PubMed HealthSearch

Biomedical subjects

M Olsson

Publications and source records attributed to M Olsson.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Radiocesium in muscle tissue of reindeer and pike from northern Sweden before and after the Chernobyl accident. A retrospective study on tissue samples from the Swedish Environmental Specimen Bank.

After the Chernobyl accident in April 1986, considerable deposition of radionuclides occurred regionally in eastern, central and northwestern Sweden. Locally, the fallout of radiocesium exceeded the remainder from atmospheric nuclear weapons tests by several magnitudes. Since the end of the 1960s samples of organs from various plant and animal species, annually collected at different localities, have been preserved in the Swedish Environmental Specimen Bank (ESB). In this work samples from the ESB have been used for retrospective studies of radioactive pollution. The activities of Cs-134 and Cs-137 in muscle tissues from reindeer, Rangifer tarandus, and pike, Esox lucius, preserved in the ESB, were measured. The samples were collected annually; the reindeer at three localities in northern Sweden and the pike at one of them. In material collected prior to the Chernobyl accident, the levels of Cs-137 were 57-180 Bq/kg in reindeer and 14-24 Bq/kg in pike, fresh weight basis. These levels relate to earlier nuclear bomb tests. A significant decrease was found in pike during the pre-Chernobyl period (1971-86). In post-Chernobyl samples the burden of Cs-137 varied from amounts equal to the former levels in the northernmost locality and up to 80 times higher for the maximum values in the southernmost locality. The highest value recorded was 18,425 Bq/kg in reindeer. The geographic variations in reindeer from Chernobyl fallout were in accordance with the pattern of deposition estimated by aircraft surveys performed in May 1986. The ratio between 'new' and 'old' radiocesium burdens in pike, caught in 1987, approached the corresponding ratio for reindeer grazing in the precipitation area of the lake; 33 and 19, respectively.

Accidents

Aortic valve replacement in octogenarians with aortic stenosis: a case-control study.

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to compare the results of aortic valve replacement in patients greater than or equal to 80 years old with those in patients 65 to 75 years old. BACKGROUND: Aortic valve replacement may be potentially more complicated and require the use of more resources when performed in octogenarians rather than in younger patients. Few hard data on this possibility are available. METHODS: The study group comprises all 44 patients greater than or equal to 80 years old (mean age 82 years) who underwent aortic valve replacement at our institution between January 1981 and July 1989. A control group of 83 patients with a mean age of 70 years was matched with the study group for gender and approximate date of valve replacement. Before operation, 86% of the older patients versus 36% of the younger patients were in New York Heart Association functional class III or IV (p less than 0.001). Data were retrospectively collected from hospital records and a self-assessment telephone interview was conducted. RESULTS: The early mortality rate was 14% in the older group versus 4% in the younger group (p = 0.045). The duration of respirator support, intensive care and the total duration of the hospital stay did not differ significantly between groups. The incidence of postoperative low cardiac output syndrome was higher in the older group (p = 0.049), but the incidence of late valve-related complications was similar in the two groups. The 2-year survival rate (including data on patients who died early) was 73% in the older group and 90% in the younger group (p = NS). Six months postoperatively all patients but one were in functional class I or II. CONCLUSIONS: Although the patients greater than or equal to 80 years old had a poorer preoperative status than that of younger patients, aortic valve replacement in this group did not require more use of hospital resources and resulted in a clinical improvement comparable to that of younger patients.

Age Factors

Mandibular function before orthodontic treatment.

Two-hundred-and-forty-five consecutive prospective orthodontic patients and 245 controls matched for age, sex, and residence, but with minor need of orthodontic treatment, were examined. The functional examination of the masticatory system was made according to Carlsson and Helkimo (1972), and Helkimo (1974). According to dysfunction index (Helkimo, 1974), 33.5 per cent of the patients and 21.6 per cent of the controls had a moderate, and 18.9 and 7.8 per cent respectively, a severe dysfunction. The corresponding figures for symptoms were 16.7 and 4.9 per cent respectively. In the patient group the frequency of signs and symptoms was higher in the older age group and in the girls. Orthodontic patients appeared to be at greater risk of craniomandibular disorders (CMD) than individuals with minor need of treatment.

Adolescent

DNA haplotype analysis suggests linkage disequilibrium in the human insulin receptor gene.

Haplotypes of the insulin receptor gene were resolved in parents from Scandinavian nuclear families by studying the segregation of seven restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs). Of 97 unrelated parents, 41 had non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Considerable linkage disequilibrium in the region of the insulin receptor gene was found. Pairwise non-random associations were found between proximate RFLP sites, indicating the absence of recombinational hot spots between these sites. Thus, association studies between DNA polymorphisms at this locus and disease susceptibility genes could well be feasible in this population. Differences in the distribution of insulin receptor haplotypes were examined between NIDDM patients and healthy subjects. However, the differences observed were not statistically significant.

Adult

Digoxin-verapamil interaction: reduction of biliary but not renal digoxin clearance in humans.

The interaction between digoxin and verapamil was studied in six patients (mean age +/- SD, 61 +/- 5 years) with chronic atrial fibrillation. The effects of adding verapamil (240 mg/day) on steady-state plasma concentrations and renal and biliary clearances of digoxin were studied in a crossover manner. The biliary clearance of digoxin was determined by a duodenal perfusion technique. Verapamil induced a 44% increase in steady-state plasma concentrations of digoxin, from 0.80 +/- 0.24 to 1.15 +/- 0.40 nmol/L (p less than 0.01). The biliary clearance of digoxin decreased by 43%, from 187 +/- 89 to 101 +/- 55 ml/min (p less than 0.05), in the presence of verapamil, whereas the renal clearance was unaffected (153 +/- 31 versus 173 +/- 51 ml/min; difference not significant). Our results indicate that the main inhibitory effect of verapamil on digoxin elimination is on the biliary route.

Bile

Tryptase in nasal lavage fluid after local allergen challenge. Relationship to histamine levels and TAME-esterase activity.

The activation of mast cells is generally considered to be an important trigger mechanism in the immediate allergic response. This study focused on the determination of three markers of mast cell activation after an allergen challenge. Nasal allergen challenges were performed in 25 subjects with seasonal allergic rhinitis using three allergen doses increasing in 10-fold steps in a standardised nasal lavage model for the subsequent recovery of the markers of mast cell activation. The levels of histamine and tryptase in the nasal lavage fluid were determined using radioimmunoassays, while the TAME-esterase activity was determined using a radiochemical technique. The nasal symptoms obtained on challenge were assessed using a scoring technique. The allergen challenge resulted in significant increases in the levels of all three markers, tryptase, histamine and TAME-esterase. In the individual measurements after the challenges there was a highly significant correlation between the TAME-esterase levels and the tryptase levels (r = 0.71; P less than 0.001), while the generation of histamine and tryptase was not significantly correlated. When comparing the cumulative generation of the three markers, significant correlations were found between all three. Allergen challenges in six non-allergic controls using the same technique did not result in any increase in tryptase levels. The findings suggest that the determination of tryptase in nasal lavage fluid may be a valuable indicator of mast cell activation in the upper airways.

Adult

Periodontal characteristics in individuals with varying form of the upper central incisors.

It has been suggested that the variation in the morphology of the human periodontium may be related to the shape and form of the teeth. Furthermore, the severity of symptoms of periodontal disease have been proposed to differ among these various morphologic entities or "biotypes". The aim of the present study was (i) to identify individuals with markedly different crown forms and (ii) to determine probing pocket depth, probing attachment level and amount of gingival recession that had occurred at different teeth and tooth surfaces in such individuals. Clinical photographs of the maxillary incisor tooth region of 113 subjects who had been recruited for a long-term study on periodontal disease were available. The length (CL) and width (CW) of the crowns were determined and the CW/CL ratio was calculated for each tooth. 10% in each tail, 11 subjects in each group, were arbitrarily chosen as having either a long-narrow (N) or a short-wide (W) form of the central incisors. The probing pocket depth, probing attachment level and gingival recession data available from all subjects and subjects in groups W and N were compared and analyzed using the Student t-test and multiple regression analysis. The result from the analyses demonstrated that: (1) subjects with a long-narrow form of the upper central incisors had experienced more recession of the gingival margin at buccal surfaces than subjects who had a short-wide tooth form; (2) there was a significant influence of the CW/CL-ratio on the probing attachment level (p less than 0.05) and the amount of gingival recession (p less than 0.01) on buccal tooth surfaces.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Bicuspid

Identification of Salmonellae with the 4-methylumbelliferyl caprilate fluorescence test.

We have tested 750 Salmonella strains and 130 strains of other species of the family Enterbacteriaceae with the 4-methylumbelliferyl caprilate reagent (MUCAP) test. The MUCAP test is a fluorescence test for rapid identification of Salmonella strains. The non-Salmonella strains were strains sent for identification as suspected Salmonella strains and thus have phenotypes similar to those of Salmonella strains. All 748 tested Salmonella strains of subgroups I, II, III, and IV were positive in the MUCAP test. Of the two tested rare Salmonella subgroup V strains, one was positive and the other was negative. In the selected material containing strains with phenotypes similar to those of Salmonella strains, only one Hafnia alvei strain of 130 Enterbacteriaceae bacteria tested was positive. The fluorescence of the H. alvei strain, the six tested Salmonella dublin strains, and the positive Salmonella subgroup V strain was weaker than that of the other salmonellae. The MUCAP assay is simple and is performed within 5 min. With an almost 100% sensitivity for Salmonella strains, apart from a single Salmonella subgroup V strain, we found the MUCAP test to be a convenient complement to traditional biochemical identification methods, especially for atypical and unusual Salmonella strains.

Bacteriological Techniques

Combination of natural teeth and osseointegrated implants as prosthesis abutments: a 2-year longitudinal study.

Twenty-three patients with Kennedy Class I mandibular dentition were supplied with prostheses in the posterior parts of the mandible. On one side they were given a prosthesis supported by two implants (prosthesis Type I) and on the other side they received a prosthesis supported by one implant and one natural tooth (prosthesis Type II). Sixty-nine fixtures were inserted and 46 prostheses constructed. Eight of the fixtures were lost during the observation period. The failure rate of the implants was about the same in the two types of prostheses; five fixtures belonged to prostheses Type I (10.9%) and two fixtures belonged to prostheses Type II (8.7%), while one fixture was lost prior to loading. From a theoretical point of view, the combination of a tooth and an osseointegrated implant should encounter problems with regard to the difference in bone anchorage and there should be a risk of biomechanical complications. However, the results of this study did not indicate any disadvantages in connecting teeth and implants in the same restoration.

Adult

[PCB methyl sulphone: comparison of tissue levels in Baltic grey seals and a Yusho patient].

Methyl sulphone metabolites of PCB and DDE were isolated from different tissues of a Baltic grey seal (Halichoerus grypus). Main components in the seal blubber were identified as 3-MeSO2-2,2',4',5,5'-pentaCB, 4-MeSO2-2,2',4',5,5'-pentaCB, 3-MeSO2-p,p'-DDE, 4-MeSO2-2,2',3',4',5-pentaCB and 4-MeSO2-2,2',3,4',5',6-hexaCB. Liver and lung in the seal contained different MeSO2-PCB pattern compared to all other tissues. These levels in the both tissues were estimated to be 28 and 15 ppm (lipid basis) which corresponded to the same level as the PCB. Concentrations of MeSO2-PCB in any tissues of a Yusho patient were low compared to those in the seal.

Animals

Transfer RNA pseudouridine synthases in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

A transfer RNA lacking modified nucleosides was produced by transcription in vitro of a cloned gene that encodes a Saccharomyces cerevisiae glycine tRNA. At least three different uridines (in nucleotide positions 13, 32, and 55) of this transcript tRNA are modified to pseudouridine by an extract of S. cerevisiae. Variants of the RNA substrate were also constructed that each had only one of these sites, thus allowing specific monitoring of pseudouridylation at different nucleotide positions. Using such RNAs to assay pseudouridine synthesis, enzymes producing this nucleoside were purified from an extract of S. cerevisiae. The activities corresponding to positions 13, 32, and 55 in the tRNA substrate could all be separated chromatographically, indicating that there is a separate enzyme for each of these sites. The enzyme specific for position 55 (denoted pseudouridine synthase 55) was purified approximately 4000-fold using a combination of DEAE-Sepharose, heparin-Sepharose, and hydroxylapatite.

Base Sequence

Modification of deoxyribose-phosphate residues by extracts of ataxia telangiectasia cells.

The release of DNA 5'-terminal deoxyribose-phosphate residues from enzymatically incised apurinic/apyrimidinic sites by human cell extracts has been under investigation. During the course of these studies, we observed that ataxia telangiectasia cell extracts modify deoxyribose-phosphate (dRp) residues by converting them to an altered form, dRp-X, which shows altered chromatographic properties on HPLC analysis. The chemical nature of the adduct is as yet unknown, but dRp-X is stable to both heat and acid. The modification requires an enzymatic activity and a low-molecular weight co-factor. Extracts of normal cells contain a dialyzable inhibitor that suppresses the reaction occurring with ataxia telangiectasia cell extracts. Formation of dRp-X has been observed in 7 out of 7 ataxia telangiectasia lymphoblastoid lines which represent at least 3 genetic complementation groups. Similar modification of dRp did not occur with extracts of cells of normal origin, nor those representing Fanconi's anaemia, xeroderma pigmentosum, Bloom's syndrome, Werner's syndrome or Friedreich's ataxia.

Ataxia Telangiectasia

Measurement of histamine in nasal lavage fluid: comparison of a glass fiber-based fluorometric method with two radioimmunoassays.

The determination of histamine in nasal secretions and nasal lavage fluid may be of importance to monitor activation of histamine containing cells in the nasal cavity. However, such studies have been besieged by controversy, specifically to findings of changes in histamine levels in relation to allergenic stimulation. This controversy may be due to the specificity and accuracy of the various methods used to determine histamine in the nasal fluid. We have therefore applied and compared three new methods to determine histamine in nasal lavage fluids obtained before and after allergen challenge in normal subjects and patients with allergic rhinitis. We used a fluorometric glass fiber-based histamine method (FHR) and two RIAs, I and II. The FHR (detection limit, 7.0 nmol) and the RIA II (detection limit, 0.2 nmol) are specific for histamine itself, whereas the RIA I (detection limit, 18.0 nmol) measures mainly methylhistamine and cross-reacts to some extent with histamine. The histamine levels in the nasal lavage fluids from the nasal challenges demonstrated histamine values between 100 and 2000 nmol/L of histamine with significantly higher levels in the postallergen challenges for the allergic subjects as compared to the normal control subjects. The FHR correlated well with the RIA I and RIA II methods with correlation coefficients of 0.77 to 0.88 (p less than 0.001), respectively. However, the RIA I (methylhistamine antibody) always demonstrated absolute histamine values 5% to 20% of values measured by the RIA II (at the level of cross-reactivity to histamine).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult

MRI contrast media for the liver. Efficacy in conditions of acute biliary obstruction.

The authors investigated in a rat model the efficacy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast media for evaluating the liver in conditions of acute biliary obstruction. Two liver-specific MRI contrast media, Cr-DEHIDA and Mn-DPDP, and the nonspecific agent Gd-DTPA were studied in normal rats and in rats whose bile ducts had been ligated before administration of the contrast medium. Images were made using a 2.4 T animal MRI system, and intensity enhancement of liver after contrast medium injection was calculated. Metal analyses of serum and liver tissue and T1 and T2 measurements on liver samples in vitro were performed. The differences in image intensity enhancement of liver between normal rats and rats with ligated bile ducts were not significant for any of the three contrast media. Imaging with Mn-DPDP resulted in the highest intensity enhancement of the liver compared with Cr-DEHIDA and Gd-DTPA. Contrast media concentrations in liver tissue were not significantly different between normal rats and rats with ligated bile ducts; however, Cr-DEHIDA concentrations in serum were higher after bile duct ligation. In vitro measurements of liver tissue indicated unique relaxation properties for Mn-DPDP. This investigation indicates that the contrast media studied may be useful in situations where suspected liver pathology is complicated by acute biliary obstruction.

Animals

Unnecessary deaths from valvular aortic stenosis.

The annual mortality from aortic valvular stenosis was calculated among potential candidates for surgical replacement of the aortic valve. From the Swedish Central Register of Causes of Death, 70 patients below the age of 80 years who had died from aortic stenosis during a 1-year period in the County of Stockholm (population 1.5 million), were identified. A retrospective analysis of their medical records showed that 37 individuals were suitable candidates for surgery. The presence of aortic stenosis had been verified at autopsy in 31 (84%) patients. The remaining six patients (16%) had their aortic stenosis diagnosis established by a thorough non-invasive investigation performed before death. Although typical signs and symptoms of aortic stenosis were recorded in all 37 patients, only six (16%) of them had been considered by their physicians to be suitable candidates for surgery prior to death. The deceased patients were compared with a group of 68 patients who had undergone aortic valve replacement for aortic stenosis during the same period. There were no significant differences between the two groups with regard to symptoms and clinical findings, except for a higher incidence of syncope in the operated group. It is concluded that, of 105 (68 surgically treated and 37 deceased) eligible patients with aortic stenosis, 37 individuals did not receive surgical care in time. The reason for this was probably insufficient knowledge of the curability of the disease.

Aged

Osseointegrated implants in edentulous jaws: a 2-year longitudinal study.

Osseointegrated implants in 50 edentulous jaws were studied during a 2-year observation period. The implant survival rate was 89% in the maxillae and 97% in the mandibles. The marginal bone loss averaged 1.7 mm in the maxillae and 1.1 mm in the mandibles. Most of this bone loss occurred during the first year. The bone loss was greater in jaws with a preoperatively minor resorption of the alveolar ridge than in those with moderate or advanced resorption. The bone loss was also greater at the medially positioned implants than at those more posterior.

Adult

15-Keto-13,14-dihydroprostaglandin E2- and F2 alpha-metabolite levels in blood from men and women given prostaglandin E2 orally.

Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) was administered orally in a dose of 1 mg to healthy males (n = 20) and females (n = 10). Blood levels of 15-keto-13,14-dihydroprostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha-M) and 15-keto-13,14-dihydroprostaglandin E2 (PGE2-M), determined as the rearrangement product 11-deoxy-15-keto-13,14-dihydro-11 beta, 16-cycloprostaglandin E2 (PGE2-cyclo-M), were measured. The levels of the two PG metabolites increased already 10 minutes after ingestion of the tablet and the mean peak value for PGE2-cyclo-M in the men was 4.64 nmol/l which was reached 50 minutes after PGE2 administration. The mean peak value in women was 4.99 nmol/l which was obtained after 30 minutes. The increase in PGE2-cyclo-M concentration was significantly faster (p less than 0.05) in women than in the men. The mean plasma concentration of PGF2 alpha in males were 0.20 nmol/l prior to treatment and rose after PGE2 ingestion to mean peak level of 0.84 nmol/l after 70 minutes. The corresponding values for the females were 0.18 nmol/l and 0.88 nmol/l 50 minutes into treatment. When the data from both sexes were amalgamated PGE2-cyclo-M peak levels were reached significantly (p = 0.004) sooner than the PGF2 alpha-M peak. The two PG metabolites returned to baseline levels in 70% of the individuals after 240 minutes. The increase in PGF2 alpha-M concentration following oral administration of PGE2 indicates that part of the PGE2 was reduced to PGF2 alpha.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Administration, Oral