| 1. |
|
|
| 2. |
- Pasupuleti, Mukesh, et al.
(författare)
-
Preservation of Antimicrobial Properties of Complement Peptide C3a, from Invertebrates to Humans
- 2007
-
Ingår i: Journal of Biological Chemistry. - 0021-9258 .- 1083-351X. ; 282:4, s. 2520-2528
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The human anaphylatoxin peptide C3a, generated during complement activation, exerts antimicrobial effects. Phylogenetic analysis, sequence analyses, and structural modeling studies paired with antimicrobial assays of peptides from known C3a sequences showed that, in particular in vertebrate C3a, crucial structural determinants governing antimicrobial activity have been conserved during the evolution of C3a. Thus, regions of the ancient C3a from Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda as well as corresponding parts of human C3a exhibited helical structures upon binding to bacterial lipopolysaccharide permeabilized liposomes and were antimicrobial against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Human C3a and C4a (but not C5a) were antimicrobial, in concert with the separate evolutionary development of the chemotactic C5a. Thus, the results demonstrate that, notwithstanding a significant sequence variation, functional and structural constraints imposed on C3a during evolution have preserved critical properties governing antimicrobial activity.
|
|
| 3. |
- Carré, Helena, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
-
Improved contact tracing for Chlamydia trachomatis with experienced tracers, tracing for one year back in time and interviewing by phone in remote areas
- 2008
-
Ingår i: Sexually Transmitted Infections. - : BMJ publishing. - 1368-4973 .- 1472-3263. ; 84:3, s. 239-242
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: To evaluate the Swedish model for contact tracing and especiallythe "Västerbotten model" with centralised, extended contactinterview periods, sometimes by telephone.Methods: Using questionnaires, the contact tracing and interview procedurewas evaluated during 2002, followed by an evaluation of contactinterviewing by phone in 2005–6.Results: Patients with diagnosed Chlamydia trachomatis infection reportedon average 2.5 sexual contacts, 3.0 contacts when contact interviewingwas performed at the clinic, and 2.3 contacts when performedby phone. 65% of the sexual contacts with a known test resultwere infected.Conclusion: Centralised contact tracing, exploring the sexual history forat least 12 months back in time, shows good results. Combinedwith screening of certain risk groups it is probably one effectiveway of preventing C trachomatis infections. Preventing C trachomatisby primary prevention such as information and counselling is,however, still of great importance.
|
|
| 4. |
|
|
| 5. |
- Ekbäck, Maria [Palmetun], et al.
(författare)
-
"It is always on my mind" : women's experiences of their bodies when living with hirsutism
- 2009
-
Ingår i: Health Care for Women International. - London : Taylor & Francis. - 0739-9332 .- 1096-4665. ; 30:5, s. 358-372
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Many women suffer from excessive hair growth, often in combination with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). It is unclear how hirsutism influences such women's experiences of their bodies. Our aim is to describe and interpret women's experiences of their bodies when living with hirsutism. Interviews were conducted with 10 women with hirsutism. We used a qualitative latent content analysis. Four closely intertwined themes were disclosed: the body was experienced as a yoke, a freak, a disgrace, and as a prison. Hirsutism deeply affects women's experiences of their bodies in a negative way.
|
|
| 6. |
- Lan, P. T., et al.
(författare)
-
Reproductive tract infections including sexually transmitted infections : a population-based study of women of reproductive age in a rural district of Vietnam.
- 2008
-
Ingår i: Sexually Transmitted Infections. - London : BMJ Publishing Group. - 1368-4973 .- 1472-3263. ; 84:2, s. 126-132
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: To investigate the prevalences of reproductive tract infections (RTI)/sexually transmitted infections (STI) among married women in a rural district of Vietnam, and analyse the influence of socioeconomic, sociodemographic, and other determinants possibly related to RTI/STI. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study. Married women aged 18–49 years (n = 1012) were interviewed and underwent a gynaecological examination. Specimens were collected for laboratory diagnosis of chlamydia, gonorrhoea, trichomonas, bacterial vaginosis (BV), candidiasis, hepatitis B, HIV, and syphilis. Results: In total, 37% of the women were clinically diagnosed with an RTI/STI. Aetiologically confirmed RTI/STI was identified in 39% of the women (including 6% with STI). Endogenous infections were most prevalent (candidiasis 26%, BV 11%) followed by hepatitis B 8.3%, Chlamydia trachomatis 4.3%, Trichomonas vaginalis 1%, Neisseria gonorrhoeae 0.7%, genital warts 0.2%, and HIV and syphilis 0%. Fifty per cent of the STI cases were asymptomatic. Younger age and intrauterine devices were significantly associated with an increased risk of BV. Determinants of candidiasis were vaginal douching, high education level and low economic status, whereas a determinant of chlamydia was high economic status. Outmigration of the husband was associated with an increased risk of hepatitis B surface antigen seroposivity among women. Conclusions: RTI/STI were prevalent among married women in a rural population of Vietnam. Syndromic algorithms should be consistently supplemented by risk assessment in order to reduce under and overtreatment. Microscopic diagnosis could be applied in primary care settings to achieve more accurate diagnoses. The promotion of health education aimed at reducing RTI/STI prevalences is an important tool in STI/HIV control programmes. Vaccination to prevent hepatitis B for migrants should be considered.
|
|
| 7. |
- Wallander, Mari-Ann, et al.
(författare)
-
Unspecified abdominal pain in primary care : the role of gastrointestinal morbidity
- 2007
-
Ingår i: International journal of clinical practice (Esher). - : Hindawi Limited. - 1368-5031 .- 1742-1241. ; 61:10, s. 1663-1670
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Many patients with abdominal pain have no obvious cause for their symptoms and receive a diagnosis of unspecified abdominal pain. Aim: The objective of this study was to ascertain risk factors and consequences of a diagnosis of unspecified abdominal pain in primary care. Methods: A population-based, case-control study was conducted using the UK General Practice Research Database. We identified 29,299 patients with a new diagnosis of abdominal pain, and 30,000 age- and sex-matched controls. Only diagnostic codes that did not specify the type or location of abdominal pain were included. Results and discussion: The incidence of newly diagnosed unspecified abdominal pain was 22.3 per 1000 person-years. The incidence was higher in females than in males, and 29% of patients were below 20 years of age. Prior gastrointestinal morbidity was associated with abdominal pain, but high body mass index, smoking and alcohol intake were not. Patients newly diagnosed with abdominal pain were 16 to 27 times more likely than controls to receive a subsequent new diagnosis of gallbladder disease, diverticular disease, pancreatitis or appendicitis in the year after the diagnosis of abdominal pain. The likelihood of receiving other gastrointestinal diagnoses such as peptic ulcer disease, hiatus hernia, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or dyspepsia was increased three- to 14-fold among patients consulting for abdominal pain. Conclusion: When managing abdominal pain in primary care, morbidities such as GERD and IBS should be considered as diagnoses once potentially life-threatening problems have been excluded.
|
|
| 8. |
- Törmä, Hans, et al.
(författare)
-
Skin barrier disruption by sodium lauryl sulfate-exposure alters the expressions of involucrin, transglutaminase 1, profilaggrin, and kallikreins during the repair phase in human skin in vivo
- 2008
-
Ingår i: Journal of Investigative Dermatology. - London : Nature publishing group. - 0022-202X .- 1523-1747. ; 128:5, s. 1212-1219
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Detergents are skin irritants affecting keratinocytes. In this study, healthy volunteers were exposed to water (vehicle) and 1% sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) under occlusive patch tests for 24 hours. The messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of keratinocyte differentiation markers and of enzymes involved in corneodesmosome degradation was examined in skin biopsies (n=8) during the repair phase (6 hours to 7 days postexposure) using real-time reverse-transcription PCR. It was found that the expression of involucrin was increased at 6 hours, but then rapidly normalized. The expression of transglutaminase 1 exhibited a twofold increase after 24 hours in the SLS-exposed skin. Profilaggrin was decreased after 6 hours. Later (4–7 days), the expression in SLS-exposed areas was >50% above than in control areas. An increased and altered immunofluorescence pattern of involucrin, transglutaminase 1, and filaggrin was also found (n=4). At 6 hours post-SLS exposure, the mRNA expression of kallikrein-7 (KLK-7) and kallikrein-5 (KLK-5) was decreased by 50 and 75%, respectively, as compared with control and water-exposed areas. Thereafter, the expression pattern of KLK-7 and KLK-5 was normalized. Changes in protein expression of KLK-5 were also found. In conclusion, SLS-induced skin barrier defects induce altered mRNA expression of keratinocyte differentiation markers and enzymes degrading corneodesmosomes.
|
|
| 9. |
|
|
| 10. |
- Buraczewska, Izabela, et al.
(författare)
-
Long-term treatment with moisturizers affects the mRNA levels of genes involved in keratinocyte differentiation and desquamation
- 2009
-
Ingår i: Archives of Dermatological Research. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0340-3696 .- 1432-069X. ; 301:2, s. 175-181
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In a recent study, we showed that long-term treatment with two different moisturizers affected TEWL in opposite directions. Therefore, we decided to examine the effect of these moisturizers on the cellular and molecular level. In a randomized controlled study on 20 volunteers, epidermal mRNA expression of genes essential for keratinocyte differentiation and desquamation after a 7-week treatment with two moisturizers was analyzed. Treatment with one test moisturizer increased gene expression of involucrin, transglutaminase 1, kallikrein 5, and kallikrein 7, while the other moisturizer affected only expression of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A. Thus, moisturizers are able to modify the skin barrier function and change the mRNA expression of certain epidermal genes. Since the type of influence depends on the composition of the moisturizer, these should be tailored in accordance with the requirement of the barrier of each individual patient, which merits further investigations.
|
|
