1. |
- Hellström Ängerud, Karin, et al.
(author)
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Differences in symptoms in relation to myocardial infarction.
- 2016
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Background: In myocardial infarction (MI) rapid diagnosis and treatment is crucial for the prognosis. Previous research has found that symptom presentation influence pre hospital delay times but studies about differences in MI symptoms between patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) are sparse and inconclusive. To enhance the understanding of symptom presentation in regard to MI type, we aimed to describe symptoms in relation to MI type and to find predictors of STEMI versus NSTEMI in patients with MI.Methods: Patients with MI (n=694) from the SymTime study were included. SymTime was a multicentre cross-sectional study of symptoms and actions in the prehospital phase of MI and data were collected using a previously validated questionnaire administered to MI patients within 24 h of admission to hospital.Results: Patients with STEMI were younger, more often men and smokers. Patients with NSTEMI were more likely to have a history of hypertension, MI and stroke. Chest pain was the most common symptom in both groups. Pain, discomfort, or pressure located in the jaw or teeth, vertigo/pre-syncope, cold sweat and nausea/vomiting were significantly more frequent in patients with STEMI (Table 1). In a multivariate logistic regression model patients with STEMI were more likely to present with cold sweat (OR 4.13, 95% CI 2.71–6.29) jaw pain (OR 2.14, 95% CI 1.02–4.50), and nausea (OR 2.01, 95% CI 1.20–3.33), and less likely to have a history of stroke (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.15–0.84), fluctuating symptoms (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.36–0.83) and anxiety (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.32–0.92) compared to patients with NSTEMI.Conclusion: Patients with STEMI differed significantly from those with NSTEMI regarding symptom presentation. This knowledge is important for health care personnel to recognize symptoms alarming for STEMI when evaluating patients with MI symptoms.
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2. |
- Åkerman, Linda, 1983-
(author)
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Aspects of the Pre-Diabetic Period in Type 1 Diabetes
- 2016
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease characterized by insulin deficiency, due to immune-mediated destruction of beta cells. Current knowledge regarding the period preceding disease onset comes, to a large extent, from studying risk cohorts based on relatives of T1D-patients, as they have an increased disease risk. Among T1D patients in general, however, few have the disease in their immediate family. It is therefore important to study risk cohorts from the general population as well. An ongoing autoimmune reaction can often be seen in the blood long before disease onset, by detection of autoantibodies directed towards beta cell antigens. By autoantibody screening among participants in the ABIS (All Babies in the South-east of Sweden) cohort, we could identify a group of children from the general population with increased risk for T1D, positive for multiple autoantibodies. They were enrolled in a 2-year prospective follow-up aiming to characterize the prediabetic period and to identify factors indicative of progression/non-progression to T1D. We assessed glucose homeostasis and autoantibody titers over time, and searched for risk-biomarkers by analyzing the expression of immune-related genes (Th1-Th2-Th3) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from these children, in comparison to healthy children and newly diagnosed T1D patients. In the same groups we also compared serum micro RNA (miRNA) profiles, knowing that miRNA molecules have desirable biomarker properties. We found that two specific autoantibodies, IA2A and ZnT8A, were detected at higher concentrations in risk-individuals who progressed to overt T1D during or after the follow-up period, compared to those who still have not. We also observed disturbed glucose homeostasis long before onset in the progressors, but it was seen among those who remain symptom free as well. Further, we found support for the possible role of insulin resistance as an accelerator of the disease process. For gene expression and serum miRNA, few differences were observed between risk-individuals and healthy children overall. However, for PBMC gene expression and serum miRNA both, there were associations to beta cell function and glucose homeostasis, and for miRNA also to islet autoantibodies. Although specific profiles for prediction of disease onset or identification of risk-individuals could not be found, these results are interesting and deserve to be evaluated further. As part of another sub-study within ABIS, the effects of physical activity on glucose homeostasis were assessed in healthy schoolchildren. The level of physical activity, measured by pedometers, was related to insulin resistance and beta cell-stress, and decreased physical activity was associated with increased insulin resistance and load on the insulin-producing beta cells, already at school-age.
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3. |
- Loftås, Per, 1964-
(author)
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Response to neoadjuvant treatment in rectal cancer surgery
- 2016
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Rectal cancer is one of the three most common malignancies in Sweden with an annual incidence of about 2000 cases. Current treatment consists of surgical resection of the rectum including the loco-regional lymph nodes in the mesorectum. In advanced cases, neoadjuvant chemo-radiotherapy (CRT) prior to the operative treatment reduces local recurrences and enables surgery. The neoadjuvant treatment can also eradicate the tumour completely, i.e. complete response. This research project was designed to investigate the effects of preoperative radiotherapy/ CRT and analyze methods to predict response to CRT.Study I investigated the expression of the FXYD-3 protein with immunohistochemistry in rectal cancer, with or without preoperative radiotherapy. The results from the total cohort showed that, strong FXYD-3 expression was correlated to infiltrative tumour growth (p = 0.02). In the radiotherapy group, strong FXYD-3 expression was related to an unfavourable prognosis (p = 0.02). Tumours with strong FXYD-3 expression had less tumour necrosis (p = 0.02) after radiotherapy. FXYD-3 expression in the primary tumour was increased compared to normal mucosa (p=0.008). We concluded that FXYD-3 expression was a prognostic factor in patients receiving preoperative radiotherapy for rectal cancer.Study II investigated FXYD-3 expression in tumours that developed local recurrences following surgery and compared this with expression in tumours that did not develop local recurrences. There was no difference in the expression of FXYD-3 between the group that developed local recurrences and the group that did not develop local recurrences. There was no difference in survival between those with strong or weak FXYD-3 expression. We concluded that this study could not confirm the findings from study 1 i.e. that FXYD-3 expression has prognostic significance in rectal cancer.Study III was a register-based study on the incidence and effects of complete response to neoadjuvant treatment. Eight per cent of the patients with adequate CRT to achieve complete response also had a complete histological response of the luminal tumor in the resected bowel. Sixteen per cent of that group had remaining lymph node metastases in the operative specimen. Chemotherapy together with radiotherapy doubled the chance of complete response in the luminal tumour. Patients with remaining lymph node metastases had a lower survival rate compared to those without. We concluded that residual nodal involvement after neoadjuvant treatment was an important factor for reduced survival after complete response in the luminal tumour.Study IV followed up the results from the previous study by re-evaluating magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)- images in patients with complete tumour response. Two experienced MRI radiologists performed blinded re-staging of post CRT MR- images from patients with complete response in the luminal tumour. One group with lymph node metastases and another one without were studied and the results compared with the pathology reports. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predicted values for correct staging of positive lymph nodes was 37%, 84%, 70% and 57%. The size of the largest lymph node (4.5 mm, p=0.04) seemed to indicate presence of a tumour positive lymph node. We concluded that MRI couldn’t correctly stage patients for lymph node metastases in patients with complete response to CRT in the luminal tumour.
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4. |
- Hartel, Bas P., et al.
(author)
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A combination of two truncating mutations in USH2A causes more severe and progressive hearing impairment in Usher syndrome type IIa
- 2016
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In: Hearing Research. - Amsterdam, Netherlands : Elsevier. - 0378-5955 .- 1878-5891. ; 339, s. 60-68
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objectives: Usher syndrome is an inherited disorder that is characterized by hearing impairment (HI), retinitis pigmentosa, and in some cases vestibular dysfunction. Usher syndrome type IIa is caused by mutations in USH2A. HI in these patients is highly heterogeneous and the present study evaluates the effects of different types of USH2A mutations on the audiometric phenotype. Data from two large centres of expertise on Usher Syndrome in the Netherlands and Sweden were combined in order to create a large combined sample of patients to identify possible genotype-phenotype correlations.Design: A retrospective study on HI in 110 patients (65 Dutch and 45 Swedish) genetically diagnosed with Usher syndrome type IIa. We used methods especially designed for characterizing and testing differences in audiological phenotype between patient subgroups. These methods included Age Related Typical Audiograms (ARTA) and a method to evaluate the difference in the degree of HI developed throughout life between subgroups.Results: Cross-sectional linear regression analysis of last-visit audiograms for the best hearing ear demonstrated a gradual decline of hearing over decades. The congenital level of HI was in the range of 16-33 dB at 0.25-0.5 kHz, and in the range of 51-60 dB at 1-8 kHz. The annual threshold deterioration was in the range of 0.4-0.5 dB/year at 0.25-2 kHz and in the range of 0.7-0.8 dB/year at 4-8 kHz. Patients with two truncating mutations, including homozygotes for the common c.2299delG mutation, developed significantly more severe HI throughout life than patients with one truncating mutation combined with one nontruncating mutation, and patients with two nontruncating mutations.Conclusions: The results have direct implications for patient counselling in terms of prognosis of hearing and may serve as baseline measures for future (genetic) therapeutic interventions.
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5. |
- Karlsson, Markus, et al.
(author)
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Increased bile excretion of Gd-EOB-DTPA in diffuse liver disease : mechanistic modeling of qDCE-MRI in patients with severe fibro-sis
- 2016
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In: Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and Medicine. - : Springer. - 0968-5243 .- 1352-8661. ; 29:1, s. S272-S273
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- IntroductionOver the past decades, several different non-invasive methods for staging hepatic fibrosis have been proposed. One such method is dynamic contrast enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) using the contrast agent (CA) Gd-EOB-DTPA. Gd-EOB-DTPA is liver specific, which means that it is taken up specifically by the hepatocytes via the OATP3B1/B3 transporters and excreted into the bile via the MRP2 transporter. Several studies have shown that DCE-MRI and Gd-EOBDTPA can separate patients with advanced (F3-F4) from mild (F0-F2) hepatic fibrosis by measuring the signal intensity, where patients with advanced fibrosis have a lower signal intensity than the mild fibrosis cases.1 However, none of the studies up to date have been able to differentiate if the reduced signal intensity in the liver is because of an decreased uptake of CA or an increased excretion. Analyzing the DCE-MRI data with mechanistic mathematical modelling has the possibility of investigating such a differentiation.Subjects and methods88 patients with diffuse liver disease were examined using DCE-MRI (1.5 T Philips Achieva, two-point Dixon, TR=6.5 ms, TE=2.3/4.6 ms, FA=13) after a bolus injection of Gd-EOB-DTPA, followed by a liver biopsy. Regions of interest were placed within the liver, spleen and veins and a whole-body mechanistic pharmacokinetic model2 was fitted to the data. The fitted parameters in the model correspond to the rate of CA transport between different compartments, e.g. hepatocytes, blood plasma, and bile (Fig. 1).ResultsAs can be seen in Fig. 2, the parameter corresponding to the transport of CA from the blood plasma to the hepatocytes, kph, is lower for patients with advanced fibrosis (p=0.01). Fig. 3 shows that the parameter corresponding to the CA excretion into the bile, khb, is higher for patients with advanced fibrosis (p<0.01).Discussion/ConclusionThis work shows that the decreased signal intensity in DCE-MRI images in patients with advanced fibrosis depends on both a decreased uptake of CA in the hepatocytes and an increased excretion into the bile. Similar results have also been observed in a rat study3. In that study, rats with induced cirrhosis had a higher MRP2-activity than the healthy control rats.References1Norén et al: Eur. Radiol, 23(1), 174-181, 2013.2Forsgren et al: PloS One, 9(4): e95700, 2014.3Tsuda & Matsui: Radiol, 256(3): 767-773, 2010.
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6. |
- Lönnbro-Widgren, Jennie, et al.
(author)
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Treatment pattern in patients with idiopathic membranous nephropathy-practices in Sweden at the start of the millennium
- 2016
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In: Clinical Kidney Journal. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 2048-8505 .- 2048-8513. ; 9:2, s. 227-233
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background Idiopathic membranous nephropathy (MN) is one of the leading causes of nephrotic syndrome in adults and may result in end-stage renal disease (ESRD). In this retrospective study, we describe the outcomes and treatment patterns of patients with idiopathic MN in six nephrology clinics in the western part of Sweden. Methods Seventy-three consecutive patients with biopsy-proven MN in the years 2000-12 were classified as idiopathic, i.e. secondary forms were excluded. The patients were followed retrospectively for a mean period of 83 months and clinical data were collected through the medical files. Results A high proportion (88%) of the patients received supportive treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition, angiotensin receptor blockade and/or statins. At the end of follow-up, 43 patients were in complete remission, 12 in partial remission, 10 patients had developed ESRD and 8 patients had on-going proteinuria. Fifty-one per cent of the patients received immunosuppressive therapy and the choice of therapy varied between and within the clinics. There was a tendency to initiate specific treatment at an early point instead of awaiting a possible spontaneous remission (21% of the patients), and non-recommended therapy such as corticosteroids only was used in a high proportion of these cases (47%). Conclusions Even though the treatment recommendations in idiopathic MN have not changed the last decade, the question of whom and when to treat seems to lead to uncertainty. Recent studies have presented promising results supporting the PLA2R antibody the predictive marker needed for this patient group. The diverse treatment approach presented in this study might have resulted in a worse outcome than expected. Hopefully, unnecessary exposure to immunosuppressive therapy or delayed treatment can be avoided through better support, education and treatment forums, and thus result in an improved outcome. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of ERA-EDTA.
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7. |
- Sakari, Thorbjörn B., et al.
(author)
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Role of icodextrin in the prevention of small bowel obstruction. Safety randomized patients control of the first 300 in the ADEPT trial
- 2016
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In: Colorectal Disease. - : Wiley. - 1462-8910 .- 1463-1318. ; 18:3, s. 295-300
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- AimAdhesions are the most common cause of small bowel obstruction (SBO). The costs of hospitalization and surgery for SBO are substantial for the health-care system. The adhesion-limiting potential of icodextrin has been shown in patients undergoing surgery for gynaecological diseases. A randomized, multicentre trial in colorectal cancer surgery started in 2009 with the aim of evaluating whether icodextrin could reduce the long-term risk of surgery for SBO. Because of some concerns about complications (especially anastomotic leakage) after icodextrin use, a preplanned interim analysis of morbidity and mortality was conducted. MethodPatients with colorectal cancer without metastasis were randomized 1:1 to receive standard surgery, with or without instillation of icodextrin in the abdominal cavity. For the first 300 patients, the 30-day follow-up data were collected from the Swedish ColoRectal Cancer Registry (SCRCR). Pre-, per- and postoperative data, morbidity and mortality were analysed. ResultsOf the 300 randomized patients, 288 had a data file in the SCRCR. Twelve patients did not have cancer and another five did not have a resection, leaving 283 for analysis. The authors were blinded to the randomization groups. Demographic data were similar in both groups. The overall complication rate was 24% in Group 1 and 23% in Group 2 (P=0.89). Four cases of anastomotic leakage were reported in Group 1 and five were reported in Group 2 (P=1.0). Mortality, intensive care unit (ICU) stay and re-operations did not differ between the groups. ConclusionThe pre-planned safety analysis of the first 300 patients enrolled in this randomized trial did not show any differences in adverse effects related to the use of icodextrin. All data were gathered from the SCRCR, giving us a strong message that we can continue to include patients in the trial.
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8. |
- Holmström, M., et al.
(author)
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Long-term liver-related morbidity and mortality related to chronic hepatitis C virus infection in Swedish patients with inherited bleeding disorders
- 2016
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In: Haemophilia. - : Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Inc.. - 1351-8216 .- 1365-2516. ; 22:6, s. e494-e501
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Introduction: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is common in patients with inherited bleeding disorders treated with clotting factor concentrates prior to the introduction of viral inactivation of these products. The long-term consequences of hepatitis C infection in Swedish patients are not fully understood.Aim: To examine the impact of HCV infection on liver-related morbidity and mortality in Swedish patients with inherited bleeding disorders.Methods: We retrospectively collected data on 183 patients with inherited bleeding disorders infected with HCV who attended the Coagulation Unit at Karolinska University Hospital, Sweden. Data regarding end-stage liver disease (ESLD), defined as presence of ascites, encephalopathy, variceal bleeding, hepatocellular carcinoma or liver-related death, were collected from the patient records and the national registers.Results: The median follow-up time was 35.9 years (IQR 29.0-41.2). A total of 41% had achieved sustained virological response (SVR) after treatment. In total, 14.2% developed ESLD at the median age of 52.6 years (IQR 46.5-64.7). Nineteen (35.8%) of all deaths were due to liver-related causes. Co-infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), older age at time of infection and severe form of bleeding disorder was associated with higher risk of developing ESLD, while SVR was a strong protective factor.Conclusions: This study demonstrated that liver-related morbidity and mortality was significant in patients with bleeding disorders and HCV infection in Sweden. Patients with HCV-infection should be candidates for treatment with the new highly effective antiviral drugs, since SVR proved to be a strong protective factor.
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9. |
- Block, Mattias, 1968, et al.
(author)
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Immunohistochemical Studies on Galectin Expression in Colectomised Patients with Ulcerative Colitis.
- 2016
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In: BioMed research international. - : Hindawi Limited. - 2314-6141 .- 2314-6133. ; 2016
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Introduction. The aetiology and pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC) are essentially unknown. Galectins are carbohydrate-binding lectins involved in a large number of physiological and pathophysiological processes. Little is known about the role of galectins in human UC. In this immunohistochemical exploratory study, both epithelial and inflammatory cell galectin expression were studied in patients with a thoroughly documented clinical history and were correlated with inflammatory activity. Material and Methods. Surgical whole intestinal wall colon specimens from UC patients (n = 22) and controls (n = 10) were studied. Clinical history, pharmacological treatment, and modified Mayo-score were recorded. Tissue inflammation was graded, and sections were stained with antibodies recognizing galectin-1, galectin-2, galectin-3, and galectin-4. Results. Galectin-1 was undetectable in normal and UC colonic epithelium, while galectin-2, galectin-3, and galectin-4 were strongly expressed. A tendency towards diminished epithelial expression with increased inflammatory grade for galectin-2, galectin-3, and galectin-4 was also found. In the inflammatory cells, a strong expression of galectin-2 and a weak expression of galectin-3 were seen. No clear-cut correlation between epithelial galectin expression and severity of the disease was found. Conclusion. Galectin expression in patients with UC seems to be more dependent on disease focality and individual variation than on degree of tissue inflammation.
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10. |
- Karlsland Åkeson, Pia, et al.
(author)
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Serum Vitamin D Depends Less on Latitude Than on Skin Color and Dietary Intake During Early Winter in Northern Europe
- 2016
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In: Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition - JPGN. - : Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. - 0277-2116 .- 1536-4801. ; 62:4, s. 643-649
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: To evaluate if dietary vitamin D intake is adequate for sufficient vitamin D status during early winter in children living in Sweden, irrespective of latitude or skin color.METHODS: As part of a prospective, comparative, two-center intervention study in northern (63°N) and southern (55°N) Sweden, dietary intake, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (S-25(OH) D), associated laboratory variables, and socio-demographic data were studied in 5 to 7-year-old children with fair and dark skin in November and December.RESULTS: 206 children with fair/dark skin were included, 44/41 and 64/57 children in northern and southern Sweden, respectively. Dietary vitamin D intake was higher in northern than southern Sweden (p=0.001), irrespective of skin color, partly due to higher consumption of fortified foods, but only met 50-70% of national recommendations (10 μg/day). S-25(OH) D was higher in northern than southern Sweden, in children with fair (67 vs. 59 nmol/L; p < 0.05) and dark skin (56 vs. 42 nmol/L; p < 0.001). S-25(OH) D was lower in dark than fair skinned children at both sites (p < 0.01), and below 50 nmol/L in 40 and 75% of dark-skinned children in northern and southern Sweden, respectively.CONCLUSIONS: Insufficient vitamin D status was common during early winter in children living in Sweden, particularly in those with dark skin. Although, higher dietary vitamin D intake in northern than southern Sweden attenuated the effects of latitude, a northern country of living combined with darker skin and vitamin D intake below recommendations are important risk factors for vitamin D insufficiency.
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