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Biomedical subjects

J Sjölin

Publications and source records attributed to J Sjölin.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

C5a, interleukin-8 and tumour necrosis factor-alpha-induced changes in granulocyte and monocyte expression of complement receptors in whole blood and on isolated leukocytes.

Treatments targeting complement receptors have been demonstrated to improve outcome in experimental sepsis. The regulation of the complement receptors in sepsis is not clear. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation of granulocytes ex vivo has been shown to reduce C5a receptor (CD88) expression and to increase CD35 and CD11b/CD18 expressions in whole blood but not on isolated cells, indicating an indirect effect mediated via factors in the blood. With the aim to study whether these effects could be attributed to C5a, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and interleukin (IL)-8, whole blood or isolated granulocytes and monocytes from healthy individuals were investigated. After incubation with C5a in a dose range of 1 x 10(-9)-1 x 10(-7) mol/l, and TNF-alpha and IL-8 at doses of 1-100 ng/ml, the expressions of the complement receptors CD88, CD35, CD11b/CD18 were analysed by flow cytometry. Incubation with C5a reduced granulocyte CD88 expression by 44+/-6.9% and 82+/-4.2%, whereas monocyte CD88 expression decreased by 21+/-4.0 and 30+/-17% (whole blood and isolated cells). IL-8 and TNF-alpha incubation of granulocytes induced similar results. Granulocyte CD35 expression was significantly increased by 367, 175 and 336% by C5a, TNF-alpha, IL-8, respectively; CD11b expression was similarly increased. Consistent with findings in septic patients and after LPS incubation, it is concluded that all stimuli reduced granulocyte CD88 expression, whereas CD35 and CD11b were increased.

Adult↗

Differential expression of the C5a receptor and complement receptors 1 and 3 after LPS stimulation of neutrophils and monocytes.

Animal experiments recently suggested that administration of anti-C5a, anti-C5a receptor or soluble complement receptor type-1 may be of value in the treatment of septic shock. Because results regarding C5a receptor expression (C5a-R, CD-88) have been found to differ between septic animals and patients, the aim of this study was to investigate the neutrophil and monocyte receptor expression of CD-88 and complement receptor-1 (CR-1, CD-35) after stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) ex vivo. Whole blood or isolated neutrophils and monocytes from healthy people were incubated with LPS in a dose range of 0.1-1000 ng/ml. The expressions of CD-88 and CD-35 were analysed by means of flow cytometry. For comparison, the expressions of complement receptor-3 (CR-3, CD-11b/CD-18), Fc-gamma receptor type-I (CD-64) and CEACAM-8 (CD-66b) were also investigated. In whole blood, CD-88 expression on neutrophils was reduced (P < 0.05). The expressions of CD-35 and CD-11b were increased both on neutrophils (P < 0.001; P < 0.05) and on monocytes (P < 0.001; P < 0.001). No effect was observed on isolated cells. In agreement with the findings in septic patients, LPS reduced the neutrophil C5a-R expression, whereas the expressions of CR-1 and CR-3 were increased. The effects of LPS were indirect and were mediated via factors in the blood. The clinical significance of this is not known, but may be associated with decreased chemotaxis.

Adult↗

Penetration of fusidic acid and rifampicin into cerebrospinal fluid in low-grade inflammatory meningitis caused by Staphylococcus epidermidis.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentration-time curves of rifampicin and fusidic acid were studied in a patient with post-operative meningitis caused by Staphylococcus epidermidis. The patient was treated with this combination of antimicrobial agents because of a severe hypersensitivity reaction to vancomycin. Peak CSF concentrations of rifampicin exceeded the MIC by > 60-fold, while those of fusidic acid just reached the MIC. CSF concentrations of fusidic acid were relatively stable within the range reported for patients with uninflamed meninges, but serum levels were surprisingly low. An increase in the metabolism of fusidic acid induced by rifampicin cannot be excluded.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Efficacy and safety of cefotaxime in combination with metronidazole for empirical treatment of brain abscess in clinical practice: a retrospective study of 66 consecutive cases.

Sixty-six consecutive patients with brain abscesses referred to a department of neurosurgery during a 10-year period and treated with cefotaxime were studied retrospectively by means of a prospectively designed protocol whose main areas of emphasis were duration of antibiotic treatment, sterilization rate, clinical outcome in relation to prognostic factors, and side effects. Sixty-two of these patients were treated additionally with metronidazole, and surgery was performed in 53 patients. Mental status was altered in 33 patients, 11 of whom were comatose. Rupture of the abscess into the ventricles occurred in eight patients. Death was attributable to brain abscess formation in three patients (4.5%). Forty-six percent of the surviving patients recovered without any neurological deficits. Reversible adverse reactions, which occurred in 38 patients, were the most common reason for withdrawal of cefotaxime. In 76% of these cases, there was a significant improvement before the onset of the adverse reaction. The median duration of parenteral antibiotic treatment was 36, 41, 22, and 46 days in patients treated with excision, aspiration, evacuation of subdural empyema, and antibiotics alone, respectively. Taking prognostic factors into consideration, mortality attributable to brain abscess was lower than previously reported. This finding, along with the abscess sterilization results, indicates that cefotaxime in combination with metronidazole is a highly effective treatment but is associated with a high frequency of reversible side effects. The results indicate that a shorter duration of treatment should be investigated.

Adolescent↗

Low utilisation of unactivated protein C in a patient with meningococcal septic shock and disseminated intravascular coagulation.

BACKGROUND: Activated protein C has recently been shown in a multicentre trial to significantly reduce mortality in patients with septic shock. There are also some case reports and minor studies demonstrating promising results with the unactivated form of protein C. However, in children with severe meningococcal infection, skin biopsies have demonstrated low expression of endothelial thrombomodulin and protein C receptors, suggesting low protein C activation capacity in severe meningococcal sepsis. METHODS: A patient with meningococcal septic shock was treated with two doses of the unactivated form of protein C, the first during intense activation of the coagulation system and the second during a phase of low grade or no activation. Repeated plasma samples were analysed for protein C concentration, which made it possible to compare pharmacokinetics and half-lives of the two administrations. A shorter half-life during intense coagulation was expected if there was an activation and consumption of the protein C administered. RESULTS: The calculated half-lives of protein C during intense and low grade activation were 32 h and 19 h, respectively, a magnitude similar to that reported in protein C-deficient patients without infection. CONCLUSION: The result indicates that whole body utilisation of the unactivated protein C was low. Endothelial impairment of protein C activation does not seem to be restricted to the skin vessels only.

Adult↗

Circulating soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in immunocompetent and renal transplant patients: correlation with cytomegalovirus disease and renal function.

The plasma levels of the soluble adhesion molecules, soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), were measured before and after transplantation in 26 renal transplant recipients, and in 173 longitudinally collected samples in 17 of the patients. The patients were carefully monitored for the presence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and rejection. Forty healthy blood donors and 12 otherwise healthy subjects with symptomatic primary CMV infections served as controls. During CMV disease, plasma levels of sVCAM-1 and sICAM-1 were elevated in both renal transplant patients and otherwise healthy subjects with CMV disease. The sVCAM-1 levels were strongly elevated before transplantation in renal transplant recipients and correlated with creatinine levels. Increased sVCAM-1 levels were also registered during rejection episodes. CMV disease, per se, is associated with markedly increased levels of sVCAM-1 and sICAM-1. There is also a correlation of sVCAM-1 levels with serum creatinine levels. Thus, the presence of CMV infection and renal function are factors that must be considered in further studies of soluble adhesion molecules.

Adolescent↗

Endotoxin release from Escherichia coli after exposure to tobramycin: dose-dependency and reduction in cefuroxime-induced endotoxin release.

OBJECTIVE: To study the release of free endotoxin from Escherichia coli exposed to varying concentrations of the penicillin-binding protein (PBP) 3-specific beta-lactam antibiotic cefuroxime, the aminoglycoside tobramycin, and a combination of the two, and to test the relationship between bacterial killing rate and endotoxin release. METHODS: A clinical isolate of Escherichia coli in logarithmic phase was exposed to 0.1, 2, 10, and 50 x minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of cefuroxime, tobramycin, and a combination of the two. Samples for viable counts and endotoxin analysis were drawn immediately before and after the addition of the antibiotics and at 1, 2, 4, 6, and 24 h. All experiments were performed in triplicate. For the analysis of endotoxin, a chromogenic limulus amoebocyte lysate assay was used. RESULTS: Endotoxin liberation was found to be proportional to the number of killed bacteria for each antibiotic regimen at each concentration level justifying the endotoxin-liberating potential to be expressed as release of endotoxin per killed bacterium, an expression that was independent of the inoculum size. At all concentration levels there was a statistically significant difference between the treatments, with the highest release of endotoxin per killed bacterium for cefuroxime, lower for tobramycin and the lowest for the combination of the two drugs (P < 0.001). With increasing doses, there was a significant reduction (P < 0.001) in the propensity to release endotoxin. When the bacterial killing rate was correlated to the propensity to release endotoxin in bacteria exposed to tobramycin or the combination of tobramycin and cefuroxime, a significant negative correlation was found (P < 0.01). This reduction in endotoxin release was not caused by an unspecific endotoxin binding of tobramycin. CONCLUSIONS: Addition of tobramycin reduced the cefuroxime-induced endotoxin release per killed bacterium to a level which was even lower than that of tobramycin alone in spite of an increased killing rate. Increasing concentrations of tobramycin led to reduction in endotoxin release, which may be of benefit when dosing aminoglycosides once daily.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Coccidioidomycosis as imported atypical pneumonia in Sweden.

Coccidioidomycosis, an endemic fungal infection of the western hemisphere causes serious disease in immunocompromised individuals. In immunocompetent patients, a moderate flu-like disease may develop. We report here an imported Scandinavian case of a culture-proven coccidioidomycosis, initially presenting as an atypical pneumonia. Pleuritic symptoms, positive epidemiology and eosinophilia led to suspicion of the diagnosis, which was further supported by serology.

Aged↗

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor as immunomodulating factor together with influenza vaccination in stem cell transplant patients.

The effect of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) on the serological response at influenza vaccination was studied in 117 patients who had undergone stem cell transplantation (SCT). The vaccine response was evaluated as significant increases in levels of influenza hemagglutination-inhibition (HAI) antibodies and of IgG antibodies measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). There was no difference in antibody response to either influenza A or B in 64 patients who received GM-CSF at vaccination, compared with the 53 who did not. In the subgroup of allogeneic SCT patients, HAI showed that the response rate to the influenza B vaccine was significantly higher in the treatment group (P<.05). ELISA showed that autologous SCT patients with breast cancer who received GM-CSF had a better response to influenza A (P<.05) and B (P<.01). At early vaccination, 4-12 months after stem cell transplantation, these responses were more pronounced. GM-CSF appears to improve the response to influenza vaccination in some groups of SCT patients, but only to a limited extent.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

Subsets of T-cells and in vitro cytokine production after measles and varicellae-zoster virus antigen stimulation in allogeneic BMT patients.

This study was performed to analyse differences in T-cell proliferation induced by a latent virus, varicellae-zoster virus (VZV) and a non-latent virus, measles virus, in patients after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT). The lymphoproliferative response to measles antigen, VZV-antigen (VZV-ag), and phytohemagglutinin (PHA) was measured by 3H-thymidine incorporation, and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) analyses in supernatants after in vitro stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 22 patients and 18 healthy controls. The cytokine levels were correlated with T-cell subsets by FACS analyses. At the antigen concentrations used, VZV-ag induced higher levels of IFN-gamma (p < 0.05) than did the measles antigen, whereas the levels of IL-10 were similar. Patients without a cell mediated immune (CMI) response to VZV-ag or measles antigen had lower CD4+ T-cell counts than did controls (p < 0.01 in both cases) and lower IFN-gamma production after non-specific PHA stimulation (p <0.01). The IFN-gamma and IL-10 levels after measles antigen stimulation correlated with the number of CD4+ T-cells (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively), and after VZV-ag mainly to the number of CD8+ T-cells (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively). These results suggest that there is a difference in the types of T-cells that respond to VZV-ag and measles antigen stimulation, respectively. The impaired CMI response to viral antigens seen in many patients may be explained both by a low number of CD4+ T-cells and by a cell dysfunction.

Adult↗

Th1 and Th2 cytokine responses after measles antigen stimulation in vitro in bone marrow transplant patients: response to measles vaccination.

In seronegative autologous bone marrow transplanted (ABMT) patients, a sustained cell-mediated immunity (CMI) has been shown to impair the antibody response after measles vaccination. To investigate if this might be caused by a preferential Th1 cytokine response, interferon (IFN)-gamma and interleukin (IL)-10 production of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was analyzed after measles antigen (M-ag) stimulation in vitro. The non-specific immune response was measured by IFN-alpha, and IL-12 analyses. Fifty non-vaccinated patients following ABMT or allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) were included. IFN-gamma production was significantly higher in patients with a retained CMI to measles than in patients without (2.3 vs 0.8 IU/ml; P = 0.01). Only a non-significant tendency was seen in IL-10 production (48.6 vs 26.7 pg/ml; NS), whereas no difference was found in IFN-alpha or IL-12 production. A positive correlation between IFN-gamma and IL-10 production was found (r(s) = 0.49; P < 0.001). After vaccination of 14 ABMT children, there was an increase in PBMC IFN-gamma production in vitro (2.5 vs <0.1 IU/ml; P < 0.05), whereas no changes were seen in the IL-10, IFN-alpha, or antibody levels. These results suggest that both Th1 and Th2 cytokine production are increased by M-ag stimulation in patients with a retained CMI to measles, but the Th1 response seems to be stronger. The preferential Th1 stimulation and increase in IFN-gamma production after vaccination may lead to a reduction in the humoral immune response which may explain the negative correlation between antibody production and T cell reactivity prior to vaccination.

Adolescent↗

Influence of the specific T cell response on seroconversion after measles vaccination in autologous bone marrow transplant patients.

Six patients who were seronegative to measles after autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) were vaccinated with a live attenuated measles vaccine. The specific T helper cell response was studied by measuring lymphocyte proliferation induced by measles antigen and B cell response by measles specific IgG by ELISA. Blood samples were drawn before, at 1-3 months, and at 1 year after vaccination. It was found that a pre-existing T cell response correlated with an impaired B cell response 1 year after vaccination (r = 0.83, P = 0.04), whereas no correlation was found between IgG titers before vaccination and IgG titer increase, or T cell response after vaccination. Furthermore, there was a transient negative correlation between the T cell response at 1-3 months after vaccination and the T cell response before vaccination (r = -0.90, P = 0.04) that became positive at 1 year after vaccination (r = 0.90, P = 0.02). In conclusion, in patients seronegative to measles who were revaccinated with measles vaccine after ABMT, a pre-existing T cell response correlated with an impaired B cell response, while pre-existing low-level IgG antibodies had no significant influence on the IgG titer rise. A sustained T cell response to measles antigen before vaccination may thus be one possible explanation for measles vaccine failure in ABMT patients.

Adolescent↗

Plasma levels of cytokines in primary septic shock in humans: correlation with disease severity.

Thirteen patients (median age, 20 years) with life-threatening primary septic shock (10 meningococcal, 3 pneumococcal infections) were studied prospectively. All had a short history of sepsis (< or = 24 h) and no severe underlying disease. Two (15%) died. The logarithm of the initial plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interleukin (IL)-1 beta, IL-6, IL-1 receptor antagonist (ra), and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1 correlated significantly with APACHE II scores (r2 = .67, .57, .68, .81, and .68, respectively). The plasma levels of endotoxin, TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, and PAI-1 decreased toward normal levels within the first 24 h of treatment, but IL-6 and IL-1ra levels remained high until clinical recovery. On admission, the molar excess of IL-1ra to IL-1 beta was > 2000-fold in 11 of the 13 patients. Acute plasmapheresis in 11 of the 13 patients significantly increased the plasma clearance of TNF-alpha (P = .02).

Adolescent↗

Specific T and B cell immunity to measles after allogeneic and autologous bone marrow transplantation.

Lymphocyte stimulation with measles virus antigen (MLY) and ELISA for measles IgG antibodies were performed on 60 patients after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT), and on 59 patients after autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT). The T cell response was significantly higher in the 75 measles seropositive patients than in the 29 seronegative patients (P < 0.001), but not significantly different from the MLY in the 15 patients with uncertain serologic reactivity. When the patient group was divided according to type of transplant, the T cell response to measles was also significantly higher in seropositive patients than in seronegative patients after both ABMT (P < 0.001) and after BMT (P < 0.05). Twenty-three seronegative children who were measles vaccinated after BMT had a significantly higher T cell response to measles (7100 c.p.m.) than 17 seronegative non-vaccinated children (100 c.p.m.; P < 0.01). No significant difference was seen in the T cell response in 12 seronegative children vaccinated after ABMT (2500 c.p.m.) compared to seven children not vaccinated (2800 c.p.m.; NS). Seroconversion after vaccination was more frequent in children after BMT (20/23; 87%) compared to ABMT (5/12; 42%; P < 0.05) but no significant difference was found in the T cell response. Therefore, most patients who lost IgG antibodies to measles after bone marrow transplantation also lost their T cell response to measles. A T cell response to measles developed in most patients who seroconverted after vaccination. Failure to develop antibodies to measles in ABMT patients after revaccination may depend on a persisting T cell immunity.

Adult↗

Immunity to poliovirus and immunization with inactivated poliovirus vaccine after autologous bone marrow transplantation.

Titers of antibody to poliovirus in 102 patients were determined with a sensitive neutralization assay before and 1 year after autologous bone marrow transplantation. At 1 year 14 patients (14%) had lost antibodies to poliovirus type 1 (P < .001), 10 (10%) to poliovirus type 2 (P < .05), and 13 (13%) to poliovirus type 3 (P < .01). Twenty-two patients had lost antibodies to at least one type of poliovirus. Follow-up of unimmunized patients 2 years (n = 40) and 3 years (n = 23) after transplantation documented a continuous decrease in antibody titer; by 3 years after transplantation, another 6 patients had become seronegative. When one dose of inactivated trivalent poliovirus vaccine was administered 1 year after transplantation, 2 (25%) of 8 patients seronegative for poliovirus type 1 had an increase of at least fourfold in antibody titer; after three doses, 10 (83%) of 12 patients exhibited such an increase (P < .05). The corresponding figures were 5 (71%) of 7 and 13 (100%) of 13 for poliovirus type 2 (difference not significantly) and 2 (22%) of 9 and 14 (88%) of 16 for poliovirus type 3 (P < .01). These results indicate that at least 30% of patients undergoing autologous bone marrow transplantation including those seronegative for poliovirus before transplantation will benefit from reimmunization with three doses of inactivated trivalent poliovirus vaccine 1 year after transplantation.

Adolescent↗