Filetype
Brain tumors are the most common solid tumors in children. Current treatment protocols fail in 25% of patients and are associated with significant long-term adverse effects in survivors. Experimental models of these tumors are scarce and will be crucial for the development of more efficient treatment strategies, including molecular targeting and immunotherapy. In this thesis, I describe the establ
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive degenerative joint disorder, and the prevalence increases with age. In Sweden, about one in 4 people over the age of 45 years has OA in at least one joint. As the population ages and the prevalence of obesity increases, OA is expected to increase even more. The knee joint is one of the most commonly affected joints. Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is the most com
Neurotensin (NT) is a gut hormone functioning proinflammatory through nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and interleukin (IL)−8 secretion or anti-inflammatory through epidermal growth factor receptors. NT mRNA is down-regulated in duodenal biopsies of children with untreated coeliac disease. The aim of this study was to investigate if plasma pro-NT levels correlated with the degree of intestinal mucos
Popular Abstract in Swedish Populärvetenskaplig sammanfattning Öroninflammtionen är en av våra vanligaste åkommor, och den drabbar framför allt små barn. Av alla bakteriella infektioner är det den som oftast för oss till läkare. Vanligen resulterar läkarbesöket i en kur med bakteriedödande läkemedel som penicillin. P.g.a den idag höga konsumtionen av penicillin och liknande medel, är risken påtagAcute otitis media (AOM) is the most common illness diagnosed during early childhood. One of the major etiologic agents is Haemophilus influenzae. Apart from AOM, this organism can cause a broad range of infectious diseases such as meningitis, epiglottitis, arthritis, and pneumonia. Despite the importance of H.influenzae, the mechanisms by which this heterogenous group of bacteria mediates the inf
Hereditary C2 deficiency (C2D) is an important susceptibility factor for invasive infections caused by encapsulated bacteria such as pneumococci and Haemophilus influenzae type b. The infections are mostly seen in childhood indicating that antibody-mediated acquired immunity is affected. C2D persons and healthy controls were vaccinated with ActHIB® and Pneumo23®. Analysis of specific antibodies to
We investigated the activity of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (SXT) against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The MIC distribution of SXT was 0.125/2.4-2/38 mg/L for the 100 isolates tested, including multi- and extensively drug-resistant isolates (MDR/XDR-TB), whereas the intracellular MIC90 of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) for H37Rv was 76 mg/L. In an exploratory analysis using fAUC0-24h/MIC ≥25 as a potenti
Structural chromosome rearrangements may result in the exchange of coding or regulatory DNA sequences between genes. Many such gene fusions are strong driver mutations in neoplasia and have provided fundamental insights into the disease mechanisms that are involved in tumorigenesis. The close association between the type of gene fusion and the tumour phenotype makes gene fusions ideal for diagnost
The interplay between diet and immune-parameters which could affect type 1 diabetes (T1D) pathogenesis is not sufficiently clarified. Intestinal upregulation of the activating receptor NKG2D(CD314) and its ligands is a hallmark of celiac disease (CD). However, the direct effect of gluten on NKG2D expression is not known. We studied, by FACS (lymphoid tissues) and RT-qPCR (intestine and pancreatic
Both Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and nontypeable H. influenzae (NTHi) are important human pathogens causing invasive and mucosal infections. Currently there are number of vaccines available against Hib infections. Hib vaccines consist of the capsular polysaccharide antigen, polyribosyl ribitol phosphate (PRP) of Hib, coupled to different protein carriers. These vaccines are not effective a
The aims were to analyze the first incidence, age-at-onset, prevalence and personality related predictors of psychotic disorders in the Lundby population (n=3563) – a community population followed through four waves of field study 1947-1997. Case ascertainment included interviews, registers, case notes and key informants. Consensus diagnoses of mental illness were assessed according to a classifi
Complement analysis in the clinic is usually associated with the quantification of C3 and C4, measurement of C1-inhibitor and screening for complement activity. These analyses have been available in routine diagnostic laboratories for decades. In recent years, however, the field of complement analysis has expanded considerably, with the introduction of novel assays to detect complement activation
Objectives. Cancer and type 2 diabetes (T2D) are two common diseases that may share risk factors. We aimed at determining subsequent cancer risks in patients hospitalized for T2D in Sweden. Methods. T2D patients were obtained from the nationwide Hospital Discharge Register; cancers were recorded from the Swedish Cancer Registry. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated for cancer follo
Enumeration of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) obtained from minimally invasive blood samples has been well established as a valuable monitoring tool in metastatic and early breast cancer, as well as in several other cancer types. The gold standard technology for detecting CTCs in blood against a backdrop of millions of leukocytes is the FDA-approved CellSearch system (Janssen Diagnostics), which r
CD4(+) and CD8(+) lymphocytes are mobilized in severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and the CD8(+) cytokine interleukin (IL)-16 is believed to be important in regulating the recruitment and activity of CD4(+) lymphocytes. In the current study, we examined whether tobacco smoke exerts an impact not only on IL-16 in the lower airways but also in CD4(+) or CD8(+) lymphocytes or in lymp
Context: The insulin response to meal ingestion is more rapid in the morning than in the afternoon. Whether this is explained by a corresponding variation in the incretin hormones is not known. Objective: Assess islet and incretin hormones after meal ingestion in the morning versus afternoon. Design, Settings and Participants: Ingestion at 8am and at 5pm of a standardized meal (524 kcal) in health
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
The role of infection in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has not been determined. We aimed to document the infectious burden and some aspects of antibacterial immunity in a large and prospective cohort study of RA patients in the early and late stages of the disease and in their relatives predisposed to RA.
Background: A breeding colony of IL-10 deficient B6.129P2-Il10(tmICgn/J) mice, kept under conventional conditions, developed an inflammatory bowel-like disease (IBD) with rectal prolapse and blood tinged diarrhoea. No clinical signs of disease were observed at the time of arrival to our animal house. These animals were originally planned to serve as a negative control group in an experimental infe
The driving factors behind the global epidemic of obesity have not yet been fully elucidated. Investigating the effect of age and cohort on weight change might enable us to develop effective intervention strategies. Aims To analyse the pattern of BMI change by age and birth cohort over five-year follow-up in adult Swedish sample. Methods The data was drawn from the Scania Public Health Cohort. The
