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Biomedical subjects

M Blomqvist

Publications and source records attributed to M Blomqvist.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Involvement of sulfatide in beta cells and type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Mammalian tissues express beta-isoforms of glycosphingolipids and, among these, sulfatide (sulphated galactosylceramide) is present in the beta cells, and it is here that the short fatty acid chain (C16) isoform is predominately found. In vitro studies have shown that sulfatide preserves insulin crystals and facilitates insulin monomerisation under certain biochemical conditions. It also activates beta cell potassium channels and moderates insulin secretion. Anti-sulfatide antibodies are seen in type 1 diabetes, and immunological presentation of glycosphingolipids by the non-classical CD1 molecules has recently been reported. It is via this mechanism that alpha-galactosylceramide and sulfatide are able to influence the innate immune system and inhibit autoimmunity, possibly through regulatory natural killer T cells. Administration of sulfatide substantially reduces the incidence of diabetes in non-obese diabetic mice and prevents antigen-induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in wild-type mice. Sulfatide has specific anti-inflammatory properties, increasing the number of CD3+CD25+ regulatory T cells and reducing production of several cytokines, including TNF-alpha. Patients with type 2 diabetes have low serum concentrations of sulfatide, and some animal models of type 2 diabetes have low pancreatic expression of C16:0 sulfatide; administration of this increases insulin secretion and improves first-phase insulin response in Zucker fatty rats. Glycosphingolipids in general, and sulfatide in particular, appear relevant to both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Outcome after severe brain damage, what makes the difference?

OBJECTIVE: To assess and compare the consequences for outcome in terms of the dimensions of activity and participation for two groups: group A, which received early formalized rehabilitation, and group B, which received late or no formalized rehabilitation. RESEARCH DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. PROCEDURE: Twenty-six patients (A: n = 14 and B: n = 12) with severe brain damage were included. The participants were assessed a mean of 26.6 months (SD 7.1, median 25, range 14-41) after the incident using the structured form for the Swedish Neuro database, the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS), the Extended Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOSE) and the Functional Independence Measure (FIM). RESULTS: The study reveals a better outcome for group A. No patient remained in a vegetative state in group A as compared with three in group B. In group A, 50% were independent as compared with 17% in group B. The frequency of return to work was 43% in group A, but no patient in group B had returned to work.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2005

Low serum concentration of sulfatide and presence of sulfated lactosylceramid are associated with Type 2 diabetes. The Skaraborg Project.

AIMS: The glycosphingolipid sulfatide (sulfated galactosyl-ceramide) increases exocytosis of beta-cell secretory granules, activates K(ATP)-channels and is thereby able to influence insulin secretion through its presence in the islets. A closely related compound, sulfated lactosylceramide (sulf-lac-cer), is present in the islets during fetal and neonatal life when, as in Type 2 diabetes, insulin is secreted autonomically without the usual first phase response to glucose. The aim was to examine whether serum concentrations of these glycolipids are associated with Type 2 diabetes. METHODS: A case-control study, comprising 286 women and 283 men, was designed using a population-based sample of patients with Type 2 diabetes and a population survey. RESULTS: Low serum concentrations of sulfatide were associated with Type 2 diabetes, independent of traditional risk factors for diabetes in a sex-specific analysis: odds ratio (OR) 2.1 (95% confidence interval 1.1, 3.9) in men, and 2.3 (1.2, 4.3) in women, comparing the lowest and the highest tertiles. Type 2 diabetes was also associated with detectable amounts of sulf-lac-cer in serum: OR 1.7 (0.9, 3.4) in men, and 7.6 (3.8, 15.2) in women. After adjustment for confounding from other diabetes risk factors, these associations remained basically unchanged. The connections between sulfatide and Type 2 diabetes, and sulf-lac-cer and Type 2 diabetes were independent of each other. Insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was negatively correlated with sulfatide concentration and positively correlated with sulf-lac-cer (both P < 0.0001, independently). CONCLUSIONS: We report a new, robust and highly significant independent association between Type 2 diabetes and serum concentrations of sulfatide in both sexes, and sulf-lac-cer in females. The associations were also independent of other known diabetes risk factors.

Antigens, CD↗
PubMed2005

Nanocrystalline metal/carbon composites produced by supersonic cluster beam deposition.

In this work we show that supersonic cluster beam deposition is a viable method for the synthesis of nanocrystalline metal/carbon composites. By assembling carbon and metallic clusters seeded in a supersonic beam, we have grown films consisting of metal nanoparticles embedded in a nano-structured carbon matrix. Samples containing 3d transition metals (Ti, Ni) and noble metals (Au, Pd, Pt) with different metal abundances, particle size and dilution have been characterized by transmission electron microscopy. The influence of different metals on the structure of the carbon matrix has been investigated. Spatially resolved ultraviolet photoemission electron spectroscopy showed substantial surface oxidation of 3d transition metal clusters. On a micrometric scale, the spatial distribution of the metallic nanoparticles appeared to be homogeneous.

Carbon↗
PubMed2002

Rotavirus infections and development of diabetes-associated autoantibodies during the first 2 years of life.

Rotavirus, the most common cause of childhood gastroenteritis, has been implicated as one of the viral triggers of diabetes-associated autoimmunity. To study the possible association between rotavirus infections and the development of diabetes-associated autoantibodies, we measured the prevalence of rotavirus antibodies in serum samples collected at 3-6-month intervals up to the age of 2 years from 177 children selected from consecutive newborns because they carried HLA-DQB1 alleles associated with increased risk for type 1 diabetes. Twenty-nine of the children developed at least two of four diabetes-associated autoantibodies (ICA, IAA, GADA or IA-2A) during the first 2 years of life (the cases), whereas 148 children remained autoantibody-negative matched with the cases for date of birth, gender, living region and HLA-DQB1 alleles. The temporal association between the development of the first-appearing diabetes-associated autoantibody and rotavirus infections was studied by analysing whether the cases had a diagnostic increase in rotavirus antibody titre more often during the 6-month period that preceded seroconversion to autoantibody positivity than the controls. By the age of 12 months one of the 13 case children (7%), who had a serum sample drawn at that age and who had developed at least one type of diabetes-associated autoantibodies, had experienced a rotavirus infection, while 12 of the 61 (20%) autoantibody-negative control children had had a rotavirus infection. By 18 months, four of the 22 autoantibody-positive cases (18%) and 18 of the 89 controls (20%) had rotavirus antibodies, and by the age of 24 months the respective numbers were five of the 27 cases (19%) and 32 of the 113 (28%) controls. A rotavirus infection occurred during the 6 months preceding the sample which was positive for an autoantibody in four of the 25 periods (16%) for which both necessary samples were available, while the controls had a rotavirus infection during 55 of the 370-such periods (15%). Accordingly, our data suggest that rotavirus infections are unlikely triggers of beta-cell autoimmunity in young children with genetic susceptibility to type 1 diabetes.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Identification of defensins in human lymphocyte nuclei.

The cell nucleus plays an essential role in all aspects of cell function and regulation. Most of the nuclear proteins/peptides are synthesized in the cytoplasm and transported into the nucleus through the nuclear pore complexes. The nuclear proteins/peptides conjugate with each other and interact in transcriptional activation/inactivation. Several of the high molecular mass transcription factors (> 30 kDa) have been identified and characterized. However, the information on the low molecular mass proteins/peptides of the nucleus is limited. We have investigated these low molecular mass proteins/peptides from the nucleus of human peripheral blood lymphocytes using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). The HPLC fractions were further analysed by matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry, electrospray ionization time of flight (ESI-TOF) mass spectrometry and electrospray ionization fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (ESI-FTICR) mass spectrometry for mass determination. Using this combination of mass spectrometry techniques and microsequence analysis, we have shown that human lymphocyte nuclei contain defensins, a mixture of human neutrophil granule peptide 1, 2 and 3.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1997

Descriptive physiological data on a sleep bruxism population.

We studied 24 bruxers (23-67 years old). They often complained of orofacial and bodily pain and presented autonomic symptoms (sweating 23%, palpitations at night 62%, decreased libido 50%); 19% had increased blood pressure requiring treatment, and 65% reported frequent headaches in the morning. Deep sleep and rapid eye movement (REM) were delayed. An average of 167 orofacial episodes developed during the night. The mean number of masseter bursts strictly defined as bruxism was 79, the mean delay for the first occurrence after sleep onset 18 minutes. The majority of bruxism occurred in stage 2 sleep and REM sleep. The mean number of shifts of sleep stages was 70, one-third occurring within the first minute following a bruxing episode, and 15% of bruxing episodes developed after a shift in sleep stage. Electroencephalogram showed alpha-delta pattern in 15% of the subjects. Short-lasting alpha activity was often encountered during the 10 seconds preceding the development of a bruxing episode. Tachycardia developed at its onset, persisting for 10 seconds. We suggest that, as a minor alarm response to endogenous/exogenous stimuli, arousal develops and is often followed by motor activation, such as a burst of bruxing, with, as in any situation when motor activity suddenly increases, a secondary increase of heart activity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

A placebo controlled trial of remoxipride in the prevention of relapse in chronic schizophrenia.

Sixty-two DSM III chronic schizophrenic inpatients were selected for a double-blind, placebo controlled, multi-centre, relapse prevention study of remoxipride, a selective dopamine (D2)-receptor antagonist. After a 1 month placebo washout, 23 patients had relapsed and were withdrawn. Of the remaining patients 19 were randomised to remoxipride (150-300 mg daily) and 20 to placebo. Their median age was 58 years, 26 were male, and the median duration of illness was 33 years. After 24 weeks a further total of 8 remoxipride and 17 placebo patients had been withdrawn. Excluding three patients withdrawn for reasons other than relapse, the comparative relapse rates were 37% and 75%, respectively (P = 0.015). Efficacy analyses using clinical global impression (P = 0.04) and change in BPRS scores (P = 0.016) were in favour of remoxipride. Extrapyramidal symptoms were minimal in both groups. Treatment emergent adverse events were similar in the two groups. Remoxipride is therefore of potential value as a safe drug which is both effective and well tolerated in the long term management of chronic schizophrenic patients.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

3D visualization library for multimodal medical images.

This study focuses on three-dimensional (3D) presentations of medical images such as magnetic resonance (MR) images and computed tomography (CT) images. Also multimodal presentations of medical images and signals, including different visualization techniques are considered. A C++ class library together with graphical user interfaces was developed for presenting the results. The implemented software operates in PC/Windows environment. It was tested with various medical images including raw MR and CT data and segmented images, and was applied in a hospital environment. The software operates relatively fast and the quality of resulting pictures is adequate for all tested medical applications. Further applications of 3D presentations in clinical medicine are considered.

Computer Graphics↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The clinical efficacy and safety of bacampicillin twice daily in comparative studies.

In 16 controlled, randomized, comparative studies a total of 953 patients were treated for urinary tract infection, sinusitis, otitis media or chronic bronchitis. The aim was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of bacampicillin in a twice daily dosage, compared with three times daily dosages of bacampicillin, ampicillin, amoxycillin and a twice daily dosage of co-trimoxazole. Bacampicillin was given in amounts of either 400 or 800 mg to 422 of the patients in these studies. The twice daily dosage of bacampicillin eradicated 89% of the causative bacteria of urinary tract infections compared to 86% with the other regimens. In acute sinusitis 92% and 96% of the patients were either cured or improved when treated with 400 and 800 mg bacampicillin twice daily respectively. Similar percentages occurred in the groups given the three times daily dosages. In exacerbation of chronic bronchitis, 800 mg bacampicillin twice daily was the minimum effective dosage and 84% of the patients were either cured or improved with this regimen. Adverse drug reactions due to bacampicillin at all dose levels were less frequent than those of other anti-microbials. The lowest frequency of diarrhoea, 2.4%, was seen in the group given 400 mg bacampicillin twice daily. Dosages of 400 or 800 mg bacampicillin twice daily had a reliable efficacy combined with a low frequency of adverse reactions in respiratory and urinary tract infections.

Adolescent↗