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Biomedical subjects

K Bergström

Publications and source records attributed to K Bergström.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

Priming response to inflammatory mediators in hyperreactive peripheral neutrophils from adult periodontitis.

OBJECTIVES: To study the response to in vitro priming of peripheral neutrophils from patients with periodontitis compared to healthy controls. Peripheral neutrophils from these patients had shown increased production of oxygen radicals after activation with opsonized bacteria and a difference in priming response could suggest an explanation for this hyperreactivity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Peripheral neutrophils from a group of patients with periodontitis and from age- and sex-matched controls were preincubated with tumor necrosis factor alpha, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine and the tetra peptide arginyl-glycyl-aspartate-serine. After preincubation, the cells were activated with gammaglobulin opsonized-bacteria, i.e., a Fc gamma R-stimulation. The priming effect was assessed as the production of oxygen radicals and as the degranulation or primary granules. RESULTS: Showed that the patients had a slightly lower responsiveness to priming than had the controls. This difference in priming response was most pronounced when measured as degranulation of primary granules after preincubation with LPS and 20 min of activation. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows no difference in response to priming, with optimal concentrations of inflammatory mediators, between peripheral neutrophils from patients with adult periodontitis and healthy controls.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Dopamine reuptake site densities in patients with social phobia.

OBJECTIVE: It has been suggested that social phobia is associated with dysfunction of the noradrenergic and dopaminergic systems, but there are no published anatomic data on the monoaminergic abnormalities found in the brains of phobic patients. The authors studied the density of dopamine reuptake sites in patients with social phobia. METHOD: The study included 11 patients with social phobia and 28 healthy comparison subjects, 11 of whom were age- and gender-matched to the patients for the analyses. Measurement of the density of dopamine reuptake sites was performed by using a 123I-labeled cocaine analogue, [123I]beta-CIT, with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). RESULTS: Blind quantitative analysis revealed that striatal dopamine reuptake site densities were markedly lower in the patients with social phobia than in the age- and gender-matched comparison subjects. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that social phobia may be associated with a dysfunction of the striatal dopaminergic system.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Comparison of three indices in evaluation of orthodontic treatment outcome.

Three indices measuring outcome of orthodontic treatment were evaluated and compared in 39 specialist-treated individuals (group 1) and in 20 specialist-treated individuals who had undergone orthognathic surgery (group 2). The outcome was evaluated in accordance with the modified Indication Index, the modified ISMHB (Index of the Swedish Medical Health Board), and the PAR (Peer Assessment Rating) Index. Pre- and post-treatment need scores on the basis of the three indices were estimated. The ranking order of the individuals by the different indices was compared in the two groups separately, before and after treatment. Associations between the Indication Index and the ISMHB were consistently stronger than associations between the PAR Index and the two other indices, for which the variations were great. The reasons for the great variations seemed to be the different bases for assessment used and the different constructions of the indices: the PAR Index estimates deviations from an ideal occlusion, and the other indices evaluate treatment need. The outcome describe by the indices differed with regard to the pre- and post-treatment scores and the ranking order of the individuals. Of the three indices, the Indication Index was found to be the one most suitable for estimating treatment outcome in terms of decrease of treatment need, and the PAR Index was unsuitable for estimating treatment need.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Priming of neutrophils with tumor necrosis factor-alpha measured as Fc gamma receptor-mediated respiratory burst correlates with increased complement receptor 3 membrane density.

Hyperactive or primed neutrophils which damage tissue via cytokines and membrane receptors may be implicated in the pathogenesis of inflammatory conditions. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the priming mechanism in neutrophils by assessing changes in membrane receptors and the Fc gamma R-mediated respiratory burst, measured as chemiluminescence. Purified neutrophilic granulocytes from healthy volunteers were preincubated with recombinant human tumor necrosis factor-alpha. This had a priming effect, increasing both the Fc gamma receptor-mediated luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence and the membrane expression of the C3bi receptor (CRB) (r = 0.843). The membrane densities of Fc gamma RII, Fc gamma RIII, and CR1 were unaffected by tumor necrosis factor-alpha. The mechanism of increased chemiluminescence may involve redistribution of the Fc gamma receptors and cooperation with upregulated CR3, facilitating crosslinking of the receptors. The experiments were performed in a buffer without divalent cations, since these increased the background activity and abolished the priming effect of tumor necrosis factor-alpha. In conclusion, a simultaneous increase in the Fc gamma R-mediated respiratory burst and CR3 density after priming with tumor necrosis factor-alpha indicates a cooperation between Fc gamma R and CR3.

Acetylglucosamine↗
PubMed1996

Athletic heart: a metabolic, anatomical, and functional study.

Previous studies have suggested a reduced glucose uptake by the athlete's heart at rest. To examine whether there is a compensatory increase in the myocardial fatty acid utilization, we studied nine male endurance-trained athletes (age 26 +/- 2 yr, VO2max 60 +/- 1 ml.kg-1.min-1, mean +/- SEM) and eight sedentary subjects (age 26 +/- 1 yr, VO2max 38 +/- 2 ml.kg-1.min-1) by single photon emission tomography using 123I-heptadecanoic acid (HDA) and mathematical modeling. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and echocardiography were performed for the measurements of cardiac dimensions and left ventricular (LV) mass. No significant differences were found in the myocardial HDA beta-oxidation index (5.2 +/- 2.0 vs 7.4 +/- 1.6 mumol.min-1.100 g-1, P = NS) between endurance-trained and sedentary subjects. Fractional amounts of HDA beta-oxidation, backdiffusion, and esterification were also similar. In MRI study, LV mass was greater in the trained subjects (213 +/- 9 vs 179 +/- 10 g, P < 0.01) and in particular, LV long-axis diameter measured from the mitral valve level to the apex was increased (102 +/- 2 vs 88 +/- 2 mm, P < 0.001, trained vs sedentary subjects). VO2max correlated with LV long-axis diameter (r = 0.77, P < 0.001). In contrast to our hypothesis, myocardial HDA utilization was not enhanced in endurance-trained athletes at rest. Increases in LV mass and especially in LV long-axis diameter were observed in the athletes, indicating LV longitudinal remodeling.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Diagnosis of contagious caprine pleuropneumonia by detection and identification of Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae by PCR and restriction enzyme analysis.

Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP), one of the most serious and dramatic diseases of goats, is caused by Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae (M. capripneumoniae). This organism is very difficult to isolate and to correctly identify. In a previous report we described a method for the rapid detection and identification of M. capripneumoniae. This method is based on a PCR system by which a segment of the 16S rRNA gene from all mycoplasmas of the M. mycoides cluster can be amplified. The PCR product is then analyzed by restriction enzyme cleavage for the identification of M. capripneumoniae DNA. This system has now been further evaluated with respect to specificity and diagnostic efficacy for the identification and direct detection of the organism in clinical material. Identification by restriction enzyme analysis of amplified DNA from mycoplasmas of the M. mycoides cluster was verified for 55 strains, among which were 15 strains of M. capripneumoniae. The PCR was applied to clinical samples from the nose, ear, pharynx, pleural fluid, and lung tissue containing M. capripneumoniae or other mycoplasmas. As expected, mycoplasmas belonging to the M. mycoides cluster could be detected by the PCR. Restriction enzyme analysis of the PCR products could then be applied for the identification of M. capripneumoniae. Clinical samples and cultures containing M. capripneumoniae were dried on filter paper, to try an easier sample transport method, and were tested by PCR. M. capripneumoniae DNA could be detected in the dried specimens, but the sensitivity of the PCR test was reduced.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Orthodontic care provided by general practitioners and specialists in three Swedish counties with different orthodontic specialist resources.

Three counties in Sweden (A, G, and W) with free orthodontic care and different orthodontic resources and geographic structures were studied in 1987. Samples of totally 942 young adults (mean age 18.8 years, SD 0.44) were examined concerning malocclusions and all orthodontic treatment provided by general practitioners or by orthodontic specialists. The care in a rural area (county G) with abundant specialist resources was based on specialist treatments easy assessable to the patients and supplemented by treatments, mainly without appliances and provided by general practitioners. There was a generous attitude of consultation with specialists and of providing treatment. The sparsity of specialist resources had in an urban area (county A) resulted in a greater restriction on providing treatments. The treatments were performed in a higher age and were, to a greater extent, not completed by the age of 19, and a smaller percentage of individuals were treated than in the other two counties. The care in a large rural area (county W) with long distances to the only specialist clinic was based on treatments provided by general practitioners. In spite of the few specialist resources there was a generous attitude of providing treatments. Interceptive methods were used to a great extent, and later completed with appliance therapy. According to a treatment priority index 44% of the untreated individuals in the three counties had malocclusions and an objective treatment need, and there were no significant differences between the counties. Regardless of differences in specialist resources and structure of the free public orthodontic care, a substantial and equal proportion of the untreated individuals in the counties had malocclusions with treatment need, but they had no treatment desire.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Orthodontic treatment outcome in three Swedish counties with different orthodontic resources.

The orthodontic treatment outcomes of 350 19-year-old individuals in three Swedish counties (A, G, and W) with different orthodontic resources and geographic structures were analyzed. The aim was to evaluate the qualitative outcome of orthodontic treatment provided by general practitioners or specialists. In a small rural area (county G), with most specialist resources, the standard of the treatments was high in both specialist treated as well as in nonspecialist treated individuals. The possibilities for the specialists to supervise the nonspecialist care and to treat individuals in need of specialist treatment were good. In an urban area (county A), with less specialist resources (than county G), the standard of the treatments provided by the specialists was high, and higher than the untreated individuals in the same county. The standard of the treatments provided by general practitioners was, however, low. The lack of specialist resources had implied a greater restriction on starting treatments, and the treatments were performed in a higher age than in the other two counties. In a large rural area (county W), with the fewest specialist resources, the standard of the treatments was in general lower than in the other two counties and did not attain the standard of the untreated individuals in county W. Attempts to compensate for a sparsity of orthodontic specialists by an extended engagement of general practitioners resulted in a generous attitude of providing orthodontic treatments, and a lower standard of the treatments in general. The orthodontic treatments substantially improved the malocclusions, especially treatments provided by specialist. The standard of the treatments in the counties showed a good correlation with the available resources in terms of orthodontic specialists and the ability to supervise the treatments of general practitioners. The lack of sufficient supervision of non-specialist orthodontic treatment had negative influence on the quality.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Orthodontic care in Sweden. Outcome in three counties.

The purpose of this series of studies was to evaluate the outcome of orthodontic care in Sweden from the professional's and the patient's perspective. In addition, a model was devised for the priority-planning of orthodontic care and for evaluating the different factors influencing the decision for orthodontic treatment. The results may be summarized as follows: Treatment Decision. Treatment desire, followed by treatment need and treatment benefit were the most important factors to consider when deciding whether or not treatment should be carried out. Regardless of the differences in resources and the structure of the free public care, a substantial proportion of the untreated 19-year-olds had malocclusions with treatment need, but they had no desire for treatment. Most of the 27-year-old individuals were satisfied with their earlier treatment decision, regardless of whether they had undergone orthodontic treatment. Dental professionals were considered to have had the greatest influence on this decision, which means that desire for treatment may be guided by the orthodontist. Individuals with malocclusions and treatment need--but who had refused proposed orthodontic treatment--were in general more discontented with their dental arrangement than other respondents, and a majority of them regretted their decision. Greater information to these individuals would have been desirable. Resources and Treatments Provided by General Practitioners or by Specialists. The sparsity of specialist resources resulted in either a greater restriction on the number necessary treatments being initiated or a greater proportion of the treatment being provided by general practitioners. In the 3 counties analysed, the treatment standard correlated well with the available resources: the greater the number of orthodontic specialists and ability to supervise the work of general practitioners and taking care of patients in need of specialist treatment, the higher the standard of treatment. Individuals treated by specialists were more contented than individuals treated by general practitioners. The measures of treatment outcome in general yielded more favourable scores for specialist treatments than for treatments provided by general practitioners, despite the specialist treatments on the average being classified as more difficult than those provided by general practitioners. Perceived treatment difficulty. About one-fourth of all treatments were classified as easy, one-fourth as moderately difficult, and one-half as difficult. The perceived treatment difficulty was associated on a group basis with the pretreatment need. The treatment investment increased and the treatment outcome became less favourable with increasing perceived difficulty. The treatment outcome was least favourable in the group where no treatment was suggested. Almost every fourth treatment was successfully carried out by mere extraction therapy. Attitudes in 27-year-olds. Orthodontic treatment was considered important by three out of four individuals, even in cases where irregularities of the teeth were small. A majority of the individuals thought that they would have been able to wear visible braces if needed, even in adult age. Methodological aspects. Studies that have used different indices to evaluate treatment outcome can only be compared with great caution. Measures with wide bases for evaluation may be more valid than measures with narrow bases. To estimate treatment outcome in terms of decrease of treatment need, the Indication Index may be recommended.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

[PET in clinical work. A refined instrument for imaging].

Positron emission tomography (PET) enables in vivo studies to be performed in patients to investigate the binding or metabolism of biologically/functionally active substances labelled with short-lived positron-emitting radionuclides. The procedure has been used for discriminative analysis of physiology and function, both normal and pathological. The range of clinical applications includes studies of cerebral ischaemia and heart diseases, tumor diagnosis and treatment follow-up, presurgical work-up in cases of epilepsy, and characterization and treatment follow-up in cases of dementia. The clinical uses of PET are outlined in a review of the last three years' experience at the PET centre at Uppsala University.

Alzheimer Disease↗
PubMed1995

Protein-rejecting ability of surface-bound dextran in end-on and side-on configurations: comparison to PEG.

There is much interest in attaching polyethylene glycol (PEG) and other hydrophilic, neutral polymers to surfaces to reduce the extent of protein and cell adsorption. Interestingly, these same surface-bound polymers are effective in masking surface charge and reducing electrokinetic effects such as particle electrophoretic mobility, streaming potential, and electroosmosis. It is apparent that similar molecular properties are responsible for both protein and cell rejection and reduction of electrokinetic effects. In this work we compared the fibrinogen-rejecting ability and the effect on electrophoretic mobility of three polymer coatings bound to polystyrene. The three polymers were side-bound dextran, end-bound dextran, and end-bound PEG. The results of these measurements were used to elucidate the importance of polymer packing density and polymer layer thickness on protein adsorption and reduction of electrokinetic effects. Protein adsorption appears not to be sensitive to polymer layer thickness or the presence of dilute polymer tails in a surface coating, while electrokinetic effects are. Protein adsorption is, however, very sensitive to the availability of exposed surface. Finally, the unique effectiveness of PEG is apparent in this research as in previous studies.

Adsorption↗
PubMed1995

Altered striatal dopamine re-uptake site densities in habitually violent and non-violent alcoholics.

Animal studies suggest that development of substance dependence is associated with dopaminergic activity in striatum and the limbic system. Several genetic studies indicate that allele A1 is associated with both D2 receptor density and alcoholism, although these findings have remained controversial. We studied striatal dopamine (DA) re-uptake site densities in 48 subjects (19 healthy controls, 19 habitually impulsive violent alcoholics, and 10 non-violent alcoholics) with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) using iodine-123-labelled 2 beta-carbomethoxy-3 beta(4-iodophenyl)tropane, (beta-CIT) as a tracer. Blind quantitative analysis revealed that the striatal DA transporter density was markedly lower in non-violent alcoholics than in healthy controls (P < 0.001), while violent alcoholics had slightly higher DA transporter densities than controls (P < 0.10). The results indicate that both types of alcoholics have alterations in striatal dopaminergic system, though these occur in opposite directions.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Platelet and leukocyte activation after myocardial infarction. Influence of enalapril.

In this double-blind placebo-controlled study with enalapril, 74 patients with acute myocardial infarction were followed at 0, 7, 30, 60 and 180 days after the event. Platelets and leukocytes were activated during the first 7 days. During the 6-month period fibrinogen, leukocytes, elastase, and B beta 30-43 remained elevated in 50, 15, 30 and 80% of the patients, respectively, but there was no detectable angiotensin converting enzyme activity in platelets. Enalapril did not modulate fibrinogen, leukocyte count or elastase, while B beta 30-43 peptide showed decreased levels, although the proportion of patients with values above the reference limit did not differ from placebo. In conclusion, in the 6-month post acute myocardial infarction period, while platelet function is activated only during the first week after acute myocardial infarction, fibrinogen and leukocyte function continue to be activated throughout the 6 months in a considerable proportion of patients. These signs may indicate an ongoing atherosclerotic process. Enalapril has no major influence on these reactivities.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Lower protein concentration in GCF from patients with periodontitis: an indicator of host-specific inflammatory reaction.

To study the local inflammatory reaction associated with gingivitis and periodontitis, the protein concentrations were measured in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) from 3 types of site: (i) inflamed sites in patients with gingivitis alone; (ii) inflamed sites with or (iii) without tissue destruction in patients with periodontitis. The GCF was sampled with paper strips and the protein concentration was measured with the Bradford protein assay. Higher protein concentrations in GCF were found at inflamed sites in patients with gingivitis alone than at clinically similar sites without tissue destruction in patients with periodontitis. In contrast, the sites with various degrees of disease in the same periodontitis patient showed the same protein concentrations. These discrepancies indicate that the local inflammatory reaction in the gingiva is host- and not site-specific, i.e., the tissue destruction in periodontitis reflects a specific host response.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Granulocyte elastase in gingival crevicular fluid: improved monitoring of the site-specific response to treatment in patients with destructive periodontitis.

In 13 patients with severe destructive periodontitis, the response to periodontal therapy was estimated by granulocyte elastase level in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF). 62 sites were classified according to changes of probing depths (PD) and quantitative bone height (BH%) before and after 5-year regular maintenance treatment: (i) 17 consistently healthy sites with no changes of PD and BH%; (ii) 6 initially healthy sites with deterioration in PD and BH%; (iii) 14 diseased sites with improvement in PD and BH%; (iv) 25 diseased sites with no improvement in PD and BH%. GCF was collected by an intracrevicular washing system. The released elastase in the supernatants (EA-S) and the cell-bound elastase in the pellets (EA-P) were determined with a low molecular weight substrate specific for granulocyte elastase. The ratio of EA-S and EA-P (S/P-ratio) was used as a relative measure of elastase released by the granulocytes present. The sites classified as diseased with no improvement or initially healthy but deteriorating, had significantly higher EA-S, EA-P and S/P-ratios than the consistently healthy sites or diseased but improving sites (p < 0.01). Both EA-S and S/P-ratio showed strongly positive correlations with the current levels of gingival inflammation and periodontal destruction (p < 0.001). The present study suggests that increased elastase level is associated with disease progression, and may be used to monitor the response to longitudinal maintenance therapy.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Variations in crevicular fluid elastase levels in periodontitis patients on long-term maintenance.

Granulocyte elastase was determined in the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) of 18 periodontitis patients. They initially had similar severity of disease but had responded differently to 5-yr maintenance, 13 responders and 5 non-responders. A total of 102 sites were investigated and categorized as: i) consistently healthy, ii) healthy after treatment, iii) gingivitis, and iv) periodontitis, according to clinical criteria. GCF elastase activity was determined with a granulocyte-specific substrate. The sites from non-responders had consistently higher elastase levels than the corresponding category of sites from responders, despite similar gingival inflammation and periodontal destruction, with the exception of consistently healthy sites. Within the non-responders, the periodontitis sites had higher elastase levels than the gingivitis sites commensurate with probing depth, while no difference existed between gingivitis sites and sites healthy after treatment, despite a difference in probing depth. In contrast, in the responders similar elastase levels were found at the periodontitis sites and gingivitis sites despite difference in probing depth, while both diseased sites had higher elastase levels than the sites healthy after treatment, commensurate with probing depth. This study suggests that increased granulocyte-specific elastase levels in GCF may serve as a diagnostic marker for refractory periodontitis patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Detection of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae in nose swabs from pigs by in vitro amplification of the 16S rRNA gene.

We report the use of PCR to detect DNA from Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, the etiological agent of enzootic porcine pneumonia. A primer set was designed for the amplification of a 649-bp fragment of the 16S rRNA gene from M hyopneumoniae. The PCR product was identified by ethidium bromide staining after gel electrophoresis and by Southern hybridization with an M. hyopneumoniae-specific oligonucleotide probe. No amplification was observed from any other porcine bacteria tested, including several closely related mycoplasmas. It was also possible to demonstrate the presence of M. hyopneumoniae in bronchial lavage samples and lung tissue samples from experimentally infected pigs. Furthermore, the PCR system was used for analysis of nasal samples obtained from pigs in a fattening herd. By this method, we were able to detect M. hyopneumoniae in nose swabs from naturally infected pigs. However, our results suggest that M. hyopneumoniae can be detected in the nasal cavities only during a limited time period.

Animals↗