| 1. |
- Gustafsson, Per E, 1981-, et al.
(author)
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Cortisol levels and psychosocial factors in preadolescent children
- 2006
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In: Stress and Health. - : Wiley. - 1532-3005 .- 1532-2998. ; 22:1, s. 3-9
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Regarding the relationship between psychosocial factors and health, one model of explanation states that psychosocial stress constitutes a principal mediator connecting psychosocial factors to health outcome, affecting the body through psychobiological mechanisms. This relationship has scarcely been studied in children. In the present study the relation between diurnal cortisol secretion and psychosocial factors [socio-economic status (SES), immigrant status and impact of psychiatric symptoms] was investigated in a normal population of 6-12 year old children (n = 273). Salivary cortisol levels were measured in the early morning, late morning and in the evening during three consecutive days. Parents answered demographic questionnaires and teachers answered psychiatric questionnaires concerning the children. Children exposed to one or more of the factors of psychosocial load (n = 117) had significantly higher morning (p < 0.001) and evening (p = 0.029) cortisol levels as well as total daily cortisol secretion [measured by the area under the curve (AUC), p = 0.003] compared to the group of children with none of the factors (n = 156). Different psychosocial stressors seemed to influence different parts of the diurnal cortisol curve. In conclusion, this study indicates that even children exposed to a moderate degree of psychosocial load differ in their cortisol levels compared to non-exposed children.
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| 2. |
- Gustafsson, Per E., 1981-, et al.
(author)
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Diurnal cortisol levels and cortisol response in youths with obsessive-compulsive disorder
- 2008
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In: Neuropsychobiology. - : S. Karger AG. - 0302-282X .- 1423-0224. ; 57:1-2, s. 14-21
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- <i>Background/Aims:</i> Recent results indicate a role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in the pathophysiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Although childhood onset is common, the HPA axis has scarcely been studied in young OCD subjects. Therefore, the present study aimed at examining basal and response levels of salivary cortisol in a sample of young OCD subjects. <i>Methods:</i> Twenty-three children and adolescents with DSM-IV OCD were compared to a reference group of school children (n = 240–336). The basal cortisol rhythm was measured through saliva samples 3 times/day. The cortisol response to a psychological stressor (exposure therapy in the OCD group and a fire alarm in the reference group) was also examined. <i>Results:</i> Compared to the reference group, OCD subjects displayed higher early-morning cortisol values (p = 0.005) with no difference between the late-morning and evening values. The cortisol levels in the OCD group diminished in response to the psychological stressor, compared to a positive response in the reference group (p < 0.001). No relation was found between cortisol and clinical parameters. <i>Conclusion:</i> These results support the idea that HPA hyperactivity, commonly found in adult OCD patients, is also present at an earlier stage of development, with specificity for the early-morning peak.
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| 3. |
- Gustafsson, Per E, 1981-
(author)
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Psychosocial Stress, Mental Health and Salivary Cortisol in Children and Adolescents
- 2008
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Stressful experiences and conditions in childhood influence the health and well-being of the growing individual, and can also confer a long-lasting impact into adult life. Delineating the social, mental and biological aspects of stress in children and adolescents is therefore of great concern for human beings. Despite these notions, much knowledge is lacking regarding stress in childhood.This thesis aimed at examining diverse aspects of stress in children and adolescents: associations between social conditions, traumatic life events, mental health, and salivary cortisol as a measure of the activity of a major physiological stress system. Cross-sectional samples included two non-clinical samples of school-aged children (N=240-336) and adolescents (N =400), and two clinical samples of children with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) (N =23) and adolescents who had experienced childhood abuse (N =15). Main measures were salivary cortisol sampled three times a day, and questionnaires to teachers, parents and children with questions about each child’s mental health, traumatic life events and about the socioeconomic situation of the parents.The main findings include observation of 1) higher cortisol levels in children with a moderate level of psychosocial burden (low socioeconomic status, immigrant family, social impairment of mental health problems), 2) higher cortisol levels in children with OCD who also displayed a tendency to decreasing cortisol in the face of an acute stressor, and 3) cortisol was positively related to mental health problems in abused adolescents. Furthermore, the deleterious effect of 4) traumatic events involving a social dimension, interpersonal traumas, and 5) cumulative traumatic events, polytraumatization, on the mental health of children and adolescents was indicated.The findings are discussed with respect to the complex interactions between social, mental and biological aspects of children and adolescents. The consequences of adverse experiences in childhood may represent pathways to future health problems. Consideration of the social circumstances in childhood might in the future guide public health policies and the identification of target groups for preventive interventions as well as leading to improvements in treatment for children exposed to severe stress.
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| 4. |
- Gustafsson, Per E., 1981-, et al.
(author)
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Sociocultural Disadvantage, Traumatic Life Events, and Psychiatric Symptoms in Preadolescent Children
- 2009
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In: American Journal of Orthopsychiatry. - : American Psychological Association (APA). - 0002-9432 .- 1939-0025. ; 79:3, s. 387-397
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Previous research has demonstrated impact of psychosocial adversity on the mental health of children. This cross-sectional study examined the differential relationships between life-time exposure to interpersonal and non-interpersonal traumatic life events as well as sociocultural factors (family social class and immigrant family), and the level of externalizing versus internalizing symptoms. Participants included 258 children aged 6 to 12 years from two Swedish elementary schools. Information was obtained from their parents by means of questionnaires (a demographic form including information about parental occupation and country of origin, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and the Life Incidence of Traumatic Events checklist). While controlling for gender, age and the other symptom dimension, the sociocultural factors were associated to internalizing but not to externalizing symptoms. In contrast, traumatic life events and especially interpersonal traumas related to externalizing symptoms but not to internalizing symptoms. These findings provide some support for specificity of psychosocial adversities and for the importance of interpersonal traumas, in the impact on child mental health.
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| 5. |
- Kuliński, Karol, et al.
(author)
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Biogeochemical functioning of the Baltic Sea
- 2022
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In: Earth System Dynamics. - : Copernicus GmbH. - 2190-4979 .- 2190-4987. ; 13, s. 633-685
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Location, specific topography, and hydrographic setting together with climate change and strong anthropogenic pressure are the main factors shaping the biogeochemical functioning and thus also the ecological status of the Baltic Sea. The recent decades have brought significant changes in the Baltic Sea. First, the rising nutrient loads from land in the second half of the 20th century led to eutrophication and spreading of hypoxic and anoxic areas, for which permanent stratification of the water column and limited ventilation of deep-water layers made favourable conditions. Since the 1980s the nutrient loads to the Baltic Sea have been continuously decreasing. This, however, has so far not resulted in significant improvements in oxygen availability in the deep regions, which has revealed a slow response time of the system to the reduction of the land-derived nutrient loads. Responsible for that is the low burial efficiency of phosphorus at anoxic conditions and its remobilization from sediments when conditions change from oxic to anoxic. This results in a stoichiometric excess of phosphorus available for organic-matter production, which promotes the growth of N2-fixing cyanobacteria and in turn supports eutrophication. This assessment reviews the available and published knowledge on the biogeochemical functioning of the Baltic Sea. In its content, the paper covers the aspects related to changes in carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus (C, N, and P) external loads, their transformations in the coastal zone, changes in organic-matter production (eutrophication) and remineralization (oxygen availability), and the role of sediments in burial and turnover of C, N, and P. In addition to that, this paper focuses also on changes in the marine CO2 system, the structure and functioning of the microbial community, and the role of contaminants for biogeochemical processes. This comprehensive assessment allowed also for identifying knowledge gaps and future research needs in the field of marine biogeochemistry in the Baltic Sea. Copyright:
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| 6. |
- Agvald, Per, et al.
(author)
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Increased expired NO and roles of CO2 and endogenous NO after venous gas embolism in rabbits
- 2006
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In: European Journal of Applied Physiology. - Heidelberg, Germany : Springer Berlin/Heidelberg. - 1439-6319 .- 1439-6327. ; 97:2, s. 210-215
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Venous gas embolism (VGE) is a feared complication in diving, aviation, surgery and trauma. We hypothesized that air emboli in the lung circulation might change expired nitric oxide (FeNO). A single intravenous infusion of air was given (100 mul kg(-1)) to three groups of anaesthetized mechanically ventilated rabbits: (A) one with intact NO production, (B) one with intact NO production and where end-tidal CO(2) was controlled, and (C) one with endogenous NO synthesis blockade (L: -NAME, 30 mg kg(-1)). Air infusions resulted in increased FeNO of the control group from 20 (4) [mean (SD)] ppb to a peak value of 39 (4) ppb within 5 min (P < 0.05), and FeNO was still significantly elevated [27 (2) ppb] after 20 min (P < 0.05). Parallel to the NO increase there were significant decreases in end-tidal CO(2 )(ETCO(2)) and mean arterial pressure and an increase in insufflation pressure. In group B, when CO(2) was supplemented after air infusion, NO was suppressed (P = 0.033), but was still significantly elevated compared with pre-infusion control (P < 0.05). In group C, all animals died within 40 min of air infusion whereas all animals in the other groups were still alive at this time point. We conclude that venous air embolization increases FeNO, and that a part of this effect is due to the concomitant decrease in ETCO(2). Furthermore, an intact NO production may be critical for the tolerance to VGE. Finally, FeNO might have a potential in the diagnosis and monitoring of pulmonary gas embolism.
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| 7. |
- Guldevall, Karolin, 1981-, et al.
(author)
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Microchip screening platform for assessment of cytotoxic effector cells
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Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Here we report a screening platform for assessment of the cytotoxic potential of individual natural killer (NK) or T cells within larger populations. Human primary NK cells or human Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)- specific T cells were distributed across a silicon-glass microchip containing 32 400 individual microwells loaded with target cells. Through fluorescence screening and automated image analysis the numbers of effector and live or dead target cells in each well could be assessed at different time-points after initial mixing. Cytotoxicity was also studied by time-lapse live-cell imaging in microwells quantifying the killing potential of individual NK cells. Although most resting NK cells (≈75%) were non-cytotoxic to the leukemia cell line K562, some NK cells were able to kill several (≥3) target cells within the 12 hours long experiment. We demonstrate that this assay can be used to enumerate and characterize cytotoxic cells, something that could find clinical applications, e.g. in the selection of donors for stem cell transplantation or generation of highly specific and cytotoxic cells for adoptive immunotherapy.
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| 8. |
- Gustafsson, Per E, 1981-, et al.
(author)
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When does hardship matter for health? Neighborhood and individual disadvantages and functional somatic symptoms from adolescence to mid-life in the Northern Swedish Cohort.
- 2014
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In: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science. - 1932-6203. ; 9:6, s. e99558-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A large body of research has shown that health is influenced by disadvantaged living conditions, including both personal and neighborhood conditions. Little is however known to what degree the health impact of different forms of disadvantage differ along the life course. The present study aims to examine when, during the life course, neighborhood and individual disadvantages relate to functional somatic symptoms. Participants (n = 992) came from The Northern Swedish Cohort and followed from age 16, 21, 30 until 42 years. Functional somatic symptoms, socioeconomic disadvantage, and social and material adversity were measured through questionnaires and linked to register data on neighborhood disadvantage. Data was analyzed with longitudinal and cross-sectional multilevel models. Results showed that neighborhood disadvantage, social and material adversity and gender all contributed independently to overall levels of symptoms across the life course. Cross-sectional analyses also suggested that the impact of disadvantage differed between life course periods; neighborhood disadvantage was most important in young adulthood, and the relative importance of material versus social adversity increased as participants grew older. In summary, the study suggests that disadvantages from different contextual sources may affect functional somatic health across the life course, but also through life course specific patterns.
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| 9. |
- Mosquera, Paola A, 1979-, et al.
(author)
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Income-related inequalities in cardiovascular disease from mid-life to old age in a Northern Swedish cohort : a decomposition analysis
- 2016
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In: Social Science and Medicine. - : Elsevier. - 0277-9536 .- 1873-5347. ; 149, s. 135-144
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- While the social determinants of cardiovascular disease (CVD) are fairly well-known, the determinants of socioeconomic inequalities in CVD are scarcely studied and almost completely based on cross-sectional designs in which the changing circumstances across the life course are not taken into account. The present study seeks to incorporate a life course approach to the social determinants of socioeconomic inequalities in CVD. The specific aims were to 1) examine how income-related inequalities in CVD change over two decades of the mid-late life course, and 2) identify the key social determinants of the inequalities at each time period. The cohort (N = 44,039) comprised all individuals aged 40-60 years in 1990 who during 1990-2010 were enrolled in the county-wide preventive effort :"Västerbotten Intervention Program" (VIP). The cohort was followed over these two decades by Swedish population register data linked within the Umeå SIMSAM Lab micro data infrastructure. First-time hospitalization for CVD and mean earned income were used to calculate the concentration index (C) during four periods of 5-6 years. The C for each period was decomposed by sociodemographic factors, using Wagstaff-type decomposition analysis. Results suggest that inequalities in CVD increase gradually from mid-life to old age; from initially non-significant to particularly marked among the elderly. The decomposition showed that, from middle to old age, educational and employment inequalities underwent a transition from initially dominant to a moderate role in explaining the health inequalities, coupled with an increasing importance of age and a stable role of income. In conclusion, the study illustrates the need for incorporating a dynamic life course perspective into research, policy and practice concerned with equity in health.
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| 10. |
- Wennberg, Maria, et al.
(author)
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Poor breakfast habits in adolescence predict the metabolic syndrome in adulthood
- 2015
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In: Public Health Nutrition. - 1368-9800 .- 1475-2727. ; 18:1, s. 122-129
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: To analyse whether poor breakfast habits in adolescence predict the metabolic syndrome and its components in adulthood. Previous studies suggest that regular breakfast consumption improves metabolic parameters. Design: Prospective. Breakfast habits and other lifestyle variables at age 16 years were assessed from questionnaires. Poor breakfast habits were defined as skipping breakfast or only drinking or eating something sweet. At age 43 years, the effective sample consisted of 889 participants defined as having the metabolic syndrome or not, using the International Diabetes Federation criteria. Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios and confidence intervals. Setting: The Northern Swedish Cohort, a longitudinal population-based cohort with 27-year follow-up. Subjects: Adolescents (age 16 years). Results: Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome at age 43 years was 27.0%. Of the participants, 9.9% were classified with poor breakfast habits at age 16 years. Adjusted odds for the metabolic syndrome at age 43 years was OR = 1.68 (95% CI 1.01, 2.78) for those with poor breakfast habits at age 16 years compared with breakfast eaters. Looking at the metabolic syndrome components, poor breakfast habits at age 16 years were associated with central obesity (OR = 1.71; 95% CI 1.00, 2.92) and high fasting glucose (OR = 1.75; 95% CI 1.01, 3.02) at age 43 years, even after multivariate adjustments. Conclusions: Poor breakfast habits in adolescence predicted the metabolic syndrome in adulthood. Of the metabolic syndrome components, poor breakfast habits in adolescence predicted central obesity and high fasting glucose in adulthood. Further research is needed to fully understand the relationship between early breakfast habits and adult metabolic syndrome.
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