| 1. |
|
|
| 2. |
- Gislason, Thorarinn, et al.
(författare)
-
Persistent Chlamydia pneumonia serology is related to a more rapid decline in lung function in women but not in men
- 2010
-
Ingår i: BMC Pulmonary Medicine. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2466. ; 10
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Chlamydia pneumoniae (C pn) infection causes an acute inflammation in the respiratory system that may become persistent, but little is known about the long-term respiratory effects of C pn infections. Aim: To estimate the long term respiratory effects of C pn with change in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) as a main outcome variable.Methods The study comprised of 1109 subjects (500 men and 609 women, mean age 28 ± 6 years) that participated in the Reykjavik Heart Study of the Young. Spirometry and blood samples for measurements of IgG antibodies for C pn were done at inclusion and at the end of the follow-up period (mean follow-up time 27 ± 4 years).Results Having IgG against C pn at both examinations was significantly associated to a larger decrease in FEV1 (6 mL/year) and FVC (7 mL/year) in women but not in men. In women the association between C pn and larger FEV1 decline was only found in women that smoked at baseline where having C pn IgG was associated with 10 mL/year decline compared to smokers without C pn IgG. These results were still significant after adjustment for age, smoking and change in body weight.Conclusion Our results indicate that persistent C pn serology is related to increased decline in lung function in women but not in men. This effect was, however, primarily found in smoking women. This study is a further indication that the pathophysiological process leading to lung impairment may differ between men and women.
|
|
| 3. |
- Janson, Christer, et al.
(författare)
-
The effect of infectious burden on the prevalence of atopy and respiratory allergies in Iceland, Estonia, and Sweden
- 2007
-
Ingår i: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0091-6749 .- 1097-6825. ; 120:3, s. 673-679
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Epidemiologic reports on the effect of microbe exposure on the development of atopy and allergic asthma are inconsistent. Objectives: The study investigates the association between serologic markers of infections and occurrence of atopy, allergic asthma, and rhinitis among adults in Iceland, Sweden, and Estonia. Methods: Individuals (n = 1249; mean age, 42 years) from Iceland, Sweden, and Estonia underwent a structured interview and blood sampling. Specific IgE was measured against 4 allergens, and IgG antibodies were measured against Helicobacter pylori, Toxoplasmosis gondii, hepatitis A virus, herpes simplex virus 1, Chlamydia pneumoniae, EBV, and cytomegalovirus. Results: Nonatopic subjects more often had positive serology for Helicobacter pylori, herpes simplex virus 1, Chlamydia pneumoniae, and cytomegalovirus. Having a low number (≤3) of IgG antibodies against the various infectious agents was an independent risk factor for atopy (odds ratio [OR], 1.43; 95% CI, 1.06-1.93), allergic asthma (OR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.12-2.98), and allergic rhinitis (OR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.21-2.37). The proportion of atopy that can be explained by a lower number (≤3) of infections was 6.7% in Iceland, 9.2% in Estonia, and 16.4% in Sweden, and 6.7%, 48.2%, and 33.4% for allergic asthma, respectively. Conclusion: Our data are consistent with cumulative protective effect of infections against atopy and respiratory allergies irrespective of route of infection. Clinical implications: The study indicates what microbes or combination of microbes play a role in the complex interplay between hygiene and allergy and may contribute toward the understanding of the allergy epidemic.Background: Epidemiologic reports on the effect of microbe exposure on the development of atopy and allergic asthma are inconsistent. Objectives: The study investigates the association between serologic markers of infections and occurrence of atopy, allergic asthma, and rhinitis among adults in Iceland, Sweden, and Estonia. Methods: Individuals (n = 1249; mean age, 42 years) from Iceland, Sweden, and Estonia underwent a structured interview and blood sampling. Specific IgE was measured against 4 allergens, and IgG antibodies were measured against Helicobacter pylori, Toxoplasmosis gondii, hepatitis A virus, herpes simplex virus 1, Chlamydia pneumoniae, EBV, and cytomegalovirus. Results: Nonatopic subjects more often had positive serology for Helicobacter pylori, herpes simplex virus 1, Chlamydia pneumoniae, and cytomegalovirus. Having a low number (≤3) of IgG antibodies against the various infectious agents was an independent risk factor for atopy (odds ratio [OR], 1.43; 95% CI, 1.06-1.93), allergic asthma (OR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.12-2.98), and allergic rhinitis (OR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.21-2.37). The proportion of atopy that can be explained by a lower number (≤3) of infections was 6.7% in Iceland, 9.2% in Estonia, and 16.4% in Sweden, and 6.7%, 48.2%, and 33.4% for allergic asthma, respectively. Conclusion: Our data are consistent with cumulative protective effect of infections against atopy and respiratory allergies irrespective of route of infection. Clinical implications: The study indicates what microbes or combination of microbes play a role in the complex interplay between hygiene and allergy and may contribute toward the understanding of the allergy epidemic.
|
|
| 4. |
- Olafsdottir, Inga Sif, et al.
(författare)
-
CRP is associated with lung function decline in men but not women : a prospective study
- 2013
-
Ingår i: Respiratory Medicine. - : Elsevier BV. - 0954-6111 .- 1532-3064. ; 107:1, s. 91-97
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Systemic inflammation is associated with impaired lung function. Studies, most cross-sectional, report a stronger association between systemic inflammation and lung function impairment in men than women. The aim was to evaluate gender differences in the longitudinal association between systemic inflammation and lung function.We used data from randomly chosen residents of Reykjavík, born 1940–54, who were investigated in three stages: Baseline (1973–75; 1983–85) and follow-up (2001–03). The participants (n = 1049, 574 women) had a mean age of 28 ± 6 years at baseline and mean follow-up time of 27 ± 4 years. At each stage lung function (FEV1 and FVC) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were evaluated.Change in FEV1 (p = 0.04) and FVC (p = 0.01) was associated with baseline CRP in men but not in women. In the multiple variable analysis, CRP at baseline was associated with a decline in FEV1 (−3.1 mL/year, 95% CI: −5.1, −0.99) and FVC (−2.5 mL/year, 95% CI: −4.4, −0.65) in men but not in women. Similarly during follow-up, change in CRP, standardised to 1SD, was associated with a decline in FEV1 (−0.19 mL/year, 95% CI: −0.30, −0.07) and FVC (−0.11 mL/year, 95% CI: −0.22, −0.01)) in men but not in women.This prospective study confirms a stronger association between systemic inflammation and lung function decline in men than in women. This may indicate a gender difference in the mechanisms of lung function decline.
|
|
| 5. |
- Olafsdottir, Inga Sif, et al.
(författare)
-
Gender differences in the association between C-reactive protein, lung function impairment, and COPD
- 2007
-
Ingår i: International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. - 1176-9106. ; 2:4, s. 635-642
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Individuals with COPD have systemic inflammation that can be assessed by measuring C-reactive protein (CRP). In this paper we evaluated whether CRP is related to COPD, lung function and rate of lung function decline. We included 1237 randomly selected subjects (mean age 42, range 28–56 years) from three centers in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey: Reykjavik, Uppsala and Tartu. CRP was measured at the end of the follow-up (mean 8.3 years) and the values were divided into 4 quartiles. Fifty-three non-asthmatic subjects fulfilled spirometric criteria for COPD (FEV1/FVC < 70%). COPD occurred more often in the 4th CRP quartile (OR (95% CI) 3.21 (1.13–9.08)) after adjustment for age, gender, body weight and smoking. High CRP levels were related to lower FEV1 values in both men (−437 (−596, −279) mL) and women (−144 (−243, −44) mL). The negative association between CRP and FEV1 was significantly larger in men than women (p = 0.04). The decline in FEV1 was larger (16 (5, 27) mL) in men with high CRP levels whereas no significant association between CRP and FEV1 decline was found in women. Higher CRP values are significantly associated with COPD and lower lung function in men and women. In men higher CRP values are related to a larger decline in FEV1.
|
|
| 6. |
- Thjodleifsson, Bjarni, et al.
(författare)
-
Infections and obesity : A multinational epidemiological study
- 2008
-
Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0036-5548 .- 1651-1980. ; 40:5, s. 381-386
-
Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Viral infections have been associated with the aetiology of obesity in animal models. This study investigates the association between 7 serological markers of infections and body mass index (BMI) in a population based sample. Individuals (n=985, mean age 42+/-97 (28-55) y, mean BMI 25.594.2) from Iceland, Sweden and Estonia underwent a structured interview and blood sampling. IgG antibodies were measured against Helicobacter pylori and the cagA protein, hepatitis A virus, Toxoplasma gondii, herpes simplex virus 1, Chlamydia pneumoniae, Epstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus. High-sensitive C-reactive protein (CRP) was measured as a marker of systemic inflammation. A significant positive association between being overweight (BMI25 kg/m2) and IgG antibodies was found for Helicobacter pylori (OR 1.86, CI 1.34-2.60) and Chlamydia pneumoniae (OR 1.39, CI 1.03-1.88) and combined seropositivity had synergistic effect (OR 2.54 (1.62-3.97)). CRP was positively related to BMI (pB0.0001), whereas no significant association was found between CRP and IgG antibodies against Helicobacter pylori and/or Chlamydia pneumoniae and CRP. The results suggest that infections with Chlamydia pneumoniae and Helicobacter pylori are both significantly and synergistically associated with overweight and this association is not related to indicators of systemic inflammation.
|
|
| 7. |
- Thjodleifsson, Bjarni, et al.
(författare)
-
Seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori and cagA antibodies in Iceland, Estonia and Sweden
- 2007
-
Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0036-5548 .- 1651-1980. ; 39:8, s. 683-689
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The public health implications from H. pylori infection are considerable but the transmission routes are largely unknown. In this study, the prevalence, patient characteristics and risk factors for Helicobacter pylori infection were comparatively investigated in Iceland, Sweden and Estonia. Blood samples were collected from 1046 subjects aged≈25-50 y (447 in Reykjavik, 359 in Uppsala and 240 in Tartu) for determination of antibodies to H. pylori and its cagA protein. The prevalence of H. pylori antibodies was 69% in Tartu, 36% in Reykjavik and 11% in Uppsala (p<0.0001). There was an increase in prevalence with age in Iceland and Sweden but not in Estonia. The prevalence of antibodies to the cagA protein in subjects seroreactive to H. pylori was lower in Reykjavik (36%) than in Uppsala (69%) and Tartu (62%) (p<0.0001). H. pylori infection, as determined by seroreactivity, was positively associated with smoking and BMI. Overall, socioeconomic development during the childhood period seems to be the most important factor for the prevalence of H. pylori infection. In adults, smoking may be a contributory factor.
|
|
