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Biomedical subjects

A Akesson

Publications and source records attributed to A Akesson.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Altered dermatan sulfate proteoglycan synthesis in fibroblast cultures established from skin of patients with systemic sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: To study whether changes in the properties of skin from patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) are the result of altered metabolism of dermatan sulfate proteoglycans. METHODS: Fibroblast cultures were established from skin of healthy controls, and from affected and unaffected skin of patients with SSc. Synthesized proteoglycans were labeled with 3H glucosamine and 35S sulfate. The amount of mRNA of the different dermatan sulfate proteoglycans was determined by hybridization with the corresponding cDNA probes. RESULTS: A 2-fold increase in secretion of total proteoglycans was found in cell cultures from affected and normal appearing skin from patients with SSc. The production of 2 different dermatan sulfate proteoglycans was increased. Aggrecan/versican increased 4-fold and decorin 2-fold in cultures of affected skin from patients with SSc. The mRNA for decorin increased 3-fold, while the mRNA level for versican increased only slightly. Similar but less marked changes were noted in cultures from normal appearing skin. In contrast, the biglycan mRNA level decreased and the product could only be found in very small amounts in SSc cultures. CONCLUSION: This marked alteration of dermatan sulfate proteoglycan metabolism distinguishes not only affected skin but also normal appearing SSc skin from that of controls. The altered proteoglycan production may affect organization of matrix fibers and thereby the fibrotic process observed in patients with SSc.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Esophageal scintigraphy of systemic sclerosis.

UNLABELLED: Esophageal involvement is common in systemic sclerosis, and esophageal scintigraphy can be used to detect and follow esophageal dysfunction. This study assesses the value of visual and quantitative analysis of esophageal scintigraphy performed as a multiple swallow test in normals and patients with systemic sclerosis. METHODS: Forty patients with systemic sclerosis and 40 sex- and age-matched healthy subjects (controls) were studied. A multiple swallow technique was used and both quantitative and qualitative analyses were performed. Visual analysis of condensed images was performed independently by two physicians. Each swallow was assigned a score on a scale from 1 to 4. In the quantitative analysis, time-activity curves based on the mean condensed images were used to calculate the following 3 parameters: residual activity 12 or 25 sec after the beginning of the swallow, measured with or without baseline correction, respectively, and time from onset of swallow to 50% of peak activity. RESULTS: Both visual and quantitative analysis showed a highly significant (p < 0.001) difference between the patient group and the control group. Visual analysis was best reflected by the residual activity 25 sec after the beginning of the swallow without correction for background. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to study the ability to separate the two groups using visual or quantitative analysis. A high rate of positive tests in the patient group was achieved only at the cost of a relatively high rate of positive tests in the control group. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate high variability in esophageal motility in controls. This variability impairs the possibilities of developing a screening test to identify asymptomatic patients early in the disease course.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Improved pulmonary function in systemic sclerosis after treatment with cyclophosphamide.

OBJECTIVE: Pulmonary fibrosis is a common feature of systemic sclerosis (SSc) and a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Since alveolitis may be an essential step in the development of pulmonary fibrosis, we investigated the use of immunosuppressive drug therapy to improve pulmonary function in patients with SSc. METHODS: Eighteen patients with progressive pulmonary dysfunction, diminished vital capacity (VC), and/or decreased static lung compliance (Cst) were treated with cyclophosphamide and corticosteroids for 1 year. Eight patients had diffuse cutaneous SSc and 10 had limited cutaneous SSc. The median disease duration was 2.5 years (range 0.5-17 years). RESULTS: VC increased in 14 of 18 patients and the median VC rose from 74% to 80% of predicted. Cst improved in 8 of 12 patients and the median Cst increased from 59% to 66% of predicted. Pulmonary nonfibrotic opacities disappeared in 9 of 12 patients. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and serum concentrations of orosomucoid, C-reactive protein, and aminopropeptide type III collagen all improved. The patients were divided into 2 groups based on the presence or absence of elevations in acute-phase protein levels and ESR before therapy. Among the 12 patients with biochemical signs of inflammation, VC increased in 11, and Cst improved or was unchanged in 7 of the 8 who were tested. The median VC in this subgroup increased from 73% to 80% of predicted and the median Cst increased from 57% to 60% of predicted. In the group of 18 patients overall, the skin score decreased, while esophageal and renal function remained stable. CONCLUSION: Cyclophosphamide may have a beneficial effect on pulmonary fibrosis in patients with SSc and elevated levels of acute-phase proteins. Controlled trials of cyclophosphamide in pulmonary SSc should be performed and should focus on such patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Intestinal absorption of dietary cadmium in women depends on body iron stores and fiber intake.

Measurements of intake and uptake of cadmium in relation to diet composition were carried out in 57 nonsmoking women, 20-50 years of age. A vegetarian/high-fiber diet and a mixed-diet group were constructed based on results from a food frequency questionnaire. Duplicate diets and the corresponding feces were collected during 4 consecutive days in parallel with dietary recording of type and amount of food ingested for determination of the dietary intake of cadmium and various nutrients. Blood and 24-hr urine samples were collected for determination of cadmium, hemoglobin, ferritin, and zinc. There were no differences in the intake of nutrients between the mixed-diet and the high-fiber diet groups, except for a significantly higher intake of fiber (p < 0.001) and cadmium (p < 0.002) in the high-fiber group. Fecal cadmium corresponded to 98% in the mixed-diet group and 100% in the high-fiber diet group. No differences in blood cadmium (BCd) or urinary cadmium (UCd) between groups could be detected. There was a tendency toward higher BCd and UCd concentrations with increasing fiber intake; however, the concentrations were not statistically significant at the 5% level, indicating an inhibitory effect of fiber on the gastrointestinal absorption of cadmium. Sixty-seven percent of the women had serum ferritin < 30 micrograms/l, indicating reduced body iron stores, which were highly associated with higher BCd (irrespective of fiber intake). BCd was mainly correlated with UCd, serum ferritin, age, anf fibre intake. UCd and serum ferritin explained almost 60% of the variation in BCd.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Inverse relation between plasma concentration of von Willebrand factor and CrEDTA clearance in systemic sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: Microvascular abnormalities involving endothelial cell dysfunction occur as an early event in systemic sclerosis. We studied plasma concentrations of von Willebrand factor (vWf), a substance released from injured endothelial cells, and its relation to pulmonary and renal dysfunction. METHODS: vWf was determined by immunoelectrophoresis. Renal function was assessed by CrEDTA clearance, an accurate measure of glomerular filtration rate and pulmonary function by spirometry and carbon monoxide diffusing capacity. Pulmonary pressure was measured by Doppler cardiography. RESULTS: In 22 patients with scleroderma, vWf concentrations related inversely to CrEDTA clearance. In contrast, no relationship between plasma vWf and pulmonary function was found; 9/10 patients with pulmonary hypertension and 9/12 patients with normal pulmonary pressure showed elevated levels of vWf. However in 5 patients with pulmonary hypertension without radiographic evidence of pulmonary fibrosis there was a strong correlation between plasma vWf and pulmonary pressure (rho = 0.90) which fell short of statistical significance due most likely to small population size. CONCLUSION: Renal but not pulmonary dysfunction was associated with elevated plasma levels of vWf.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Gastrointestinal regulatory peptides in systemic sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: Gastrointestinal involvement commonly occurs in systemic sclerosis (SSc), but its pathogenesis is not well understood. Since there is evidence of a defect in neurotransmitter release, we were interested in examining the relationship between gastrointestinal dysfunction and plasma concentrations of gastrointestinal regulatory peptides in patients with SSc. We studied 43 consecutive patients, 18 with diffuse and 25 with limited cutaneous disease. METHODS: Levels of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), gastrin, motilin, neuropeptide Y (NPY), and peptide YY (PYY) were determined by radioimmunoassay and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). RESULTS: Plasma concentrations of CRH, motilin, NPY, and PYY were significantly increased among SSc patients compared with healthy control subjects, and HPLC-characterization of motilin, NPY, and PYY showed a different pattern of fragments. No correlation was found between esophageal hypomotility and the concentration of peptide. Acid output did not correlate with gastrin levels, but was more often increased in patients with increased CRH and NPY values. Fat malabsorption, assessed by the triolein breath test, was more common among patients with increased motilin and PYY. CONCLUSION: This study shows that elevated peptide concentrations commonly occur in patients with SSc. Since regulatory peptides are involved in gastrointestinal motility, secretion, and absorption, further characterization of this neuroendocrine system may help in understanding the complex regulation of gastrointestinal dysfunction in SSc.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

A survey of Q-fever in Sweden.

Coxiella burnetii, the etiological agent of Q-fever has recently been isolated from sheep in southern Sweden. In this region 24-30% of sheep farmers have been exposed to the organism as shown by serological measurements. In veterinarians, another group with high risk of exposure to C. burnetii, about 12% have antibodies to the bacteria. The seropositive veterinarians are scattered all over the country. In two non-risk groups, draftees and hospital employees, 5-7% were found to be positive. This survey showed that Q-fever is a domestic disease which is spread throughout Sweden.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Carboxyterminal type I procollagen peptide concentrations in systemic sclerosis: higher levels in early diffuse disease.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is characterized by increased collagen deposition in skin and internal organs, and increased serum concentrations of different connective tissue metabolites have been reported. In this study serum concentrations of carboxyterminal type I (PICP) and aminoterminal type III procollagen peptide (PIIINP) were higher in 24 patients with diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dSSc), than in 30 patients with limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis (lSSc). Thirty patients with advanced and progressing disease had higher serum concentrations of both peptides than 24 patients with milder disease. In patients with advanced disease, both peptides showed a negative correlation to disease duration. Despite being relatively higher both in early, widespread and advanced disease, serum PICP concentrations varied only within the normal range for healthy controls. Thus PICP is of limited value as a marker of disease activity in SSc.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Early pulmonary disease in systemic sclerosis: a comparison between carbon monoxide transfer factor and static lung compliance.

OBJECTIVES: Pulmonary disease is responsible for considerable morbidity and mortality in systemic sclerosis (SSc). Static lung compliance (Cst) has been observed to be decreased more often in SSc than the vital capacity, indicating that it is a sensitive measure of lung restriction. In this study Cst was compared with the carbon monoxide transfer factor (TLCO), a widely used measure of the function of the alveolar capillary unit, and with lung volumes in 59 patients with confirmed or suspected SSc. METHODS: Cst was calculated from the oesophageal pressure at different lung volumes and the TLCO was measured with the single breath method. RESULTS: The TLCO was found to be the earliest sign of pulmonary disease and was already decreased at a disease duration of one year or less. Surprisingly, no relation was found between the TLCO and smoking habits, nor the degree of peripheral vascular disease. The TLCO correlated with the Cst and vital capacity. CONCLUSIONS: An early pulmonary lesion can be identified in patients with SSc with decreased TLCO at a time when no fibrotic changes are manifested.

Acute-Phase Proteins↗
PubMed1992

Faecal elimination of lead and cadmium in subjects on a mixed and a lactovegetarian diet.

Faecal elimination of lead and cadmium in 16 subjects who changed from a mixed diet to a lactovegetarian diet has been studied. The faecal weight increased significantly following the change to the vegetarian diet, partly because of increased water content. There was a large inter-individual variation in faecal elimination of lead and cadmium during both the mixed-diet period (range 14 to 118, median 31 micrograms Pb/day; range 4.5 to 21, median 12 micrograms Cd/day) and the vegetarian diet period (range 19 to 136, median 42 micrograms Pb/day; range 6.1 to 24, median 14 micrograms Cd/day). There was a tendency towards increased faecal elimination of lead and cadmium following the change to the vegetarian diet, but the differences were not statistically significant.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Dietary intake and nutritional status in patients with systemic sclerosis.

Oesophageal dysmotility and abnormalities of intestinal function are important manifestations in systemic sclerosis and may have a significant effect on nutrient absorption and nutritional status. In this study 30 patients with systemic sclerosis with symptoms from the gastrointestinal tract were compared with matched healthy control subjects with respect to nutrient intake (four day record), anthropometric measurements, and biochemical nutritional status. The intake of energy (8.1 and 8.4 MJ/day) and its distribution among nutrients did not differ between patients and control subjects, but the lower intake of dietary fibre among patients with systemic sclerosis suggests that they avoided food with a coarse structure, such as coarse bread. The intake of vegetables and fruit also tended to be lower among patients with systemic sclerosis. Half of the patients had a subnormal arm muscle circumference, and two patients also had a subnormal triceps skinfold thickness, indicating severe malnutrition. The concentration of ascorbic acid, alpha-tocopherol, carotene, selenium, and also the proportion of linoleic acid (18:2) in serum phosphatidylcholine was lower in patients than in control subjects.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Serum levels of aminoterminal type III procollagen peptide and hyaluronan predict mortality in systemic sclerosis.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is characterized by an excessive accumulation of collagen in skin and internal organs and increased serum concentrations of different connective tissue metabolites have been reported. In this study of 82 patients with SSc, serum concentrations of aminoterminal type III procollagen peptide (PIIINP), smaller PIIINP-related antigens (Fab PIIINP) and hyaluronan (HA) were increased as compared to healthy controls matched for age and sex. Patients with a shorter disease duration (less than 3 years) had higher serum levels of PIIINP and Fab PIIINP than patients with a longer disease duration. The highest serum concentrations of PIIINP and HA were seen in seven patients who died within 2 years.

Cyclofenil↗
PubMed1992

Long-term evaluation of penicillamine or cyclofenil in systemic sclerosis. Results from a two-year randomized study.

In a two-year prospective therapeutic trial 13 patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) were treated with penicillamine, 9 with cyclofenil, and 7 with neither. At entry skin involvement and esophageal, lung, heart, and kidney function did not differ significantly between the groups. Reevaluation after one and two years did not show any significant changes in skin, esophageal, heart, and kidney manifestations, while lung function had slightly improved in both drug-treatment groups. This study thus shows little overall effect of penicillamine and cyclofenil, although both drugs may arrest worsening of pulmonary dysfunction.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Bacillus cereus: a significant pathogen in postoperative and post-traumatic wounds on orthopaedic wards.

Over a period of 19 months, Bacillus species, most frequently B. cereus, were isolated from postoperative and post-traumatic wounds in 24 patients on orthopaedic wards in a Swedish hospital. Clinical signs of infection were found in all but 3 patients: in 9 patients, mild signs with increased secretion from the wounds; in 10 patients, moderate signs with fever and/or significant local reaction around the wounds; and in 2 patients, severe signs with necrotic infections. Bacillus spp. were isolated from one-fourth of all patients with wound complications following total hip arthroplasty. Their hospitalization was significantly prolonged, compared with a control group (p = 0.0042). Isolates of B. cereus from wounds should not be dismissed as contaminants or as non-pathogenic, but must be assessed in the light of the clinical situation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Epidemiology of Q fever in Sweden.

Q fever is known to be a worldwide disease, with Sweden supposed to be one of a few exceptions. The purpose of this pilot study was to elucidate whether or not a potential risk group for obtaining Q fever in Sweden was seropositive to the causative agent Coxiella burnetii. Blood samples were collected from sheep farmers on the island of Gotland, and from members of their families. Serum samples were examined by ELISA for the presence of antibodies against C. burnetii, phases I and II. Positive reactions were confirmed with Western blot analysis. It was found that 30% of the study group were seropositive to C. burnetii, thus indicating that Q fever is endemic in this area of Sweden.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Isolation of Coxiella burnetii in Sweden.

Coxiella burnetii was isolated from sheep placentas, which had been collected from farms harbouring humans seropositive to the organism. The isolation of these bacteria is the final evidence that Q fever is a domestic disease in Sweden.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Autoantibodies against neutrophil cytoplasm components in systemic lupus erythematosus and in hydralazine-induced lupus.

Anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibody (ANCA) has been shown to be no marker of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) including lupus nephritis or of progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS). Antibodies against myeloperoxidase (anti-MPO) and elastase, two granulocyte lysosomal enzymes, were found in patients with SLE but not in those with PSS, except for one patient who had anti-MPO. Anti-MPO was present in 21% of patients with SLE, and at low concentrations in about 80% of these cases. Anti-elastase was found in four patients with SLE. In another group of six patients with a SLE-like syndrome induced by anti-hypertensive treatment with the anti-hypertensive hydralazine, anti-MPO antibodies occurred in all six, and anti-elastase antibodies in five. Monitored during a 2-year follow-up period, anti-MPO antibodies were found to persist, whereas anti-elastase antibodies were rapidly eliminated, after withdrawal of the drug.

Autoantibodies↗