| 1. |
- Edén, Arvid, 1975, et al.
(författare)
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Viral Antigen and Inflammatory Biomarkers in Cerebrospinal Fluid in Patients With COVID-19 Infection and Neurologic Symptoms Compared With Control Participants Without Infection or Neurologic Symptoms.
- 2022
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Ingår i: JAMA network open. - : American Medical Association (AMA). - 2574-3805. ; 5:5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Neurologic symptoms are common in COVID-19, but the central nervous system (CNS) pathogenesis is unclear, and viral RNA is rarely detected in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).To measure viral antigen and inflammatory biomarkers in CSF in relation to neurologic symptoms and disease severity.This cross-sectional study was performed from March 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021, in patients 18 years or older who were admitted to Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden, with COVID-19. All patients had CSF samples taken because of neurologic symptoms or within a study protocol. Healthy volunteer and prepandemic control groups were included.SARS-CoV-2 infection.Outcomes included CSF SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antigen (N-Ag) using an ultrasensitive antigen capture immunoassay platform and CSF biomarkers of immune activation (neopterin, β2-microglobulin, and cytokines) and neuronal injury (neurofilament light protein [NfL]).Forty-four patients (median [IQR] age, 57 [48-69] years; 30 [68%] male; 26 with moderate COVID-19 and 18 with severe COVID-19 based on the World Health Organization Clinical Progression Scale), 10 healthy controls (median [IQR] age, 58 [54-60] years; 5 [50%] male), and 41 patient controls (COVID negative without evidence of CNS infection) (median [IQR] age, 59 [49-70] years; 19 [46%] male) were included in the study. Twenty-one patients were neuroasymptomatic and 23 were neurosymptomatic (21 with encephalopathy). In 31 of 35 patients for whom data were available (89%), CSF N-Ag was detected; viral RNA test results were negative in all. Nucleocapsid antigen was significantly correlated with CSF neopterin (r=0.38; P=.03) and interferon γ (r=0.42; P=.01). No differences in CSF N-Ag concentrations were found between patient groups. Patients had markedly increased CSF neopterin, β2-microglobulin, interleukin (IL) 2, IL-6, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor α compared with controls. Neurosymptomatic patients had significantly higher median (IQR) CSF interferon γ (86 [47-172] vs 21 [17-81] fg/mL; P=.03) and had a significantly higher inflammatory biomarker profile using principal component analysis compared with neuroasymptomatic patients (0.54; 95% CI, 0.03-1.05; P=.04). Age-adjusted median (IQR) CSF NfL concentrations were higher in patients compared with controls (960 [673-1307] vs 618 [489-786] ng/L; P=.002). No differences were seen in any CSF biomarkers in moderate compared with severe disease.In this study of Swedish adults with COVID-19 infection and neurologic symptoms, compared with control participants, viral antigen was detectable in CSF and correlated with CNS immune activation. Patients with COVID-19 had signs of neuroaxonal injury, and neurosymptomatic patients had a more marked inflammatory profile that could not be attributed to differences in COVID-19 severity. These results highlight the clinical relevance of neurologic symptoms and suggest that viral components can contribute to CNS immune responses without direct viral invasion.
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| 2. |
- Hansen, Thomas, et al.
(författare)
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Exclusion from Social Relations in Later Life : Micro- and Macro-Level Patterns and Correlations in a European Perspective
- 2021
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Ingår i: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. - : MDPI. - 1661-7827 .- 1660-4601. ; 18:23
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Older adults face particular risks of exclusion from social relationships (ESR) and are especially vulnerable to its consequences. However, research so far has been limited to specific dimensions, countries, and time points. In this paper, we examine the prevalence and micro- and macro-level predictors of ESR among older adults (60+) using two waves of data obtained four years apart across 14 European countries in the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). We consider four ESR indicators (household composition, social networks, social opportunities, and loneliness) and link them to micro-level (age, gender, socioeconomic factors, health, and family responsibilities) and national macro-level factors (social expenditures, unmet health needs, individualism, social trust, and institutional trust). Findings reveal a northwest to southeast gradient, with the lowest rates of ESR in the stronger welfare states of Northwest Europe. The high rates of ESR in the southeast are especially pronounced among women. Predictably, higher age and fewer personal resources (socioeconomic factors and health) increase the risk of all ESR dimensions for both genders. Macro-level factors show significant associations with ESR beyond the effect of micro-level factors, suggesting that national policies and cultural and structural characteristics may play a role in fostering sociability and connectivity and, thus, reduce the risk of ESR in later life.
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| 3. |
- Kanberg, Nelly, et al.
(författare)
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COVID-19 Recovery: Consistent Absence of Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarker Abnormalities in Patients With Neurocognitive Post-COVID Complications.
- 2024
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Ingår i: The Journal of infectious diseases. - 1537-6613. ; 229:2, s. 493-501
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- To investigate evidence of residual viral infection, intrathecal immune activation, central nervous system (CNS) injury, and humoral responses in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma in patients recovering from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), with or without neurocognitive post-COVID condition (PCC).Thirty-one participants (25 with neurocognitive PCC) underwent clinical examination, lumbar puncture, and venipuncture ≥3 months after COVID-19 symptom onset. Healthy volunteers were included. CSF and plasma severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) nucleocapsid and spike antigen (N-Ag, S-Ag), and CSF biomarkers of immune activation and neuronal injury were analyzed.SARS-CoV-2 N-Ag or S-Ag were undetectable in all samples and no participant had pleocytosis. We detected no significant differences in CSF and plasma cytokine concentrations, albumin ratio, IgG index, neopterin, β2M, or in CSF biomarkers of neuronal injury and astrocytic damage. Furthermore, principal component analysis (PCA1) analysis did not indicate any significant differences between the study groups in the marker sets cytokines, neuronal markers, or anti-cytokine autoantibodies.We found no evidence of ongoing viral replication, immune activation, or CNS injury in plasma or CSF in patients with neurocognitive PCC compared with COVID-19 controls or healthy volunteers, suggesting that neurocognitive PCC is a consequence of events suffered during acute COVID-19 rather than persistent viral CNS infection or residual CNS inflammation.
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| 4. |
- Kon, Hadas, et al.
(författare)
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Prevalence and Clinical Consequences of Colistin Heteroresistance and Evolution into Full Resistance in Carbapenem-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii
- 2023
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Ingår i: Microbiology Spectrum. - : American Society for Microbiology. - 2165-0497. ; 11:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Colistin heteroresistance (HR) refers to a bacterial population comprised of several subpopulations with different levels of resistance to colistin. In this study, we discuss the classic form of HR, in which a resistant subpopulation exists within a predominantly susceptible population. We investigated the prevalence of colistin HR and its evolution into full resistance among 173 clinical carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolates and examined the effect of HR on clinical outcomes. To determine HR, we performed population analysis profiling. Our results showed a high prevalence of HR (67.1%). To examine evolution of HR strains into full resistance, the HR strains were grown in colistin-containing broth, transferred onto colistin-containing plates, and colonies on these plates were transferred into colistin-free broth. Many of the HR strains (80.2%) evolved into full resistance, 17.2% reverted to HR, and 2.6% were borderline. We used logistic regression to compare 14-day clinical failure and 14-day mortality between patients infected by HR versus susceptible non-HR carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii. In the subgroup of patients with bacteremia, HR was significantly associated with 14-day mortality.IMPORTANCE To our knowledge, this is the first large-scale study to report on HR in Gram-negative bacteria. We described the prevalence of colistin HR in a large sample of carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii isolates, the evolution of many colistin HR isolates to a resistant phenotype following colistin exposure and withdrawal, and the clinical consequences of colistin HR. We found a high prevalence of HR among clinical carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii isolates; most evolved into a resistant phenotype following colistin exposure and withdrawal. In patients treated with colistin, evolution of HR A. baumannii into full resistance could lead to higher rates of treatment failure and contribute to the reservoir of colistin-resistant pathogens in health care settings. To our knowledge, this is the first large-scale study to report on HR in Gram-negative bacteria. We described the prevalence of colistin HR in a large sample of carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii isolates, the evolution of many colistin HR isolates to a resistant phenotype following colistin exposure and withdrawal, and the clinical consequences of colistin HR.
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| 5. |
- Petrova Kafkova, Marcela, et al.
(författare)
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Is There an Association Between Childhood Conditions and Exclusionfrom Social Relations in Later Life?
- 2023
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Ingår i: Polish Sociological Review. - Warsaw, Poland : Polish Sociological Association. - 1231-1413 .- 2657-4276. ; 223:3, s. 369-393
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study aims to explore the effects of childhood circumstances and conditions on the risk of exclusionfrom social relations in old age, using a life-course perspective and examining gender influence. Secondaryanalysis of SHARE. Weak and inconsistent consequences of the primary socialization context were found,however, in many cases, the expected effect is missing or contradictory. No impacts on the structure of the family oforigin were found. For men, we often found a small, but significant effect of physical aspects of childhood living.For women, the cultural capital of family of origin and the quality of relations with parents seem to have a greatereffect. Findings suggest that life-long resilience factors play an important role in the process of counterbalancingchildhood living conditions. Early socialization consequences will not necessarily lead to ESR at old age.
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