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Cell therapy studies in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) have been confined to intrastriatal transplantation of dopamine-rich fetal mesencephalic tissue in efforts to improve motor performance. Although some PD patients receiving the dopamine-rich grafts showed improvements in motor symptoms due to replacement of dopaminergic neurons, they still suffered from nonmotor symptoms including depr

Studies have suggested that moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a reduced risk of CVD and premature mortality in individuals with diabetes mellitus. However, history of alcohol consumption has hardly been taken into account. We investigated the association between current alcohol consumption and mortality in men and women with diabetes mellitus accounting for past alcohol consumption.

The S100 alarmins A8, A9, and A8/A9, secreted by activated neutrophils and monocytes/macrophages, are involved in the pathogenesis of various inflammatory diseases. S100A8/A9 has previously been linked to atherogenesis and cardiovascular (CV) disease. We investigated whether S100A8, A9, and A8/A9 correlate with carotid artery disease and CV risk in apparently healthy individuals.

Inflammation is a key factor in the development of plaque rupture and acute cardiovascular events. Although imaging techniques can be used to identify vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques, we are lacking non-invasive methods, such as plasma markers of plaque inflammation that could help to identify presence of vulnerable plaques. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether increased plas

Lack or dysfunction of insulin producing β cells results in the development of type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus, respectively. Insulin secretion is controlled by metabolic stimuli (glucose, fatty acids), but also by monoamine neurotransmitters, like dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. Intracellular monoamine levels are controlled by monoamine oxidases (Mao) A and B. Here we show that MaoA

Obesity is highly heritable. Genetic variants showing robust associations with obesity traits have been identified through genome-wide association studies. We investigated whether a composite score representing healthy diet modifies associations of these variants with obesity traits. 32 BMI- and 14 waist-hip ratio (WHR)-associated SNPs were genotyped and genetic risk scores (GRS) calculated in 18

Glial cell-line derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) is a secreted protein with great therapeutic potential. However, in order to analyse the interactions between GDNF and its receptors, researchers have been mostly dependent of radioactive binding assays. We developed a FACS-based binding assay for GDNF as an alternative to current methods. We demonstrated that the FACS-based assay using TGW cells

Malignant melanoma, the most fatal form of skin cancer, is currently increasing in incidence in many populations. Approximately 10% of all cases occur in families with an inherited predisposition for melanoma. In Sweden, only a minor portion of such melanoma families carry a mutation in the known melanoma gene CDKN2A, and there is a need to identify additional melanoma susceptibility genes. In a r

The unclear link between intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) could depend on genetic differences between individuals. Minor alleles of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the ∆5 fatty acid desaturase (FADS) 1 gene were associated with lower blood concentrations of long-chain ω-3 (n-3) and ω-6 (n-6) PUFAs, indicating an associated loss of fun

So far, no common environmental and/or phenotypic factor has been associated with melanoma and renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The known risk factors for melanoma include sun exposure, pigmentation and nevus phenotypes(1); risk factors associated with RCC include smoking, obesity and hypertension(2). A recent study of coexisting melanoma and RCC in the same patients supports a genetic predisposition u

Background Comparison of patients with coronary heart disease and controls in genome-wide association studies has revealed several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with coronary heart disease. We aimed to establish the external validity of these findings and to obtain more precise risk estimates using a prospective cohort design. Methods We tested 13 recently discovered SNPs for a

The strong association between t(14;18) translocation and follicular lymphoma (FL) is well known. However, the determinants of this chromosomal aberration and their role in t(14;18) associated FL remain to be established.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the risk of prostate cancer in relation to pre-diagnostic serum levels of vitamin D (25OHD(2) and 25OHD(3)), PTH, and calcium. METHODS: Nine hundred forty-three incident prostate cancer cases were identified in the Malmö Diet and Cancer Study cohort, and each was matched with one control using incidence density matching with age as the underlying timescale. We also matche

The plasma levels of cystatin C, β2-microglobulin, beta-trace protein, retinol binding protein (RBP) and creatinine were determined in plasma samples from 111 randomly selected patients with eGFRcystatin C ≤ 60% of eGFRcreatinine and from 55 control patients with 0.9eGFRcreatinine ≤ eGFRcystatin C ≤ 1.1eGFRcreatinine (eGFRcystatin C ≈ eGFRcreatinine). The concentration ratios of cystatin C/creatin

Chronically implanted neural implants are of clinical importance. However, currently used electrodes have several drawbacks. Some weeks after implantation in the brain, a glial scar forms around the electrode, causing decreased electrode functionality. Nanostructures, and in particular nanowires, are good candidates to overcome these drawbacks and reduce glial scar formation. Using a mechanically

At least 17 genomic regions are established as harboring melanoma susceptibility variants, in most instances with genome-wide levels of significance and replication in independent samples. Based on genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data augmented by imputation to the 1,000 Genomes reference panel, we have fine mapped these regions in over 5,000 individuals with melanoma (mainly from

NINDS (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)-SiGN (Stroke Genetics Network) is an international consortium of ischemic stroke studies that aims to generate high-quality phenotype data to identify the genetic basis of pathogenic stroke subtypes. This analysis characterizes the etiopathogenetic basis of ischemic stroke and reliability of stroke classification in the consortium.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine whether statin treatment is effective and safe in very elderly (80 years and older) acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients. BACKGROUND: Elderly individuals constitute an increasing percentage of patients admitted to hospitals for AMI. Despite that these patients have a higher mortality risk, the application of evidence-based medicine remai

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine if innate immune signalling influences the vascular repair process in response to mechanical injury of arteries in mice. Methods and Results: A non-obstructive collar was introduced around the carotid artery of MyD88-deficient mice and neointima formation was compared to that observed in MyD88-competent mice. MyD88-deficient mice are characterized by imp