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- Skudal, Hilde, et al.
(författare)
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Clinical characteristics and factors affecting disease severity in hospitalized tick-borne encephalitis patients in Norway from 2018 to 2022
- 2024
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Ingår i: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES. - 0934-9723 .- 1435-4373.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose To describe the clinical characteristics and factors associated with disease severity in a Norwegian cohort of hospitalized patients with tick-borne encephalitis (TBE).Methods This observational multicenter study included hospitalized patients with TBE in the endemic area in the southeastern region of Norway from 2018 to 2022. Clinical signs and findings from laboratory tests, EEG, CT and MRI scans were recorded. Patient characteristics were compared among those with mild, moderate, and severe TBE, and factors associated with disease severity were identified.Results Nearly all eligible patients were included in the final cohort (153/189 participants, 81%). The median age was 56 years, 63% were men, and 7% were vaccinated against TBE; no participants were fully vaccinated. TBE presented as mild (meningeal) disease in 31% of patients and as moderate or severe (encephalitic) disease in 54% and 14% of patients, respectively. We found that 46% of the patients had a monophasic course, 64% had hyponatremia, and 7% presented with central nervous system (CNS) symptoms without pleocytosis in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Dysesthesia, a symptom previously not described, was reported in 10% of the patients. Most objective findings were related to the CNS. Preexisting comorbidities, CRP and CSF protein levels were predictors of more severe disease.Conclusion This novel presentation of a large Norwegian cohort supports TBE as a serious disease in the southeastern region of Norway. The majority of hospitalized patients presented with encephalitis, and fewer presented with meningitis. Comorbidities, CRP and CSF protein levels were associated with more severe disease.Trial registration Prosjekt #2,296,959 - The Norwegian Tick-borne Encephalitis Study - NOTES. Acute phase characteristics and long-term outcomes. - Cristin.
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| 2. |
- Watne, Leiv Otto, et al.
(författare)
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Cerebrospinal fluid quinolinic acid is strongly associated with delirium and mortality in hip fracture patients.
- 2023
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Ingår i: The Journal of clinical investigation. - 1558-8238. ; 133:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The kynurenine pathway (KP) has been identified as a potential mediator linking acute illness to cognitive dysfunction by generating neuroactive metabolites in response to inflammation. Delirium (acute confusion) is a common complication of acute illness and is associated with increased risk of dementia and mortality. However, the molecular mechanism underlying delirium, particularly in relation to the KP, remain elusive.We undertook a multi-center observational study with 586 hospitalized patients (248 with delirium) and investigated associations between delirium and KP metabolites measured in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum by targeted metabolomics. We also explored associations between KP metabolites and markers of neuronal damage and one-year mortality.In delirium, we found concentrations of the neurotoxic metabolite quinolinic acid in CSF (CSF-QA, OR 2.26 [1.78, 2.87], p<0.001) to be increased, as well as increases in several other KP metabolites in serum and CSF. In addition, CSF-QA was associated with the neuronal damage marker neurofilament light chain (NfL, β 0.43, p<0.001) and was a strong predictor of one-year mortality (HR 4.35 [2.93, 6.45] for CSF-QA ≥ 100 nmol/L, p<0.001). The associations between CSF-QA and delirium, neuronal damage, and mortality remained highly significant following adjustment for confounders and multiple comparisons.Our data identified how systemic inflammation, neurotoxicity, and delirium are strongly linked via the KP, and should inform future delirium prevention and treatment clinical trials that target enzymes of the KP.Norwegian Health Association and the South-Eastern Norway Regional Health Authorities.
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