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- Gunterberg, Veronica, et al.
(författare)
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Autonomic nervous system function predicts the inflammatory response over three years in newly diagnosed ulcerative colitis patients
- 2016
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Ingår i: Neurogastroenterology and Motility. - : Wiley. - 1350-1925 .- 1365-2982. ; 28:11, s. 1655-1662
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundThe autonomic nervous system (ANS) modulates intestinal inflammation in animal models. Human evidence confirming such modulating influence is limited. We aimed to investigate whether ANS function is associated with inflammatory parameters at disease onset, and whether it predicts the evolution of inflammation in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). MethodsWe prospectively monitored 51 patients from onset of UC for 3 years. Upon remission of the onset flare, ANS activity was assessed by heart rate variability analysis and compared with healthy controls. Inflammatory parameters in blood, stool, and colonic biopsies obtained at onset and during follow-up visits were analyzed. Generalized linear models were used to test cross-sectional associations between ANS activity and inflammatory parameters at onset; linear mixed models were used to test whether ANS function at onset predicted the evolution of inflammation over the following 3 years. Key ResultsSympathovagal balance was different in UC patients compared to healthy controls, and cross-sectional associated with higher levels of systemic (erythrocyte sedimentation rate [ESR], CRP, TNF-, IFN-) and mucosal inflammation (interleukin-8, IFN-) at onset. Conversely, a negative cross-sectional association with parasympathetic activity was found for ESR & TNF-. Longitudinally, parasympathetic activity at onset predicted systemic (ESR, WBC), but not mucosal inflammation during follow-up. Conclusions & InferencesThis study further strengthens the association between the ANS system and intestinal inflammation previously found in animal models and recently in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. These results may have important implications for the pathogenesis and treatment of UC.
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| 2. |
- Ollila, Hanna M., et al.
(författare)
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Nightmares share genetic risk factors with sleep and psychiatric traits
- 2024
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Ingår i: Translational Psychiatry. - : Springer Nature. - 2158-3188. ; 14:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Nightmares are vivid, extended, and emotionally negative or negative dreams that awaken the dreamer. While sporadic nightmares and bad dreams are common and generally harmless, frequent nightmares often reflect underlying pathologies of emotional regulation. Indeed, insomnia, depression, anxiety, or alcohol use have been associated with nightmares in epidemiological and clinical studies. However, the connection between nightmares and their comorbidities are poorly understood. Our goal was to examine the genetic risk factors for nightmares and estimate correlation or causality between nightmares and comorbidities. We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in 45,255 individuals using a questionnaire-based assessment on the frequency of nightmares during the past month and genome-wide genotyping data. While the GWAS did not reveal individual risk variants, heritability was estimated at 5%. In addition, the genetic correlation analysis showed a robust correlation (rg > 0.4) of nightmares with anxiety (rg = 0.671, p = 7.507e−06), depressive (rg = 0.562, p = 1.282e−07) and posttraumatic stress disorders (rg = 0.4083, p = 0.0152), and personality trait neuroticism (rg = 0.667, p = 4.516e−07). Furthermore, Mendelian randomization suggested causality from insomnia to nightmares (beta = 0.027, p = 0.0002). Our findings suggest that nightmares share genetic background with psychiatric traits and that insomnia may increase an individual’s liability to experience frequent nightmares. Given the significant correlations with psychiatric and psychological traits, it is essential to grow awareness of how nightmares affect health and disease and systematically collect information about nightmares, especially from clinical samples and larger cohorts.
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