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- Tjernberg, Ivar, 1973-
(författare)
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Laboratory Diagnosis of Lyme Borreliosis : Anti-Borrelia Antibodies and the Chemokine CXCL13
- 2011
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Lyme borreliosis (LB), the most common tick-borne disease in Europe and North America, is caused by spirochetes of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex. The spirochetes can invade several different organs, thereby causing many different symptoms and signs. Diagnosis of LB relies on patient history, physical examination, and detection of anti-Borrelia antibodies. However, anti-Borrelia antibodies are not always detectable, and they commonly persist even after LB is successfully treated or spontaneously healed.The aim of my work was to study diagnostic aspects on clinical cases of LB and control subjects in an area endemic to LB, with a focus on newly developed anti-Borrelia antibody tests. A total of 617 patients with symptoms and/or signs consistent with LB, as well as 255 control subjects, were studied. The diagnostic panel included the following new LB tests: Immunetics Quick ELISA C6 Borrelia assay kit (C6), invariable region 6 peptide antibody assays (IR6), Liaison Borrelia CLIA (Li) and the chemokine CXCL13. Results were compared with the older Virotech Borrelia burgdorferi ELISA (VT) and with a Western blot method, the Virotech Borrelia Ecoline IgG/IgM Line Immunoblot (WB EL), when appropriate.In general, no significant differences were noted between the C6, VT and Li tests regarding serosensitivity in various LB manifestations. However, the seropositivity rate was lower for the C6 test compared with the VT and Li tests 2–3 and 6 months after diagnosis of erythema migrans (EM), indicating normalization of antibody levels. In addition, EM patients reporting a previous LB episode had a C6 seropositivity rate similar to that of patients without a previous LB episode, and seroprevalence in healthy blood donors was lower in the C6 test than the VT and Li tests. Taken together, these results support the recommendation of the serum C6 test as a Borrelia serological test due to its ability to reflect ongoing or recent infection.Although the majority of EM patients at presentation showed concordant serological responses to IR6 peptides representing the three main Borrelia species and the C6 peptide, there were also clinical EM cases that were C6-negative and could be detected mainly by a seroresponse to a B. burgdorferi sensu stricto-derived IR6 peptide. Thus, an antibody test combining antigens could be of value in the serodiagnosis of LB in Europe.The serosensitivity of the C6 test in cases of Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB) was shown to be associated with symptom duration. A serosensitivity rate of 93% was found in LNB patients ³ 12 years of age with a symptom duration of more than 30 days. Therefore, a negative C6 test in serum in such a patient argues against an LNB diagnosis.The presence of chemokine CXCL13 in cerebrospinal fluid was confirmed to be a reliable marker of LNB. CXCL13 differentiated LNB from other conditions and also indicated a high probability of LNB in children with short symptom duration where anti-Borrelia antibodies were still lacking in the cerebrospinal fluid.A two-tiered approach (C6 test in combination with WB EL) showed no significant improvement in specificity over the C6 test alone. However, WB EL may be useful in diagnosing suspected cases of acrodermatitis chronicum atrophicans and Lyme arthritis, usually displaying multiple IgG bands.In conclusion, although the serodiagnosis of LB remains to be settled, this thesis provides some practical tools regarding the use and interpretation of Borrelia serology including proposed diagnostic routines.
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| 2. |
- Abé, Christoph, et al.
(författare)
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Cortical brain structure and sexual orientation in adult females with bipolar disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
- 2018
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Ingår i: Brain and Behavior. - : Wiley. - 2162-3279 .- 2162-3279. ; 8:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Nonheterosexual individuals have higher risk of psychiatric morbidity. Together with growing evidence for sexual orientation‐related brain differences, this raises the concern that sexual orientation may be an important factor to control for in neuroimaging studies of neuropsychiatric disorders.Methods: We studied sexual orientation in adult psychiatric patients with bipolar disorder (BD) or ADHD in a large clinical cohort (N = 154). We compared cortical brain structure in exclusively heterosexual women (HEW, n = 29) with that of nonexclusively heterosexual women (nHEW, n = 37) using surface‐based reconstruction techniques provided by FreeSurfer.Results: The prevalence of nonheterosexual sexual orientation was tentatively higher than reported in general population samples. Consistent with previously reported cross‐sex shifted brain patterns among homosexual individuals, nHEW patients showed significantly larger cortical volumes than HEW in medial occipital brain regions.Conclusion: We found evidence for a sex‐reversed difference in cortical volume among nonheterosexual female patients, which provides insights into the neurobiology of sexual orientation, and may provide the first clues toward a better neurobiological understanding of the association between sexual orientation and mental health. We also suggest that sexual orientation is an important factor to consider in future neuroimaging studies of populations with certain mental health disorders.
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| 3. |
- Ahmed, Degmo Said, et al.
(författare)
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Quantitative determination of cerebrospinal fluid bilirubin on a high throughput chemistry analyzer
- 2009
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Ingår i: Clinical laboratory. - 1433-6510. ; 55:7-8, s. 283-288
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Subarachnoid hemorrhage is a condition with high rates of mortality and morbidity. The diagnosis requires an urgent cerebral computed tomography scan and also a lumbar puncture if the scan fails to demonstrate intracranial blood. In Sweden the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is analyzed by spectrophotometric scanning for the presence of hemoglobin and bilirubin. The aim of the study was to develop a quantitative diazo reagent based analysis of cerebrospinal fluid bilirubin as a replacement for spectrophotometric scanning. METHODS: The CSF bilirubin assay on an Architect C8000 chemistry analyzer was compared with spectrophotometry using patient samples. RESULTS: The method correlates with spectrophotometry, has a good linearity and precision. CONCLUSIONS: Quantitative bilirubin measurement offers shorter turnaround times, simplifies the interpretation of the results and reduces work load in comparison with spectrophotometry.
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| 4. |
- Aldén, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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HPLC analysis of carbohydrate deficient transferrin isoforms isolated by the Axis-Shield %CDT method
- 2005
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Ingår i: Clinica Chimica Acta. - : Elsevier BV. - 0009-8981 .- 1873-3492. ; 356:1-2, s. 143-146
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) is elevated during prolonged overconsumption of alcohol and CDT is considered to be the most specific biochemical marker for alcohol overconsumption. However, an accurate method for analysing CDT is necessary because the test is frequently used for example in legal matters. Methods: Patient serum samples were analysed with the Axis-Shield %CDT and eluates were pooled together. Transferrin was purified from the pool by affinity chromatography and further analysed with HPLC to determine the ratios of different transferrin isoforms. Results: In the eluates using the Axis-Shield %CDT method, a substantial amount of trisialo transferrin was found, which is generally not considered a CDT isoform. Conclusions: The fact that trisialo transferrin is present may generate falsely elevated CDT results and it could at least partly explain the discrepancy between results of the Axis-Shield %CDT assay and HPLC in routine analysis. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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| 5. |
- Bergström, Maria, et al.
(författare)
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Lectin affinity capillary electrophoresis in glycoform analysis applying the partial filling technique
- 2004
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Ingår i: Journal of chromatography. B. - : Elsevier BV. - 1570-0232 .- 1873-376X. ; 809:2, s. 323-329
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The study of protein glycosylation and its significance in biological interactions is a field of growing interest. This work demonstrates a lectin-based separation of protein glycoforms of α1-acid glycoprotein (AGP or orosomucoid) with capillary electrophoresis. Glycoform analysis was performed with a "partial filling technique" with the lectin Concanavalin A (Con A) as affinity ligand. Con A separated human AGP into two peaks, the first peak included AGP glycoforms without biantennary glycans, and the second peak represented the fraction that had one or more biantennary glycans. The applicability of the method was demonstrated with the analysis of AGP from clinical samples and AGP treated with N-glycosidase F. The AGP separation was also used as a reporter system to estimate the dissociation constant (KD) between Con A and a competing sugar. © 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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| 8. |
- Evaldsson, Chamilly, et al.
(författare)
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4-Thiouridine induces dose-dependent reduction of oedema, leucocyte influx and tumour necrosis factor in lung inflammation
- 2009
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Ingår i: Clinical and Experimental Immunology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0009-9104 .- 1365-2249. ; 155:2, s. 330-338
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Recent reports demonstrate a role for nucleotides as inflammatory modulators. Uridine, for example, reduces oedema formation and leucocyte infiltration in a Sephadex-induced lung inflammation model. Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) concentration was also reduced. Previous in vivo observations indicated that 4-thiouridine might have similar effects on leucocyte infiltration and TNF release. The aim of this study was thus to investigate the effects of 4-thiouridine in greater detail. We used a Sephadex-induced acute lung inflammation model in Sprague-Dawley rats. The dextran beads were instilled intratracheally into the lungs, which were excised and examined after 24 h. Sephadex alone led to massive oedema formation and infiltration of macrophages, neutrophils and eosinophils. Microgranulomas with giant cell formations were clearly visible around the partially degraded beads. A significant increase in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) content of TNF and leukotrienes was also seen. 4-Thiouridine co-administration affected all variables investigated in this model, i.e. oedema, microscopic and macroscopic appearance of lung tissue, total leucocyte and differential leucocyte counts in BALF, TNF and leukotrienes C-4 (LTC4), LTD4 and LTE4 in BALF, indicating a reproducible anti-inflammatory effect. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that 4-thiouridine has anti-inflammatory effects similar to those of uridine. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of pharmacological 4-thiouridine effects in vivo. The results suggest nucleoside/nucleotide involvement in inflammatory processes, warranting further studies on nucleoside analogues as attractive new alternatives in the treatment of inflammatory diseases.
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| 9. |
- Evaldsson, Chamilly, 1978-, et al.
(författare)
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Isomaltitol exacerbates neutrophilia but reduces eosinophilia : New insights into the Sephadex model of lung inflammation
- 2011
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Ingår i: International Archives of Allergy and Immunology. - : Karger. - 1018-2438 .- 1423-0097. ; 154:4, s. 286-294
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We have previously examined isomaltitol in an in vitro static adhesion assay between isolated granulocytes and cultured human umbilical cord vein cells and were interested in investigating whether the potentially anti-inflammatory effects observed there could be reproduced in vivo. The Sephadex-induced lung inflammation model was considered a suitable model due to the significant changes in global inflammatory endpoints, like oedema and leukocyte migration, usually seen upon provocation with Sephadex. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were instilled intratracheally with Sephadex (5 mg/ml), vehicle (0.9% NaCl), isomaltitol (50 mg/ml) or a combination of isomaltitol and Sephadex. After 24 h, the lungs were weighed to measure oedema and preserved for histology. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was used for analysis of tumour necrosis factor, cysteinyl leukotrienes, and differential and total leukocyte counts. In addition, blood differential counts and thymus weights were analysed. Contrary to what we expected from in vitro experiments, differential counts showed that isomaltitol increased the neutrophil component while decreasing the eosinophilia. Isomaltitol thus asserted a modulatory role on the usually eosinophil-dominated Sephadex-induced cell profile. Isomaltitol alone also increased several inflammatory parameters, including oedema and cysteinyl leukotrienes, and generally aggravated total inflammation in combination with Sephadex. Although the mechanisms were not investigated in this study, the effects could relate to a combination of isomaltitol's osmotic and structure-specific properties. Our results indicate that isomaltitol can modulate the inflammatory response induced by Sephadex instillation in addition to have pro-inflammatory effects on it its own, and may therefore provide new insights into the mechanisms of this widely used animal model. Sugar alcohols similar to isomaltitol have already been used to aid mucus clearance in cystic fibrosis patients, and it is possible that isomaltitol could also be used for this purpose.
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| 10. |
- Falck, Anna-Karin, et al.
(författare)
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Analysis of and prognostic information from disseminated tumour cells in bone marrow in primary breast cancer: a prospective observational study
- 2012
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Ingår i: BMC Cancer. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2407. ; 12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Disseminated tumour cells (DTCs) in the bone marrow of patients with breast cancer have been identified as an independent predictor of poor prognosis in patients with non-metastatic disease. This prospective study aimed to evaluate the presence and prognostic value of DTCs in the bone marrow of female patients with primary breast cancer. Methods: Between 1999 and 2003, bone marrow aspirates were obtained from patients at the time of surgery for primary invasive breast cancer. DTCs in bone marrow were identified using monoclonal antibodies against cytokeratins for detection of epithelial cells. The detection of DTCs was related to clinical follow-up with distant disease-free survival (DDFS) and breast cancer-specific survival as endpoints. Bone marrow aspirates from adult healthy bone marrow donors were analysed separately. Results: DTCs were analysed in 401 patients, and cytokeratin-positive cells were found in 152 of these (38%). An immunofluorescence (IF) staining procedure was used in 327 patients, and immunocytochemistry (IC) was performed in 74 patients. The IF-based method resulted in 40% DTC-positive cases, whereas 30% were positive using IC (p = 0.11). The presence of DTCs in bone marrow was not significantly related to patient or tumour characteristics. The presence of DTCs was not a prognostic factor for DDFS (IF: hazards ratio [HR], 2.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.63-2.2; p = 0.60; IC: HR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.09-8.1; p = 0.88). Significant prognostic factors were lymph node metastases, oestrogen receptor positivity, Nottingham histological grade, and tumour size using Cox univariate analysis. The analyses were positive for epithelial cells in bone marrow from adult healthy donors in 19 (25%) samples. Conclusions: The detection of DTCs in bone marrow in primary breast cancer was previously shown to be a predictor of poor prognosis. We were not able to confirm these results in a prospective cohort including unselected patients before the standard procedure was established. Future studies with a standardised patient protocol and improved technique for isolating and detecting DTCs may reveal the clinical applications of DTC detection in patients with micrometastases in the bone marrow.
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