Biomedical subjects

H Aro

Publications and source records attributed to H Aro.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2004

Implants coated with bioactive glass by CO2-laser, an in vivo study.

Due to ageing of the population, the number of revision operations is expected to increase. Thus good fixation of medical implants is crucial for successful treatment. In our previous studies, a method to coat titanium implants with bioactive glass (BAG) via CO2 laser treatment was introduced. It allows to localise the application of a bioactive coating, without heat treatment of the whole implant. In the present study, cylindrical titanium implants were used (BAG-coated, control group: NaOH-treated and grit-blasted Ti). Three implants were placed in each femoral epicondyle of six rabbits. After eight weeks the animals were sacrificed. Half of the implants were subjected to a torsional loading test. In the control groups, the failure occurred at the bone-implant interface, in the BAG group the failure occurred mainly in the reacted glass. The implants coated with BAG were integrated into host bone without a connective tissue capsule and were surrounded by significantly more bone than the control implants. The findings indicate clearly that the use of CO2 laser radiation to create BAG coatings did not inhibit the bioactive properties of the glass in terms of osteoconduction.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Event-related potential indices of auditory vowel processing in 3-year-old children.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the ERP characteristics and ERP indices of central speech sound encoding and discrimination in young children. METHODS: Auditory sensory event-related potentials (ERPs) and the ERP index of auditory sensory discrimination (the mismatch negativity, MMN) were elicited by vowel stimuli in 3-year-old children. In an oddball paradigm, the standard stimulus was vowel /a/, one deviant stimulus was vowel /o/ (the across-category change), and the other was nasalized vowel /a/ (within-category change). In addition, the ERP changes occurring during the 14 min uninterrupted recording were examined. RESULTS: As indexed by the sensory P1, N2, and N4 peaks, the 3-year-old children's transient neural encoding of vowels was comparable to that earlier registered in 1-year-old children but also showed vowel-specific characteristics observed in school-age children. The 3-year-old's MMN was comparable in amplitude to the school-age children's MMN and appeared to be sensitive to the across-category aspects of vowel changes. However, its latency was longer in the 3-year-olds than in school-age children. Among the sensory ERPs, only the N4 peak showed significant diminution during the experiment. The across-category change MMN diminished after 10 min of the recording, however, over the frontal areas only. CONCLUSIONS: In the 3-year-old children, the sensory processing of vowels exhibited transitional characteristics between those observed in infants and school-age children. The auditory sensory discrimination in the 3-year-olds appeared to be sensitive to the phonemic aspects of stimulus change. The frontally-predominant MMN diminution during the experiment might indicate the greater refractoriness of its frontal-lobe generators. In general, the auditory sensory ERPs show distinct maturational profiles from that of the MMN.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

PubMed2003

Osteoporosis and the orthopaedic surgeon.

During the recent years, data regarding osteoporosis has accumulated and indicates that osteoporotic fractures in Scandinavia still increase. At the same time diagnostics and treatments have been improved. However, only a minority of patients with fractures and osteoporosis become identified. Surgeons and hospitals treating fractures should find means to detect patients who suffer from fractures due to osteoporosis, and establish programs for further evaluation and adequate treatment.

Accidental Falls↗

PubMed2002

Spousal resemblance for history of major depressive episode in the previous year.

BACKGROUND: There is discrepancy in findings on spousal concordance for major depression. Here we report the risk of depression and its determinants in spouses of persons with or without depression, taking into account several known risk factors for major depression. METHODS: A random sample of non-institutionalized Finnish individual aged 15-75 years was interviewed in the 1996 National Health Care Survey. The sample included 1708 male-female spouse pairs. Major depressive episode (MDE) during the last 12 months was assessed using the Short Form of the University of Michigan version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (the UM-CIDI Short Form). Risk factors were assessed in the same interview. RESULTS: Factors associating with MDE were spouse's MDE, own alcohol intoxication at least once a week and own chronic medical conditions. In addition, there was a strong association between female's current smoking and male's MDE, independently of other risk factors and spousal MDE. The association of MDE with spouses's MDE was not affected by taking into account other assessed risk factors (own or spouse's). CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate elevated spouse concordance for MDE independent of the risk factors assessed in the present study.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Major depressive episode among young adults: CIDI-SF versus SCAN consensus diagnoses.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of a highly structured diagnostic interview in relation to a semi-structured diagnostic procedure. We compared the World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview Short Form (CIDI-SF) in diagnosing major depressive episode (MDE) to consensus diagnoses based on the SCAN interview (Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry). METHOD: Subjects comprised a follow-up sample of 239 20-24-year-old former high-school students who were administered the SCAN and immediately thereafter the CIDI-SF. Concordance was estimated for 12-month MDE, using different cut-points of the CIDI-SF and for any affective disorders. RESULTS: Correspondence between instruments was moderate for MDE (kappa = 0.43, sensitivity 0.71, specificity 0.82), but better for any affective disorder (kappa = 0.60, sensitivity 0.70, specificity 0.90). Most false negatives suffered from their depression as much as those correctly identified by the CIDI-SF. False negativity was mainly due to not endorsing the stem questions of the CIDI-SF. Of the false positives almost half had an affective disorder other than MDE. CONCLUSIONS: The CIDI-SF seems to function best in identifying a broader category of affective disorders. It could be useful in large-scale community surveys where more extensive psychiatric interviews are not feasible.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Diversity of Helicobacter pylori genotypes among Estonian and Russian patients with perforated peptic ulcer, living in Southern Estonia.

To compare the genomic variation of Helicobacter pylori in samples obtained from patients with perforated peptic ulcer, living in the same area of Estonia but belonging to different nationalities, 50 non-consecutive patients (32 Estonians and 18 Russians) admitted in the Tartu University Hospital in 1997-1999 were studied. Gastric samples of antral mucosa were obtained during operation and analysed histologically and with PCR for detection of different genotypes of H. pylori (cagA and vacA s and m subtypes). Among the 50 perforated peptic ulcer patients with histologically proven H. pylori colonisation no sample of gastric mucosa showed the s1b subtype of the vacA gene. The perforated peptic ulcer patients were mainly infected with cagA (82%) and s1 (98%) genotypes of H. pylori. The distribution of s1a/m1, s1a/m2 and s2/m2 subtypes of vacA genes was statistically different in Estonian and Russian patients (P<0.05). In conclusion differences in the distribution of vacA s and m subtypes of H. pylori were revealed between Estonian and Russian patients with perforated peptic ulcer from Southern Estonia.

Antigens, Bacterial↗

PubMed2001

Induction of periosteal callus formation by bone morphogenetic protein-2 employing adenovirus-mediated gene delivery.

Although the chondrogenic response of periosteum is well established in healing fractures, the mechanisms mediating the proliferation and differentiation of periosteal chondroprogenitor cells are poorly understood. In the present study we demonstrate that bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), introduced by adenovirus-mediated gene transfer, alone is capable of inducing callus formation at the site of periosteal injection. Both immunohistochemistry and Northern analysis demonstrated activation of type II collagen production between days 4 and 7 after the injection, followed by activation of type X collagen expression. The activation of chondrogenesis was associated with increased expression of L-Sox5 and Sox9, suggesting that the BMP-2 effect is mediated via Sox proteins. This capacity of adenovirus-mediated overproduction of BMP-2 to induce chondrogenesis (and subsequent endochondral ossification) should be useful for tissue engineering of cartilage and bone.

Adenoviruses, Human↗

PubMed2001

The 12-month prevalence and characteristics of major depressive episode in a representative nationwide sample of adolescents and young adults.

BACKGROUND: This study set out to estimate the 12-month prevalence of DSM-III-R major depressive episode (MDE) and to analyse factors associating with psychosocial impairment, episode duration, phenomenology and symptom severity in a representative general population sample of adolescents (15-19-year-olds) and young adults (20-24-year-olds). METHOD: The Finnish Health Care Survey '96 (FINHCS '96) was a cross-sectional nationwide epidemiological study. A random sample of 509 adolescents and 433 young adults was interviewed in 1996. MDE was assessed by University of Michigan Composite Diagnostic Interview Short-Form. RESULTS: The 12-month prevalence of MDE was 5.3 % for adolescents (females 6.0%, males 4.4%) and 9.4% for young adults (females 10.7%, males 8.1%). When moderate psychosocial impairment was included in case definition, the prevalences were lowered by 20-25%. Increased impairment was associated with drunkenness at least twice a month, a higher mean number of depressive symptoms and impaired concentration. The median episode duration was 1 month. No factors associating with duration were found. With the exception of symptoms related to appetite being more common among females than males, the phenomenology of MDE was mainly independent of age and gender. CONCLUSIONS: Episodes of major depression among adolescents and young adults in the general population are short but often associated with psychosocial impairment, especially if frequent drunkenness coexists.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

Cigarette smoking, alcohol intoxication and major depressive episode in a representative population sample.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the associations of cigarette smoking and alcohol intoxication with major depressive episode. DESIGN: Major depressive episode during the past 12 months was assessed in a national representative cross sectional study using the Short Form of the University of Michigan version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (the UM-CIDI Short Form). SUBJECTS: A random sample of 5993 non-institutionalised Finnish people aged 15-75 years was interviewed as a part of the 1996 Finnish Health Care Survey. RESULTS: In logistic regression models the factors associated with major depressive episode in the past 12 months were smoking 10 or more cigarettes daily (odds ratio (OR) 2.26; 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) 1.68, 3.04) and alcohol intoxication at least once a week (OR 2.99; 95%CI 1.70, 5.25). Their effects were independent of each other, and remained significant even after adjusting for other major risk factors (marital status, education, unemployment and chronic diseases). The attributable proportion (a measure of the impact of the risk factors of the disease on the population) for daily smoking of 10 or more cigarettes was 0.15, and for alcohol intoxication at least once a week 0.04. CONCLUSION: Cigarette smoking and alcohol intoxication seem to be important risk factors for major depressive episode. In this population the impact of smoking was greater.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

Antidepressant treatment of depression in the Finnish general population.

OBJECTIVE: Antidepressant use has increased in the last decade, but whether depression continues to be undertreated is unknown. The authors investigated the prevalence of antidepressant treatment and its predictors in a recent general population sample of depressed subjects. METHOD: As part of the Finnish Health Care Survey, in 1996 a representative sample of Finns (N=5,993) aged 15-75 years underwent a standardized face-to-face interview that used the DSM-III-R criteria for major depressive episode. RESULTS: Only 13% of subjects with a major depressive episode during the preceding 12 months (70 of 557) reported current use of an antidepressant. In logistic regression models, use of psychiatric services for depression, regular use of any other medication, more than 1 month of sick leave, and smoking were associated with antidepressant treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Most depressed subjects in 1996 in Finland were not receiving antidepressant treatment despite the several-fold increase in antidepressant use in the 1990s.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2000

The 12-month prevalence and risk factors for major depressive episode in Finland: representative sample of 5993 adults.

OBJECTIVE: This study reports the 12-month prevalence of major depressive episode and its risk factors in a representative nationwide sample. METHOD: A random sample of non-institutionalized Finnish individuals aged 15-75 years (N = 5993) was interviewed in 1996. Major depressive episode during the last 12 months was assessed using the Short Form of the University of Michigan version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (the UM-CIDI Short Form). RESULTS: The population prevalence of major depressive episode was 9.3% [95% CI 8.5,10.0], and the age-adjusted prevalences for females and males were 10.9% [95% CI 9.7,12.0] and 7.2 [95% CI 6.2,8.2], respectively. In logistic regression analyses the factors associated with major depressive episode after adjustment for age were urban residency, smoking, alcohol intoxication and chronic medical conditions. In addition, being single and obese were found to be risk factors for males. CONCLUSION: The female to male risk ratio for major depressive episode was smaller than in many previous studies. The sex-specific risk factor associations warrant further investigation into sex differences in depression.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2000

Headache in teenagers: comorbidity and prognosis.

A representative, prospective population sample of 1,205 7-year-old children in a larger Finnish city was followed for 15 years for headache and other medical disorders and symptoms. The comorbidity associated with headache was found to be higher than expected. Allergy and bronchial asthma, diabetes mellitus and stomachache were more common in boys than in girls, while psychiatric symptoms and sleep disturbances were more typical of girls than boys. The prevalence rate of any headache and migraine increases up to the age of 13 years, but after that age, a decline in the prevalence is found in boys, while girls show an increasing trend both in the presence and in the frequency of any headache and migraine.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

Cathepsin expression during skeletal development.

Cysteine proteinases, cathepsins B, H, K, L and S, have been implicated in several proteolytic processes during development, growth, remodeling and aging, as well as in a variety of pathological processes. For systematic analysis of cathepsin gene expression we have produced cDNA clones for mouse and human cysteine cathepsins. Northern analysis of a panel of total RNAs isolated from 16-19 different human and mouse tissues revealed the presence of mRNAs for cathepsin B, H, K, L and S in most tissues, but each with a distinct profile. Of the different cathepsin mRNAs, those for cathepsin K were clearly the highest in bone and cartilage. However, relatively high mRNA levels for the other cathepsins were also present in these tissues. To better understand the roles of different cathepsins during endochondral ossification in mouse long bones, cathepsin mRNAs were localized by in situ hybridization. Cathepsin K mRNAs were predominantly seen in multinucleated chondroclastic and osteoclastic cells at the osteochondral junction and on the surface of bone spicules. The other cathepsin mRNAs were also seen in osteoclasts, and in hypertrophic and proliferating chondrocytes. These observations were confirmed by immunohistochemistry and suggest that all cysteine cathepsins are involved in matrix degradation during endochondral ossification.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1998

Production of cartilage collagens during metaphyseal bone healing in the mouse.

Small defects of unfractured bone are believed to heal without a cartilaginous intermediate. We have determined the extent of cartilage production in an experimental model of metaphyseal bone repair involving defects in both cortical and cancellous bone, but no fracture. Northern analyses revealed the presence of mRNAs for type X and II collagens in the repair tissue. Immunohistology confirmed subperiosteal deposition of both collagen types adjacent to the defect. While the mRNAs for the two collagen types peaked by one week of defect healing, immunodetectable type X collagen was not observed until the second week. The data suggest that reactivity of periosteum and activation of chondrogenesis and subsequent endochondral ossification programs are involved in murine bone repair regardless of defect type.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Enhancement of fracture healing by mechanical and surgical intervention.

Mechanical modulation of bone fracture repair and restoration to its structural strength must rely on the fundamental physical concept of remodeling according to the type of stress applied to immature or undifferentiated tissue. This article proposes the possible mechanisms of interaction between physical factors and cellular responses in healing long bone fractures and speculates on the advantages and limitations of different experimental models in evaluating these interactions. A revised classification system of fracture union types based on histomorphologic characteristics is introduced here as a reference standard in the studies of possible accelerating factors. Bone fracture union can follow more than one or two pathways, with various combinations of bone formation mechanisms, whereas there may be only one bone remodeling principle. There are definite mechanical and operative interventions that can provide effective enhancement to fracture healing. However, different intervention may limit its association to a specific healing mechanism. The key element in establishing these interactions is defining the precise cellular and molecular mechanisms in a quantitative manner. This can be achieved best by interdisciplinary research collaborations working on a higher level of expertise in each related field using standardized experimental models. Not only a basic understanding of the associated cellular reactions is necessary, but also the specific forms of mechanical stimulation, the dose effect, and its application timing must be determined and validated. Without this basic research effort, it would be difficult to transform such an augmentational modality into effective and reliable therapeutic regimens for clinical application. Furthermore, successful fracture repair enhancement must have proper new bone formation maintenance and remodeling through physiologic loading, or the initial stimulation process may be short lived and unable to reestablish the required biomechanical strength of the long bone. Finally, there is no substitute for a well organized and carefully controlled prospective clinical trial in establishing the validity of any bone fracture healing enhancement modality, regardless of its nature and form of application.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Disability pensions in severely disturbed in-patient adolescents. Twenty-year prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Knowledge of working capacity from adolescence until adulthood among severely disturbed in-patients is scarce. METHOD: In a follow-up study of 61 adolescent in-patients, we studied associations between being on a disability pension 20 years after hospitalisation, and the patients' psychopathology and treatment-related factors during the hospitalisation and seven-year follow-up. RESULTS: Of the former in-patients, 27% had not been on a disability pension, 20% had short-term pension periods, and 53% were pensioned. Subjects whose overall psychosocial functioning had improved and who had not utilised in-patient services until the seven-year follow-up, had a better prognosis in terms of working capacity. Half of the subjects who had not been on pension during the follow-up had received a diagnosis of conduct disorder at discharge, and half of those pensioned had a psychotic disorder. CONCLUSIONS: The patients' level of psychosocial functioning and capability to work in young adulthood were associated with long-term prognosis in terms of working capacity. Adolescence seems to be the critical time for intensive psychiatric care combined with vocational rehabilitation programmes.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

Characteristics of out-patient adolescents with suicidal tendencies.

Suicidal adolescent out-patients were compared with non-suicidal subjects with respect to background factors, psychopathology and treatment received. Data for suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, psychiatric diagnoses (DSM-III-R) and other patient-related factors were collected prospectively during treatment of 122 male and 138 female out-patients aged 12-22 years. In total, 42% of subjects displayed suicidal tendencies, and 18% had attempted suicide. According to polychotomous regression, mood disorder, previous psychiatric treatment and low level of psychosocial functioning at treatment entry were associated with suicide attempts and with suicidal ideation for both sexes. Suicidal patients were more often receiving psychotropic medication and had more total appointments (mean number 15 vs. 9) than non-suicidal patients. Suicidal and non-suicidal patients kept their scheduled appointments to the same extent (66% vs. 65%). Treatments which meet the needs of disordered suicidal adolescents need to be developed.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

Differences between urban and rural suicides.

As part of a nation-wide psychological autopsy we examined the differences in DSM-III-R mental disorders, recent life events and other characteristics between urban (n = 143) and rural (n = 85) completed suicides in a random sample of 229 cases from the National Suicide Prevention Project in Finland for the period 1987-1988. Psychoactive substance use disorders (48% vs. 34%), cluster B personality disorders (24% vs. 9%) and psychiatric comorbidity (66% vs. 42%) were found more commonly among urban than rural suicides. Urban suicides were also more often reported to be preceded by a recent separation (25% vs. 8%), whereas rural suicide victims tended to have lacked a close companion of the opposite sex (36% vs. 18%) and to have had physical disorders (56% vs. 40%). Overall, urban and rural suicides may vary with regard to the prevalence of some mental disorders, their comorbidity, and physical disorders, as well as the preceding life situation. This variation may also imply the need for differences in strategies for suicide prevention in each setting.

Adolescent↗