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Biomedical subjects

M Nyström

Publications and source records attributed to M Nyström.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

The elimination of secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) from the gastrointestinal tract in man.

Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) is the dominant protease inhibitor in the mucus secretions of the genital and respiratory tract and it was recently also detected in intestinal mucosa. Furthermore an earlier study showed high concentrations of SLPI in peritoneal fluid from patients with perforations of the large and small intestines. As SLPI is acid-stable, this raised the question of to what extent swallowed SLPI may contribute. The present study investigated the turnover of swallowed SLPI in the gastrointestinal tract. Native 125I-labelled SLPI was instilled in the duodenum of three healthy volunteers and radioactivity in plasma, faeces and urine was measured. Within 72 h 81.4% of the injected radioactivity was excreted in urine and 3.6% in faeces as radioactive low molecular weight proteins (< 1 kDa). Recombinant human SLPI (rh-SLPI) was incubated with porcine pepsin or human gastric or duodenal juice. This resulted in rapid degradation of SLPI to smaller molecules. In conclusion, SLPI is rapidly degraded in the stomach and duodenum. There were no measurable amounts of SLPI in the faeces. We have shown that during normal conditions, swallowed SLPI was rapidly degraded in the stomach and duodenum, and therefore it probably can not be of any importance for inflammatory diseases in the intestines.

Chromatography, Gel↗
PubMed1996

Does clicking in adolescence lead to painful temporomandibular joint locking?

BACKGROUND: It has been assumed that clicking of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) may predispose to closed locking. Although jaw clicking is a common complaint, locking of the TMJ is rare. METHODS: To assess whether clicking is a reliable predictor of locking, we examined longitudinally over 9 years the variation of reported and recorded TMJ clicking in 128 young Finnish adults. Subjects were interviewed and examined at the ages of 14, 15, 18, and 23 years. FINDINGS: Reported and recorded TMJ clicking both increased significantly with age, varying from 11% to 31% and from 11% to 34%, respectively, However, clicking showed no predictable pattern, and only a few subjects consistently reported clicking (2%) or had it recorded (2%). None developed locking. INTERPRETATION: Because none of the young adults developed locking of the TMJ, we suggest treatment for clicking should be conservative.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Localization of immunoreactive secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) in intestinal mucosa.

Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) is the dominant protease inhibitor in the mucus secretions of the repiratory and genital tracts, and local production seems likely, as immunoreactive SLPI has been found in the corresponding mucosa. To our knowledge, SLPI has not been previously demonstrated in intestinal epithelia or secretions. In an earlier study, however, we found surprisingly high levels of SLPI in peritonitis exudate from patients with gastrointestinal perforations. This study extends these observations by demonstrating the presence of immunoreactive SLPI in intestinal mucosa. In the small intestine, SLPI was present in Paneth cells and in scattered mucosa cells of goblet-type. In normal mucosa of the large bowel, SLPI was also found in scattered cells of goblet-type in the epithelium. In addition, immunoreactive SLPI was frequently found in colonic adenomas. The findings in this study raise several interesting questions on the possible role of SLPI in the gut epithelial defense against inflammatory assaults.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1995

Radiographic characteristics in mandibular condyles of orthodontic patients before treatment.

Pretreatment panoramic radiographs and patient files of 625 orthodontic patients (269 males and 356 females), aged 4-15.9 years (mean 11.0, SD 1.7) were evaluated with special emphasis on the mandibular condyles and malocclusions. Radiographic characteristics in the mandibular condyle were seen in 14 children (2.2 per cent), comprising six boys (2.2 per cent) and eight girls (2.3 per cent). There were no statistically significant differences between orthodontic patients before treatment and normal population controls (n = 410,229 males and 181 females, mean age 11.4 years, SD 1.8). No statistically significant difference in the frequency of condylar characteristics was found between younger (under 12) and older (over 12) children. Angle Class II molar relationship was the only type of morphological malocclusion associated (P < 0.05) with condylar characteristics. The means of several cephalometric measurements in the children with condylar characteristics were close to those of children with harmonious skeletal relationships.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

A follow-up study of radiographic findings in the mandibular condyles of orthodontically treated patients and associations with TMD.

Our earlier studies have shown that some radiographic structural findings in the mandibular condyles are more common in orthodontically treated populations than in normal populations. To test the hypothesis that these findings are stable, we studied condylar findings in panoramic radiographs longitudinally in 39 subjects and in 39 sex- and age-matched controls. The subjects had condylar findings at the end of orthodontic treatment at about 15 years of age; no such findings were seen in the controls. The subjects and controls were re-examined radiographically about 12 years after the posttreatment radiographic examination. We also tested the hypothesis that radiographic condylar findings are associated with temporomandibular disorders (TMD). No statistically significant differences were found between subjects and controls in terms of reported subjective TMD symptoms. Clinically, the subjects had temporomandibular joint (TMJ) crepitation significantly more frequently (27%) than controls (8%) (p < 0.05). Crepitation correlated with some reported symptoms and clinical signs, suggesting that osteoarthrosis might have been an important etiological factor for TMD in the present subjects. At the follow-up examination, radiographic condylar findings were seen in 25 subjects and in four controls (p < 0.001). The condylar findings varied greatly between the time of orthodontic treatment and follow-up in the subjects. The findings had become more severe in 49% of the subjects, more often in females than in males (p < 0.05), whereas in 28% of the subjects the condylar findings had disappeared. Although the radiographic findings after orthodontic treatment fluctuated with age, in most adolescents with changes in their condyles, these findings remained constant or became more severe.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Radiographic structural findings in the mandibular condyles of young individuals receiving orthodontic treatment.

Radiographic findings in mandibular condyles were studied from the pre- and post-treatment panoramic radiographs of 625 orthodontic patients. The subjects' mean age was 11 years at the start and 14 years at the end of active orthodontic treatment. Radiographic condylar findings were seen in 14 (2%) subjects before treatment and in 54 subjects (9%) after treatment (p < 0.001). In age-related controls (n = 783) condylar findings were seen in 3% (p < 0.001). The condylar finding was 'flattening only' in half of the patients and in one-third of the controls with condylar findings. Activator treatment was associated with condylar findings (p < 0.05). Condylar findings increased with age in the orthodontically treated subjects (p < 0.05) but not in the unselected population controls. This may mean that condyles become more sensitive with age in children. Increase with age may be partly due to the radiographic interpretation, since minor condylar findings are difficult to observe in young children, and partly due to differences in treatment modalities and the duration of treatment.

Activator Appliances↗
PubMed1995

Using data preprocessing and single layer perceptron to analyze laboratory data.

During daily work in hospitals a large amount of clinical data is produced each day. Totally computerized patient records are not yet widely used but a large part of essential information is already stored on computer files. These include laboratory test results, diagnoses, codes for operations, codes of histopathological diagnoses and maybe even the patient's medication. Accordingly, these databases include much clinical knowledge that would be useful for clinicians. Laboratories try to support clinicians by producing reference values for laboratory tests. It is, of course, necessary information but, however, it does not give very much information about the weight of evidence that an abnormal laboratory test will give in special clinical settings. We have developed a software package - DiagaiD - in order to build a smart link between patient databases and clinicians. It utilizes neural network-based machine learning techniques and can produce decision support which meets the special needs of clinicians. From example cases it can learn clinically relevant transformations from original numeric values to logical values. By using data transformation together with a single layer perceptron it is possible to build nonlinear models from a set of preclassified example cases. In this paper, we use two small datasets to show how this scheme works in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis and in the diagnosis of myocardial infarction. Results are compared with those obtained using logistic regression or backpropagation neural networks. The performance of our neuro-fuzzy tool seemed to be slightly better in these two materials but the differences did not reach statistical significance.

Appendicitis↗
PubMed1995

Fractionation of BSA and myoglobin with modified and unmodified ultrafiltration membranes.

Fractionation of the model proteins, bovine serum albumin and myoglobin, was studied with modified and unmodified polysulfone ultrafiltration membranes. A commercial polysulfone ultrafiltration membrane with a nominal cut-off value of 50,000 g mol-1 was used as the reference membrane, and it was modified with ultraviolet irradiation in different protein solutions. The permeate fluxes and the streaming potentials of the membranes were measured simultaneously. Ultrafiltration experiments were carried out at the isoelectric points of the proteins. The results show that the fractionation can best be carried out at the isoelectric point of myoglobin. Modification of the membranes with bovine serum albumin resulted in smaller adsorption and flux reduction, while membranes modified with myoglobin were more selective for myoglobin.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Effect of timing and method of closure of isolated cleft palate on development of dental arches from 3 to 6 years of age.

Development of the dental arches from 3 to 6 years of age was followed in 120 children with isolated cleft palate (ICP) and in 50 non-cleft (NONC) children. In 60 of the ICP children the palate had been repaired at the age of 1.8 years (SD = 0.2) and in the other 60 at the age of 1.1 years (SD = 0.1). In both groups the one-stage soft and hard cleft palate closure had been performed using the mucoperiosteal palatal V to Y push-back technique (Veau-Wardill-Kilner) or the Cronin modification. The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of the two different ages and the two different methods of palatal repair on the development of dental arches. The growth increment in maxillary canine and molar width, and posterior palatal height during the 3-year period was greater in the group with late palatal repair. In children with no secondary palatal repair, when the primary repair had been done with the V to Y method, the increase in maxillary canine width was greater than with the Cronin modification. On the other hand, when the V to Y technique was used, velopharyngoplasties were more frequent. The means of maxillary canine and molar width decreased in children with velopharyngoplasties, and increased in the others. Dental arches of ICP children were significantly smaller than those of NONC children, and the discrepancy increased during the period from 3 to 6 years of age, and increased more in the maxilla than in the mandible.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1994

Carbohydrate-deficient transferrin during 3 weeks' heavy alcohol consumption.

To study the effect of controlled heavy drinking of 60 g ethanol/day for 3 weeks on carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT), a commercial double antibody kit (CDTect) was used. By the end of the third drinking week, a statistically significant increase in the mean CDT level was observed. When compared to AST and gamma-glutamyltransferase, CDT was a more informative marker. However, only in 2 of the 10 volunteers did CDT exceed the upper normal level (20 units/liter) recommended by the manufacturer. This indicates that the sensitivity of CDT to detect heavy drinking is lower than that previously reported. The higher accuracy has in general been obtained in studies comparing healthy controls with a low alcohol consumption to alcoholics with an alcohol consumption higher than that used in the present experiment. Our results suggest that it remains to be established whether CDT, although better than AST and gamma-glutamyltransferase, will provide a clinically useful tool in identifying heavy drinkers in populations covering a wide range of alcohol consumption.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Bite force and dentofacial morphology in men with severe dental attrition.

Patients with severely worn dentition were interviewed and clinically examined, and only those were included who had no or minimal subjective symptoms or clinical signs of craniomandibular disorder. During a 14-month screening period, only 7 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria; all were men. Maximal bite force was measured in the molar regions and in the incisal region. Facial morphology was evaluated from lateral cephalometric radiographs, and the form of dental arches from dental casts. Average maximal bite force in the molar region was 911 N and in the incisal region 569 N. The most characteristic findings concerning bite force were the high force levels in the incisal region and an incisal/molar bite-force ratio of 63%. The facial morphology of the patients was rectangular, with an anteriorly rotated mandible, small anterior face height, and great interincisal angle. Moreover, the form of the maxillary dental arch was more rectangular than normal. The high bite forces of these patients, especially in the incisal area, can probably be explained by strong masticatory muscles and mechanically favorable skull morphology, which in its turn has been influenced by the surrounding muscles.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Mixed use of psychiatric drugs and alcohol by Finnish university students participating in a health screening.

OBJECTIVE: To obtain descriptive data on the mixed use of psychiatric drugs and alcohol. The difference and associations of health and mental risk factors between mixed users and others were also studied. DESIGN: A self-administered questionnaire as part of a general health screening. SETTING: First-year university students enrolled in the Finnish Student Health Service in Helsinki. Foreign students and those aged 30 years or over were excluded. SUBJECTS: 3,836 students were invited. The participation rate was 73.2% for the female and 53.2% for the male students. RESULTS: The mixed use of psychiatric drugs and alcohol with the aim of getting high, at least once, was reported by 3.6% of the female and 3.1% of the male students. However, only 1.0% had tried this mixed use more than once. Mixed users were more often smokers, heavy drinkers, or users of cannabis or heavy drugs. Male students tended to be mixed users because of anxiety, low self-esteem, and fears. Depression, stress, and sensation seeking were associated with mixed use in female students. CONCLUSIONS: Mixed use of psychiatric drugs and alcohol by young Finnish university students is still rare. There is a strong accumulation of other addictive behaviours among mixed users. Extra-personal reasons for mixed use were more prevalent among female students, and intra-personal reasons among male students.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Screening for heavy drinking and alcohol-related problems in young university students: the CAGE, the Mm-MAST and the trauma score questionnaires.

The efficacy of the CAGE questions, the Malmö modification of the MAST questionnaire (Mm-MAST) and Skinner's five-item trauma score were used as a part of a larger health questionnaire in a sample of 1,663 female and 707 male first-year university students in Finland. The Mm-MAST correlated well (0.51-0.66) to reported alcohol intake and drinking for intoxication, the correlation (0.30-0.39) to CAGE was not as high but significant (p < .001). The trauma score did not correlate significantly to reported alcohol intake. Sensitivity and specificity for Mm-MAST > or = 3 in detecting heavy drinking, defined as a reported consumption of pure ethanol per year of at least 10 kg for women and at least 15 kg for men, was 63.8% and 87.1%, respectively, for female students and 86.3% and 87.4% for male students. Mm-MAST can be recommended as a useful screening tool for heavy drinking and alcohol-related problems in young university students. It is more specific and more sensitive than the CAGE questionnaire in this population. Skinner's trauma score was not useful for the screening of heavy drinking among young university students.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Conventional laboratory tests as indicators of heavy drinking in young university students.

Conventional laboratory tests: gamma glutamyltransferase (GGT), alanine aminotransferase (ALAT), aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-cholesterol) were studied as possible markers of heavy drinking in a sample of 1,619 first-year university students in Helsinki. Alcohol consumption was measured on a frequency-volume scale. No significant (p < 0.001) correlation between the laboratory tests and reported drinking was found. However, significant differences between different drinking groups were found in GGT, MCV, and HDL-cholesterol in both female and male students and in cholesterol in male students. We conclude that, even if alcohol drinking has some impact on GGT, MCV, HDL-cholesterol, and cholesterol (males), these tests are neither specific nor sensitive enough to be used as screening tests for heavy drinking in young students.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Alcohol-use patterns in young university students in Finland.

OBJECTIVE: To obtain descriptive data on the alcohol-use patterns and the factors affecting them among Finnish first-year university students. DESIGN: Cross sectional survey with a self-administered questionnaire. SETTING: Finnish first-year university students. PARTICIPANTS: 3,836 students during the academic year 1989/90. The participation rate was 73.7% for female and 53.6% for male students. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Frequency of drinking alcohol, heavy drinking, and drinking for intoxication, average alcohol consumption. RESULTS: The mean alcohol consumption for female students was 2.6 kg and for male students 6.5 kg of pure alcohol per year. 6.5% of the female students and 5.1 of the male students were abstainers. The heaviest drinking 10% consumed 42% of all consumed alcohol. 4.9% of the female students reported a consumption of at least 10 kg of pure alcohol per year and 11.7% of male students reported a consumption of at least 15 kg. The median for the frequency of drinking was every second week for the females and once a week for the males. Furthermore, drinking for intoxication was more frequent among the male than the female students. CONCLUSION: Male students have a higher alcohol consumption, drink more frequently, and are more often intoxicated than female students.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

A longitudinal study of craniomandibular disorders in Finnish adolescents.

Longitudinal variations of subjective symptoms and clinical signs of craniomandibular disorders, orofacial parafunctions, and occlusal conditions were examined in 131 Finnish adolescents. Patients were interviewed and clinically examined at the ages of 14, 15, and 18 years. Signs and symptoms of craniomandibular disorders were common, although usually mild. Reported and recorded temporomandibular clicking sounds were the most frequent findings and increased with age. They showed, however, no predictable pattern, and only a few patients consistently reported clicking sounds or had them recorded. Although the frequency of craniomandibular disorders according to Helkimo's clinical dysfunction index was high at each examination, there also was great intraindividual fluctuation longitudinally; impairment and improvement occurred almost equally often, showing no predictable pattern. Only 3% of those tested consistently had an index value of more than I. Thus, even longer follow-up studies are needed to understand natural longitudinal variations and evaluate the need and demand for treatment of craniomandibular disorder.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Comparison of dental arch dimensions in children from southern and northern Finland.

The purpose of this survey was to determine whether children in northern Finland had different dental arch dimensions from children in southern Finland. Dental casts of 9-year-old healthy children from Helsinki (southern Finland) and from Oulu and Sodankylä (northern Finland) were measured. Each group contained 41 subjects who had received no orthodontic treatment. The children from Sodankylä and Oulu had narrower dental arches and greater palatal heights than those from Helsinki. The lengths and perimeters of dental arches were significantly shorter in the children from Sodankylä than in those from Helsinki. We suggest these differences could have resulted from adaptation to different climatic conditions, affecting modes of breathing.

Cephalometry↗