| 1. |
- Biurrun, Idoia, et al.
(författare)
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Benchmarking plant diversity of Palaearctic grasslands and other open habitats
- 2021
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Ingår i: Journal of Vegetation Science. - Oxford : John Wiley & Sons. - 1100-9233 .- 1654-1103. ; 32:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Journal of Vegetation Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Association for Vegetation Science.Aims: Understanding fine-grain diversity patterns across large spatial extents is fundamental for macroecological research and biodiversity conservation. Using the GrassPlot database, we provide benchmarks of fine-grain richness values of Palaearctic open habitats for vascular plants, bryophytes, lichens and complete vegetation (i.e., the sum of the former three groups). Location: Palaearctic biogeographic realm. Methods: We used 126,524 plots of eight standard grain sizes from the GrassPlot database: 0.0001, 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, 100 and 1,000 m2 and calculated the mean richness and standard deviations, as well as maximum, minimum, median, and first and third quartiles for each combination of grain size, taxonomic group, biome, region, vegetation type and phytosociological class. Results: Patterns of plant diversity in vegetation types and biomes differ across grain sizes and taxonomic groups. Overall, secondary (mostly semi-natural) grasslands and natural grasslands are the richest vegetation type. The open-access file ”GrassPlot Diversity Benchmarks” and the web tool “GrassPlot Diversity Explorer” are now available online (https://edgg.org/databases/GrasslandDiversityExplorer) and provide more insights into species richness patterns in the Palaearctic open habitats. Conclusions: The GrassPlot Diversity Benchmarks provide high-quality data on species richness in open habitat types across the Palaearctic. These benchmark data can be used in vegetation ecology, macroecology, biodiversity conservation and data quality checking. While the amount of data in the underlying GrassPlot database and their spatial coverage are smaller than in other extensive vegetation-plot databases, species recordings in GrassPlot are on average more complete, making it a valuable complementary data source in macroecology. © 2021 The Authors.
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| 2. |
- Gregersen, Ida, et al.
(författare)
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Legumain in Acute Coronary Syndromes : A Substudy of the PLATO (Platelet Inhibition and Patient Outcomes) Trial
- 2020
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Ingår i: Journal of the American Heart Association. - : WILEY. - 2047-9980 .- 2047-9980. ; 9:17
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: The cysteine protease legumain is increased in patients with atherosclerosis, but its causal role in atherogenesis and cardiovascular disease is still unclear. The aim of the study was to investigate the association of legumain with clinical outcome in a large cohort of patients with acute coronary syndrome. METHODS AND RESULTS : Serum levels of legumain were analyzed in 4883 patients with acute coronary syndrome from a substudy of the PLATO (Platelet Inhibition and Patient Outcomes) trial. Levels were analyzed at admission and after 1 month follow-up. Associations between legumain and a composite of cardiovascular death, spontaneous myocardial infarction or stroke, and its individual components were assessed by multivariable Cox regression analyses. At baseline, a 50% increase in legumain level was associated with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.13 (95% CI, 1.04-1.21),P=0.0018, for the primary composite end point, adjusted for randomized treatment. The association remained significant after adjustment for important clinical and demographic variables (HR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.02-1.19;P=0.013) but not in the fully adjusted model. Legumain levels at 1 month were not associated with the composite end point but were negatively associated with stroke (HR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.44-0.88;P=0.0069), including in the fully adjusted model (HR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.37-0.88;P=0.0114). CONCLUSIONS: Baseline legumain was associated with the primary outcome in patients with acute coronary syndrome, but not in the fully adjusted model. The association between high levels of legumain at 1 month and decreased occurrence of stroke could be of interest from a mechanistic point of view, illustrating the potential dual role of legumain during atherogenesis and acute coronary syndrome. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT00391872.
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| 3. |
- Holt, Margrethe Flesvig, et al.
(författare)
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The Alternative Complement Pathway Is Activated Without a Corresponding Terminal Pathway Activation in Patients With Heart Failure
- 2021
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Immunology. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 1664-3224. ; 12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: Dysregulation of the complement system has been described in patients with heart failure (HF). However, data on the alternative pathway are scarce and it is unknown if levels of factor B (FB) and the C3 convertase C3bBbP are elevated in these patients. We hypothesized that plasma levels of FB and C3bBbP would be associated with disease severity and survival in patients with HF. Methods: We analyzed plasma levels of FB, C3bBbP, and terminal C5b-9 complement complex (TCC) in 343 HF patients and 27 healthy controls. Results: Compared with controls, patients with HF had elevated levels of circulating FB (1.6-fold, p < 0.001) and C3bBbP (1.3-fold, p < 0.001). In contrast, TCC, reflecting the terminal pathway, was not significantly increased (p = 0.15 vs controls). FB was associated with NT-proBNP, troponin, eGFR, and i.e., C-reactive protein. FB, C3bBbP and TCC were not associated with mortality in HF during a mean follow up of 4.3 years. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that in patients with HF, the alternative pathway is activated. However, this is not accompanied by activation of the terminal pathway.
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| 4. |
- Kontny, Frederic, et al.
(författare)
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Pentraxin-3 vs C-reactive protein and other prognostic biomarkers in acute coronary syndrome : A substudy of the Platelet Inhibition and Patients Outcomes (PLATO) trial
- 2020
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Ingår i: European Heart Journal. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 2048-8726 .- 2048-8734. ; 9:4, s. 313-322
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- AIMS: We investigated the dynamics, associations with patient characteristics, other biomarkers, and clinical outcomes of pentraxin 3 in acute coronary syndrome.METHODS AND RESULTS: In multivariate analyses, pentraxin 3 measured in 5154 patients randomised in the Platelet Inhibition and Patients Outcomes (PLATO) trial (NCT00391872) was compared with leukocytes, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, cystatin C, N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide, high-sensitivity troponin T and growth differentiation factor 15 concerning prediction of clinical outcome. Pentraxin 3 peaked earlier than high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and was more strongly correlated with N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide and high-sensitivity troponin T than with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. The frequency of cardiovascular death, spontaneous myocardial infarction or stroke by quartiles of pentraxin 3 at admission was 6.1%, 7.3%, 9.7% and 10.7%, respectively ( p<0.0001). The hazard ratio per 50% increase of pentraxin 3 was 1.13 (95% confidence interval: 1.07-1.19), p<0.0001. This association remained significant after stepwise adjustments for leukocytes/high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (1.09 (1.02-1.15)), p=0.009, interleukin-6 (1.07 (1.01-1.14)), p=0.026, and cystatin C (1.07 (1.00-1.13)), p=0.044, but not after adjustment for N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide, high-sensitivity troponin T and growth differentiation factor 15. Admission pentraxin 3 was also associated with several of the individual endpoint components (cardiovascular death/spontaneous myocardial infarction; p=0.008, cardiovascular death; p=0.026, and spontaneous myocardial infarction; p=0.017), but not with stroke. Pentraxin 3 measured in the chronic phase (i.e. at one month) was still predictive of the composite endpoint in univariate analysis (1.12 (1.04-1.20) per 50% increase) p=0.0024, but not after adjustment for the other biomarkers.CONCLUSION: Admission level of pentraxin 3 is a modestly stronger predictor than high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and interleukin-6, but not than N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide or high-sensitivity troponin T, concerning cardiovascular outcome in acute coronary syndrome. Pentraxin 3 is more strongly correlated with N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide and high-sensitivity troponin T than with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein.
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| 5. |
- Lunde, Ngoc Nguyen, et al.
(författare)
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Legumain is upregulated in acute cardiovascular events and associated with improved outcome - potentially related to anti-inflammatory effects on macrophages
- 2020
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Ingår i: Atherosclerosis. - : Elsevier. - 0021-9150 .- 1879-1484. ; 296, s. 74-82
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background and aims: We have previously found increased levels of the cysteine protease legumain in plasma and plaques from patients with carotid atherosclerosis. This study further investigated legumain during acute cardiovascular events.Methods: Circulating levels of legumain from patients and legumain released from platelets were assessed by enzyme-linked-immunosorbent assay. Quantitative PCR and immunoblotting were used to study expression, while localization was visualized by immunohistochemistry.Results: In the SUMMIT Malmo cohort (n = 339 with or without type 2 diabetes and/or cardiovascular disease [CVD], and 64 healthy controls), the levels of circulating legumain were associated with the presence of CVD in non-diabetics, with no relation to outcome. In symptomatic carotid plaques and in samples from both coronary and intracerebral thrombi obtained during acute cardiovascular events, legumain was co-localized with macrophages in the same regions as platelets. In vitro, legumain was shown to be present in and released from platelets upon activation. In addition, THP-1 macrophages exposed to releasate from activated platelets showed increased legumain expression. Interestingly, primary peripheral blood mononuclear cells stimulated with recombinant legumain promoted anti-inflammatory responses. Finally, in a STEMI population (POSTEMI; n = 272), patients had significantly higher circulating legumain before and immediately after percutaneous coronary intervention compared with healthy controls (n = 67), and high levels were associated with improved outcome.Conclusions: Our data demonstrate for the first time that legumain is upregulated during acute cardiovascular events and is associated with improved outcome.
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| 6. |
- Ueland, Thor, et al.
(författare)
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ALCAM predicts future cardiovascular death in acute coronary syndromes : Insights from the PLATO trial
- 2020
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Ingår i: Atherosclerosis. - : Elsevier. - 0021-9150 .- 1879-1484. ; 293, s. 35-41
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule (ALCAM) is upregulated during inflammation and involved in transmigration of leukocytes and T-cell activation. We hypothesized that ALCAM might be associated with recurrent events in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS).METHODS: ALCAM was measured in serum obtained on admission, at discharge, 1 month and 6 months in a subgroup of 5165 patients admitted with ACS and included in the PLATelet inhibition and patient Outcomes (PLATO) trial (NCT00391872). The association between ALCAM and the composite endpoint and its components, including cardiovascular (CV) death, non-procedural spontaneous myocardial infarction (MI) or stroke during 1-year follow-up, was assessed by Cox proportional hazards models with incremental addition of clinical risk factors and biomarkers (including high-sensitivity troponin T, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide and growth differentiation factor-15).RESULTS: The median (Q1-Q3) concentration of ALCAM at admission was 97 (80-116) ng/mL. A 50% higher level of ALCAM on admission was associated with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.16 (95% confidence interval [1.00-1.34] p = 0.043) for the composite endpoint in fully adjusted analysis, mainly driven by the association with CV death (HR 1.45 [1.16-1.82] p = 0.0012).CONCLUSIONS: In patients with ACS, admission level of ALCAM was independently associated with adverse outcome including CV death even after adjustment for established inflammatory and cardiac biomarkers.
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