| 1. |
- Andersson, Bengt-Åke, et al.
(författare)
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Plasma tumor necrosis factor-α and C-reactive protein as biomarker for survival in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
- 2014
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Ingår i: Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0171-5216 .- 1432-1335. ; 140:3, s. 515-519
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- PURPOSE: Tumor TNM staging is the main basis for prognosis and treatment decision for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) despite significant heterogeneity in terms of outcome among patients with the same clinical stage. In this study, a possible role of plasma interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-6 (IL-6), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and C-reactive protein (CRP) as biomarkers for survival of HNSCC patients was investigated.METHODS: In this prospective study, plasma levels of IL-2, IL-6, GM-CSF, TNF-α and CRP in patients (n = 100) and controls (n = 48) were analyzed.RESULTS: Significantly elevated levels of CRP and TNF-α (p < 0.001) were found in the patients. Combination of upregulated CRP and TNF-α in the patient plasma was significantly related to shorter patient survival, independent of clinical stage.CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that CRP and TNF-α might be suitable as biomarkers in combination with tumor TNM staging for predicting survival and individualized treatment of HNSCC patients. Plasma CRP and TNF-α analysis are simple, rapid, cost effective and suitable for clinical practice.
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| 2. |
- Ekström, Erik, 1989-
(författare)
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Growth and thermoelectric properties of CaMnO3-based thin films
- 2018
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The field of them1oelectrics started in early 19th century. Since the discovery of the Seebeck effect and the Peltier effect, thermoelectric modules have found their way into, mostly, niche applications such as radioisotope thermoelectric generators on space missions. Thermoelectric modules can also be used for cooling, utilizing the Peltier effect.Thermoelectrics are promising materials due to the operation nature of the modules. That is, they have no moving parts, no exhaust, long lifetime without maintenance, features that make them attractive for many applications. Despite these promising properties, thermoelectric modules are mostly used in niche applications. The main reason for this is conventional modules with the highest efficiency are commonly made of expensive and/or rare elements which prevents mass production.To tackle this problem, new materials are investigated to find a module that can be made widely available. Oxides are one possibility, where an added benefit is that they are chemically stable even at elevated temperature. The perovskite CaMnO3 is one of the more promising oxides, with elements that are abundant on earth and cheap. The material does suffer from low electrical conductivity which results in a low electrical conductivity and efficiency. A substantial effort has been put in to increase the efficiency of CaMnO3, hut it still needs improvement.In my thesis, I have investigated the CaMnO3 system. CaMnO3 was synthesized using co-reactive RF-magnetron sputtering and post annealing. The synthesis method is already known hut has not been used for deposition of perovskites. I have also demonstrated that this synthesis method can be used to dope CaMnO3 with niobium at appropriate levels for enhancing the efficiency.
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| 3. |
- Kumar, Ankit, et al.
(författare)
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Effect of in situ electric-field-assisted growth on antiphase boundaries in epitaxial Fe3O4 thin films on MgO
- 2018
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Ingår i: Physical Review Materials. - : American Physical Society. - 2475-9953. ; 2:5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Antiphase boundaries (APBs) normally form as a consequence of the initial growth conditions in all spinel ferrite thin films. These boundaries result from the intrinsic nucleation and growth mechanism, and are observed as regions where the periodicity of the crystalline lattice is disrupted. The presence of APBs in epitaxial films of the inverse spinel Fe3O4 alters their electronic and magnetic properties due to strong antiferromagnetic (AF) interactions across these boundaries. We explore the effect of using in-plane in situ electric-field-assisted growth on the formation of APBs in heteroepitaxial Fe3O4(100)/MgO(100) thin films. The electric-field-assisted growth is found to reduce the AF interactions across APBs and, as a consequence, APB-free thin-film-like properties are obtained, which have been probed by electronic, magnetic, and structural characterization. The electric field plays a critical role in controlling the density of APBs during the nucleation process by providing an electrostatic force acting on adatoms and therefore changing their kinetics. This innovative technique can be employed to grow epitaxial spinel thin films with controlled AF interactions across APBs.
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| 4. |
- Laytragoon-Lewin, Nongnit, et al.
(författare)
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Direct Effects of Pure Nicotine, Cigarette Smoke Extract, Swedish-type Smokeless Tobacco (Snus) Extract and Ethanol on Human Normal Endothelial Cells and Fibroblasts
- 2011
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Ingår i: Anticancer Research. - 0250-7005 .- 1791-7530. ; 31:5, s. 1527-1534
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The adverse health effects of cigarette smoking are well established including the increased risk of various types of cancer. In this study, the direct effects of ethanol, pure nicotine, cigarette smoke extract and Swedish type smokeless tobacco (Snus) extract on normal cells were investigated. Materials and Methods: Primary normal adult human endothelial cells and fibroblasts at early passage were used. Upon exposure to pure nicotine, cigarette smoke extract, Snus extract and ethanol, these cells were assessed for DNA synthesis, gene expression profile and cellular morphology. Results: Normal human fibroblasts and endothelial cells have unique gene expression profiles. The effects of treatment with ethanol and nicotine from different sources was more prominent in endothelial cells than fibroblasts. The combination of alterated gene expressions and strongly inhibited DNA synthesis was only detected in cells exposed to smoke extract. In the presence and absence of ethanol, pure nicotine and Snus extract induced abnormalities in the cytoplasm without any significant degree of cell death. With similar doses of nicotine and ethanol, the additional components in smoke extract had a dominant effect. The smoke extract induced vast cellular abnormalities and massive cell death. Conclusion: Cigarette smoke induced massive cell death and various abnormalities at cellular and molecular levels in surviving endothelial cells and fibroblasts. The combination of genomic alterations and the chronic inflammatory microenvironment induced from massive cell death, will potentially promote tumourigenesis and various diseases in cigarette smokers.
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| 5. |
- Laytragoon-Lewin, Nongnit, et al.
(författare)
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DNA Content and Methylation of p16, DAPK and RASSF1A Gene in Tumour and Distant, Normal Mucosal Tissue of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients
- 2010
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Ingår i: Anticancer Research. - 0250-7005 .- 1791-7530. ; 30:11, s. 4643-4648
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Long-term survival of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients has not improved significantly during the last 20 years and recurrent disease is frequently observed. In this study, the potential presence of pre-malignant cells or rare malignant cells at the time of diagnosis in HNSCC was investigated. Patients and Methods: Fifty-nine biopsies obtained from 41 HNSCC patients were analysed. Eighteen of these biopsies were normal mucosal tissue, located at least 5 cm from the tumour margin. DNA content and DNA methylation of p16, DAPK and RASSF1A was examined. Results: Thirty-nine out of 41 (95%) tumour biopsies showed p16 methylation and 21 (51%) of them displayed aneuploidy. Of 18 distant normal mucosal biopsies, 6 (33%) of these showed evidence of aneuploidy and 15(83%) of them showed methylated p16 genes. Among paired samples, the highest frequencies of DNA methylation were found in tumours with aneuploidy. Regardless of DNA content, methylation at DAPK, RASSF1A or p16 were found in the corresponding distant mucosal biopsies. Conclusion: The cells with abnormal DNA content or DNA methylation in mucosal tissue were not detected clinically or by pathological macroscopic and microscopic examination. Thus, distant mucosal tissue DNA content and DNA methylation analyses in combination with histopathology will provide a better prognostic base for the evaluation and treatment of HNSCC patients.
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| 6. |
- Laytragoon-Lewin, Nongnit, et al.
(författare)
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Perforin, CD28 and CD95 expression in circulating CD4 and CD8 cells as predictors of head and neck (H&N) cancer patient survival
- 2014
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Ingår i: Medical Oncology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1357-0560 .- 1559-131X. ; 31:12, s. 290-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Long-term survival of H&N cancer patients has not improved significantly over the last 30 years. The possibility of using circulating blood cell phenotypes as a prognostic biomarker of H&N cancer patient was investigated in this study. Pre-treatment, circulating T lymphocyte subpopulations as well as the survival time of the patients in question were studied. Upregulated CD4+ perforin+ and CD8+ CD95+ but downregulated CD4+ CD28+ (p < 0.001) were detected in H&N cancer patients. With 3 years of follow-up time, an increase in the frequency of the pre-treatment, circulating CD4+ perforin+ cells and CD8+ perforin+ cells was showed to have reverse effects on the survival time in H&N cancer patients (p < 0.01). Detection of perforin? frequency in CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocyte by FACS is fast, simple and cost-effective. A potential role of perforin expression in CD4+ and CD8+ cells as a prognostic biomarker for H&N cancer patient in the clinical setting was suggested.
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| 7. |
- Lewin, Erik, et al.
(författare)
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Industrialisation Study of Nanocomposite nc-TiC/a-C Coatings for Electrical Contact Applications
- 2009
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Ingår i: Plasma Processes and Polymers. - : WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. - 1612-8850. ; 6:S1, s. S928-S934
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Nanocomposite nc-TiC/a-C coatings were prepared by non-reactive magnetron sputtering in industrial scale equipment, under varying deposition conditions in order to investigate upscaling and possible industrialisation. The coatings were found to have similar microstructure and performance compared to previous laboratory scale experiments. The samples were characterised with XRD, XPS and SEM as well with ball-on-disc, nanoindentation and electrical measurements. Coatings containing a small fraction of a-C matrix phase were found to have promising both electrical properties (rho < 400 mu Omega cm and contact resistances down to 0.34 m Omega at 40 N) and tribological properties (f < 0.3 for 10 000 laps).
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| 8. |
- Lewin, N. L., et al.
(författare)
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Influence of single nucleotide polymorphisms among cigarette smoking and non-smoking patients with coronary artery disease, urinary bladder cancer and lung cancer
- 2021
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science. - 1932-6203. ; 16
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction Cigarette smoke is suggested to be a risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD), urinary bladder cancer (UBCa) or lung cancer (LCa). However, not all heavy smokers develop these diseases and elevated cancer risk among first-degree relatives suggests an important role of genetic factor. Methods Three hundred and ten healthy blood donors (controls), 98 CAD, 74 UBCa and 38 LCa patients were included in this pilot study. The influence of 92 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and impact of cigarette smoking were analysed. Results Out of 92 SNPs tested, differences in distribution of 14 SNPs were detected between controls and patient groups. Only CTLA4 rs3087243 showed difference in both CAD and UBCa patient group compared to control group. Stratified by smoking status, the impact of smoking was associated to frequencies of 8, 3 and 4 SNPs in CAD, UBCa, LCa patients, respectively. None of these 92 SNPs showed a statistically significant difference to more than one type of disease among smoking patients. In non-smoking patients, 7, 3 and 6 SNPs were associated to CAD, UBCa, LCa, respectively. Out of these 92 SNPs, CTLA4 rs3087243 was associated to both non-smoking CAD and UBCa. The XRCC1 rs25487 was associated to both non-smoking UBCa and LCa. Conclusion SNPs might be important risk factors for CAD, UBCa and LCa. Distribution of the SNPs was specific for each patient group, not a random event. Impact of cigarette smoking on the disease was associated to the specific SNP sequences. Thus, smoking individuals with SNPs associated to risk of these serious diseases is an important target group for smoking cessation programs.
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| 9. |
- Lewin, Nongnit, et al.
(författare)
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Single Nucleotide Polymorphism and Cancer Risk, Tumour Recurrence, or Survival of Head and Neck Cancer Patients
- 2017
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Ingår i: Oncology. - : S. Karger AG. - 0030-2414 .- 1423-0232. ; 92, s. 161-169
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: This paper aims at studying the influence of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on cancer risk, tumor recurrence, and survival in head and neck (H&N) cancer patients. Methods: A total of 45 SNPs in 41 genes were investigated. A total of 174 Caucasian H&N cancer patients and 245 healthy blood donors were enrolled in the study. Results: Ten SNPs were associated with H&N cancer risk, but the identified SNPs differed among males and females. Some of the SNPs were related to immune response genes. The immune response gene SNPs were also related to survival. In particular, we noted that the tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) rs1800629 could have an influence on cancer risk, tumor recurrence as well as survival. Conclusion: Genetic variation of the TNFα rs1800629 might be useful as a biomarker in clinical decision-making since it was found to be related to cancer risk, tumor recurrence, and survival of H&N cancer patients.
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| 10. |
- Lewin, Nongnit, et al.
(författare)
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The Influence of Adjuvant Radiotherapy and Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms on Circulating Immune Response Cell Numbers and Phenotypes of Patients With Breast Cancer
- 2019
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Ingår i: Anticancer Research. - : INT INST ANTICANCER RESEARCH. - 0250-7005 .- 1791-7530. ; 39:9, s. 4957-4963
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background/Aim: Adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) damages multiple layers of skin, muscle, blood vessels and blood cells that are included within the RT area. Indirect, bystander systemic effects could also develop in cells not directly hit by radiation. Materials and Methods: Ninety-three female patients recovering from breast cancer surgery and 82 female healthy blood donors were analyzed. For identification of systemic adaptive and innate immune response, rapid and low-cost blood-based biomarkers were assayed. Results: Post-operated breast cancer patients had a decreased number of circulating adaptive immune response cells but increased number of circulating immunosuppressive myeloid subpopulations. RT decreased the number of T-cells and platelets without influencing the number of immunosuppressive myeloid subpopulations. Alterations in the number and phenotypes of T-cell subpopulations were associated with SNPs. Conclusion: The combination of RT and immunotherapy might provide optimal treatment for cancer patients.
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