| 1. |
- Bruggmann, P., et al.
(författare)
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Historical epidemiology of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in selected countries
- 2014
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Ingår i: Journal of Viral Hepatitis. - Hoboken : Wiley-Blackwell. - 1352-0504 .- 1365-2893. ; 21, s. 5-33
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Chronic infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a leading indicator for liver disease. New treatment options are becoming available, and there is a need to characterize the epidemiology and disease burden of HCV. Data for prevalence, viremia, genotype, diagnosis and treatment were obtained through literature searches and expert consensus for 16 countries. For some countries, data from centralized registries were used to estimate diagnosis and treatment rates. Data for the number of liver transplants and the proportion attributable to HCV were obtained from centralized databases. Viremic prevalence estimates varied widely between countries, ranging from 0.3% in Austria, England and Germany to 8.5% in Egypt. The largest viremic populations were in Egypt, with 6358000 cases in 2008 and Brazil with 2106000 cases in 2007. The age distribution of cases differed between countries. In most countries, prevalence rates were higher among males, reflecting higher rates of injection drug use. Diagnosis, treatment and transplant levels also differed considerably between countries. Reliable estimates characterizing HCV-infected populations are critical for addressing HCV-related morbidity and mortality. There is a need to quantify the burden of chronic HCV infection at the national level.
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| 6. |
- Ferraz, Natalia, 1976-
(författare)
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Effect of Surface Nanotopography on Blood-Biomaterial Interactions
- 2010
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Biologically inspired materials are being developed with the aim of improving the integration of medical implants and minimizing non-desirable host reactions. A promising strategy is the design of topographically patterned surfaces that resemble those found in the extracellular environment. Nanoporous alumina has been recognized as a potential biomaterial and as an important template for the fabrication of nanostructures. In this thesis in vitro studies were done to elucidate the role of alumina nanoporosity on the inflammatory response. Specifically, by comparing alumina membranes with two pore sizes (20 and 200 nm in diameter). Complement and platelet activation were evaluated as well as monocyte/macrophage behaviour. Whole blood was incubated with the alumina membranes and thereafter the biomaterial surfaces were evaluated in terms of protein and platelet adhesion as well as procoagulant properties. The fluid phase was analyzed for complement activation products and platelet activation markers. Besides, human mononuclear cells were cultured on the alumina membranes and cell adhesion, viability, morphology and release of pro-inflammatory cytokines were evaluated. The results indicated that nanoporous alumina with 200 nm pores promotes higher complement activation than alumina with 20 nm pores. In addition, platelet response to nanoporous alumina was found to be highly dependent on the material porosity, as reflected by differences in adhesion, PMP generation and procoagulant characteristics. A clear difference in monocyte/macrophage adhesion and activation was found between the two pore size alumina membranes. Few but highly activated cells adhered to the 200 nm membrane in contrast to many but less activated monocytes/macrophages on the 20 nm surface. The outcome of this work emphasizes that nanotopography plays an important role in the host response to biomaterials. Better understanding of molecular interactions on nano-level will undoubtedly play a significant role in biomaterial implant development and will contribute to design strategies for controlling specific biological events.
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| 7. |
- Ferraz, Natalia, et al.
(författare)
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Haemocompatibility and ion exchange capability of nanocellulose polypyrrole membranes intended for blood purification
- 2012
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Ingår i: Journal of the Royal Society Interface. - : The Royal Society. - 1742-5689 .- 1742-5662. ; 9:73, s. 1943-1955
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Composites of nanocellulose and the conductive polymer polypyrrole (PPy) are presented as candidates for a new generation of haemodialysis membranes. The composites may combine active ion exchange with passive ultrafiltration, and the large surface area (about 80 m2 g−1) could potentially provide compact dialysers. Herein, the haemocompatibility of the novel membranes and the feasibility of effectively removing small uraemic toxins by potential-controlled ion exchange were studied. The thrombogenic properties of the composites were improved by applying a stable heparin coating. In terms of platelet adhesion and thrombin generation, the composites were comparable with haemocompatible polymer polysulphone, and regarding complement activation, the composites were more biocompatible than commercially available membranes. It was possible to extract phosphate and oxalate ions from solutions with physiological pH and the same tonicity as that of the blood. The exchange capacity of the materials was found to be 600 ± 26 and 706 ± 31 μmol g−1 in a 0.1 M solution (pH 7.4) and in an isotonic solution of phosphate, respectively. The corresponding values with oxalate were 523 ± 5 in a 0.1 M solution (pH 7.4) and 610 ± 1 μmol g−1 in an isotonic solution. The heparinized PPy–cellulose composite is consequently a promising haemodialysis material, with respect to both potential-controlled extraction of small uraemic toxins and haemocompatibility.
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| 8. |
- Ferraz, Natalia, et al.
(författare)
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In vitro and in vivo toxicity of rinsed and aged nanocellulose-polypyrrole composites
- 2012
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Ingår i: Journal of Biomedical Materials Research. Part A. - : Wiley. - 1549-3296 .- 1552-4965. ; 100A:8, s. 2128-2138
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Novel composites of nanocellulose and the conducting polymer polypyrrole (PPy) are herein suggested as potential candidates for active ion-extraction membranes in electrochemically controlled hemodialysis. This work has defined processing parameters to obtain a biocompatible nanocellulose-PPy composite and for the first time, the effect of the composite ageing on cell viability has been studied.The influence of rinsing and extraction process steps, as well as ageing under different conditions (i.e. in air, at –20 ˚C and in argon), on the electroactivity and cytotoxicity of a PPy-nanocellulose composite has been investigated. The biocompatibility evaluation was based on indirect toxicity assays with fibroblasts and monocyte cell lines and an acute toxicity test in mice, while the electroactivity was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry experiments.The as-prepared composite did not induce any cytotoxic response in vitro or in vivo. Extensive rinsing and 48 hour incubation in biological buffer previous to the preparation of the culture medium extracts were, however, necessary to obtain a non-cytotoxic composite. The as-prepared composite was also found to exhibit acceptable electrochemical performance, which was retained upon 4 weeks storage in argon atmosphere. It was shown that ageing of the composite had a negative effect on biocompatibility, regardless of the storage condition. Thus, to allow for long time storage of electroactive nanocellulose-PPy hemodialysis membranes, the degradation of PPy upon storage must be controlled. The present results show that the biocompatibility of PPy composites depends on the rinsing and pre-treatment of the composite material as well as the aging of the material.
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| 9. |
- Ferraz, Natalia, et al.
(författare)
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Is there a future for electrochemically assisted hemodialysis? : focus on the application of polypyrrole-nanocellulose composites
- 2014
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Ingår i: Nanomedicine. - : Future Medicine Ltd. - 1743-5889 .- 1748-6963. ; 9:7, s. 1095-1110
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This work summarizes the various aspects of using electrochemically assisted solute removal techniques in hemodialysis with a focus on blood electrodialysis and electrochemically controlled uremic retention solute removal using polypyrrole. In particular, the feasibility of using highly porous conductive polypyrrole-Cladophora cellulose membranes for hemodialysis are overviewed as a part of our dedicated research efforts during the past 4 years. The potential benefits and the current limitations associated with using the electrochemically controlled uremic retention solute removal techniques are discussed in detail.
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| 10. |
- Ferraz, Natalia, et al.
(författare)
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Is there a future for electrochemically assisted hemodialysis? : Focus on the application of polypyrrole-nanocellulose composites
- 2014
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Ingår i: Nanomedicine. - 1743-5889 .- 1748-6963. ; 9:7, s. 1095-1110
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- This work summarizes the various aspects of using electrochemically assisted solute removal techniques in hemodialysis with a focus on blood electrodialysis and electrochemically controlled uremic retention solute removal using polypyrrole. In particular, the feasibility of using highly porous conductive polypyrrole-Cladophora cellulose membranes for hemodialysis are overviewed as a part of our dedicated research efforts during the past 4 years. The potential benefits and the current limitations associated with using the electrochemically controlled uremic retention solute removal techniques are discussed in detail.
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