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Biomedical subjects

G Läckgren

Publications and source records attributed to G Läckgren.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Depth of sleep and sleep habits among enuretic and incontinent children.

In order to evaluate differences in sleep factors between children with wetting problems and dry children, questionnaire data were obtained from 1,413 schoolchildren between the ages of 6 and 10 y. The analyses were performed using logistic regression, and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were calculated to approximate the relative risk. Current enuresis was associated with a subjectively high arousal threshold, pavor nocturnus, nocturia and confusion when awoken from sleep (ORs 2.7, 2.4, 2.1 and 3.4, respectively), whereas children with current incontinence often experienced bedtime fears, onset insomnia or nocturia (ORs 2.4, 2.3 and 2.7, respectively). Children exhibiting urinary urgency were overrepresented among both children with current enuresis (OR 2.5) and those with current incontinence (OR 17.2). It is concluded that impaired arousal mechanisms and bladder instability are aetiological factors underlying nocturnal enuresis.

Arousal↗

Sleep and night-time behaviour of enuretics and non-enuretics.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate connections between nocturnal enuresis and sleep factors such as the subjective depth of sleep and classical parasomnias. PATIENTS, SUBJECTS AND METHODS: One hundred school children aged 6-10 years answered a questionnaire, with their parents, and the same questions were asked of a group of 29 children of the same age suffering from severe nocturnal enuresis. RESULTS: There were significant differences in arousability, with the enuretic group being 'deep sleepers', and in the prevalence of onset insomnia, nightmares, interrupted sleep and bedtime struggles, which were all less common among the enuretics. The prevalence of classical parasomnias did not differ between the groups. CONCLUSION: A high arousal threshold is one of the pathogenetic factors underlying nocturnal enuresis and we propose that this group of therapy-resistant enuretic children might not only sleep more deeply than their nonenuretic peers, but perhaps have 'better' sleep.

Arousal↗

Desmopressin in the treatment of severe nocturnal enuresis in adolescents--a 7-year follow-up study.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the role of long-term oral desmopressin (over a 7-year follow-up) in refractory enuretics, particularly in assessing the potential curative effect, and to analyse the results for specific types of patient to obtain clues about possible mechanisms of cure. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The effect of oral desmopressin was investigated in 25 adolescents (aged 11-21 years) with severe monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis. The long-term study consisted of two 12-week treatment periods, with the efficacy of the drug assessed as the reduction in the number of wet nights per week. Subsequently, the patients were followed-up for up to 7 years. Close contact was maintained with the families over this period ('good doctoring' approach). At 3-, 5- and 7-year intervals after completing the study, patients were assessed for dryness, frequency, treatment and sleeping habits, using postal questionnaires and telephone follow-up. RESULTS: At the end of the long-term study, 35% of the patients remained dry without therapy. Within 2 years of ending treatment, 15 patients were dry, compared with an expected estimate of six by spontaneous resolution, and after 7 years, 19 patients were cured. Nocturia occurred in 75% of the enuretic patients but in only 5% of the healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS: Active treatment of primary nocturnal enuresis with oral desmopressin has a clinically significant effect on the cure rate, which is maintained after ceasing therapy. The cure rate was higher than would be expected from spontaneous recovery alone during the first 2 years of the study and there was a significant further increase in the cure rate 7 years after ending therapy, again greater than the expected spontaneous cure rate. There also seemed to be a better response to treatment when it was prolonged. Furthermore, this therapy is safe when administered in the long-term.

Administration, Oral↗

Lack of distant migration after injection of a 125iodine labeled dextranomer based implant into the rabbit bladder.

PURPOSE: In recent years endoscopic treatment of stress incontinence and vesicoureteral reflux has been introduced. Reports of possible particle migration of the injected material to distant organs in humans and experimental animals have led to a search for biological nonmigration products. An implant found to have a good clinical effect in these conditions is dextranomer in hyaluronan. We performed this study in rabbits to investigate the possible migration of dextranomer particles. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 125Iodine labeled dextranomer particles were injected into the submucosal space of rabbit bladders, and samples of blood and various tissues were examined for radioactivity at scheduled intervals during a 28-day period. Furthermore, whole body autoradiography was performed 1 day, and 1 and 4 weeks after injection. RESULTS: Radioactivity was found in blood samples and in all tissues but it remained at the background activity level except in the thyroid, where uptake representing free 125iodine was detected. In the bladder 41 and 45% of the injected dose remained within the bladder wall 1 day and 4 weeks, respectively, after injection. The remainder of the dose probably disappeared from the bladder wall by leakage into the urine shortly after deposition, as indicated by the finding of 10-fold higher urine radioactivity levels at day 1 than at day 28 after injection. CONCLUSIONS: No distant migration of dextranomer particles occurs after submucosal injection of such an implant in the rabbit bladder wall.

Animals↗

Diurnal plasma vasopressin and urinary output in adolescents with monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis.

Plasma arginine vasopressin (AVP) levels, urinary flow and urine osmolality were investigated in a group of adolescents (20 boys and 5 girls), aged 11-21 y, with severe monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis and a control group of healthy adolescents (16M and 4F) with similar age- and sex-distribution. Half of the control group was investigated twice, with an interval of 6 months. AVP samples were taken every fourth hour in all adolescents and half of the control group were also investigated every second hour to achieve more samples during controlled sleep. After the study the enuretic group were put on long-term oral desmopressin (DDAVP). The difference between day and night values of AVP was significant for both groups, but there was no difference in the day/night ratios of plasma-AVP. All the adolescents produced less urine while asleep, but the controls produced significantly more urine than the enuretics during day. The controls also had a significantly larger nocturnal elevation of urine osmolality than the enuretics, thus a tendency towards polyuria was found. We could not find any significant difference between responders to DDAVP treatment and non-responders in any of the parameters studied. AVP is secreted in a pulsatile fashion and with point hormone samples taken every fourth or second hour we were unable to find any difference in the diurnal AVP secretion between enuretics and normal controls.

Adolescent↗

The genetics of primary nocturnal enuresis: inheritance and suggestion of a second major gene on chromosome 12q.

Primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE), or bedwetting at night, affects approximately 10% of 6 year old children. Genetic components contribute to the pathogenesis and recently one locus was assigned to chromosome 13q. We evaluated the genetic factors and the pattern of inheritance for PNE in 392 families. Dominant transmission was observed in 43% and an apparent recessive mode of inheritance was observed in 9% of the families. Among the 392 probands the ratio of males to females was 3:1 indicating sex linked or sex influenced factors. Linkage to candidate regions was tested in 16 larger families segregating for autosomal dominant PNE. A gene for PNE was excluded from chromosome 13q in 11 families, whereas linkage to the interval D13S263-D13S291 was suggested (Zmax = 2.1) in three families. Further linkage analyses excluded about 1/3 of the genome at a 10 cM resolution except the region around D12S80 on chromosome 12q that showed a positive two point lod score in six of the families (Zmax = 4.2). This locus remains suggestive because the material was not sufficiently large to give evidence for heterogeneity. Our pedigree analysis indicates that major genes are involved in a large proportion of PNE families and the linkage results suggest that such a gene is located on chromosome 12q.

Child↗

A new bioimplant for the endoscopic treatment of vesicoureteral reflux: experimental and short-term clinical results.

We investigated the safety and clinical effects of a new biocompatible, biodegradable treatment, the Deflux system (dextranomer microspheres in sodium hyaluronan solution), for the endoscopic treatment of grades III and IV vesicoureteral reflux. In preclinical safety studies in pigs histopathological examination demonstrated excellent tolerance. Two weeks after submucous implantation in the pig bladder early ingrowth of fibroblasts and recently generated collagen were noted at the implantation sites. At 14 weeks of followup this ingrowth had slightly increased. Long-term followup in rats showed that the volume of subcutaneous implants was slightly reduced (23%) 1 year after implantation. In a clinical study we investigated the implantation technique and the short (3 months) and long-term (1 year) effects of Deflux implantation in 75 children (101 ureters) with grades III and IV vesicoureteral reflux. We report data from up to 3 months of followup. Implant volumes of 0.4 to 1.0 ml. were sufficient to create distinct boluses and crescent-like ureteral orifices. Although viscous, due to its viscoelastic properties the substance was easy to inject in a well controlled manner. At cystography 3 months later reflux had resolved in 68% of implants, was reduced to grades I and II in 13% of implants and was unchanged in 19% of treated ureters (grades III and IV reflux). No signs of ureteral obstruction or adverse reactions were noted. Results from 1 year of followup will be reported later. Our results indicate that the dextranomer microspheres act as micro-carriers that promote ingrowth of fibroblasts and generate new collagen. We conclude that the Deflux system may represent a new, safe, simple alternative to endoscopic treatment of vesicoureteral reflux in children.

Adolescent↗

Desmopressin tablets in the treatment of severe nocturnal enuresis in adolescents.

BACKGROUND: In recent years the treatment of primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE) with desmopressin (DDAVP) has been promising. The route of administration until now had been intranasal, but because the tablets were introduced for the treatment of diabetes insipidus they have also become available for the treatment of PNE. OBJECTIVES: To find the optimal dosage of desmopressin tablets and to compare desmopressin's efficacy with placebo in a group of adolescents with severe monosymptomatic enuresis. The long-term safety of desmopressin was also studied in the same group of patients. METHODS: The effect of oral desmopressin (1-deamino-8-D-arginine-vasopressin) (DDAVP tablets, Minirin) was investigated in 25 adolescents (ages 11 to 21 years) with severe monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis. The first part of the dose-ranging study comprised a single-blind dose titration period, followed by a double-blind, crossover efficacy period comparing desmopressin with placebo. The final part was an open long-term study consisting of two 12-week treatment periods. The efficacy of the drug was measured in reductions of the number of wet nights per week. RESULTS: During the first dose-titration period, the majority of the patients were given desmopressin 400 micrograms, and the number of wet nights decreased from a mean of 4.9 to 2.8. During the double-blind period, a significant reduction of wet nights was observed (1.8 vs 4.1 for placebo). During the two long-term periods, 48% and 53% of the patients could be classified as responders (0 to 1 wet night per week) and 22% and 23.5% as intermediate responders (2 to 3 wet nights per week). No weight gain was observed due to water retention. After cessation of the drug, 44% of the patients had a significant decrease in the number of wet nights. CONCLUSIONS: Oral desmopressin has a clinically significant effect on patients with PNE, and therapy is safe when administered as long-term treatment.

Adolescent↗

Does HCG treatment induce inflammation-like changes in undescended testes in boys?

Twenty-two cryptorchid boys previously unsuccessfully treated with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) were operated. Testicular biopsies were taken and a routine orchidopexy was performed in each case. As controls eight cryptorchid boys without prior hormonal treatment were operated in the same way. A mild inflammation-like reaction was found in the cryptorchid testes in the period immediately following the last hCG injection. However, in testes studied 6 to 12 months after the last hCG injection there were no apparent signs of hCG-induced tubular damage.

Biopsy↗

Treatment with oral desmopressin in adolescents with primary nocturnal enuresis. Efficacy and long-term effect.

Twenty-four adolescents, mean age 13.5 years, with primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE), were studied to evaluate the efficacy of long-term oral desmopressin use. Reduction in mean number of wet nights per week was the criterion for response. Results showed that during 12-week treatment Period I, 48% were full responders (< or = 1 wet night/wk); 22% were intermediate responders (2 to 3 wet nights/wk); and 30% were nonresponders (> 3 wet nights/wk). During 12-week treatment Period II, 53% were full responders, 23.5% were intermediate responders, and 23.5% were nonresponders. Despite a high relapse rate (50% after Period I, 56% after Period II), 17 patients (71%) were completely dry 2 years posttreatment, suggesting a possible curative effect of oral desmopressin. It was concluded that oral desmopressin is comparable to the intranasal formulation, with a good, long-term therapeutic effect in adolescents with PNE.

Administration, Oral↗

Occurrence of testicular cancer in patients operated on for cryptorchidism and inguinal hernia.

We studied the incidence of testicular cancer in 2 population-based cohorts comprising 2,918 men who underwent an operation for a cryptorchid testis and 30,199 who underwent surgery for an inguinal hernia. Complete followup during the 19-year period was achieved by record linkage to the National Swedish Cancer Registry. In the cryptorchidism cohort 4 cases of testicular cancer occurred versus 0.54 expected, yielding a relative risk of 7.4 (95% confidence interval 2.0 to 19.0). Of these patients 3 had undergone a bilateral operation due to intra-abdominal testes. There was no evidence of an association between inguinal hernia and risk of testicular cancer (relative risk = 1.1, 95% confidence interval 0.4 to 2.2). The validity of our data was further supported by relative risk estimates close to unity in a comparison group of appendectomy patients. We conclude that patients with a cryptorchid testis experience a substantially increased relative risk of testicular cancer. However, the low absolute risk, 4 cases during 25,360 person-years of observation, does not appear to justify special surveillance after an operation for an undescended testis.

Age Factors↗

Immunomorphology of graft-versus-host disease after small bowel transplantation in the rat.

The process of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) elicited by small bowel semi-syngeneic grafts in Lewis rats was studied by an immunohistochemical staining technique for analysis of MHC (major histocompatibility complex) class II antigen expression and of T-cell subpopulations in different organs. Specimens from the graft, native bowel, brain, testis, liver, kidney, and skin were taken on days 5, 10, and 15. All the investigated organs displayed strong class II antigen induction during the course of GVHD. In the native bowel of semi-syngeneically transplanted animals, only discrete morphological changes were noted, whereas the graft displayed a generalized serosal reaction with large infiltrates of rounded and polygonal cells expressing class II antigens. This was not observed in the graft of syngeneically transplanted animals. In the lamina propria of the semisyngeneic graft, 'free' lymphocyte-like cells were depleted and, at the same time, localized aggregates of these cells were observed. Crypt cell class II expression in the native bowel, and to some extent in the graft, was increased during GVHD. However, pronounced intraindividual variations in MHC class II antigen expression were noted, and class II expression was therefore not considered to be a good marker for GVHD.

Animals↗

Small-bowel transplantation in the rat with a nonsuture cuff technique. Technical and immunological considerations.

Small-bowel transplantation (SBT) using an nonsuture cuff technique was carried out on 137 rats. Preparation of the donor graft was carried out according to conventional procedures. Graft perfusion was done at a fixed pressure of 35 cm water. The left renal vessels of the recipient were dissected, the native kidney removed, and the graft was connected to the vessels by a nonsuture cuff technique. Of the animals, 92% survived for at least 5 days posttransplant. Three different combinations were investigated: (1) isografts; (2) semisyngeneic grafts from nontreated Lewis----(Lewis x DA) F1 hybrids; and (3) semisyngeneic grafts from rabbit antilymphocyte globulin (ALG)-pretreated Lewis----(Lewis x DA) F1. In group 1, 80% of the grafts were unaffected after 1 month; flow studies showed slight or no impairment of circulation in the graft. In group 2, the recipients developed clinical signs of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after 1 week, and at the end of the 2nd week the animals showed signs of severe illness, leading to death due to GVHD. There was also a higher percentage of complications in this group. In group 3, 65% of the animals died. However, 27% showed intact grafts and no signs of GVDH after 1 month, indicating that antibody pretreatment of the donor may successfully prevent GVHD SBT.

Animals↗

Hemobilia in childhood.

During a 10-year period we have encountered three cases of hemobilia among children after blunt abdominal trauma. All patients had the classical symptoms with varying degrees of severity. One of the patients, a 5-year-old boy, had several episodes of severe gastrointestinal bleeding, abdominal pain, and jaundice during a 2-month period. He was treated with selective arterial embolization of the left hepatic artery. The symptoms ceased instantly, and the patient has remained healthy during an observation period of more than 2 years. In cases of hemobilia, selective arterial embolization is a safe method with no serious complications. Arterial collaterals develop very quickly and the risk of liver dysfunction is small. We suggest that embolization of hepatic arteries may be the treatment of choice even in small children with hemobilia.

Athletic Injuries↗