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Biomedical subjects

G Lundgren

Publications and source records attributed to G Lundgren.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Kidney donors don't regret: follow-up of 370 donors in Stockholm since 1964.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to present the views of our kidney donors since 1964, at the time of donation, as well as later on--and to assess their current subjective health. METHODS: A total of 451 living-donor nephrectomies were performed on Swedish residents in Stockholm from April 1964 until the end of 1995. A questionnaire with 11 questions about the donation and a standardized health form (SF-36) were sent to all donors alive in 1997 (n=403). RESULTS: The mean age (+/-SD) of the donors was 61+/-14 years at follow-up and the time-since-donation was 12.5+/-7.7 years. The response rate was very good (92%). Current health, as assessed by form SF-36, was satisfactory. Donors scored somewhat better than those reported in a random sample of the Swedish population. The decision to donate had been easy: 86% made the decision themselves, without being pushed. Twenty-three percent thought that the nephrectomy had been troublesome. A higher percentage of young donors had felt that the postoperative period was difficult. Most donors (56%) stated that it had taken more than 2 months before they returned to a "normal" life, and 5% felt that they never completely recovered. Less than 1% of the donors regretted the donation. The commonest current medical prescription was antihypertensives (15%). The actual mean serum creatinine was 103+/-22 (range 48-219) micromol/L. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that the degree of health is at least as high as in the general population. The decision to donate was easy for most of the donors, but surgery and the recovery period were troublesome and lasted longer than expected. Kidney function was acceptable.

Adult↗

Plasma selenium in healthy man before and after nutratherapy.

Females (n = 28) and males (n = 39) had their plasma analysed for selenium (Se), ubiquinone, alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E), the essential fatty acid (EFA) classes: omega-3 (omega-3, n-3) and omega-6 (omega-6, n-6) fatty acids. Selenium averaged 0.99 +/- 0.03 mumol/l and was positively related to plasma ubiquinone, alpha-tocopherol and the EFA index: the omega-6/omega-3 ratio. Food supplements (nutratherapy) with the lipophilic antioxidants ubiquinone and alpha-tocopherol (Q + E) had no effect on selenium but the addition of omega-3 fatty acids as a fish oil concentrate (Q + E + n-3) had (1.12 +/- 0.05 mumol/l, + 36%, p < 0.001). (Q + E) and (Q + E + n-3) with the addition of selenium (200 micrograms or 2.5 mumol a day) raised selenium but not higher than (Q + E + n-3) itself (1.17 +/- 0.12 mumol/l, p < 0.05). After (Q + E) alone, selenium was related as at base-line to both ubiquinone and alpha-tocopherol but not to any marker for EFA. After (Q + E + n-3), selenium was only related to ubiquinone. An unsatisfactory alpha-tocopherol nutratherapy was suggested as the explanation. EFA or markers for EFA were in no situation related to plasma selenium.

Adult↗

Ischemic heart disease--major cause of death and graft loss after renal transplantation in Scandinavia.

Causes of graft loss and death were studied in 1347 recipients of primary renal transplants followed for 5 years after transplantation irrespective of graft function. Immunosuppression consisted of high or medium dose CsA and prednisolone or low dose CsA and prednisolone and azathioprine. In recipients of cadaver grafts, death with a functioning transplant was more common than graft rejection after the first posttransplant year, accounting for 49% and 41% of the graft losses, respectively. Of deaths with a functioning graft, 53% were due to ischemic heart disease (IHD) and 10% were due to other vascular disease. In the 55- to 64-year-old age group, the risk of death from IHD was 6.4 times higher in the transplanted nondiabetic patients, 8.6 times higher in the dialysis patients (European Dialysis and Transplant Association figures), and 20.8 times higher in the transplanted diabetic patients than in the general population (national figures). A multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that old age, diabetes mellitus, occurrence of acute rejection, pretransplant transfusions, delayed onset of graft function, and male gender were significant for death in IHD. We conclude that, in comparison to reports from other regions, Scandinavian renal transplant recipients are at high risk of dying of IHD. Future advances in long-term renal graft survival will depend largely on the success of preventing myocardial infarction and death in this patient population.

Adult↗

Presence of anti-hepatitis C virus serum markers in a dental school patient population.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has joined the list of infections liver diseases of which the practicing dentist must be aware. This recently described RNA virus causes between 20% to 40% of reported cases of viral hepatitis in the United States. Patients with HCV show symptoms only one quarter of the time, but chronicity is maintained longer than with the other liver infections. The major mode of transmission is percutaneous, so dentists are potentially at risk to contact the virus. To assess the presence of exposure to HCV, a total of 500 dental school patients were screened for serum antibody to this virus (second-generation anti-HCV). In addition, participants were required to fill out a special screening questionnaire designed to indicate high-risk groups. Their serum was also analyzed for serum chemistries known to be associated with acute and chronic liver disease. Analysis of the 15 response questionnaires revealed statistical significance relating to questions inquiring about previous exposure to blood (transfusions, surgical procedures, etc) but little significance relating to lifestyle. In either case responses were not of practical predictive value. More than 5% of our sample patients were found to be positive reactors to anti-HCV, indicating previous HCV exposure. A significant number of those positive for anti-HCV also showed elevation of serum chemistries associated with hepatitis.

Adolescent↗

HIV-1 antibody positive hepatitis B surface antigen serum in a dental school patient population.

Testing for human immunodeficiency virus antibody (anti-HIV-1) in patients positive for hepatitis B surface antigen has never been performed in a dental school patient population. In this population there was a 2.8% positive reactivity for HIV-1 antibodies in subjects who were also positive for hepatitis B surface antigen. An enzyme-linked immunoassay with a repeat test and confirmation with a Western blot technique were used.

Blotting, Western↗