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- McLaughlin, CR, et al.
(författare)
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Regeneration of functional nerves within full thickness collagen-phosphorylcholine corneal substitute implants in guinea pigs
- 2010
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Ingår i: Biomaterials. - : Elsevier BV. - 0142-9612 .- 1878-5905. ; 31:10, s. 2770-2778
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Our objective was to evaluate promotion of tissue and nerve regeneration by extracellular matrix (ECM) Mimics, using corneal implantation as a model system. Porcine type I collagen and 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) were crosslinked using 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethyl aminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC) and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) and moulded into appropriate corneal dimensions to serve as substitutes for natural corneal ECK These were implanted as full thickness grafts by penetrating keratoplasty into the corneas Of guinea pigs after removal of the host tissue, and tracked over eight months, by clinical examination, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, and esthesiometry. Histopathology and ex vivo nerve terminal impulse recordings were performed at three months and at eight months. The implants promoted regeneration of corneal cells, nerves and the tear film, while retaining optical clarity. After three months, electrophysiological recordings showed evidence of mechano-nociceptors, and polymodal units inside the implants, while cold-sensitive units were present only on the peripheral host cornea. Following eight months, the incidence of nerve activity and the frequency of spontaneous firing were higher than in control eyes as reported for regenerating fibers. Active cold nerve terminals also innervated the implant area. We show that ECM mimetic materials can promote regeneration of corneal cells and functional nerves. The simplicity in fabrication and demonstrated functionality shows potential for ECM substitutes in future clinical applications. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 2. |
- Jiang, Rays H. Y., et al.
(författare)
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Distinctive Expansion of Potential Virulence Genes in the Genome of the Oomycete Fish Pathogen Saprolegnia parasitica
- 2013
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Ingår i: PLOS Genetics. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1553-7390 .- 1553-7404. ; 9:6, s. e1003272-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Oomycetes in the class Saprolegniomycetidae of the Eukaryotic kingdom Stramenopila have evolved as severe pathogens of amphibians, crustaceans, fish and insects, resulting in major losses in aquaculture and damage to aquatic ecosystems. We have sequenced the 63 Mb genome of the fresh water fish pathogen, Saprolegnia parasitica. Approximately 1/3 of the assembled genome exhibits loss of heterozygosity, indicating an efficient mechanism for revealing new variation. Comparison of S. parasitica with plant pathogenic oomycetes suggests that during evolution the host cellular environment has driven distinct patterns of gene expansion and loss in the genomes of plant and animal pathogens. S. parasitica possesses one of the largest repertoires of proteases (270) among eukaryotes that are deployed in waves at different points during infection as determined from RNA-Seq data. In contrast, despite being capable of living saprotrophically, parasitism has led to loss of inorganic nitrogen and sulfur assimilation pathways, strikingly similar to losses in obligate plant pathogenic oomycetes and fungi. The large gene families that are hallmarks of plant pathogenic oomycetes such as Phytophthora appear to be lacking in S. parasitica, including those encoding RXLR effectors, Crinkler's, and Necrosis Inducing-Like Proteins (NLP). S. parasitica also has a very large kinome of 543 kinases, 10% of which is induced upon infection. Moreover, S. parasitica encodes several genes typical of animals or animal-pathogens and lacking from other oomycetes, including disintegrins and galactose-binding lectins, whose expression and evolutionary origins implicate horizontal gene transfer in the evolution of animal pathogenesis in S. parasitica.
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| 3. |
- Sokka, Tuulikki, et al.
(författare)
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Work disability remains a major problem in rheumatoid arthritis in the 2000s : data from 32 countries in the QUEST-RA Study
- 2010
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Ingår i: Arthritis Research & Therapy. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1478-6362 .- 1478-6354. ; 12:2, s. R42-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- INTRODUCTION:Work disability is a major consequence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), associated not only with traditional disease activity variables, but also more significantly with demographic, functional, occupational, and societal variables. Recent reports suggest that the use of biologic agents offers potential for reduced work disability rates, but the conclusions are based on surrogate disease activity measures derived from studies primarily from Western countries.METHODS:The Quantitative Standard Monitoring of Patients with RA (QUEST-RA) multinational database of 8,039 patients in 86 sites in 32 countries, 16 with high gross domestic product (GDP) (>24K US dollars (USD) per capita) and 16 low-GDP countries (<11K USD), was analyzed for work and disability status at onset and over the course of RA and clinical status of patients who continued working or had stopped working in high-GDP versus low-GDP countries according to all RA Core Data Set measures. Associations of work disability status with RA Core Data Set variables and indices were analyzed using descriptive statistics and regression analyses.RESULTS:At the time of first symptoms, 86% of men (range 57%-100% among countries) and 64% (19%-87%) of women <65 years were working. More than one third (37%) of these patients reported subsequent work disability because of RA. Among 1,756 patients whose symptoms had begun during the 2000s, the probabilities of continuing to work were 80% (95% confidence interval (CI) 78%-82%) at 2 years and 68% (95% CI 65%-71%) at 5 years, with similar patterns in high-GDP and low-GDP countries. Patients who continued working versus stopped working had significantly better clinical status for all clinical status measures and patient self-report scores, with similar patterns in high-GDP and low-GDP countries. However, patients who had stopped working in high-GDP countries had better clinical status than patients who continued working in low-GDP countries. The most significant identifier of work disability in all subgroups was Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) functional disability score.CONCLUSIONS:Work disability rates remain high among people with RA during this millennium. In low-GDP countries, people remain working with high levels of disability and disease activity. Cultural and economic differences between societies affect work disability as an outcome measure for RA.
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