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Sökning: WFRF:(Aleman Soo)

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1.
  • Aleman, Soo, et al. (författare)
  • A Risk for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Persists Long-term After Sustained Virologic Response in Patients With Hepatitis C-Associated Liver Cirrhosis
  • 2013
  • Ingår i: Clinical Infectious Diseases. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1537-6591 .- 1058-4838. ; 57:2, s. 230-236
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Background. The long-term effect of sustained virologic response (SVR) to antiviral therapy on the risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), liver complications, liver-related death, and overall death in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients with liver cirrhosis is not fully known. Methods. These risks were evaluated during long-term follow-up in 351 patients with HCV-related cirrhosis. One hundred ten patients with SVR, 193 with non-SVR, and 48 who were untreated were included in a multicenter cohort that was initiated in 2001 and prospectively followed up for a mean of 5.3 (SD, 2.8) years. Complementary follow-up data from national registries were used to minimize the loss of patients during follow-up. Results. Six patients with SVR developed HCC at 0.04, 0.64, 2.4, 7.4, 7.4, and 7.6 years, respectively, after achieving SVR. The incidences of HCC, any liver complication, liver-related death, and overall death per 100 person-years were significantly lower in SVR time with 1.0, 0.9, 0.7, and 1.9, compared to 2.3, 3.2, 3.0, and 4.1 in non-SVR and 4.0, 4.9, 4.5, and 5.1 in untreated time. The long-term consequences did not decline significantly after >3 years versus during the first 3 years of follow-up. Conclusions. The risk for HCC, liver decompensation, and death in patients with liver cirrhosis related to HCV was markedly reduced after SVR, but a long-term risk of developing HCC remains for up to 8 years. Cirrhotic patients with HCV who achieve SVR should therefore maintain long-term surveillance for HCC. Future studies aimed to better identify those with remaining long-term risk for HCC are needed.
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2.
  • Aleman, Soo, et al. (författare)
  • Frequent loss to follow-up after diagnosis of hepatitis C virus infection : A barrier towards the elimination of hepatitis C virus
  • 2020
  • Ingår i: Liver international (Print). - : Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Inc.. - 1478-3223 .- 1478-3231. ; 40:8, s. 1832-1840
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • BACKGROUND: Previous studies on hepatitis C cascade of care have been mainly focused on diagnosis and treatment rate, while less attention has been given to patients lost to follow-up (LTFU) after diagnosis. Analyses of this latter issue on population level are missing.AIMS: In this nationwide study of people with HCV, we aimed to estimate the proportion LTFU after HCV diagnosis, characterize them, and analyze their other healthcare contacts.METHODS: Patients diagnosed with chronic HCV in the Swedish National Patient register during 2001-2011 and still alive December 31, 2013, were included. The number of cured patients without need of follow-up was estimated. Visits to HCV specialist care during 2012-2013 were analysed. For those LTFU, other specialist care contacts were studied.RESULTS: In total 29,217 patients were included, with 24,733 with need of HCV care. 61% (n=15,007) of them were LTFU from HCV care in 2012-2013 and 58% did not attend HCV care during the second year after HCV diagnosis. The departments of surgery/orthopedic or psychiatry/dependency were the most common other non-primary healthcare contacts. Predictors for LTFU were young age, male sex, low education, presence of psychiatric/dependency diagnosis, unmarried, and longer duration since diagnosis of HCV.CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that almost two-thirds of patients were LTFU after HCV diagnosis, with frequent occurrence early after diagnosis. Efforts to link patients back to HCV care, in combination with early and easy access to HCV treatment and harm reduction, are necessary to reach the HCV elimination goal.
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3.
  • Aleman, Soo, et al. (författare)
  • Health check-ups and family screening allow detection of hereditary hemochromatosis with less advanced liver fibrosis and survival comparable with the general population
  • 2011
  • Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0036-5521 .- 1502-7708. ; 46:9, s. 1118-1126
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Objective. The information concerning the morbidity and mortality of hereditary hemochromatosis is based primarily on clinical cohorts of symptomatic patients. The major aim of this study was to analyze the long-term prognosis for Swedish patients with this condition, with respect to both clinical features and survival, in relation to the route by which the disease was detected. Patients and methods. 373 patients with hemochromatosis detected through routine health checkups (n = 153), family screening (n = 44), symptoms of arthralgia (n = 23), investigation of other diseases/symptoms (n = 108) or signs of liver disease (n = 45) were monitored for a mean period of 11.9 +/- 5.8 years. The degree of liver fibrosis and survival were analyzed. Results. Overall survival among these patients was not significantly different from that of a matched normal population. The patients diagnosed through health check-ups and family screening were detected at an earlier age and had the highest rate of survival. Liver biopsy at the time of diagnosis revealed cirrhosis in 9% of those detected through the health check-ups and 5% in the case of family screening, compared with 13% for the group with arthralgia, 17% for other diseases/symptoms and 42% for liver disease. Conclusion. Health check-ups and family screening allow detection of hereditary hemochromatosis at an earlier age and with less advanced liver fibrosis, although a few of these patients have already developed cirrhosis. Our study indicates that iron indices should be included in health check-ups, and if abnormal, should lead to further investigation.
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4.
  • Aleman, Soo (författare)
  • Studies on the efficacy of potent anti-HIV-1 therapy on virological and immunological factors
  • 2001
  • Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
    • The aim of this thesis was to assess to which extent treated human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV-1) infected patients with a seemingly controlled, defined as undetectable plasma HIV-1 RNA levels (< 50 copies/ml), or low-grade viral replication, exhibited pattems in virological and immunological factors which could suggest a continuation of the disease process. We have therefore analysed the kinetics of HIV-1 DNA levels (Papers I and II), the viral evolution (Paper II), the changes in Beta-chemokine levels (Paper 111) and sCD27 levels (Paper IV), and the appearance of drug resistance associated mutations (Paper V) in such patients. The HIV-1 DNA levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells were analysed by a competitive PCR assay in patients with triple (n= 37) or double combination therapy (n= 11) and in 10 untreated patients during one year (Paper 1). In patients on triple therapy, a significant decline of the HIV- I DNA load was seen, independent of whether it was expressed as copies/ 106 CD4+ cells or copies/nil blood. In contrast, in patients given two drugs, a decline was only seen when the proviral load was expressed as copies/106 CD4+ cells. During a prolonged follow-up period of up to 30 months in patients with undetectable plasma HIV-1 RNA levels, the cellular HIV-1 DNA levels continued to decrease and the frequency of patients with undetectable proviral DNA increased. Also, sequence changes in the V3 region of the major viral population, as signs of ongoing viral replication, were monitored in Paper H. Of 18 patients with viral suppression to < 50 copies/ml, variations of the V3 sequences were observed in 10 patients. 69% of these changes occurred in the first sample interval after initiation of therapy. The kinetics of the beta-chemokines, MIP-1alpha, MIP-1beta, RANTES and MCP-1, in plasma during one year of therapy (n= 26) and in untreated subjects (n= 11) were studied by ELISA (Paper III). During therapy, decreases of MCP-1 and RANTES levels were found, while no durable changes of MIP-1alpha, and MIP-10 were seen. The MCP-1 levels rebounded back to baseline after one year despite a good virological response. Plasma levels of sCD27 were measured by ELISA during two years of therapy in 26 patients and in additional seven patients after interruption of therapy (Paper IV). A full normalisation of plasma sCD27 levels was observed in responders with HIV-1 RNA < 50 copies/ml and in patients with moderate immunodeficiency. Discontinuation of therapy resulted in a rapid increase of sCD27 plasma levels, associated with viral rebound. Crosssectional examination on lymphocytes from 36 subjects showed a reduced cellular expression of CD27, which was further decreased in patients on combination therapy. The pol gene was analysed by direct sequencing in 14 patients who had an initial treatment response of a viral load < 500 copies/ml, but who thereafter had a viral rebound to a low-grade viremia. During up to 30 months of follow-up, new primary resistance associated mutations in RT or protease appeared in 11 and 9 patients, respectively, despite concomitantly increasing CD4+ T cell counts. Drug-resistance was even detected in a patient with HIV- I RNA < 50 copies/ml. Further mutations accumulated frequently after the initial mutations. Our data suggest that the viral replication can be highly restricted and that measures of immune activation can normalise during two-three years of antiretroviral combination therapy in patients with plasma HIV-1 RNA levels < 50 copies/ml. However, the disease process may continue in some patients. A low-grade viremia can be sufficient to allow drug-resistance mutations, which may exhaust future drug-options. Thus, currently used anti-HIV-1 therapy is frequently very efficient, but it is still possible to further improve the virological and immmunological effects in otherwise successfully treated individuals.
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5.
  • Alkharaan, Hassan, et al. (författare)
  • Persisting Salivary IgG Against SARS-CoV-2 at 9 Months After Mild COVID-19 : A Complementary Approach to Population Surveys
  • 2021
  • Ingår i: Journal of Infectious Diseases. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0022-1899 .- 1537-6613. ; 224:3, s. 407-414
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Background. Declining humoral immunity in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients and possible reinfection have raised concern. Mucosal immunity, particularly salivary antibodies, may be short lived although long-term studies are lacking. Methods. Using a multiplex bead-based array platform, we investigated antibodies specific to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) proteins in 256 saliva samples from convalescent patients 1-9 months after symptomatic COVID-19 (n = 74, cohort 1), undiagnosed individuals with self-reported questionnaires (n = 147, cohort 2), and individuals sampled prepandemic (n = 35, cohort 3). Results. Salivary IgG antibody responses in cohort 1 (mainly mild COVID-19) were detectable up to 9 months postrecovery, with high correlations between spike and nucleocapsid specificity. At 9 months, IgG remained in blood and saliva in most patients. Salivary IgA was rarely detected at this time point. In cohort 2, salivary IgG and IgA responses were significantly associated with recent history of COVID-19-like symptoms. Salivary IgG tolerated temperature and detergent pretreatments. Conclusions. Unlike SARS-CoV-2 salivary IgA that appeared short lived, specific saliva IgG appeared stable even after mild COVID-19, as for blood serology. This noninvasive saliva-based SARS-CoV-2 antibody test with home self-collection may be a complementary alternative to conventional blood serology.
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6.
  • Batyrbekova, Nurgul, et al. (författare)
  • Hepatitis C virus infection and the temporal trends in the risk of liver cancer : a national register-based cohort study in Sweden
  • 2020
  • Ingår i: Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention. - : American Association for Cancer Research. - 1055-9965 .- 1538-7755. ; 29:1, s. 63-70
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • BACKGROUND: In many countries, including Sweden, the birth cohorts with the highest prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection have now reached the ages with high risk of primary liver cancer (PLC). The aims were to investigate the temporal trends in PLC incidence and the relative risks of PLC among people diagnosed with HCV-infection between 1990 and 2015.METHODS: The HCV-cohort (n: 52,853) was compared with a matched non-HCV comparison-cohort (n: 523,649). Both the Cancer (CR) and Death registers (DR) were used for follow-up. The crude and age-standardised PLC incidence rates were calculated. The relative risk was estimated as standardized incidence ratios (SIR) and as hazard ratios (HR) using stratified Cox hazards regression.RESULTS: There were 1,609 with PLC-diagnosis in the HCV-cohort, the annual number increased continuously with the crude incidence rate reaching 4.56 per 1,000 person-years in 2013, while remaining low and stable in the comparison-cohort. In the HCV-cohort, the age-standardised PLC incidence rates per 1,000 person-years remained relatively constant at 2.64 (95% CI: 1.54, 3.75) in 2000 and 3.31 (2.51, 4.12) in 2014. The highest SIR was 73 (65.9, 79.5) among those infected for 35-40 years; and the highest HR was 65.9 (55.9, 77.6) for men and 62.2 (31.9, 121.1) for women.CONCLUSIONS: There was a considerable increase in PLC-incidence over time and an extremely high relative risk in the population with HCV-infection for more than 35 years.IMPACT: The national HCV-associated PLC-incidence should be monitored in future studies to evaluate the effect of DAA-treatment.
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7.
  • Bergman, Peter, et al. (författare)
  • Safety and efficacy of the mRNA BNT162b2 vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 in five groups of immunocompromised patients and healthy controls in a prospective open-label clinical trial
  • 2021
  • Ingår i: EBioMedicine. - : Elsevier BV. - 2352-3964. ; 74
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Background: Patients with immunocompromised disorders have mainly been excluded from clinical trials of vaccination against COVID-19. Thus, the aim of this prospective clinical trial was to investigate safety and efficacy of BNT162b2 mRNA vaccination in five selected groups of immunocompromised patients and healthy controls.Methods: 539 study subjects (449 patients and 90 controls) were included. The patients had either primary (n=90), or secondary immunodeficiency disorders due to human immunodeficiency virus infection (n=90), allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation/CAR T cell therapy (n=90), solid organ transplantation (SOT) (n=89), or chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) (n=90). The primary endpoint was seroconversion rate two weeks after the second dose. The secondary endpoints were safety and documented SARS-CoV-2 infection.Findings: Adverse events were generally mild, but one case of fatal suspected unexpected serious adverse reaction occurred. 72.2% of the immunocompromised patients seroconverted compared to 100% of the controls (p=0.004). Lowest seroconversion rates were found in the SOT (43.4%) and CLL (63.3%) patient groups with observed negative impact of treatment with mycophenolate mofetil and ibrutinib, respectively.Interpretation: The results showed that the mRNA BNT162b2 vaccine was safe in immunocompromised patients. Rate of seroconversion was substantially lower than in healthy controls, with a wide range of rates and antibody titres among predefined patient groups and subgroups. This clinical trial highlights the need for additional vaccine doses in certain immunocompromised patient groups to improve immunity.
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8.
  • Brenndörfer, Erwin Daniel, et al. (författare)
  • Hepatitis C virus non-structural 3/4A protein interferes with intrahepatic interferon-γ production.
  • 2012
  • Ingår i: Gut. - : BMJ. - 1468-3288 .- 0017-5749. ; 61:4, s. 589-96
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • The non-structural (NS) 3/4A protease/helicase of the hepatitis C virus is known to modulate signalling pathways in the infected hepatocyte by cleaving CARD adaptor inducing IFNβ (Cardif), T-cell protein tyrosine phosphatase (TC-PTP) and TIR domain-containing adaptor inducing IFNβ (TRIF), but the effects of NS3/4A in vivo still remain unclear.
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9.
  • Castro Dopico, Xaquin, et al. (författare)
  • Probabilistic classification of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody responses improves seroprevalence estimates
  • 2022
  • Ingår i: Clinical & Translational Immunology (CTI). - : John Wiley & Sons. - 2050-0068. ; 11:3
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Objectives: Population-level measures of seropositivity are critical for understanding the epidemiology of an emerging pathogen, yet most antibody tests apply a strict cutoff for seropositivity that is not learnt in a data-driven manner, leading to uncertainty when classifying low-titer responses. To improve upon this, we evaluated cutoff-independent methods for their ability to assign likelihood of SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity to individual samples. Methods: Using robust ELISAs based on SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) and the receptor-binding domain (RBD), we profiled antibody responses in a group of SARS-CoV-2 PCR+ individuals (n = 138). Using these data, we trained probabilistic learners to assign likelihood of seropositivity to test samples of unknown serostatus (n = 5100), identifying a support vector machines-linear discriminant analysis learner (SVM-LDA) suited for this purpose. Results: In the training data from confirmed ancestral SARS-CoV-2 infections, 99% of participants had detectable anti-S and -RBD IgG in the circulation, with titers differing > 1000-fold between persons. In data of otherwise healthy individuals, 7.2% (n = 367) of samples were of uncertain serostatus, with values in the range of 3-6SD from the mean of pre-pandemic negative controls (n = 595). In contrast, SVM-LDA classified 6.4% (n = 328) of test samples as having a high likelihood (> 99% chance) of past infection, 4.5% (n = 230) to have a 50–99% likelihood, and 4.0% (n = 203) to have a 10–49% likelihood. As different probabilistic approaches were more consistent with each other than conventional SD-based methods, such tools allow for more statistically-sound seropositivity estimates in large cohorts. Conclusion: Probabilistic antibody testing frameworks can improve seropositivity estimates in populations with large titer variability.
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10.
  • Chen, Puran, et al. (författare)
  • Real-world assessment of immunogenicity in immunocompromised individuals following SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination : a one-year follow-up of the prospective clinical trial COVAXID
  • 2023
  • Ingår i: EBioMedicine. - : Elsevier. - 2352-3964. ; 94
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Background: Immunocompromised patients have varying responses to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination. However, there is limited information available from prospective clinical trial cohorts with respect to long-term immunogenicity-related responses in these patient groups following three or four vaccine doses, and in applicable cases infection.Methods: In a real-world setting, we assessed the long-term immunogenicity-related responses in patients with primary and secondary immunodeficiencies from the prospective open-label clinical trial COVAXID. The original clinical trial protocol included two vaccine doses given on days 0 and 21, with antibody titres measured at six different timepoints over six months. The study cohort has subsequently been followed for one year with antibody responses evaluated in relation to the third and fourth vaccine dose, and in applicable cases SARS-CoV-2 infection. In total 356/539 patients were included in the extended cohort. Blood samples were analysed for binding antibody titres and neutralisation against the Spike protein for all SARS-CoV-2 variants prevailing during the study period, including Omicron subvariants. SARS-CoV-2 infections that did not require hospital care were recorded through quarterly in-person, or phone-, interviews and assessment of IgG antibody titres against SARSCoV-2 Nucleocapsid. The original clinical trial was registered in EudraCT (2021-000175-37) and clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04780659).Findings: The third vaccine dose significantly increased Spike IgG titres against all the SARS-CoV-2 variants analysed in all immunocompromised patient groups. Similarly, neutralisation also increased against all variants studied, except for Omicron. Omicron-specific neutralisation, however, increased after a fourth dose as well as after three doses and infection in many of the patient subgroups. Noteworthy, however, while many patient groups mounted strong serological responses after three and four vaccine doses, comparably weak responders were found among patient subgroups with specific primary immunodeficiencies and subgroups with immunosuppressive medication.Interpretation: The study identifies particularly affected patient groups in terms of development of long-term immunity among a larger group of immunocompromised patients. In particular, the results highlight poor vaccine-elicited neutralising responses towards Omicron subvariants in specific subgroups. The results provide additional knowledge of relevance for future vaccination strategies.
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11.
  • Colombe, Soledad, et al. (författare)
  • Monitoring the progress towards the elimination of hepatitis B and C in Sweden : estimation of core indicators for 2015 and 2018
  • 2022
  • Ingår i: BMC Infectious Diseases. - : BioMed Central (BMC). - 1471-2334. ; 22:1
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • INTRODUCTION: To monitor Sweden's progress towards the WHO goal of eliminating viral hepatitis, we estimated the prevalence, notification rate, and liver-related morbidity and mortality for diagnosed hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections in 2015 and 2018.METHODS: We identified cases of hepatitis B and C within the National System for Notifiable Diseases and obtained data on treatment and whether the case was deceased or not. We calculated prevalence, notification rates per 100,000, and proportion of newly diagnosed cases of hepatitis with liver disease at the time of diagnosis, and proportion of all deceased cases who died from liver disease. We calculated Poisson 95% confidence intervals (CIs) around the notification rates and Wilson 95% CIs around prevalence and mortality estimates.RESULTS: In 2015 and 2018, the prevalence of diagnosed HBV infections was 0.20% [95% CI: 0.19-0.20] and 0.21% [0.20-0.21]. Notification rates per 100,000 for HBV infections were 13.02 [12.32-13.76] and 7.71 [7.18-8.27]. HBV liver-related morbidity was 2.65% [1.90-3.68] and 2.16% [1.35-3.43]. HBV liver-related mortality was 20.00% [14.81-26.44] and 17.95% [13.20-23.94]. In 2015 and 2018, the prevalence of diagnosed HCV-infections was 0.24% [0.24-0.25] and 0.18% [0.18-0.19]. Notification rates per 100,000 for HCV infections were 15.92 [15.14-16.73] and 13.05 [12.36-13.77]. HCV liver-related morbidity was 8.14% [6.89-9.60] and 3.90% [2.99-5.08]. HCV liver-related mortality was 27.08% [24.54-29.77] and 26.90% [24.12-29.88].CONCLUSIONS: All indicators decreased or remained stable between 2015 and 2018, indicating progress in the elimination of viral hepatitis, especially for HCV infection.
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12.
  • Cuapio, Angelica, et al. (författare)
  • NK cell frequencies, function and correlates to vaccine outcome in BNT162b2 mRNA anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccinated healthy and immunocompromised individuals
  • 2022
  • Ingår i: Molecular Medicine. - : BioMed Central (BMC). - 1076-1551 .- 1528-3658. ; 28:1
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Adaptive immune responses have been studied extensively in the course of mRNA vaccination against COVID-19. Considerably fewer studies have assessed the effects on innate immune cells. Here, we characterized NK cells in healthy individuals and immunocompromised patients in the course of an anti-SARS-CoV-2 BNT162b2 mRNA prospective, open-label clinical vaccine trial. See trial registration description in notes. Results revealed preserved NK cell numbers, frequencies, subsets, phenotypes, and function as assessed through consecutive peripheral blood samplings at 0, 10, 21, and 35 days following vaccination. A positive correlation was observed between the frequency of NKG2C+ NK cells at baseline (Day 0) and anti-SARS-CoV-2 Ab titers following BNT162b2 mRNA vaccination at Day 35. The present results provide basic insights in regards to NK cells in the context of mRNA vaccination, and have relevance for future mRNA-based vaccinations against COVID-19, other viral infections, and cancer.Trial registration: The current study is based on clinical material from the COVAXID open-label, non-randomized prospective clinical trial registered at EudraCT and clinicaltrials.gov (no. 2021–000175-37). Description: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04780659?term=2021-000175-37&draw=2&rank=1.
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13.
  • Danielsson Borssén, Åsa, 1977- (författare)
  • Autoimmune hepatitis : life, death and in-between
  • 2017
  • Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
    • Background Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a chronic autoimmune liver disease that is overrepresented in women (75% of cases). Studies have described a 10-year survival after diagnosis near to that of the general population, but less is known about the long-term survival. The inflammation in AIH causes fibrotic tissue to form in the liver and about 1/3 of AIH patients have cirrhosis at diagnosis. Studies have shown that treatment of the underlying liver disease can reverse fibrosis, and sometimes even cirrhosis, but only a few studies have examined the response to treatment in AIH. AIH affects all ages and some women will have cirrhosis during pregnancy, which is a risk factor for an adverse outcome. Cirrhosis is also a risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the true risk for HCC in cirrhotic AIH patients is not known.Aim To study the epidemiology of AIH in Sweden, the causes of death and the risk of cancer for AIH patients, the efficacy of medical treatment on fibrosis and cirrhosis, and outcomes for the mother and child in pregnancy.Material and methods A cohort of 634 AIH patients was established at the Swedish University hospitals. Prevalence and incidence were calculated, and a relative survival analysis was performed in which survival after AIH diagnosis was compared to that of the general population. Causes of deaths were retrieved from the Cause of Death Registry.The Cancer Registry was used to calculate standard incidence ratios (SIR) and compare cancer risk to that of the general population.Two hundred fifty-eight liver biopsies from 101 patients were analyzed by a single pathologist and classified according to the Ishak grading and staging system. Liver histology was stratified according to the temporal changes of fibrosis stage, and groups were compared.A questionnaire was answered by 138 women with AIH about medication, pregnancies, disease behavior during and after pregnancy, and pregnancy outcomes.Results The incidence and prevalence of AIH were 1.2/100 000 and 17.3/100 000 respectively. The relative survival started to decline after 4 years compared to the reference population, and was even more pronounced after 10 years. Men were diagnosed (33.5 years versus 48.0 years, p<0.001) and died (59.7 versus 75.4 years, p=0.002) at a younger age than women. Patients with cirrhosis at diagnosis had an inferior survival (p<0.001). Liver-related death was the most common cause of death (32.7%). Among AIH patients a higher incidence of cancer was found compared with that of the general Swedish population, SIR of 2.08 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.68-2.55). SIR for non-melanoma skin cancer was 9.87 (95% CI 6.26-14.81) and hepatobiliary cancer was 54.55 (95% CI 19.92-99.99). HCC was found in 4% of the cirrhotic patients and the incidence rate was 0.3% per year. A reduction of fibrosis stage from first to last biopsy was common (62.4% of patients) and patients on a continuous glucocorticoid medication more often had a decreased fibrosis stage than those with withdrawal attempts (p=0.002). One hundred children were born by 58 women with AIH, of which 23 women had 43 children after diagnosis of cirrhosis. Malformations were reported in 3%, and pre-term births (Conclusion Contrary to previous reports, AIH patients’ life expectancy was significantly inferior to that of the control population already 4 years after onset of disease, and liver disease was the most common cause of death. AIH patients had an overall enhanced risk for cancer, mainly from an increased risk of non-melanoma skin cancer and HCC. However, the annual risk of HCC was only 0.3% in cirrhotic patients. Histological improvement of liver fibrosis was common in AIH. The proportion of pre-term births was high, but overall pregnancy and childbirth appear to be safe in AIH, even in compensated cirrhosis. 
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14.
  • Davídsdóttir, Lóa, et al. (författare)
  • Hepatocellular carcinoma in individuals with HBV infection or HBV-HCV co-infection in a low endemic country
  • 2010
  • Ingår i: Scandinavian journal of gastroenterology. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1502-7708 .- 0036-5521. ; 45:7-8, s. 944-952
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • OBJECTIVE: The aim of this nationwide cohort study was to assess the risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection or HBV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infection in Sweden, a low endemic country.MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 12,080 patients with HBV and 3238 patients with HBV-HCV co-infection were notified to the Swedish institute for Infectious Disease Control between 1990 and 2004. After excluding 1850 patients with acute HBV and 584 patients infected in adult life, we analyzed the cohort of 9646 subjects with chronic HBV infection. In the co-infection cohort, 1697 patients were analyzed after excluding 1541 cases with acute HBV. The Swedish national cancer registry was used for follow-up. The HCC incidence rate in the cohorts was compared with the HCC incidence rate in the general population and the standardized incidence ratio (SIR) was calculated for different strata according to estimated infection period.RESULTS: HCC was found in 45 patients in the HBV cohort. In the stratum of 40-49 years of infection we found a SIR of 47 and in stratum 50-59 years the SIR was 54. In the co-infected cohort 10 HCCs were found. The SIR in the stratum 20-29 years of infection was 34 and the SIR in the stratum 30 years and over was 91.CONCLUSIONS: This national cohort study of HBV infected and HBV-HCV co-infected subjects in a low endemic country confirms a highly increased risk of liver cancer compared to the general population.
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15.
  • Duberg, Ann-Sofi, et al. (författare)
  • Cause of death in individuals with chronic HBV and/or HCV infection, a nationwide community-based register study
  • 2008
  • Ingår i: Journal of Viral Hepatitis. - : Wiley. - 1352-0504 .- 1365-2893. ; 15:7, s. 538-550
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Studies on chronic viral hepatitis and mortality have often been made on selected populations or in high-endemic countries. The aim of this study was to investigate the causes of death and the mortality rates in the nationwide cohorts of people chronically infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and/or hepatitis C virus (HCV) in Sweden, a low-endemic country. All notifications on chronic HBV infection and HCV infection 1990-2003 were linked to the Cause of Death Register. A total of 9517 people with chronic HBV infection, 34 235 people with HCV infection and 1601 with chronic HBV-HCV co-infection were included, and the mean observation times were 6.4, 6.3 and 7.9 years, respectively. The mortality in the cohorts was compared with age- and gender-specific mortality in the general population and standardized mortality ratios (SMR) were calculated. All-cause mortality was significantly increased, SMR 2.3 (HBV), 5.8 (HCV) and 8.5 (HBV-HCV), with a great excess liver-related mortality in all cohorts, SMR 21.7, 35.5 and 46.2, respectively. In HCV and HBV-HCV infected there was an increased mortality due to drug-related psychiatric diagnoses (SMR: 20.7 and 27.6) and external causes (SMR: 12.4 and 11.4), predominantly at younger age. To conclude, this study demonstrated an increased all-cause mortality, with a great excess mortality from liver disease, in all cohorts. In people with HCV infection the highest excess mortality in younger ages was from drug-related and external reasons.PMID: 18397223 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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16.
  • Duberg, Ann-Sofi, Docent, 1957-, et al. (författare)
  • Chronic hepatitis B virus infection and the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma by age and country of origin in people living in Sweden : A national register study
  • 2022
  • Ingår i: Hepatology communications. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 2471-254X. ; 6:9, s. 2418-2430
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and surveillance is recommended for patients without cirrhosis when risk exceeds an incidence rate (IR) of 0.2%. Populations in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa have been associated with HCC at younger ages, but the risk after immigration to Western countries should be investigated. The aim of this study was to study HCC by age and country of origin in people with chronic HBV infection in Sweden. Through national registers, residents with chronic HBV diagnosis (1990-2015) were identified with information on country of origin, immigration/emigration, death, coinfections, antiviral therapy, and HCC. Observation time started at HBV diagnosis, and IR and hazard ratios for HCC were calculated by sex, age, and region of origin. Among 16,410 individuals (47% women), the origin and observation time (person years) were as follows: Western Europe, 2316 (25,415); Eastern Europe, 2349 (26,237); Middle East/North Africa, 4402 (47,320); sub-Saharan Africa, 3677 (30,565); Asia, 3537 (35,358); and other, 129 (1277). There were 232 individuals with HCC (82% in men). The IR increased with age and exceeded 0.2% for Asian men from age group 40-49 years (IR, 0.63; 95% confidence interval, 0.39-1.00), for men of other origins from age group 50-59 years, and for women aged ≥60 years originating from Eastern Europe, Asia, and Middle East/North Africa. After exclusion of patients with cirrhosis or HBV treatment, the IR still exceeded 0.2% in Asian men aged 40-49 years. This study demonstrates that HBV-infected men of Asian origin should be recommended HCC surveillance at younger ages, but there is a need for further studies of HCC incidence in African-born men without cirrhosis living in the Western world.
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17.
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18.
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19.
  • Duberg, Ann-Sofi, et al. (författare)
  • The burden of hepatitis C in Sweden : a national study of inpatient care
  • 2011
  • Ingår i: Journal of Viral Hepatitis. - : Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Inc.. - 1352-0504 .- 1365-2893. ; 18:2, s. 106-118
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • The spread of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in Sweden in the 1970s indicated that serious liver complications (SLC) would increase in the 2000s. The aim of this study was to analyse the burden of HCV-associated inpatient care in Sweden, to demonstrate the changes over time and to compare the findings with a noninfected population. The HCV-cohort (n: 43 000) was identified from the national surveillance database 1990-2006, and then linked to national registers to produce an age-, sex-, and region-matched noninfected comparison population (n: 215 000) and to obtain information on demographics, cancers, inpatient care and prescriptions. Cox regression was used to estimate the likelihood (hazard ratios) for admission to hospital in the HCV compared with the noninfected cohort. The hazard ratios were 4.03 (95% CI: 3.98-4.08) for all care, 77.52 (71.02-84.60) for liver-related care and 40.74 (30.58-54.27) for liver cancer care. The admission rate in the HCV-cohort compared with the noninfected cohort, the rate ratio (age- and sex-adjusted) for all inpatient care was 5.91 (95% CI: 5.87-5.94), and the rate ratio for liver-related care was 70.05 (66.06-74.28). In the HCV-cohort, 45% of all episodes were for psychiatric, mostly drug-related, care. Inpatient care for SLC increased in the 2000s. To conclude, drug-related care was common in the HCV-infected cohort, the demand for liver-related care was very high, and SLC increased notably in the 2000s, indicating that the burden of inpatient care from serious liver disease in HCV-infected individuals in Sweden is an increasing problem.
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20.
  • Duberg, Ann-Sofi, 1957-, et al. (författare)
  • The future disease burden of hepatitis C virus infection in Sweden and the impact of different treatment strategies
  • 2015
  • Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology. - London : Informa Healthcare. - 0036-5521 .- 1502-7708. ; 50:2, s. 233-244
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Objective: Recently, new highly effective direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) against hepatitis C virus (HCV) were introduced. Whether these will alleviate the anticipated increase of liver disease burden in Sweden is unknown, partly because high costs may restrict the use. The objectives were to model the HCV epidemic in Sweden, the burden of disease, and the potential impact of different treatment strategies.Material and methods: HCV disease progression was modeled to 2030. Scenarios were simulated using new DAAs with sustained annual treatment rate (n = 1130), reduced treatment rate (n = 380) to maintain budget, and increased treatment rates (n = 1430 or 2260) to reduce HCV infections.Results: With today's triple therapies, the estimated number of serious liver complications and death are expected to peak in 2021. Using new DAAs among F0-F4 patients, an unchanged annual treatment rate can reduce the number of HCV infections by 10% by 2030; however, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and mortality will remain unchanged. By reducing to 380 treatments annually and focusing on patients with advanced fibrosis (F3-F4), serious complications will remain constant but the total number of HCV infections will increase. By doubling the number of DAA treatments, HCC-incidence and liver-related deaths would decrease by 65-70% by 2030.Conclusion: Mortality and HCC can be reduced with new DAAs and sustained treatment uptake when restricted to F2-F4 patients, or with increased uptake in F0-F4 patients. Treatment restrictions to limit cost may reduce the positive effects and increase the burden of HCV infection. These results may be important for the future strategies of HCV management.
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21.
  • Gahrton, Caroline, et al. (författare)
  • Mortality among amphetamine users with hepatitis C virus infection : A nationwide study
  • 2021
  • Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : PLOS. - 1932-6203. ; 16:6
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • AIMS: To investigate liver-related and all-cause mortality among amphetamine users with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and compare this with opioid users with HCV infection and the uninfected general population.METHODS: In this national register study of mortality in persons notified with HCV infection 1990-2015 and a substance-related diagnosis in Sweden, amphetamine users (n = 6,509) were compared with opioid users (n = 5,739) and a matched comparison group without HCV infection/substance use (n = 152,086).RESULTS: Amphetamine users were observed for 91,000 years and 30.1% deceased. Crude liver-related mortality was 1.8 times higher in amphetamine users than opioid users (crude mortality rate ratio 1.78, 95% CI 1.45-2.19), but there was no significant difference when adjusting for age and other defined risk factors. An alcohol-related diagnosis was associated with liver-related death and was more common among amphetamine users. Crude and adjusted liver-related mortality was 39.4 and 5.8 times higher, respectively, compared with the uninfected group. All-cause mortality was lower than in opioid users (adjusted mortality rate ratio 0.78, 95% CI 0.73-0.84), but high compared with the uninfected group. External causes of death dominated in younger ages whereas liver-related death was more common among older individuals.CONCLUSIONS: This national register study presents a higher crude risk of liver-related death among HCV-infected amphetamine users compared with opioid users or the uninfected general population. The higher risk of liver-related death compared with opioid users may be explained by lower competing death risk and higher alcohol consumption. Treatment of HCV infection and alcohol use disorders are needed to reduce the high liver-related mortality.
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22.
  • Gahrton, Caroline, et al. (författare)
  • Prevalence of Viremic hepatitis C, hepatitis B, and HIV infection, and vaccination status among prisoners in Stockholm County
  • 2019
  • Ingår i: BMC Infectious Diseases. - : BioMed Central. - 1471-2334. ; 19:1
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • BACKGROUND: Identification and knowledge of settings with high prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is important when aiming for elimination of HCV. The primary aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of viremic HCV infection among Swedish prisoners. Secondary aims were to estimate the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and the proportion who have received hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination.METHODS: A cross-sectional study of all incarcerated persons (n = 667) at all prisons (n = 9) in Stockholm County was conducted. All prisoners are routinely offered opt-in screening for HCV antibodies (anti-HCV), HCV RNA, HBsAg, anti-HBs, anti-HBc and HIV Ag/Ab at prison in Sweden. Data on the results of these tests and the number of received HBV vaccine doses were collected from the prison medical records. The parameters of HCV RNA, anti-HCV, and occurrence of testing for HCV were analysed in multiple logistic regression models in relation to age, sex and prison security class.RESULTS: The median age was 35 (IQR 26-44) years, and 93.4% were men. Seventy-one percent (n = 471) had been tested for anti-HCV, 70% (n = 465) for HBsAg and 71% (n = 471) for HIV. The prevalence of anti-HCV, HCV RNA, HBsAg and HIV Ag/Ab was 17.0, 11.5, 1.9, and 0.2%, respectively among tested persons. The proportion of prisoners who had received full HBV vaccination was 40.6% (n = 271) among all study subjects.CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of viremic HCV infection among Swedish prisoners in Stockholm County was 11.5%, which is high in comparison to the general population. Therefore, when aiming for the WHO goal of HCV elimination, prisons could suit as a platform for identification and treatment of HCV infection. There is a need to increase testing for blood-borne viruses and to improve vaccination coverage against HBV in Swedish prisons.
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23.
  • Gao, Yu, et al. (författare)
  • Immunodeficiency syndromes differentially impact the functional profile of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells elicited by mRNA vaccination
  • 2022
  • Ingår i: Immunity. - : Elsevier. - 1074-7613 .- 1097-4180. ; 55:9, s. 1732-1746.e5
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Many immunocompromised patients mount suboptimal humoral immunity after SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination. Here, we assessed the single-cell profile of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells post-mRNA vaccination in healthy individuals and patients with various forms of immunodeficiencies. Impaired vaccine-induced cell-mediated immunity was observed in many immunocompromised patients, particularly in solid-organ transplant and chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients. Notably, individuals with an inherited lack of mature B cells, i.e., X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) displayed highly functional spike-specific T cell responses. Single-cell RNA-sequencing further revealed that mRNA vaccination induced a broad functional spectrum of spike-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in healthy individuals and patients with XLA. These responses were founded on polyclonal repertoires of CD4+ T cells and robust expansions of oligoclonal effector-memory CD45RA+ CD8+ T cells with stem-like characteristics. Collectively, our data provide the functional continuum of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell responses post-mRNA vaccination, highlighting that cell-mediated immunity is of variable functional quality across immunodeficiency syndromes.
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24.
  • Ghorbani, Mahin, et al. (författare)
  • Persistence of salivary antibody responses after COVID-19 vaccination is associated with oral microbiome variation in both healthy and people living with HIV
  • 2023
  • Ingår i: Frontiers in Immunology. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1664-3224. ; 13
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Coevolution of microbiome and immunity at mucosal sites is essential for our health. Whether the oral microbiome, the second largest community after the gut, contributes to the immunogenicity of COVID-19 vaccines is not known. We investigated the baseline oral microbiome in individuals in the COVAXID clinical trial receiving the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine. Participants (n=115) included healthy controls (HC; n=57) and people living with HIV (PLHIV; n=58) who met the study selection criteria. Vaccine-induced Spike antibodies in saliva and serum from 0 to 6 months were assessed and comparative analyses were performed against the individual salivary 16S ASV microbiome diversity. High- versus low vaccine responders were assessed on general, immunological, and oral microbiome features. Our analyses identified oral microbiome features enriched in high- vs. low-responders among healthy and PLHIV participants. In low-responders, an enrichment of Gram-negative, anaerobic species with proteolytic activity were found including Campylobacter, Butyrivibrio, Selenomonas, Lachnoanaerobaculum, Leptotrichia, Megasphaera, Prevotella and Stomatobaculum. In high-responders, enriched species were mainly Gram-positive and saccharolytic facultative anaerobes: Abiotrophia, Corynebacterium, Gemella, Granulicatella, Rothia, and Haemophilus. Combining identified microbial features in a classifier using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC AUC) yielded scores of 0.879 (healthy controls) to 0.82 (PLHIV), supporting the oral microbiome contribution in the long-term vaccination outcome. The present study is the first to suggest that the oral microbiome has an impact on the durability of mucosal immunity after Covid-19 vaccination. Microbiome-targeted interventions to enhance long-term duration of mucosal vaccine immunity may be exploited.
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25.
  • Healy, Katie, et al. (författare)
  • Human MAIT cells endowed with HBV specificity are cytotoxic and migrate towards HBV-HCC while retaining antimicrobial functions
  • 2021
  • Ingår i: JHEP Reports. - : Elsevier BV. - 2589-5559. ; 3:4
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Background & Aims: Virus-specific T cell dysfunction is a common feature of HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HBV-HCC). Conventional T (ConT) cells can be redirected towards viral antigens in HBV-HCC when they express an HBV-specific receptor; however, their efficacy can be impaired by liver-specific physical and metabolic features. Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are the most abundant innate-like T cells in the liver and can elicit potent intrahepatic effector functions. Here, we engineered ConT and MAIT cells to kill HBV expressing hepatoma cells and compared their functional properties. Methods: Donor-matched ConT and MAIT cells were engineered to express an HBV-specific T cell receptor (TCR). Cytotoxicity and hepatocyte homing potential were investigated using flow cytometry, real-time killing assays, and confocal microscopy in 2D and 3D HBV-HCC cell models. Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I-related molecule (MR1)-dependent and MR1-independent activation was evaluated in an Escherichia coli THP-1 cell model and by IL-12/IL-18 stimulation, respectively. Results: HBV TCR-MAIT cells demonstrated polyfunctional properties (CD107a, interferon [IFN] γ, tumour necrosis factor [TNF], and IL-17A) with strong HBV target sensitivity and liver-homing chemokine receptor expression when compared with HBV TCR-ConT cells. TCR-mediated lysis of hepatoma cells was comparable between the cell types and augmented in the presence of inflammation. Coculturing with HBV+ target cells in a 3D microdevice mimicking aspects of the liver microenvironment demonstrated that TCR-MAIT cells migrate readily towards hepatoma targets. Expression of an ectopic TCR did not affect the ability of the MAIT cells to be activated via MR1-presented bacterial antigens or IL-12/IL-18 stimulation. Conclusions: HBV TCR-MAIT cells demonstrate anti-HBV functions without losing their endogenous antimicrobial mechanisms or hepatotropic features. Our results support future exploitations of MAIT cells for liver-directed immunotherapies. Lay summary: Chronic HBV infection is a leading cause of liver cancer. T cell receptor (TCR)-engineered T cells are patients’ immune cells that have been modified to recognise virus-infected and/or cancer cells. Herein, we evaluated whether mucosal-associated invariant T cells, a large population of unconventional T cells in the liver, could recognise and kill HBV infected hepatocytes when engineered with an HBV-specific TCR. We show that their effector functions may exceed those of conventional T cells currently used in the clinic, including antimicrobial properties and chemokine receptor profiles better suited for targeting liver tumours.
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26.
  • Healy, Katie, et al. (författare)
  • Salivary IgG to SARS-CoV-2 indicates seroconversion and correlates to serum neutralization in mRNA-vaccinated immunocompromised individuals
  • 2022
  • Ingår i: Med. - : Cell Press. - 2666-6359 .- 2666-6340. ; 3:2, s. 137-153.e3
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Background: Immunocompromised individuals are highly susceptible to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Whether vaccine-induced immunity in these individuals involves oral cavity, a primary site of infection, is presently unknown.Methods: Immunocompromised patients (n = 404) and healthy controls (n = 82) participated in a prospective clinical trial (NCT04780659) encompassing two doses of the mRNA BNT162b2 vaccine. Primary immunodeficiency (PID), secondary immunodeficiencies caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT)/chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy (CAR-T), solid organ transplantation (SOT), and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients were included. Salivary and serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) reactivities to SARS-CoV-2 spike were measured by multiplex bead-based assays and Elecsys anti-SARS-CoV-2 S assay.Findings: IgG responses to SARS-CoV-2 spike antigens in saliva in HIV and HSCT/CAR-T groups were comparable to those of healthy controls after vaccination. The PID, SOT, and CLL patients had weaker responses, influenced mainly by disease parameters or immunosuppressants. Salivary responses correlated remarkably well with specific IgG titers and the neutralizing capacity in serum. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis for the predictive power of salivary IgG yielded area under the curve (AUC) = 0.95 and positive predictive value (PPV) = 90.7% for the entire cohort after vaccination.Conclusions: Saliva conveys vaccine responses induced by mRNA BNT162b2. The predictive power of salivary spike IgG makes it highly suitable for screening vulnerable groups for revaccination.
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27.
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28.
  • Hegmar, Hannes, et al. (författare)
  • Liver stiffness predicts progression to liver-related events in patients with chronic liver disease - A cohort study of 14 414 patients
  • 2024
  • Ingår i: Liver international. - : WILEY. - 1478-3223 .- 1478-3231.
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Background & Aims: Liver stiffness measurement (LSM) by vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE) is a non-invasive diagnostic biomarker of liver fibrosis. It is uncertain if LSM can predict risk for future liver-related outcomes in large, heterogenous populations. Methods: This Swedish multi-centre cohort study included patients (n = 14 414) from 16 sites who underwent LSM by VCTE between 2008 and 2020. Outcomes were ascertained from national registers. We investigated progression to cirrhosis with portal hypertension or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), separately. Cox regression was used to obtain hazard ratios (HRs). Harrel's C-index was used to measure discrimination of VCTE. Results: Included patients had a median age of 46 (interquartile range 34-57), median LSM of 5.9 kPa (4.6-8.0), 59% were male, and the majority had hepatitis C (50.1%). During a median follow-up of 5.9 (4.3-8.0) years, 402 patients (2.7%) developed cirrhosis with portal hypertension. In patients with an LSM >= 25 kPa, 28.7% developed cirrhosis with portal hypertension within 5 years of follow-up, while only .6% of patients with an LSM <10 kPa did. This translated to a HR of 48.3 (95% confidence interval = 37.6-62.0). VCTE had a high discriminative ability, with C-indices above .80 for most liver diseases, including .82 for MASLD. Similar findings were seen for incident HCC. Conclusions: Increased LSM by VCTE was associated with an increased risk of progression to both cirrhosis with portal hypertension, and to HCC, and had a high discriminative ability across different aetiologies of chronic liver diseases. These results support the use of VCTE to guide follow-up and treatment decisions.
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29.
  • Humbert, Marion, et al. (författare)
  • Functional SARS-CoV-2 cross-reactive CD4+ T cells established in early childhood decline with age
  • 2023
  • Ingår i: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : National Academy of Sciences. - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 120:12
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Pre-existing SARS-CoV-2-reactive T cells have been identified in SARS-CoV-2-unexposed individuals, potentially modulating COVID-19 and vaccination outcomes. Here, we provide evidence that functional cross-reactive memory CD4+ T cell immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is established in early childhood, mirroring early seroconversion with seasonal human coronavirus OC43. Humoral and cellular immune responses against OC43 and SARS-CoV-2 were assessed in SARS-CoV-2-unexposed children (paired samples at age two and six) and adults (age 26 to 83). Pre-existing SARS-CoV-2-reactive CD4+ T cell responses targeting spike, nucleocapsid, and membrane were closely linked to the frequency of OC43-specific memory CD4+ T cells in childhood. The functional quality of the cross-reactive memory CD4+ T cell responses targeting SARS-CoV-2 spike, but not nucleocapsid, paralleled OC43-specific T cell responses. OC43-specific antibodies were prevalent already at age two. However, they did not increase further with age, contrasting with the antibody magnitudes against HKU1 (β-coronavirus), 229E and NL63 (α-coronaviruses), rhinovirus, Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), and influenza virus, which increased after age two. The quality of the memory CD4+ T cell responses peaked at age six and subsequently declined with age, with diminished expression of interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL)-2, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and CD38 in late adulthood. Age-dependent qualitative differences in the pre-existing SARS-CoV-2-reactive T cell responses may reflect the ability of the host to control coronavirus infections and respond to vaccination. Copyright © 2023 the Author(s).
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30.
  • Kamal, Habiba, et al. (författare)
  • Age-specific and sex-specific risks for HCC in African-born persons with chronic hepatitis B without cirrhosis
  • 2023
  • Ingår i: Hepatology Communications. - : Wolters Kluwer. - 2471-254X. ; 7:12
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Background: The international recommendations of HCC surveillance for African-born persons with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) without cirrhosis are divergent, probably due to scarce data on incidence rate (IR) for HCC.Methods: We assembled a cohort with prospectively collected data of Swedish residents of African origin with diagnosed CHB without cirrhosis at baseline from 1990 to 2015. Data from nationwide registers were used to calculate the sex-specific IR and IR ratio (incidence rate ratios) in relation to age, comorbidities, and birth region, using a generalized linear model with a log-link function and Poisson distribution.Results: Among 3865 African-born persons with CHB without cirrhosis at baseline, 31 (0.8%; 77.4% men) developed HCC during a median of 11.1 years of follow-up, with poor survival after HCC diagnosis. The mean age at HCC diagnosis was 46.8 (SD±14.7; range 23–79) in men. HCC IR exceeded the recommended surveillance threshold of 0.2%/year at ages 54 and 59 years in men and women, respectively, and at ages 20–40 years if HCV or HDV co-infection was present. African-born men with CHB had an incidence rate ratios of 10.6 (95% CI 4.4–31.5) for HCC compared to matched African-born peers without CHB, and an incidence rate ratios of 35.3 (95% CI 16.0–88.7) compared to a matched general population.Conclusions: African-born men with CHB without cirrhosis reached an IR of 0.2%/year between 50 and 60 years, and at younger ages if HCV or HDV co-infection was present. Our findings need further confirmation, and new cost-effectiveness analyses specific for young populations are needed, to provide personalized and cost-effective HCC surveillance.
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31.
  • Kamal, Habiba, et al. (författare)
  • Age-specific and sex-specific risks for HCC in African-born persons with chronic hepatitis B without cirrhosis
  • 2023
  • Ingår i: Hepatology communications. - : Wiley Periodicals Inc. on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. - 2471-254X. ; 7:12
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • BACKGROUND: The international recommendations of HCC surveillance for African-born persons with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) without cirrhosis are divergent, probably due to scarce data on incidence rate (IR) for HCC.METHODS: We assembled a cohort with prospectively collected data of Swedish residents of African origin with diagnosed CHB without cirrhosis at baseline from 1990 to 2015. Data from nationwide registers were used to calculate the sex-specific IR and IR ratio (incidence rate ratios) in relation to age, comorbidities, and birth region, using a generalized linear model with a log-link function and Poisson distribution.RESULTS: Among 3865 African-born persons with CHB without cirrhosis at baseline, 31 (0.8%; 77.4% men) developed HCC during a median of 11.1 years of follow-up, with poor survival after HCC diagnosis. The mean age at HCC diagnosis was 46.8 (SD±14.7; range 23-79) in men. HCC IR exceeded the recommended surveillance threshold of 0.2%/year at ages 54 and 59 years in men and women, respectively, and at ages 20-40 years if HCV or HDV co-infection was present. African-born men with CHB had an incidence rate ratios of 10.6 (95% CI 4.4-31.5) for HCC compared to matched African-born peers without CHB, and an incidence rate ratios of 35.3 (95% CI 16.0-88.7) compared to a matched general population.CONCLUSIONS: African-born men with CHB without cirrhosis reached an IR of 0.2%/year between 50 and 60 years, and at younger ages if HCV or HDV co-infection was present. Our findings need further confirmation, and new cost-effectiveness analyses specific for young populations are needed, to provide personalized and cost-effective HCC surveillance.
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32.
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33.
  • Kamal, Habiba, et al. (författare)
  • Risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in hepatitis B and D virus co-infected patients : A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies
  • 2021
  • Ingår i: Journal of Viral Hepatitis. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1352-0504 .- 1365-2893. ; 28:10, s. 1431-1442
  • Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Hepatitis D virus (HDV) infection causes a severe chronic viral hepatitis with accelerated development of liver cirrhosis and decompensation, but whether it further increases the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unclear. We performed a comprehensive systematic review of the published literature and meta-analysis to assess the risk of HCC in HDV and hepatitis B virus (HBV) co-infected, compared to HBV mono-infected patients. The study was conducted per a priori defined protocol, including only longitudinal studies, thus excluding cross-sectional studies. Random-effects models were used to determine aggregate effect sizes (ES) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Meta-regression was used to examine the associations among study level characteristics. Twelve cohort studies comprising a total of 6099 HBV/HDV co-infected and 57,620 chronic HBV mono-infected patients were analysed. The overall pooled ES showed that HBV/HDV co-infected patients were at 2-fold increased risk of HCC compared to HBV mono-infected patients (ES = 2.12, 95% CI 1.14-3.95, I2  = 72%, N = 12). A six-fold significant increased risk of HCC was noted among HIV/HBV/HDV triple-infected, compared to HIV/HBV co-infected patients. The magnitude of ES did not differ significantly after adjustment for study design and quality, publication year and follow-up duration in univariable meta-regression analysis. This systematic review and meta-analysis shows that infection with HDV is associated with a 2-fold higher risk of HCC development compared to HBV mono-infection. HCC surveillance strategies taking this increased risk into account, and new treatment options against HDV, are warranted.
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34.
  • Kamal, Habiba, et al. (författare)
  • The cascade of care for patients with chronic hepatitis delta in Southern Stockholm, Sweden for the past 30 years
  • 2024
  • Ingår i: Liver international. - : Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Inc.. - 1478-3223 .- 1478-3231. ; 44:1, s. 228-240
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Previous studies have shown suboptimal screening for hepatitis D virus (HDV) among patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). This study presents the cascade of care for HDV infection in a major secondary referral centre in Southern Stockholm, Sweden.METHODS: HBsAg+ve patients attending Karolinska University Hospital (KUH) from 1992 to 2022 were identified. The prevalence of anti-HDV and/or HDV RNA positivity, interferon (IFN) therapy and maintained virological responses (MVR) after HDV treatment were assessed. Also, time to anti-HDV testing was analysed in relation to liver-related outcomes with logistic regression.RESULTS: Among 4095 HBsAg+ve persons, 3703 (90.4%) underwent an anti-HDV screening; within a median of 1.8 months (range 0.0-57.1) after CHB diagnosis. This screening rate increased over time, to 97.9% in the last decade. Overall, 310 (8.4%) were anti-HDV+ve, of which 202 (65.2%) were HDV RNA+ve. Eighty-five (42%) received IFN, and 9 (10.6%) achieved MVR at the last follow-up. The predictive factors for anti-HDV screening were Asian origin, diagnosis after the year 2012, HIV co-infection (negative factor) and HBV DNA level < 2000 IU/mL in univariable analysis, while HIV co-infection was the only remaining factor in multivariable analysis. Delayed anti-HDV test >5 years was independently associated with worsened liver-related outcomes (adjusted odds ratio = 7.6, 95% CI 1.8-31.6).CONCLUSION: Higher frequency of HDV screening than previously published data could be seen among CHB patients at KUH in a low-endemic setting. Receiving a delayed screening test seems to be associated with worse outcomes, stressing the need of a strategy for timely HDV diagnosis.
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35.
  • Kjellin, Midori, et al. (författare)
  • Effect of the baseline Y93H resistance-associated substitution in HCV genotype 3 for direct-acting antiviral treatment : real-life experience from a multicenter study in Sweden and Norway
  • 2019
  • Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology. - : Taylor & Francis. - 0036-5521 .- 1502-7708. ; 54:8, s. 1042-1050
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Background: The NS5A resistance-associated substitution (RAS) Y93H is found quite frequently (5-10%) at baseline in direct-acting antiviral agents (DAA) treatment-naive genotype (GT) 3a patients when studied by the population-sequencing method (cut-off 20%). This RAS may impair HCV DAA treatment response, since it possesses a high fold in vitro resistance to daclatasvir (DCV) and velpatasvir (VEL) in GT 3. We investigated the effect of baseline Y93H in patients with GT 3a infection on treatment outcome, with or without resistance-based DAA-treatment during 2014-2017.Patients/Methods: Treatment in the intervention group (n = 130) was tailored to baseline resistance-findings by population-sequencing method. Detection of baseline Y93H above 20% prompted a prolonged treatment duration of NS5A-inhibitor and sofosbuvir (SOF) and/or addition of ribavirin (RBV). Patients without baseline Y93H in the intervention group and all patients in the control group (n = 78) received recommended standard DAA-treatment.Results: A higher sustained virologic response rate (SVR) in the intervention group was shown compared to the control group at 95.4% (124/130) and 88.5% (69/78), respectively (p = .06). All five patients with baseline Y93H in the intervention group achieved SVR with personalised treatment based on results from resistance testing; either with the addition of RBV or prolonged treatment duration (24w). In the control group, 2/4 patients with Y93H at baseline treated with ledipasvir/SOF/RBV or DCV/SOF without RBV, failed treatment.Conclusion: The results from this real-life study are in accordance with the findings of the randomised controlled trials in 2015 and the EASL-guidelines of 2016, thus, baseline Y93H impacts on DCV and VEL treatment outcome.
  •  
36.
  • Kåberg, Martin, et al. (författare)
  • High risk of non-alcoholic liver disease mortality in patients with chronic hepatitis C with illicit substance use disorder
  • 2020
  • Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology. - : Taylor & Francis. - 0036-5521 .- 1502-7708. ; 55:5, s. 574-580
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Aims: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a slowly progressive disease, often transmitted among people who inject drugs (PWID). Mortality in PWID is high, with an overrepresentation of drug-related causes. This study investigated the risk of death in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with or without illicit substance use disorder (ISUD).Methods: Patients with HCV were identified using the Swedish National Patient Registry according to the International Classification of Diseases-10 (ICD-10) code B18.2, with ≤5 matched comparators from the general population. Patients with ≥2 physician visits with ICD-10 codes F11, F12, F14, F15, F16, or F19 were considered to have ISUD. The underlying cause of death was analyzed for alcoholic liver disease, non-alcoholic liver disease, liver cancer, drug-related and external causes, non-liver cancers, or other causes. Mortality risks were assessed using the standardized mortality ratio (SMR) with 95% CIs and Cox regression analyses for cause-specific hazard ratios.Results: In total, 38,186 patients with HCV were included, with 31% meeting the ISUD definition. Non-alcoholic liver disease SMRs in patients with and without ISUD were 123.2 (95% CI, 103.7-145.2) and 69.4 (95% CI, 63.8-75.3), respectively. The significant independent factors associated with non-alcoholic liver disease mortality were older age, being unmarried, male sex, and having ISUD.Conclusions: The relative risks for non-alcoholic liver disease mortality were elevated for patients with ISUD. Having ISUD was a significant independent factor for non-alcoholic liver disease. Thus, patients with HCV with ISUD should be given HCV treatment to reduce the risk for liver disease.
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37.
  • Lagging, Martin, 1965, et al. (författare)
  • Treatment of hepatitis C virus infection for adults and children: Updated Swedish consensus recommendations.
  • 2016
  • Ingår i: Infectious diseases (London, England). - : Informa UK Limited. - 2374-4243 .- 2374-4235. ; 48:4, s. 251-261
  • Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
    • In a recent expert meeting, Swedish recommendations for the treatment of HCV infection were updated. An interferon-free combination of direct-acting antiviral agents was recommended as the first line standard-of-care treatment for chronic HCV infection. Interferon-based therapy should be considered as a second line option after an individual benefit-risk assessment. Treatment is strongly recommended for HCV infected patients with bridging fibrosis or cirrhosis (Metavir stages F3-4), before and after liver transplantation, and in the presence of extra-hepatic manifestations. Additionally, patients with moderate liver fibrosis (stage F2) as well as women in need of in vitro fertilisation should be prioritised for therapeutic intervention. Treatment indications for people who inject drugs, children, chronic kidney disease and HIV co-infection are also discussed.
  •  
38.
  • Lagging, Martin, 1965, et al. (författare)
  • Treatment of hepatitis C virus infection: updated Swedish Guidelines 2016.
  • 2017
  • Ingår i: Infectious diseases (London, England). - : Informa UK Limited. - 2374-4243 .- 2374-4235. ; 49:8, s. 561-575
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • In a recent expert meeting, Swedish recommendations for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection were updated. An interferon-free combination of direct-acting antiviral agents is considered and indicated for all patients with chronic HCV infection, but the ability to treat all is limited primarily by high cost of medication. The group of patients prioritized for therapeutic intervention has been extended to also include fertile women desiring to become pregnant. A more thorough discussion of treatment for people who inject drugs (PWIDs) in order to diminish transmission is included, and the clinical significance of baseline NS5A resistance associated variants (RAVs), also known as resistance associated substitutions (RASs), for the treatment of HCV genotype 1a or 3 infection is discussed.
  •  
39.
  • Lazarus, Jeffrey V., et al. (författare)
  • A multinational Delphi consensus to end the COVID-19 public health threat
  • 2022
  • Ingår i: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687.
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Despite notable scientific and medical advances, broader political, socioeconomic and behavioural factors continue to undercut the response to the COVID-19 pandemic1,2. Here we convened, as part of this Delphi study, a diverse, multidisciplinary panel of 386 academic, health, non-governmental organization, government and other experts in COVID-19 response from 112 countries and territories to recommend specific actions to end this persistent global threat to public health. The panel developed a set of 41 consensus statements and 57 recommendations to governments, health systems, industry and other key stakeholders across six domains: communication; health systems; vaccination; prevention; treatment and care; and inequities. In the wake of nearly three years of fragmented global and national responses, it is instructive to note that three of the highest-ranked recommendations call for the adoption of whole-of-society and whole-of-government approaches1, while maintaining proven prevention measures using a vaccines-plus approach2 that employs a range of public health and financial support measures to complement vaccination. Other recommendations with at least 99% combined agreement advise governments and other stakeholders to improve communication, rebuild public trust and engage communities3 in the management of pandemic responses. The findings of the study, which have been further endorsed by 184 organizations globally, include points of unanimous agreement, as well as six recommendations with >5% disagreement, that provide health and social policy actions to address inadequacies in the pandemic response and help to bring this public health threat to an end.
  •  
40.
  • Lidman, Christer, et al. (författare)
  • Hepatitis C infection among injection drug users in Stockholm Sweden: Prevalence and gender
  • 2009
  • Ingår i: SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0036-5548 .- 1651-1980. ; 41:9, s. 679-684
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is widespread among injection drug users. Young women seem to be at higher risk of acquiring HCV. To optimize future intervention and prevention measures, we studied the epidemiology of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B (HBV), and HCV infection among men and women. Inclusion criteria for this cross-sectional multicentre study were: history of ever injecting drugs, age andgt; 18 y, and no previous HIV diagnosis. In 310 participants, plasma/serum samples were analysed for HBV, HIV and HCV (anti-HCV, HCV-RNA, and HCV genotype). HCV antibodies were noted in 268 (86.5%) participants, of whom 207 (77.0%) also had detectable HCV-RNA. Genotypes 1 and 3 dominated, at 35.9% and 33.0%, respectively. Women acquired HCV (but not HBV) to a significantly higher degree (RR 2.97, 95% confidence interval 1.11-7.93) during the first y of injecting drugs. They also recovered spontaneously from HCV infection more frequently (RR 2.49, 95% CI 1.28-4.53). The HCV prevalence of about 50% within 2 y after initiation of injection drug use underlines the need for early intervention efforts. Possible causes for higher HCV prevalence and the implications of favourable spontaneous recovery rates among women should be considered when designing intervention and prevention measures.
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41.
  • Lindahl, Hannes, et al. (författare)
  • SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Commercial Immunoglobulin Products Show Markedly Reduced Cross-reactivities Against Omicron Variants
  • 2023
  • Ingår i: Journal of Clinical Immunology. - : Springer Nature. - 0271-9142 .- 1573-2592. ; 43:6, s. 1075-1082
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • PurposePatients with antibody deficiencies often receive maintenance treatment with donor plasma-derived immunoglobulin (Ig) preparations to decrease the incidence and severity of infections. We have previously shown that IgG antibodies to the original SARS-CoV-2 strain were not consistently present in off-the-shelf Ig batches produced up to approximately 18 months after the first identified case of COVID-19 in the USA and that Ig batches with anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG primarily contained vaccine-induced spike specific antibodies. This study aimed to investigate the degree of cross-reactivity between vaccine-induced anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies against Wuhan strain and subsequent viral variants.MethodsSamples were collected from 74 Ig batches supplied by three different commercial manufacturers. All batches were used at the Immunodeficiency Unit at the Karolinska University Hospital from the start of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic until September 2022. Antibody quantity and potential to neutralize virus entry into host cells were assessed against the original SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan strain and the following nine variants: Alpha, Beta, Delta, IHU, and the Omicron BA.1, BA.1.1, BA.1 with spike mutation L452R, BA.2, and BA.3.ResultsIg batches produced approximately 18 months after the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak (from around July 2021) and later consistently contained high quantities of antibodies that bind the Wuhan strain. The Ig batches had overall low reactivity to the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid, which implies that plasma donor spike IgG essentially is the result of vaccination. We assessed the degree of cross-reactivity towards each virus variant by plotting the variant/Wuhan strain ratio, which was consistent regardless of production date, suggesting cross-reactivity with vaccine-induced antibodies rather than virus exposure in the plasma donor population. Viral variants that emerged later during the pandemic systematically had a lower reactivity ratio, except for the Delta and IHU variants. The Ig batches displayed markedly low neutralizing potential towards the Beta variant and all tested Omicron variants.ConclusionCommercial Ig batches currently contain large quantities of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine-induced antibodies. Cross-reactivity with variant strains is evident but varies, with markedly low neutralizing potential observed against Omicron variants.
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42.
  • Lybeck, Charlotte, 1979-, et al. (författare)
  • Long-term follow-up after cure from chronic hepatitis C virus infection shows occult hepatitis and a risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in noncirrhotic patients
  • 2019
  • Ingår i: European Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepathology. - : Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. - 0954-691X .- 1473-5687. ; 31:4, s. 506-513
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • OBJECTIVES: Curing hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection primarily aims to prevent severe liver complications. Our objectives were to investigate the long-term presence and impact of occult HCV infection (OCI) and to study the outcomes in terms of liver disease after virological cure.PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 97 patients with achieved sustained virological response (SVR) during 1990-2005 were followed either by a clinical follow-up (FU) visit with blood sampling and liver elastography (n=54) or through national registries for outcomes (n=43). To diagnose OCI among patients with SVR, a highly sensitive method was used to detect HCV-RNA traces in whole blood. The FU duration was a median of 10.5 years, with samples up to 21.5 years after the end of treatment (EOT).RESULTS: The majority of patients [52 (96%)] were HCV-RNA negative at FU, and regression of fibrosis was statistically significant. OCI was found in two (4%) of them at 8 and 9 years after EOT. These patients had F1 and F2 fibrosis before treatment and F2 at FU, but no other abnormal findings. Three previously noncirrhotic men were diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma 8-11 years after EOT.CONCLUSION: Occult infection could be detected many years after the achievement of SVR but was not associated with the serious liver disease. The majority had persistent viral eradication and regression of fibrosis after SVR. However, an increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma may persist in the long term after SVR even in noncirrhotic patients. Further studies with FU after direct-acting antiviral therapy and on the long-term impact after cure are needed.
  •  
43.
  • Lybeck, Charlotte, 1979-, et al. (författare)
  • Risk of extrahepatic cancer in a nationwide cohort of hepatitis C virus infected persons treated with direct-acting antivirals
  • 2021
  • Ingår i: GastroHep. - : Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Inc.. - 1478-1239. ; 3:3, s. 185-195
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Background and aims: Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) against HCV have an immune modulatory effect, this could possibly lead to a decreased tumour control. We, therefore, aimed to assess the risk of extrahepatic cancer (EHC) during and the first years after DAA treatment.Methods and Results: This is a nationwide cohort study with prospectively collected data for 19 685 persons with HCV, 4013 DAA treated, 3071 interferon (IFN) treated and 12 601 untreated, from 2008 to 2016. Follow-up time was maximum 3 years. The risk for EHC was compared between the groups using Cox regression analyses, with adjustment for age and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). The HCV-infected groups were also compared with matched cohorts without HCV from the general population. In total 341 EHCs were identified, 84, 43 and 214 EHC in the DAA, IFN and untreated group respectively. The EHC risk in DAA treated compared with IFN treated was doubled, but when adjusted for age and CCI the HR was 1.07 (95% CI 0.74-1.56). Compared with the general population, the HR of EHC for the DAA group was 1.45 (CI 1.13-1.86), with the difference remaining statistically significant after adjusting for CCI.Conclusion: We found no increased risk for EHC associated with DAA therapy after adjustment for age and CCI. An increased risk of EHC in DAA treated compared with the general population was though seen, and attention should be paid to this association in the ageing population with a history of HCV infection.
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44.
  •  
45.
  • Lybeck, Charlotte, 1979- (författare)
  • Towards the elimination of hepatitis C : identifying the infected population, and remaining hepatitis C related risks after successful treatment
  • 2022
  • Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
    • Chronic Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection can lead to liver fibrosis and cirrhosis with increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and liver failure. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has set a goal to eliminate viral hepatitis as a global health threat by 2030. To reach this goal for HCV we need to prevent new infections and identify and treat the infected population. Individuals with pre-treatment cirrhosis still have an elevated risk for HCC after HCV cure. This thesis aims to assess the health outcomes after cured HCV infection, study HCV prevalence and find a way to identify undiagnosed infections.In Paper I, 97 patients were followed through clinical visits (n=54) or through national registers (n=43) to study the long-term outcomes after cure from HCV and to assess the presence and impact of occult HCV infection (OCI). Three non-cirrhotic patients were diagnosed with HCC 8-11 years after HCV cure. Two patients had OCI at 8-9 years after cure. They had liver fibrosis stage 2, but no association with HCC. In Paper II, pregnant women (n=4,108) and partners (n=1,027) at antenatal clinics in southern Stockholm and Örebro County were tested for HCV and interviewed about risk factors to assess prevalence and evaluate screening strategies to identify undiagnosed infections. Anti-HCV prevalence was 0.7% and 0.4% were viraemic. The most effective risk factor-based screening was to ask for drug use, country of birth, and having a partner with HCV. Paper III presents a nationwide register study of the risk of extrahepatic cancer (EHC) the first 3 years after HCV treatment with direct acting antiviral (DAAs). We compared 4,013 DAA-treated, with 3,071 interferon-treated and 12,601 untreated patients. No increased risk for EHC was found after adjustments for age and comorbidities. An increased EHC risk in DAA-treated compared with general population was seen. Paper IV presents a register based study of the risk of HCC and association with pre-treatment liver stiffness measurement (LSM) in 7,227 HCV infected patients cured by DAAs. We found that pre-treatment LSM values correlated well with HCC risk. The incidence rate for patients with LSM values ≥12.5 kPa and <12.5 kPa was 1.6 and 0.15/100 person years, respectively.To conclude, cured HCV infection usually leads to regression of fibrosis. The DAAs are safe and highly effective against HCV. However, the HCC risk remains elevated for many years after cure in cirrhotic and sometimes in non-cirrhotic patients. Furthermore, HCV screening of pregnant women and partners is useful to identify patients who would benefit from therapy.
  •  
46.
  • Müller, Thomas R., et al. (författare)
  • Additive effects of booster mRNA vaccination and SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infection on T cell immunity across immunocompromised states
  • 2023
  • Ingår i: Science Translational Medicine. - 1946-6234 .- 1946-6242. ; 15:704, s. eadg9452-
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Suboptimal immunity to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination has frequently been observed in individuals with various immunodeficiencies. Given the increased antibody evasion properties of emerging SARS-CoV-2 subvariants, it is necessary to assess whether other components of adaptive immunity generate resilient and protective responses against infection. We assessed T cell responses in 279 individuals, covering five different immunodeficiencies and healthy controls, before and after booster mRNA vaccination, as well as after Omicron infection in a subset of patients. We observed robust and persistent Omicron-reactive T cell responses that increased markedly upon booster vaccination and correlated directly with antibody titers across all patient groups. Poor vaccination responsiveness in immunocompromised or elderly individuals was effectively counteracted by the administration of additional vaccine doses. Functionally, Omicron-reactive T cell responses exhibited a pronounced cytotoxic profile and signs of longevity, characterized by CD45RA+ effector memory subpopulations with stem cell-like properties and increased proliferative capacity. Regardless of underlying immunodeficiency, booster-vaccinated and Omicron-infected individuals appeared protected against severe disease and exhibited enhanced and diversified T cell responses against conserved and Omicron-specific epitopes. Our findings indicate that T cells retain the ability to generate highly functional responses against newly emerging variants, even after repeated antigen exposure and a robust immunological imprint from ancestral SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination.
  •  
47.
  • Müller, Thomas R., et al. (författare)
  • Memory T cells effectively recognize the SARS-CoV-2 hypermutated BA.2.86 variant
  • 2024
  • Ingår i: Cell Host and Microbe. - : Elsevier. - 1931-3128 .- 1934-6069. ; 32:2, s. 156-161.e3
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • T cells are critical in mediating the early control of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) breakthrough infection. However, it remains unknown whether memory T cells can effectively cross-recognize new SARS-CoV-2 variants with a broad array of mutations, such as the emergent hypermutated BA.2.86 variant. Here, we report in two separate cohorts, including healthy controls and individuals with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, that SARS-CoV-2 spike-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells induced by prior infection or vaccination demonstrate resilient immune recognition of BA.2.86. In both cohorts, we found largely preserved SARS-CoV-2 spike-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cell magnitudes against mutated spike epitopes of BA.2.86. Functional analysis confirmed that both cytokine expression and proliferative capacity of SARS-CoV-2 spike-specific T cells to BA.2.86-mutated spike epitopes are similarly sustained. In summary, our findings indicate that memory CD4+ and CD8+ T cells continue to provide cell-mediated immune recognition to highly mutated emerging variants such as BA.2.86.
  •  
48.
  • Ray, Shilpa, et al. (författare)
  • Impact of the gut microbiome on immunological responses to COVID-19 vaccination in healthy controls and people living with HIV
  • 2023
  • Ingår i: npj Biofilms and Microbiomes. - 2055-5008. ; 9:1
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Although mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are generally safe and effective, in certain immunocompromised individuals they can elicit poor immunogenic responses. Among these individuals, people living with HIV (PLWH) have poor immunogenicity to several oral and parenteral vaccines. As the gut microbiome is known to affect vaccine immunogenicity, we investigated whether baseline gut microbiota predicts immune responses to the BNT162b2 mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in healthy controls and PLWH after two doses of BNT162b2. Individuals with high spike IgG titers and high spike-specific CD4 + T-cell responses against SARS-CoV-2 showed low α-diversity in the gut. Here, we investigated and presented initial evidence that the gut microbial composition influences the response to BNT162b2 in PLWH. From our predictive models, Bifidobacterium and Faecalibacterium appeared to be microbial markers of individuals with higher spike IgG titers, while Cloacibacillus was associated with low spike IgG titers. We therefore propose that microbiome modulation could optimize immunogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines.
  •  
49.
  • Razavi, Homie A., et al. (författare)
  • Hepatitis D double reflex testing of all hepatitis B carriers in low-HBV- and high-HBV/HDV-prevalence countries
  • 2023
  • Ingår i: JOURNAL OF HEPATOLOGY. - : Elsevier. - 0168-8278 .- 1600-0641. ; 79:2, s. 576-580
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Hepatitis D virus (HDV) infection occurs as a coinfection with hepatitis B and increases the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma, decompensated cirrhosis, and mortality compared to hepatitis B virus (HBV) monoinfection. Reliable estimates of the prevalence of HDV infection and disease burden are essential to formulate strategies to find coinfected individuals more effectively and efficiently. The global prevalence of HBV infections was estimated to be 262,240,000 in 2021. Only 1,994,000 of the HBV in-fections were newly diagnosed in 2021, with more than half of the new diagnoses made in China. Our initial estimates indicated a much lower prevalence of HDV antibody (anti-HDV) and HDV RNA positivity than previously reported in published studies. Ac-curate estimates of HDV prevalence are needed. The most effective method to generate estimates of the prevalence of anti-HDV and HDV RNA positivity and to find undiagnosed individuals at the national level is to implement double reflex testing. This re-quires anti-HDV testing of all hepatitis B surface antigen-positive individuals and HDV RNA testing of all anti-HDV-positive in-dividuals. This strategy is manageable for healthcare systems since the number of newly diagnosed HBV cases is low. At the global level, a comprehensive HDV screening strategy would require only 1,994,000 HDV antibody tests and less than 89,000 HDV PCR tests. Double reflex testing is the preferred strategy in countries with a low prevalence of HBV and those with a high prevalence of both HBV and HDV. For example, in the European Union and North America only 35,000 and 22,000 cases, respectively, will require anti-HDV testing annually.
  •  
50.
  • Razavi-Shearer, Devin M., et al. (författare)
  • Adjusted estimate of the prevalence of hepatitis delta virus in 25 countries and territories
  • 2024
  • Ingår i: JOURNAL OF HEPATOLOGY. - 0168-8278 .- 1600-0641. ; 80:2, s. 232-242
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Background & Aims: Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) is a satellite RNA virus that requires the hepatitis B virus (HBV) for assembly and propagation. Individuals infected with HDV progress to advanced liver disease faster than HBV-monoinfected individuals. Recent studies have estimated the global prevalence of anti-HDV antibodies among the HBV-infected population to be 5-15%. This study aimed to better understand HDV prevalence at the population level in 25 countries/territories. Methods: We conducted a literature review to determine the prevalence of anti-HDV and HDV RNA in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive individuals in 25 countries/territories. Virtual meetings were held with experts from each setting to discuss the findings and collect unpublished data. Data were weighted for patient segments and regional heterogeneity to estimate the prevalence in the HBV-infected population. The findings were then combined with The Polaris Observatory HBV data to estimate the anti-HDV and HDV RNA prevalence in each country/territory at the population level. Results: After adjusting for geographical distribution, disease stage and special populations, the anti-HDV prevalence among the HBsAg+ population changed from the literature estimate in 19 countries. The highest anti-HDV prevalence was 60.1% in Mongolia. Once adjusted for the size of the HBsAg+ population and HDV RNA positivity rate, China had the highest absolute number of HDV RNA+ cases. Conclusions: We found substantially lower HDV prevalence than previously reported, as prior meta-analyses primarily focused on studies conducted in groups/regions that have a higher probability of HBV infection: tertiary care centers, specific risk groups or geographical regions. There is large uncertainty in HDV prevalence estimates. The implementation of reflex testing would improve estimates, while also allowing earlier linkage to care for HDV RNA+ individuals. The logistical and economic burden of reflex testing on the health system would be limited, as only HBsAg+ cases would be screened.
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