimates by 0.2-0.6 log units. Furthermore, at the low sulfide concentrations in our study we could rule out the value of -10.0 for the reaction HgS(s) + H2O = HgOHSH(aq), as reported by Dyrssén and Wedborg (1991). By establishing a solubility product for the most environmentally relevant HgS(s) phase, metacinnabar, and extending the range of aqueous sulfide concentrations to sub-µM levels, relevant for soils, sediments and waters, this study decreases the uncertainty in stability constants for Hg-sulfides, thereby improving the basis for understanding the bioavailability and mobility of Hg(II) in the environment.
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| 8. |
- Fernández-Gómez, Cristal, et al.
(författare)
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Towards Universal Wavelength-Specific Photodegradation Rate Constants for Methyl Mercury in Humic Waters, Exemplified by a Boreal Lake-Wetland Gradient.
- 2013
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Ingår i: Environmental Science and Technology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851. ; 47:12, s. 6279-6287
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report experimentally determined first-order rate constants of MeHg photolysis in three waters along a Boreal lake-wetland gradient covering a range of pH (3.8-6.6), concentrations of total organic carbon (TOC 17.5-81 mg L(-1)), total Fe (0.8-2.1 mg L(-1)), specific UV254 nm absorption (3.3-4.2 L mg(-1) m(-1)) and TOC/TON ratios (24-67 g g(-1)). Rate constants determined as a function of incident sunlight (measured as cumulative photon flux of photosynthetically active radiation, PAR) decreased in the order dystrophic lake > dystrophic lake/wetland > riparian wetland. After correction for light attenuation by dissolved natural organic matter (DOM), wavelength-specific (PAR: 400-700 nm, UVA: 320-400 nm and UVB: 280-320 nm) first-order photodegradation rate constants (kpd) determined at the three sites were indistinguishable, with average values (±SE) of 0.0023 ± 0.0002, 0.10 ± 0.024 and 7.2 ± 1.3 m(2) E(-1) for kpdPAR, kpdUVA, and kpdUVB, respectively. The relative ratio of kpdPAR, kpdUVA, and kpdUVB was 1:43:3100. Experiments conducted at varying MeHg/TOC ratios confirm previous suggestions that complex formation with organic thiol groups enhances the rate of MeHg photodegradation, as compared to when O and N functional groups are involved in the speciation of MeHg. We suggest that if the photon fluxes of PAR, UVA, and UVB radiation are separately determined and the wavelength-specific light attenuation is corrected for, the first-order rate constants kpdPAR, kpdUVA, and kpdUVB will be universal to waters in which DOM (possibly in concert with Fe) controls the formation of ROS, and the chemical speciation of MeHg is controlled by the complexation with DOM associated thiols.
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| 9. |
- Kronberg, Rose-Marie, et al.
(författare)
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Forest harvest contribution to Boreal freshwater methyl mercury load
- 2016
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Ingår i: Global Biogeochemical Cycles. - 0886-6236 .- 1944-9224. ; 30:6, s. 825-843
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Effects of Boreal forest harvest on mercury (Hg) and methyl mercury (MeHg) soil pools and export by stream runoff were quantified by comparing 10 reference watersheds (REFs) covered by >80year old Norway spruce (Picea abies Karst.) forests with 10 similar watersheds subjected to clear-cutting (CCs). While total Hg soil storage did not change, MeHg pools increased seven times (p=0.006) in the organic topsoil 2 years after clear-cutting. In undulating terrain, situated above the postglacial marine limit (ML) of the ancient Baltic Sea, the mass ratio between flux-weighted MeHg and dissolved organic carbon (MeHg/DOC) in stream runoff increased 1.8 times (p<0.004) as a consequence of forest harvest. When recalculated to 100% clear-cutting of the watershed, the annual MeHg stream export increased 3.8 times (p=0.047). Below the ML, where the terrain was flatter, neither the MeHg/DOC ratio nor the annual export of MeHg differed between REFs and CCs, likely because of the larger contribution of MeHg exported from peaty soils and small wetlands. The most robust measure, MeHg/DOC, was used to calculate MeHg loadings to Boreal headwaters. If the forest harvest effect lasts 10years, clear-cutting increases MeHg runoff by 12-20% in Sweden and 2% in the Boreal zone as a whole. In Sweden, having intensely managed forests, 37% and 56% of MeHg are exported from peatlands and forest soils, respectively, and forest clear-cutting is adding another 6.6%. In the Boreal zone as a whole peatlands and forests soils contribute with 53% and 46%, respectively, and clear-cutting is estimated to add another 1.0%. An expected rapid increase in Boreal forest harvest and disturbance urge for inclusion of land use effects in mercury biogeochemical cycling models at different scales.
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| 10. |
- Kronberg, Rose-Marie, et al.
(författare)
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Net degradation of methyl mercury in alder swamps
- 2012
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Ingår i: Environmental Science and Technology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851. ; 46:24, s. 13144-13151
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Wetlands are generally considered to be sources of methyl mercury (MeHg) in northern temperate landscapes. However, a recent input-output mass balance study during 2007-2010 revealed a black alder (Alnus glutinosa) swamp in southern Sweden to be a consistent and significant MeHg sink, with a 30-60% loss of MeHg. The soil pool of MeHg varied substantially between years, but it always decreased with distance from the stream inlet to the swamp. The soil MeHg pool was significantly lower in the downstream as compared to the upstream half of the swamp (0.66 and 1.34 ng MeHg g(-1) SOC(-1) annual average(-1), respectively, one-way ANOVA, p = 0.0006). In 2008 a significant decrease of %MeHg in soil was paralleled by a significant increase in potential demethylation rate constant (k(d), p < 0.02 and p < 0.004, respectively). In contrast, the potential methylation rate constant (k(m)) was unrelated to distance (p = 0.3). Our results suggest that MeHg was net degraded in the Alnus swamp, and that it had a rapid and dynamic internal turnover of MeHg. Snapshot stream input-output measurements at eight additional Alnus glutinosa swamps in southern Sweden indicate that Alnus swamps in general are sinks for MeHg. Our findings have implications for forestry practices and landscape planning, and suggest that restored or preserved Alnus swamps may be used to mitigate MeHg produced in northern temperate landscapes.
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