| 1. |
- Alström, Ulrica, et al.
(author)
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Platelet inhibition assessed with VerifyNow, flow cytometry and PlateletMapping in patients undergoing heart surgery
- 2009
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In: Thrombosis Research. - : Elsevier BV. - 0049-3848 .- 1879-2472. ; 124:5, s. 572-577
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- INTRODUCTION: A substantial number of patients with coronary artery disease undergo cardiac surgery within five days of discontinuing anti-platelet treatment with aspirin and clopidogrel. The aims of this study were to describe the degree of platelet inhibition in patients with dual anti-platelet treatment scheduled for coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery and to investigate whether the measured platelet inhibition correlated to intra- and postoperative risk for bleeding and transfusion requirements. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sixty patients were included. Platelet inhibition was analysed with flow cytometry including phosphorylation status of the vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP-assay) and two bed-side analyzers, VerifyNow-System and PlateletMapping, a modified thrombelastograph. All 60 patients were analysed with VerifyNow and PlateletMapping, and 48 were analysed with flow cytometry and VASP-assay. RESULTS: There was a correlation between the ADP-receptor inhibition as measured by VASP-assay and VerifyNowP2Y(12) (r = -0.29, p<0.05), and between VASP-assay and the expression of P-selectin (r = 0.29, p<0.05) as measured by flow cytometry when platelets were stimulated with 5 microM ADP. VerifyNowP2Y(12) was the only measurement of platelet inhibition correlated to total blood loss (Spearman r = 0.29, p=0.03) and red blood cell transfusion (Spearman r = 0.43, p<0.01) requirements, although this might be confounded by aprotinin treatment. CONCLUSION: We found a modest agreement between the methods for preoperative platelet inhibition, though not for PlateletMapping-MA(ADP). There was a correlation between preoperative platelet inhibition measured by VerifyNowP2Y(12) and surgical blood loss or transfusion requirements. However, for the individual patient, preoperative use of VerifyNowP2Y(12) as an instrument to decide bleeding and transfusion risk does not seem helpful.
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| 2. |
- Alström, Ulrica, et al.
(author)
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The platelet inhibiting effect of a clopidogrel bolus dose in patients on long-term acetylsalicylic acid treatment
- 2007
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In: Thrombosis Research. - : Elsevier BV. - 0049-3848 .- 1879-2472. ; 120:3, s. 353-359
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- INTRODUCTION: Addition of clopidogrel to patients treated with ASA has been shown to decrease the incidence of in-stent thrombosis after percutaneous coronary interventions. However, it has also been reported that up to 30% of patients do not achieve adequate platelet inhibition from standard dosages of ASA and clopidogrel. There is a demand for reliable methods to measure the individual platelet inhibiting effect of this combination therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The primary aim of the present investigation was to compare three methods for evaluation of the platelet inhibiting effect of a clopidogrel bolus dose in patients on long-term acetylsalicylic acid treatment. Thirty patients presenting for coronary angiography/PCI were included. Two patients were excluded due to technical problems. All patients were on 75-100 mg ASA/day for at least 8 days. Blood samples were analysed before and 16 h after a 300 mg clopidogrel bolus dose. The platelet inhibiting effect was measured with (1) Whole blood flow cytometry (17 patients); (2) a bed-side test, Platelet Mapping assay for the thrombelastograph (28 patients); and (3) PFA (Platelet function analyser) -100 (26 patients). RESULTS: With flow cytometry, the percentage of platelets expressing P-selectin (p=0.03) on their surface decreased significantly after the bolus dose of clopidogrel. There was also a reduction of platelets binding fibrinogen when stimulated with ADP. A significantly (p=0.002) increased platelet inhibition could also be demonstrated with Platelet Mapping. PFA-100 could not measure any significant platelet inhibiting effect of clopidogrel. CONCLUSION: A significant platelet inhibition could be demonstrated with flow cytometry and the Platelet Mapping assay, but not with PFA-100. However, levels of response for the individual patient with these three methods were inconsistent. Further studies are needed to evaluate how the results correlate to the clinical risk of thrombosis and bleeding.
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| 3. |
- Häggström-Nordin, Elisabet, et al.
(author)
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"It's everywhere!" Thoughts and reflections about pornography among young people in Sweden
- 2006
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In: Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences. - : Wiley. - 0283-9318 .- 1471-6712. ; 20:4, s. 386-393
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Pornography is one of the most sought-after topics on the Internet, and is easily available for anyone, including children and adolescents. At youth centres, nurse-midwives have noticed that young people have different kinds of questions about sexual practices compared with a few years ago. The aim of this study was to gain an understanding of thoughts and reflections about pornography consumption, and its possible influence on sexual practices, among young women and men. The staff at a youth centre in a city in central Sweden asked the visitors if they had seen pornography and if they wanted to be interviewed about their experiences. Ten young women and eight men, aged 16-23 years, participated. In-depth interviews were performed and open-ended questions about pornography and sexuality were posed. The interviews were tape-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed according to grounded theory. The core category 'Living with the current sexual norm' depicted how pornography created sexual expectations and demands, for instance, to perform certain sexual acts. The informants expressed contradictory feelings towards pornography and felt that sexuality was separated from intimacy. A moral attitude was described and examples of stereotypic gender roles were given. To deal with the current sexual norm, informants had different individual handling strategies and attitudes to pornography, namely liberal, normalization, distance, feminist or conservative. Limitations of this study were the small sample size and that results from a qualitative research study cannot be generalized. The results contribute to an understanding of how pornographic material can influence young peoples' thoughts, reflections and sexual behaviour. This indicates the importance, for personnel at youth centres and schools, to discuss sexual behaviour and how sexuality is portrayed in pornographic material with young people.
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| 4. |
- Häggström-Nordin, Elisabet, et al.
(author)
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'It's everywhere!' Young Swedish people's thoughts and reflections about pornography
- 2006
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In: Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences. - : Wiley. - 0283-9318 .- 1471-6712. ; 20:4, s. 386-393
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Pornography is one of the most sought-after topics on the Internet, and is easily available for anyone, including children and adolescents. At youth centres, nurse-midwives have noticed that young people have different kinds of questions about sexual practices compared with a few years ago. The aim of this study was to gain an understanding of thoughts and reflections about pornography consumption, and its possible influence on sexual practices, among young women and men. The staff at a youth centre in a city in central Sweden asked the visitors if they had seen pornography and if they wanted to be interviewed about their experiences. Ten young women and eight men, aged 16-23 years, participated. In-depth interviews were performed and open-ended questions about pornography and sexuality were posed. The interviews were tape-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed according to grounded theory. The core category 'Living with the current sexual norm' depicted how pornography created sexual expectations and demands, for instance, to perform certain sexual acts. The informants expressed contradictory feelings towards pornography and felt that sexuality was separated from intimacy. A moral attitude was described and examples of stereotypic gender roles were given. To deal with the current sexual norm, informants had different individual handling strategies and attitudes to pornography, namely liberal, normalization, distance, feminist or conservative. Limitations of this study were the small sample size and that results from a qualitative research study cannot be generalized. The results contribute to an understanding of how pornographic material can influence young peoples' thoughts, reflections and sexual behaviour. This indicates the importance, for personnel at youth centres and schools, to discuss sexual behaviour and how sexuality is portrayed in pornographic material with young people.
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| 5. |
- Tyden, Eva, et al.
(author)
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P-glycoprotein in intestines, liver, kidney and lymphocytes in horse
- 2009
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In: Journal of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics. - : Wiley. - 0140-7783 .- 1365-2885. ; 32, s. 167-176
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is an important drug transporter, which is expressed in a variety of cells, such as the intestinal enterocytes, the hepatocytes, the renal tubular cells and the intestinal and peripheral blood lymphocytes. We have studied the localization and the gene and protein expression of P-gp in these cells in horse. In addition we have compared the protein sequence of P-gp in horse with the protein sequences of P-gp in several other species. Real time RT-PCR and Western blot showed gene and protein expression of horse P-gp in all parts of the intestines, but there was no strict correlation between these parameters. Immunohistochemistry showed localization of P-gp in the apical cell membranes of the enterocytes and, in addition, staining was observed in the intestinal intraepithelial and lamina propria lymphocytes. Peripheral blood lymphocytes also stained for P-gp, and gene and protein expression of P-gp were observed in these cells. There was a high gene and protein expression of P-gp in the liver, with P-gp-immunoreactivity in the bile canalicular membranes of the hepatocytes. Gene and protein expression of P-gp were found in the kidney with localization of the protein in different parts of the nephrons. Protein sequence alignment showed that horse P-gp has two amino acid insertions at the N-terminal region of the protein, which are not present in several other species examined. One of these is a 99 amino acid long sequence inserted at amino acid positions 23-121 from the N-terminal. The other is a six amino acid long sequence present at the amino acid positions 140-145 from the N-terminal. The results of the present study indicate that P-gp has an important function for oral bioavailability, distribution and excretion of substrate compounds in horse.
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| 6. |
- Tyden, Gunnar, et al.
(author)
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A Randomized, Doubleblind, Placebo-Controlled, Study of Single-Dose Rituximab as Induction in Renal Transplantation
- 2009
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In: Transplantation. - 1534-6080 .- 0041-1337. ; 87:9, s. 1325-1329
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We performed a prospective, double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled multicenter study on the efficacy and safety of rituximab as induction therapy, together with tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, and steroids. The primary endpoint was defined as acute rejection, graft loss, or death during the first 6 months. Secondary endpoints were creatinine clearance, incidence of infections, and incidence of rituximab-related adverse event. Results. We enrolled 140 patients (44 living donor and 96 deceased donor), and of those, 68 rituximab and 68 placebo patients fulfilled the study. In all the patients receiving rituximab, there was a complete depiction of CD 19/CD20 cells, whereas there was no change in the number of CD19/CD20 cells in the placebo group. There were 10 treatment failures in the rituximab group versus 14 in the placebo group (P=0.348). There were eight rejection episodes in the rituximab group versus 12 in the placebo group (P=0.317) Creatinine clearance was 66 +/- 22 mL/min in the study group and 67 +/- 23 mL/min in the placebo group. There was no difference in the number of bacterial infections, cytomegalovirus infections, and BK virus infections or fungal infections. Conclusion. We performed a placebo-controlled study of rituximab induction in renal transplantation. There was a tendency toward fewer and milder rejections during the first 6 months in the rituximab group. Although induction with one dose of rituximab induced a complete depletion B cells, there was no increase in the incidence of infectious complications or leukopenia and it seems safe, therefore, to conduct further studies on the use of rituximab in transplantation.
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| 7. |
- Tydén, Gunnar, et al.
(author)
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Implementation of a Protocol for ABO-incompatible kidney transplantation--a three-center experience with 60 consecutive transplantations
- 2007
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In: Transplantation. - : Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health). - 0041-1337 .- 1534-6080. ; 7, s. 157-158
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background. A new protocol for ABO-incompatible kidney transplantation has recently been introduced. We report here on the joint experience of the implementation in Stockholm and Uppsala, Sweden and Freiburg, Germany. Methods. The new protocol utilizes antigen-specific immunoadsorption to remove existing ABO-antibodies, rituximab, and intravenous immunoglobulin to prevent the rebound of antibodies, and conventional tacrolimus, mycophenolate-mofetil, and prednisolone immunosuppression. Sixty consecutive ABO-incompatible kidney transplantations were included in the study. The outcome is compared with the results of 274 ABO-compatible live donor transplantations performed during the same period. Results. Two of the ABO-incompatible grafts have been lost (non-compliance and death with functioning graft). All the remaining 58 grafts had good renal function at a follow-up of up to 61 months. We did not observe any late rebound of antibodies and there were no humoral rejections. Graft survival was 97% for the ABO-incompatible compared with 95% for the ABO-compatible. Patient survival was 98% in both groups. There was a significant variation in preoperative A/B-antibody titer between the centers, with a median 1:8 in Uppsala, median 1:32 in Stockholm and median 1:128 in Freiburg. More preoperative antibody adsorptions were therefore needed in Freiburg than in Stockholm and Uppsala. Conclusions. The new protocol was easily implemented and there were no graft losses that could be related to ABO-incompatibility. A significant inter-institutional variation in the measurement of anti-AB-antibodies was found, having a substantial impact on the number of immunoadsorptions and consequently on the total cost for the procedure. A standardized fluorescence-activated cell sorting technique for antibody quantification is much needed.
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