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Biomedical subjects

C Mørk

Publications and source records attributed to C Mørk.

16 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Self-reported stress reactivity and psoriasis-related stress of Nordic psoriasis sufferers.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study was to investigate the perceived influence of stress on psoriasis onset and disease severity in a large sample of psoriatics and to compare stress reactors and non-reactors with respect to psoriasis-related stress, disease severity, family history of psoriasis and sociodemographic factors. PATIENTS/METHODS: A total of 5795 members of the Nordic psoriasis associations and 702 patients recruited from Nordic dermatologists or university clinics were asked whether their first outbreak of psoriasis occurred during times of worry and stress. They were also asked to rate the degree to which their psoriasis was influenced by stress and to complete the Psoriasis Life Stress Index, the Psoriasis Disability Index and a number of additional questions concerning sociodemographic factors. RESULTS: Seventy-one per cent of the members and 66% of the patients reported that their psoriasis was exacerbated by stress, and 35% in both groups reported that the onset of their psoriasis occurred during a time of worry and stress. Stress reactors, scoring above the median on stress reactivity, reported greater disease severity, psoriasis-related stress and impairment of disease-related quality of life. They also reported more frequent use of tobacco, tranquillizers and antidepressants. More women than men were stress reactors, and stress reactors were more likely to have a family history of psoriasis. CONCLUSION: Our findings confirm and extend the results of previous studies and indicate that a subgroup of psoriatics may be more psychologically reactive to their disease and its influence on everyday life. Whether this group is also physiologically more reactive to psychosocial stress remains to be investigated.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed2002

Quality of life in 6497 Nordic patients with psoriasis.

BACKGROUND: Disease-specific psoriasis-related quality of life (QOL) measures have recently been developed and used in several hospital-based investigations. However, little is known about the impact of psoriasis on QOL in people with psoriasis who are not referred by dermatologists. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study was to investigate psoriasis-related QOL in a large sample of members of the psoriasis associations from the Nordic countries, and to compare the results with those from psoriasis patients recruited from Nordic dermatologists or Nordic University clinics. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 5795 association members and 702 patients rated their psoriasis severity and completed the Psoriasis Disability Index and the Psoriasis Life Stress Index. RESULTS: Patients reported greater disease severity and greater impairment of QOL than members of associations, and Norwegian participants reported greater disease severity and greater impairment of QOL than participants from the remaining Nordic countries. Older and married participants reported less impairment of QOL than younger participants and those living alone. When controlling for the influence of these and other demographic and socio-economic factors, self-reported severity emerged as the most significant predictor of psoriasis-related QOL, explaining 32-26% of the variation in QOL scores, with the remaining factors only accounting for 4-5% of the variation. Although correlated with self-reported severity, Psoriasis Area and Severity Index scores were not a significant predictor of QOL in the patient sample. CONCLUSIONS: Though self-reported severity may be the most important predictor, further research is needed to determine factors explaining the remaining variance in psoriasis-related QOL.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Treatment of psoriasis in the Nordic countries: a questionnaire survey from 5739 members of the psoriasis associations data from the Nordic Quality of Life Study.

The data from a questionnaire-based study of 5,739 members of the psoriasis associations of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and the Faeroe Islands showed that the two most commonly used active agents were topical steroids (89.7% total use and 49.4% present use) and calcipotriol (73.1% total use and 35.8% present use), with only small variations between the countries. Marked differences between the countries were, however, found within all other types of psoriasis therapy, including the so-called alternative treatments. Significant priorities varied between the different countries. The use of dithranol in Finland was almost twice the average. While 14.2% of Danish members had received grenz-rays within the last week only 0.1% of the Finns had been given the same treatment. Psoralen plus ultraviolet A (PUVA) was being used by 13.1% of the Finnish psoriatics compared with 3.8% of Danes, while PUVA was almost non-existent on the Faeroe Islands. The use of non-PUVA phototherapy was highest in Norway and Sweden. Almost 10% of the Danes were presently on methotrexate, which was used far more than etretinate/acitretin or cyclosporine. In contrast, Finnish patients more often received etretinate than other systemic agents, and in Iceland there was a higher present use of cyclosporine than of etretinate. The popularity of alternative therapies was highest in Iceland, where 26.6% had taken such medication during the last week. The results of the study suggest that different treatment patterns should be taken into consideration when discussing the prognosis of psoriasis in different countries.

Administration, Topical↗
PubMed2000

Erythromelalgia in a patient with AIDS.

Erythromelalgia is a clinical syndrome characterized by burning pain in the extremities together with erythema and increased skin temperature. Typically, the patients experience relief from cold, and aggravation from warmth. Symptoms are hypothesized to be caused by arteriovenous shunting and reduced nutritive skin capillary perfusion with corresponding tissue hypoxia. Erythromelalgia is most often primary, but may be secondary to a wide variety of diseases. We report erythromelalgia in a patient with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). At peak pain intensity he actively cooled hands and feet for more than 12 h/day. Many doctors handling human immunodeficiency virus/AIDS patients are unfamiliar with erythromelalgia, and the condition can easily be overlooked, especially the more common milder cases.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1999

X linked mental retardation and infantile spasms in a family: new clinical data and linkage to Xp11.4-Xp22.11.

In order to describe the neurological abnormalities and to identify the gene localisation, we re-evaluated a previously reported family with X linked mental retardation (XLMR). Reliable data were obtained for six of the seven affected males, of whom two had had infantile spasms. Profound MR (IQ<20) was found in one and mild MR (IQ 50-70) in five males. No dysmorphic features, except for macrocephaly in one male, were found. Neurological abnormalities included varying degrees of spinocerebellar involvement. Neuroimaging studies showed abnormalities, such as cerebellar atrophy or corpus callosum hypoplasia or both, in three of the six males. Several affected and unaffected subjects suffered from hyperhidrosis, which appeared to segregate independently as an autosomal dominant trait. Genetic linkage analysis localised the XLMR disease gene to Xp11.4-Xp22.11 with a maximum multipoint lod score of 3.57, overlapping the candidate region recently found in two Belgian XLMR-infantile spasm families. Compared to the Belgian patients, the majority of the affected males in this report had a considerably milder phenotype.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

[Hair loss. Causes, diagnosis, clinical manifestations and treatment].

Loss of hair is a common complaint and may lead to psychosocial problems. Even the physiological and mildest forms of alopecia can cause considerable distress, and some degree of dysmorphophobia is experienced in a proportion of the patients. Hair loss may be a benign and transient process, or can be a serious and permanent problem. The majority of hair loss complaints seen in both males and females are caused by androgen-dependent or increased telogen hair shedding. Correct diagnosis is often reached by examining the clinical symptoms and presenting signs. A full explanation and open discussion of psychosocial problems and management of alopecia is advised. Starting to treat the complaint with hair stimulants should be restricted, and must be discussed critically with the patient. The approach should aim at a satisfied patient in the future. The author briefly discusses treatment options.

Alopecia↗
PubMed1991

[Cowden's disease. A syndrome with multiple hamartomas and neoplasias].

We describe a patient with Cowden's disease, a rare genodermatosis characterized by multiple hamartomas and neoplasms of ectodermal, mesodermal and endodermal origin. The most characteristic findings are mucocutaneous lesions, including facial trichilemmomas, oral papillomatosis, and acral and palmoplantar keratoses. It is important to recognize these markers because of the high incidence of internal malignancy, the most common being breast cancer. Multiple extracutaneous hamartomas are described as being predominantly localized to breasts, thyroid gland, and gastrointestinal tract. Associated anomalies in multiple organs are frequently found.

Female↗
PubMed1990

Regulation of vimentin expression in cultured human mammary epithelial cells.

Using five different monoclonal antibodies to vimentin, we have examined the expression of vimentin in cryostat sections and serum-free cultures of normal human breast tissue. In cryostat sections, myoepithelial cells as well as stromal cells showed immunoreactivity to vimentin, irrespective of the antibody used. In contrast, luminal epithelial cells were negative for vimentin, but positive for keratin K18. In culture, myoepithelial cells showed immunoreactivity to vimentin from their first appearance in monolayer. Moreover, a fraction of luminal epithelial cells expressed vimentin in addition to keratin K18. We found a clear, reversible correlation between proliferation, determined by incorporation of [3H]-TdR, and induction of vimentin in the luminal epithelial cells. Thus, in growth-stimulated cultures on a medium containing cholera toxin (CT), epidermal growth factor (EGF), transferrin (Tf), hydrocortisone (H) and insulin (I), the fraction of vimentin-positive luminal epithelial cells increased, while it decreased within 14 days from approximately 36% to 3% on a medium containing CT and EGF, only. We therefore conclude: (1) vimentin is constantly expressed in myoepithelial cells in situ and in vitro, and (2) expression of vimentin in luminal epithelial cells in vitro is not a result of monolayer cultivation as such, but rather associated with the increased growth rate seen in culture.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Coping with exacerbation in psoriasis and eczema prior to admission in a dermatological ward.

Chronic dermatologic diseases, such as psoriasis and eczema, may cause significant psycho-social problems and stress. Our objectives were to characterize how hospitalised patients coped with psoriasis and eczema, and to investigate the relationship between coping and quality of life. Data are based on survey forms completed upon admission to the dermatology ward from 212 patients with chronic dermatological diseases, 146 with psoriasis and 66 with eczema. 108 were men, average age 48 years. The Norwegian versions of the standardized survey questionnaires, Jalowiec Coping Scale and Dermatological Life Quality Index, were used to evaluate coping and quality of life. We found that optimism, belief-in-oneself and confrontational coping strategies were most frequently used. Long duration of the disease was correlated to the belief-in-oneself strategy, while short duration was related to supportive strategies. More frequent use of confrontational and optimistic modes was significantly related to better quality of life. More frequent use of emotional and evasive modes was significantly related to poorer quality of life. There was no significant difference between the psoriasis and eczema groups in terms of use of coping strategies, with exception of emotional strategies. Knowledge of coping strategies and quality of life among patients with chronic dermatological diseases is important for improvement in health services for these patients.

Adaptation, Psychological↗