| 1. |
- Bennet, Louise, et al.
(författare)
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Clinical appearance of erythema migrans caused by Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii : effect of the patient´s sex
- 2006
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Ingår i: Wiener Klinische Wochenschrift. - : SPRINGER WIEN. - 0043-5325 .- 1613-7671. ; 118:17-18, s. 531-537
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aim: The aim in this survey was to study the clinical characteristics of infections caused by Borrelia genospecies in patients with erythema migrans where Borrelial origin was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction. The aim was also to study factors influencing the clinical appearance of erythema migrans. Methods: The study was conducted in southern Sweden from May 2001 to December 2003 on patients 18 years and older attending with erythema migrans at outpatient clinics. All erythema migrans were verified by polymerase chain reaction, photographed and categorized into “annular” or “non-annular” lesions. A logistic regression model was used to analyze relations between the appearance of the erythema migrans (i.e., annular or non-annular) and factors that influenced its clinical appearances. Results: A total of 118 patients, 54 women (45.8%) and 64 men (54.2%), fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Of these patients, 74% were infected by B. afzelii, 26% by B. garinii ( p < 0.001). A total of 45% (38/85) of the erythema migrans were annular, 46% (39/85) were non-annular and 9.4% (8/85) were atypical. For men infected by B. afzelii the odds ratio of developing non-annular erythema migrans was 0.09 (95% CI: 0.03 - 0.33) in comparison with women with the same infection. Conclusions: In this prospective study of a large series of erythema migrans, where infecting genospecies were confirmed by polymerase chain reaction, the sex of patients infected with B. afzelii had a strong influence on the appearance of the rash. Patients infected by B. garinii more often had non-annular erythema migrans and a more virulent infection with more individuals presenting with fever, raised levels of C-reactive protein and seroreactivity in the convalescence sera.
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| 2. |
- Bennet, Louise, et al.
(författare)
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Clinical Aspects of Erythema Migrans in Southern Sweden
- 2005
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The aim of this study was to describe and categorize the different predominant patterns of PCR confirmed erythema migrans (EM) and to study possible correlations according to the clinical pictures and Borrelia substrains. Methods: Patients over 18 years old, seeking care with tick exposure and an EM were consecutively included during a study period of three years. We evaluated clinical and laboratory findings with regard to Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. spirochetes detected with nested Osp A PCR in skin biopsy specimens. Laboratory and serology testing were done acute, after 6 weeks and after 6 months. The patients were clinically evaluated at the initial visit and repeatedly after 14 days unitl recovery. Results: 118 patients (women=54, men=64) with a positive B. Burgdorferi s.l. PCR analysis were included. In this area totally 73.7% of the EM were caused by B. afzelii and 26.3% by B. garinii (p=0.0001). Leisons caused by B. garinii had a shorter duration from tick bite to the initial visit (p= 0.001) but there were no differences between the sizes of the EM, indicating a faster development of lesions caused by B. garinii. Patients with lesions caused by B. garinii to a greater extent had presented with fever at the initial visit (p=0.02). Also patients with B. garinii lesions to a greater extent had elevated levels of CRP at the initial visit (p=0.006). 45% of the EM were categorized as “annular”, 27% as “homogeneous”, 19% as “central erythemas” and 9% as “atypical”. The lesions caused by B. afzelii were predominately “annular” and the lesions caused by B. gaarinii were predominately “homogeneous”. Conclusions: In this study most EM were caused by B. afzelii. Leisons caused by B. garinii developed faster and the patients to a greater extent presented with fever and elevated levels of CRP at the initial visit. Leisons caused by B. garinii were mostly homogenous and by B. afzelii were mostly annular.
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| 3. |
- Bennet, Louise, et al.
(författare)
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Effect of Gender on Clinical and Epidemiologic Features of Lyme Borreliosis
- 2007
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Ingår i: Vector Borne and Zoonotic Diseases. - : Vector-borne and zoonotic diseases. - 1530-3667 .- 1557-7759. ; 7:1, s. 34-41
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim is to highlight the influence of patients’ gender on Lyme borreliosis and especially erythema migrans (EM), focusing on exposure to tick bites, epidemiology, and the clinical picture. All studies were conducted in the county of Blekinge, located in southeastern Sweden. A prospective study was conducted in 235 individuals (women, n=110; men, n=125) engaged in recreational or occupational activities focusing on exposure to tick bites. A retrospective epidemiological study evaluating 123,495 electronic patients´ records (women, n=61,712; men, n=61,783) and a prospective clinical study including 118 patients (women, n=54; men, n=64) 18 years or older seeking care for EM > 5 cm in diameter with genospecies verified by polymerase chain reaction were conducted. Results: Women 40 years or older had a 48% higher risk than men 40 years or older and 42% higher risk than women younger than 40 years of attracting tick bites (0.0188 versus 0.0127 and 0.0188 versus 0.0132 tick bites respectively per hour). Additionally they had a 96% higher risk than men younger than 40 years of attracting tick bites (0.0188 versus 0.0096). The annual incidence rate of EM in women was 506 and in men 423 cases per 100,000 inhabitants (p<0.001). Significant differences in incidence rates occurred in those 40 years or older. Odds ratios for males infected with Borrelia afzelii developing nonannular EM were 0.09 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.03 to 0.33) in comparison with females infected by Borrelia afzelii. Conclusions: Significant gender differences in the risk of contracting tick bites, incidence rates, and clinical picture of EM have been observed. Exposure to tick bites alone may not explain these observations and further studies need to be done to clarify the biologic, immunologic, and sociological mechanisms causing these differences.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Bennet, Louise
(författare)
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Erythema Migrans in Primary Health Care
- 2005
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Lyme borreliosis (LB) is the most common vector-borne disease in the northern hemisphere, and southern Sweden is a highly endemic area. In over 70% of the cases, LB is represented by the non-disseminated cutaneous form erythema migrans (EM). This thesis has its focus on EM from a primary health care perspective in southern Sweden, including aspects on epidemiology, the clinical picture, gender differences and the climate. In paper III, an annual mean incidence rate over 460 cases of EM per 100,000 inhabitants was found in the county of Blekinge. Over 98% of the cases were treated in primary health care and almost every second case occurred during the vacation months of July and August. In paper I, individuals in southern Sweden treated and recovered from EM were followed during a period of 5 years. Annually, 1% were 'reinfected', i.e. had a new infection with LB during the follow-up. This is significantly higher than the prevalence of LB in the area in 1992-1993 of 0.07% (p < 0.001), indicating that individuals with a former infection are at a higher risk of LB. In paper IV studying patients with EM, where genospecies were confirmed by PCR, 74% of the patients were infected with B. afzelii and 26% were infected with B. garinii. B. garinii seemed to cause more intense local and systemic inflammatory reactions than B. afzelii. Totally, 45% (38/85) of the lesions were annular, 46% (39/85) were non-annular and 9% (8/85) were atypical. An interaction between gender and genospecies was found that has not been described before. Men to a higher extent than women developed annular EM while women more often developed non-annular EM, if infected with B. afzelii. Surprisingly, time duration from tick bite to diagnosis was not found to have an effect on the clinical appearance of the EM. In paper II, antibiotic treatment of EM with pcV and doxycycline was found to be highly effective and no cases of disseminated LB were found in patients followed for 5 years. The incidence rate of EM was significantly higher in women than men (506/100,000 vs 423/100,000 p < 0.001) and especially women over 50 years were affected (paper III). Additionally, significantly more women than men were reinfected, 6% and 1%, respectively (p < 0.01). All infected women were over the age of 44 years and they were tick-bitten to the same extent as the men (paper I). Immunological differences might have an impact on, and explain, the observed gender differences. The seasonal incidence rates of EM varied considerably. Different climate factors were found to influence the EM incidence rates (paper III).
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| 6. |
- Bennet, Louise, et al.
(författare)
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Increased incidence of Lyme borreliosis in southern Sweden following mild winters and during warm, humid summers.
- 2006
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Ingår i: European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. - : SPRINGER. - 0934-9723 .- 1435-4373. ; 25:7, s. 426-432
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of the present study was to investigate the long-term incidence rate of Lyme borreliosis and, additionally, to determine whether a correlation exists between climatic factors and summer-season variations in the incidence of Lyme borreliosis. Climatic variability acts directly on tick population dynamics and indirectly on human exposure to Lyme borreliosis spirochetes. In this study, conducted in primary healthcare clinics in southeastern Sweden, electronic patient records from 1997-2003 were searched for those that fulfilled the criteria for erythema migrans. Using a multilevel Poisson regression model, the influence of various climatic factors on the summer-season variations in the incidence of erythema migrans were studied. The mean annual incidence rate was 464 cases of erythema migrans per 100,000 inhabitants. The incidence was significantly higher in women than in men, 505 and 423 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, respectively (p<0.001). The summer-season variations in the erythema migrans incidence rate correlated with the monthly mean summer temperatures (incidence rate ratio 1.12; p<0.001), the number of winter days with temperatures below 0 degrees C (incidence rate ratio 0.97; p<0.001), the monthly mean summer precipitation (incidence rate ratio 0.92; p<0.05), and the number of summer days with relative humidity above 86% (incidence rate ratio 1.04; p<0.05). In conclusion, Lyme borreliosis is highly endemic in southeastern Sweden. The climate in this area, which is favourable not only for human tick exposure but also for the abundance of host-seeking ticks, influences the summer-season variations in the incidence of Lyme borreliosis.
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| 7. |
- Ingelsson, Erik, et al.
(författare)
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The PPARGC1A Gly482Ser polymorphism is associated with left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in men.
- 2008
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Ingår i: BMC cardiovascular disorders. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2261. ; 8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: The Gly482Ser polymorphism in peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1 alpha (PPARGC1A) has been demonstrated to be associated with diabetes, obesity and hypertension, all of which are important risk factors for left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. METHODS: The PPARGC1A Gly482Ser polymorphism was genotyped in a community-based cohort of 499 men and 533 women, who also underwent an echocardiographic examination to determine their left ventricular diastolic function. The association between the polymorphism and the presence of diastolic dysfunction was evaluated using logistic regression models. RESULTS: The Ser allele of the PPARGC1A Gly482Ser polymorphism was significantly associated with a lower risk of diastolic dysfunction in men, but not in women. In a model adjusting for potential confounders (age, body mass index, leisure time physical activity, hypertension and diabetes) the results were still significant and substantial (odds ratio 0.13, 95% confidence interval 0.03-0.54, p for trend = 0.004). The results were consistent in a series of models, and they imply a multiplicative, protective effect of the Ser allele, with lower risk of diastolic dysfunction for each copy of the allele. CONCLUSION: The Ser allele of the PPARGC1A Gly482Ser polymorphism was associated with decreased risk of diastolic left ventricular dysfunction in men, but not in women, in our large community-based sample. It was associated with a substantially decreased risk, even after adjustment for potential confounders. The clinical importance of the findings has to be established in further studies.
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| 8. |
- Jarefors, Sara, et al.
(författare)
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Lyme borreliosis reinfection: might it be explained by gender difference in immune response?
- 2006
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Ingår i: Immunology. - : Wiley. - 0019-2805 .- 1365-2567. ; 118:2, s. 224-235
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Lyme borreliosis is a tick-borne disease often manifesting as a circular skin lesion. This cutaneous form of the disease is known as erythema migrans. In a 5-year follow-up study in southern Sweden, 31 of 708 individuals initially diagnosed with erythema migrans and treated with antibiotics were found to be reinfected with Borrelia burgdorferi. Although men and women were tick-bitten to the same extent, 27 of the 31 reinfected individuals were women, all of whom were over 44 years of age. The aim of this study was to determine whether this discrepancy in gender distribution could be a result of differences in immunological response. Twenty single-infected and 21 reinfected women and 18 single-infected and three reinfected men were included in the study. None of the participants showed any sign of an ongoing B. burgdorferi infection, and thus the habitual response was captured. Lymphocytes were separated from blood and stimulated with antigens. The secretion of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-6, IL-10, interferon (IFN)-γ and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot-forming cell assay (ELISPOT) or Immulite. No difference was detected in cytokine secretion between single-infected and reinfected individuals. We also compared the immunological response in men and women, regardless of the number of B. burgdorferi infections. Women displayed a significantly higher spontaneous secretion of all cytokines measured. The ratios of IL-4:IFN-γ and IL-10:TNF-α were significantly higher in women. Gender differences in immune reactivity might in part explain the higher incidence of reinfection in women. The higher IL-4:IFN-γ and IL-10:TNF-α ratios seen in women indicate that postmenopausal women have T helper type 2 (Th2)-directed reactivity with impaired inflammatory responses which might inhibit the elimination of spirochetes.
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