| 1. |
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| 2. |
- Abdel-Hamid, Mohamed, et al.
(författare)
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Genetic diversity in hepatitis C virus in Egypt and possible association with hepatocellular carcinoma
- 2007
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Ingår i: Journal of General Virology. - : Microbiology Society. - 1465-2099 .- 0022-1317. ; 88:5, s. 1526-1531
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Egypt has one of the world's highest prevalences of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, with a majority of genotype 4 infections. To explore the genetic diversity of HCV in Egypt, sera from 131 Egyptians [56 from community studies, 37 chronic hepatitis patients, 28 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients and 10 patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma] were genotyped by restriction fragment-length polymorphism and phylogenetic analyses of sequences from the mid-core and non-structural 5B regions. The different genotyping methods showed good agreement. The majority of the viruses (83 of 131; 63 %) were of subtype 4a, but five other subtypes within genotype 4 were also observed, as well as three genotype 1b, five genotype 1g and one genotype 3a samples. Interestingly, subtype 4o, which was easily identifiable in all three genomic regions, 3 showed an association with HCC (P=0.017), which merits further investigation.
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| 3. |
- Björkman, Per, et al.
(författare)
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Enhanced and resumed GB virus C replication in HIV-1-infected individuals receiving HAART.
- 2007
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Ingår i: AIDS. - 1473-5571. ; 21:12, s. 1641-1643
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In patients co-infected with HIV-1 and GB virus C (GBV-C), the disappearance of GBV-C RNA has been associated with accelerated disease progression. We studied longitudinal GBV-C viral titres in 28 HIV-1/GVB-C co-infected individuals receiving HAART. During HAART, median GBV-C RNA titres increased from 95 to 6000 copies/ml (P < 0.001). In patients interrupting HAART, GBV-C-RNA titres decreased as HIV replication resumed. These findings further support the theory that GBV-C replication could depend on the dynamics of HIV progression.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Cardell, Kristina, 1964-, et al.
(författare)
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Nosocomial hepatitis C in a thoracic surgery unit; retrospective findings generating a prospective study
- 2008
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Ingår i: Journal of Hospital Infection. - : Elsevier BV. - 0195-6701 .- 1532-2939. ; 68:4, s. 322-328
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We describe the transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) to two patients from a thoracic surgeon who was unaware of his hepatitis C infection. By partial sequencing of the non-structural 5B gene and phylogenetic analysis, the viruses from both patients were found to be closely related to genotype la strain from the surgeon. Two further hepatitis C cases were found in relation to the thoracic clinic. Their HCV sequences were related to each other but were of genotype 2b and the source of infection was never revealed. To elucidate the magnitude of the problem, we conducted a prospective study for a period of 17 months in which patients who were about to undergo thoracic surgery were asked to participate. Blood samples were drawn prior to surgery and at least four months later. The postoperative samples were then screened for anti-HCV and, if positive, the initial sample was also analysed. The only two patients (0.4%) identified were confirmed anti-HCV positive before surgery, and none out of 456 evaluable cases seroconverted to anti-HCV during the observation period. Despite the retrospectively identified cases, nosocomial hepatitis C is rare in our thoracic unit. The study points out the risk of transmission of hepatitis C from infected personnel and reiterates the need for universal precautions.
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| 6. |
- Gourdon, Pontus Emanuel, 1978, et al.
(författare)
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Optimized in vitro and in vivo expression of proteorhodopsin: A seven-transmembrane proton pump
- 2008
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Ingår i: Protein Expression and Purification. - : Elsevier BV. - 1096-0279 .- 1046-5928. ; 58:1, s. 103-113
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Proteorhodopsin is an integral membrane light-harvesting proton pump that is found in bacteria distributed throughout global surface waters. Here, we present a protocol for functional in vitro production of pR using a commercial cell-free synthesis system yielding 1.0 mg purified protein per milliliter of cell lysate. We also present an optimized protocol for in vivo over-expression of pR in Escherichia coli, and a two-step purification yielding 5 mg of essentially pure functional protein per liter of culture. Both approaches are straightforward, rapid, and easily scalable. Thus either may facilitate the exploitation of pR for commercial biotechnological applications. Finally, the implications of some observations of the in vitro synthesis behavior, as well as preliminary results towards a structural determination of pR are discussed.
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| 7. |
- Johansen, Kari, et al.
(författare)
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Norovirus strains belonging to the GII.4 genotype dominate as a cause of nosocomial outbreaks of viral gastroenteritis in Sweden 1997-2005 - Arrival of new variants is associated with large nation-wide epidemics
- 2008
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Ingår i: Journal of Clinical Virology. - : Elsevier BV. - 1386-6532 .- 1873-5967. ; 42:2, s. 129-134
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: In recent years an increase of the incidence of nosocomial outbreaks caused by noroviruses has been observed throughout Sweden, with high peaks noted in the winter seasons 2002/2003 and 2004/2005, respectively. Objectives: To phylogenetically characterize norovirus strains causing nosocomial outbreaks from 1997 to 2005 and estimate the impact of norovirus-like disease on the Swedish health care system during the peak season 2002/2003 when a new variant of norovirus occurred. Study design: Stool samples from 115 randomly selected nosocomial outbreaks occurring during 1997-2005 throughout Sweden were studied by RT-PCR and sequencing. In addition, to investigate the impact on the health-care system, a questionnaire was distributed to infection control units (n = 90) serving all Swedish hospitals, nursing homes and other health-care institutions during the largest epidemic of nosocomial outbreaks. Results: Sequencing of 279 nucleotides of the norovirus RNA polymerase gene in stools containing norovirus RNA showed that strains belonging to the GII.4 genotype dominated. Each of the two large epidemics was due to a new variant within this cluster. The questionnaire revealed that 30,000-35,000 episodes of nosocomial norovirus-like infections occurred in 80 of 82 major Swedish hospitals affected in 2002/2003. Conclusion: New norovirus variants within the cluster GGII.4 may have a major impact on the health-care system. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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| 8. |
- Nilsson, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Around-the-clock, rapid diagnosis of influenza by means of membrane chromatography antigen testing confirmed by polymerase chain reaction
- 2008
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Ingår i: Infection control and hospital epidemiology. - : Cambridge University Press (CUP). - 0899-823X .- 1559-6834. ; 29:2, s. 177-9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- One rapid membrane chromatography test and 2 immunofluorescence tests were compared with polymerase chain reaction as tools for the diagnosis of influenza in 277 patients treated in an emergency department. The sensitivity on days 1-3 of symptoms was 71% for the rapid membrane chromatography test, 70% for the first immunofluorescence test, and 79% for the second immunofluorescence test. Rapid tests are useful for round-the-clock identification of influenza, with follow-up polymerase chain reaction used for confirmation.
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| 9. |
- Pahlitzsch, Roland, et al.
(författare)
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A case of facial cellulitis and necrotizing lymphadenitis due to cowpox virus infection
- 2006
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Ingår i: Clinical Infectious Diseases. - 1537-6591. ; 43:6, s. 737-742
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- We describe a patient with facial cellulitis/erysipelas due to cowpox virus inoculation in the respiratory epithelium of the nose. A cytopathic agent was isolated in cell culture, and the diagnosis of cowpox was confirmed by electron microscopy and polymerase chain reaction. The most likely source of infection was exposure to the family cats. In addition to the severe edematous cellulitis of the face, the clinical course was dominated by several areas of subcutaneous, necrotizing lymphadenitis, from one of which a huge abscess formed that had to be incised. Hyperbaric oxygen treatment was provided to prevent development of dermal necrosis. The healing process in the numerous areas of lymphadenitis was markedly protracted, and 1 persisting node ( which yielded positive results on polymerase chain reaction) had to be excised 2 years after onset of disease. This is the first reported case of inoculation of cowpox virus in the respiratory mucosa of the nose. It resulted in a clinical course totally different than that for inoculation in the skin. We also present a short review of findings on orthopoxvirus infection that focuses on the chain of transmission.
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| 10. |
- Pukkala, Eero, et al.
(författare)
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Nordic biological specimen banks as basis for studies of cancer causes and control - more than 2 million sample donors, 25 million person years and 100 000 prospective cancers
- 2007
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Ingår i: Acta Oncologica. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1651-226X .- 0284-186X. ; 46:3, s. 286-307
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Nordic countries have a long tradition of large-scale biobanking and comprehensive, population-based health data registries linkable on unique personal identifiers, enabling follow-up studies spanning many decades. Joint Nordic biobank-based studies provide unique opportunities for longitudinal molecular epidemiological research. The purpose of the present paper is to describe the possibilities for such joint studies, by describing some of the major Nordic biobank cohorts with a standardised calculation of the cancer incidence in these cohorts. Altogether two million donors have since 1966 donated more than four million biological samples, stored at -20 degrees C to -135 degrees C, to 17 biobank cohorts in Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. As a result of joint database handling principles, the accuracy of personal identifiers and completeness of follow-up for vital status in all participating biobanks was improved. Thereafter, the cancer incidence was determined using follow-up through the national cancer registries. Biobanks based on random samples of population typically showed slightly lower cancer incidence rates than the general population, presumably due to better participation rates among health-conscious subjects. On the other hand, biobanks including samples for viral screening or clinical testing showed 1.5 to 2.1 fold increased incidence of cancer. This excess was very high immediately after sampling, but for some cancer sites remained elevated for years after clinical sampling. So far, more than 100 000 malignant neoplasms have occurred after sample donation, and the annual increase of the cancer cases in these cohorts is about 10 000. The estimates on the population-representativity of the biobanks will assist in interpretation of generalizability of results of future studies based on these samples, and the systematic tabulations of numbers of cancer cases will serve in study power estimations. The present paper summarizes optimal study designs of biobank-based studies of cancer.
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| 11. |
- Selander, Bo, et al.
(författare)
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No evidence of intrauterine transmission of hepatitis A virus from a mother to a premature infant.
- 2009
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Ingår i: Acta paediatrica. - : Wiley. - 1651-2227 .- 0803-5253. ; 98, s. 1603-1606
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aim: To determine whether or not an intrauterine transmission of hepatitis A virus (HAV) occurred from an infected mother to her premature infant delivered by caesarean section. Methods: The mother and her child were tested for HAV by serology and reverse transcription PCR. Results: An outbreak of HAV infection was seen among children and a 33-year-old day-care teacher, pregnant in third trimester, at a day-care centre in southern Sweden. Due to premature labour and diminished foetal movements a caesarean section was performed and a premature girl in gestational weeks 33 +1 was born. During the 3-week postnatal hospitalization period the child presented no clinical symptoms of HAV infection and anti-HAV IgM antibodies remained undetectable at day 14 and 109 after birth. Furthermore HAV RNA remained undetectable by reverse transcription PCR in the child's blood at birth and in throat and faeces for the first 3 and 4 weeks of life respectively. HAV RNA in the mother's blood was detected at 6 days prior to and at 17 days after delivery. HAV RNA was undetectable in breast milk when tested on day 3 after delivery. Conclusion: The study shows that it is not possible to obtain reliable BFI data, which reflect changes in CBF after acetazolamide infusion, using the CW-NIRS and ICG method.
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| 12. |
- Simmonds, P, et al.
(författare)
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Consensus proposals for a unified system of nomenclature of hepatitis C virus genotypes
- 2005
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Ingår i: Hepatology. - : Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health). - 1527-3350 .- 0270-9139. ; 42:4, s. 962-973
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- International standardization and coordination of the nomenclature of variants of hepatitis C virus (HCV) is increasingly needed as more is discovered about the scale of HCV-related liver disease and important biological and antigenic differences that exist between variants. A group of scientists expert in the field of HCV genetic variability, and those involved in development of HCV sequence databases, the Hepatitis Virus Database (Japan), euHCVdb (France), and Los Alamos (United States), met to re-examine the status of HCV genotype nomenclature, resolve conflicting genotype or subtype names among described variants of HCV, and draw up revised criteria for the assignment of new genotypes as they are discovered in the future. A comprehensive listing of all currently classified variants of HCV incorporates a number of agreed genotype and subtype name reassignments to create consistency in nomenclature. The paper also contains consensus proposals for the classification of new variants into genotypes and subtypes, which recognizes and incorporates new knowledge of HCV genetic diversity and epidemiology. A proposal was made that HCV variants be classified into 6 genotypes (representing the 6 genetic groups defined by phylogenetic analysis). Subtype name assignment will be either confirmed or provisional, depending on the availability of complete or partial nucleotide sequence data, or remain unassigned where fewer than 3 examples of a new subtype have been described. In conclusion, these proposals provide the framework by which the HCV databases store and provide access to data on HCV, which will internationally coordinate the assignment-of-new genotypes and subtypes in the future.
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| 13. |
- Sjöberg, Klas, et al.
(författare)
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Prevalence of hepatitis C in Swedish diabetics is low and comparable to that in health care workers.
- 2008
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Ingår i: European Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepathology. - 1473-5687. ; 20:2, s. 135-138
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: An association between hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and diabetes has been reported, in particular from countries with a high prevalence of HCV. To assess if this association could be found in a region with low prevalence of HCV (0.33%), we determined the prevalence of anti-HCV in a large cohort of patients with diabetes. METHODS: The prevalence of anti-HCV was determined with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 874 patients with diabetes representing 72.5% of a total research cohort of 1205 patients who were invited to participate. The results were confirmed with immunoblot. Samples from confirmed patients were tested for HCV RNA and genotyped. RESULTS: In 499 patients with type 1 diabetes and 375 patients with type 2 diabetes six patients were anti-HCV positive (four with type 1 diabetes and two with type 2 diabetes corresponding to a prevalence of 0.80 and 0.53%, respectively, in accordance with the prevalence among health care workers in Sweden; 0.68%). Liver biopsies in three of the patients showed only mild inflammation without fibrosis and in two of the other three the albumin and/or PT-INR level was normal contradicting any substantial impairment of the liver function. CONCLUSIONS: The low anti-HCV prevalence that we found contradicts an etiologic role of HCV in the development of diabetes in Sweden. The risk of being infected with HCV when attending the health care system seems to be rather small in a low-prevalence area.
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| 14. |
- Verbaan, Hans, et al.
(författare)
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Prospective study of nosocomial transmission of hepatitis C in a Swedish gastroenterology unit .
- 2008
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Ingår i: Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. - : Cambridge University Press (CUP). - 0899-823X .- 1559-6834. ; 29:1, s. 83-85
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A prospective study of incident hepatitis C in 515 gastroenterology patients was conducted by follow-up sampling at 3-6 months after admission to the gastroenterology unit to test for antibodies to hepatitis C virus and for hepatitis C virus RNA. Universal precautions were implemented, and the use of multidose vials had been banned in this unit. Despite 5,964 exposure-days for several risk factors associated with nosocomial hepatitis C virus transmission, no incident case of hepatitis C occurred.
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