Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to M Rantala.
The telithromycin susceptibility of 210 erythromycin-resistant pneumococci was tested with the agar diffusion method. Twenty-six erm(B)-positive isolates showed heterogeneous resistance to telithromycin, which was manifested by the presence of colonies inside the inhibition zone. When these cells were cultured and tested, they showed stable, homogeneous, and high-level resistance to telithromycin.
The prevalence and mechanisms of macrolide resistance among 1,007 clinical pneumococcal isolates collected in Finland were investigated. Of these, 217 (21.5%) were resistant to erythromycin and 11% to clindamycin. Among the erythromycin-resistant isolates, mef(E) was present in 95 isolates (44%), mef(A) was present in 12 isolates (6%), and erm(B) was present in 90 isolates (41%). A double mechanism, mef(E) and erm(B), was detected in five isolates (2%). Ribosomal mutation was detected in 14 (6%) macrolide-resistant isolates in which no other determinant was found. Based on the telithromycin MICs, two groups of isolates were formed: 83.3% of the isolates belonged to a major group for which the telithromycin MIC range was < or =0.008 to 0.063 microg/ml, and 16.7% belonged to a minor group for which the telithromycin MIC range was 0.125 to 8 microg/ml. All except three isolates in the minor population carried a macrolide resistance gene.
The aim of our study was to evaluate antimicrobial use in dogs and cats in Finland. Information on veterinary prescriptions was gathered from University Pharmacies (n=17) over a one-month period, April 2001. A total of 2719 prescriptions for veterinary use were delivered, of which the majority were for dogs (70%, n=1898) and cats (14%, n=384). The most prescribed therapy group was per-oral antimicrobial agents (53%, n=1449), of which 16% (n=237) were medicines approved for humans. The most commonly used substances for dogs and cats were betalactams, 66% and 78%, respectively. The proportion of fluoroquinolones was 3-5%. The average duration of the treatment periods was 10 days with the exception of treatment of cats with macrolide-lincosamides, where the mean period was 20 days. Indication was mentioned only in 37% of the prescriptions.
A database of the prescriptions of antimicrobial drugs for the treatment of common infectious diseases in dogs at the Finnish Veterinary Teaching Hospital was searched to determine to what extent national guidelines were being followed. Twenty-two per cent of 5918 dogs were treated orally with antimicrobial drugs. The most commonly used drugs were beta-lactams (49 per cent) of which cephalexin and amoxycillin-clavulanate were most widely prescribed. The usage of fluoroquinolones was only 2.8 per cent. The prescription of antimicrobials for pyoderma was contrary to Finnish guidelines, but the use of cephalexin or amoxycillin-clavulanate as first-line drugs instead of macrolides or lincosamides or trimethoprim-sulphonamides was acceptable because of the presence of resistance by canine staphylococci. The drug most commonly used to treat acute urinary tract infections was trimethoprim-sulphonamide, in agreement with the guidelines. Antimicrobial drugs were used excessively after surgical procedures, and for treating acute gastrointestinal disturbances and small wounds and traumas.
AIMS: To investigate whether sublethal treatments of stationary-phase probiotic cultures enhance their survival during lethal treatments and to adapt these treatments to the fermenter-scale production of probiotic cultures. METHODS AND RESULTS: Conditions for acid and heat pretreatments were screened for three Lactobacillus and two Bifidobacterium strains. Strains were sublethally treated both at laboratory scale and at fermenter scale in a strain-specific manner and exposed to a subsequent lethal treatment. At laboratory scale viability improvement was detected in each strain. However, improvement was more pronounced in the Lactobacillus than in the Bifidobacterium strains. At fermenter scale three strains were tested: for the two Lactobacillus strains a marked improvement in viability was obtained whereas for the Bifidobacterium strain the improvement was either minor or not detected. CONCLUSIONS: Development of treatments for viability enhancement of probiotic strains is feasible, but strain-specific optimization is necessary to obtain notable improvements. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Strain-specific treatments were developed for the viability enhancement of stationary-phase probiotic cells both at laboratory and fermenter scale. These results can be utilised in the production of probiotic cultures with improved viability.
The aim of the present study was to assess the associations between different types of perceived stress, pain and work performance among non-patients with clinical signs of muscle pain in the head/neck region. One-fifth (n = 241) of the 1339 media employees who had participated in a previous survey (Ahlberg J. et al., J Psychosom Res 2002; 53: 1077-1081) were randomly selected for standardized clinical examinations. Altogether 49% (n = 118) of these subjects had clinical signs of temporomandibular and/or neck muscle pain and were enrolled in the present study. The mean age of the study sample was 46.9 years (s.d. 6.6) and the female to male distribution 2:1. Of the 118 employees 46.5% reported that the pain problem interfered with their ability to work. Perceived ability to work was not significantly associated with age, gender or work positions. According to logistic regression, reduced work performance was significantly positively associated with continuous pain [odds ratio (OR) 4.38; 95% CI 1.21-15.7], level of perceived pain severity (OR 1.30; 95% CI 1.04-1.63), and health stress (OR 2.08; 95% CI 1.22-3.54). The results of this study indicated an association between specific self-reported stress regarding health and work issues, pain and work performance. From a preventive perspective this indicates a need for increased awareness about these associations on not only individual level but also at the organizational level and in health care.
OBJECTIVES AND METHODS: In this follow-up study of 30-50-year-old employees (n = 211) of the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE), respondents completed questionnaires in both 1999 and 2000 containing items on demographic data, tobacco use, levels of perceived bruxism, affective disturbance, sleep disturbance, somatic symptoms, pain symptoms and temporomandibular disorder (TMD) symptoms. RESULTS: Bruxism was significantly more prevalent among smokers (P = 0.005). Age, marital status, and gender were not associated with bruxism. Subjects in the frequent bruxism group (n = 74) reported the TMD-related painless symptoms, affective disturbance and early insomnia significantly more often than average. In the multivariate analyses, clustered pain symptoms (P = 0.001), TMD-related painless symptoms (P = 0.004) and smoking (P = 0.012) were significantly positively associated with frequent bruxism, when the independent effects of age and gender were controlled for. CONCLUSIONS: It was concluded that successful management of TMD necessitates smoking cessation, as tobacco use may both amplify the patient's pain response and provoke bruxism. Psychosocial factors and perceived stress should not be ignored, however.
The aim of this study was to evaluate antimicrobial resistance in canine staphylococci, Escherichia coli and enterococci, which were isolated from 22 dogs with pyoderma and a history of previous antibiotic treatment, compared to bacterial isolates from 56 non-treated control dogs. Two isolates of each bacterial species per dog were investigated, if detected. Staphylococcal isolates from dogs with pyoderma (35 isolates) were more resistant to sulphatrimethoprim than the isolates from controls (56 isolates) (57% vs. 25%, p < 0.004). Multiresistance in staphylococci was also more common in dogs with pyoderma (29% vs. 9%, p = 0.02). A similar trend among isolates of E. coli was detected (24 and 74 isolates from treated and control dogs, respectively), but the differences were not significant. Resistance for macrolide-lincosamides was approximately 20% among staphylococci in both groups. Resistance to ampicillin among enterococci was 4%-7%. The age of the dogs might have an impact on resistance: multiresistance among staphylococcal isolates from younger dogs (< or = 5 years) was more common than in older dogs (26 years) (24%, vs. 0%, 63 and 27 isolates, respectively, p = 0.02). Staphylococci in younger dogs were more resistant to tetracycline (48% vs. 11%, p < 0.001) and sulphatrimethoprim (48% vs. 15%, p < 0.01) than those in older dogs. In contrast, the isolates of E. coli from older dogs tended to be more resistant, although a significant difference was detected only in resistance to tetracycline (13% vs. 2% of 40 and 50 isolates respecthely, p = 0.04)). The results of this small study indicate that resistance in canine staphylococci in the capital area of Finland is comparable with many other countries in Europe. Resistance in indicator bacteria, E. coli and enterococci, was low.
OBJECTIVES: The cross-sectional study comprised 30- to 55-year-old permanent employees (N=1784) of the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE). METHODS: The participants (N=1339, response rate 75%) completed standardised questionnaires covering demographic items, physical health, work performance, stress symptoms, pain and musculoskeletal symptoms, and overall biopsychosocial health. RESULTS: Physical symptoms (present often or continually) were reported by 15%, psychosomatic by 19% and psychosocial by 14%. The intercorrelations between 73 biopsychosocial variables revealed nine factors explaining 54.5% of variance for intrapersonal profiles and four factors explaining 59.2% of variance for interpersonal profiles. The Cronbach alphas for reliability ranged from.76 to.83. Three distinct biopsychosocial cluster profiles were found: Cluster 1 (n=290, 27%) loaded positively with the somatic and psychosocial variables, Cluster 2 (n=558, 51%) loaded negatively with the various biopsychosocial symptoms, and Cluster 3 (n=235, 22%) loaded positively with anxiety. CONCLUSION: Discriminant function analysis confirmed that this cluster solution correctly classified 95.2% of the subjects in a nonpatient multiprofessional population, which supports the biopsychosocial approach also in work life issues.
The aim of the study was to analyze whether perceived bruxism was associated with stress experience, age, gender, work role, and occupational health care use among a nonpatient multiprofessional population. Altogether, 1784 (age 30-55 years) employees of the Finnish Broadcasting Company were mailed a self-administered questionnaire covering demographics, perceived bruxism, total stress experience and the use of health care services provided by the company. The response rate was 75% (n = 1339, 51% men) and mean age was 46 years (SD = 6) in both genders. There were no significant differences in demographic status by age and gender. Bruxism and stress experiences did not significantly vary with regard to category of work, but both were significantly more frequent among women (P < 0.05). In all work categories frequent bruxers reported more stress, and the perceptions were significantly differently polarized between the groups (P < 0.001). According to logistic regression, frequent bruxism was significantly positively associated with severe stress experience (Odds ratio = 5.00; 95% CI = 2.84-8.82) and female gender (Odds ratio = 2.26; 95% CI = 1.43-3.55). Frequent bruxism was also significantly positively associated with the numbers of occupational health care and dental visits (P < 0.01), and slightly negatively associated with increasing age and work in administration (P < 0.05). It was concluded that bruxism may reveal ongoing stress in normal work life.
OBJECTIVES: To determine the fasting plasma concentrations of quercetin, hesperetin and naringenin in human subjects consuming their habitual diets, and diets either high or low in fruit and vegetables. To investigate whether plasma concentrations of flavanones can serve as biomarkers of their intake. DESIGN: This was a cross-over, strictly controlled dietary intervention consisting of a 2 week baseline period, and two 5 week dietary periods with a 3 week wash-out period in between. The low-vegetable diet contained few fruit and vegetables and no citrus fruit. The high-vegetable diet provided various fruits and vegetables daily including on average one glass of orange juice, one-half orange and one-half mandarin. SUBJECTS: Thirty-seven healthy females. RESULTS: The high-vegetable diet provided 132 mg of hesperetin and 29 mg of naringenin. The low-vegetable diet contained no flavanones. The mean plasma hesperetin concentration increased from 12.2 nmol/l after the low-vegetable diet to 325 nmol/l after the high-vegetable diet. The respective increase for naringenin was from <73.5 nmol/l for all subjects to a mean value of 112.9 nmol/l. The mean plasma quercetin concentration was 52 nmol/l after the baseline period, during which habitual diets were consumed, and it did not change significantly during the intervention. Interindividual variation in the plasma levels of hesperetin and naringenin was marked and, after the baseline and wash-out periods, and the low-vegetable diet, a majority of the samples had plasma flavanone levels below the limit of detection. After the high-vegetable diet, hesperetin and naringenin were detectable in 54 and 22% of all samples. Quercetin was detectable in nearly all samples after all study periods. CONCLUSION: Hesperetin, naringenin and quercetin are bioavailable from the diet, but the plasma concentrations of hesperetin and naringenin are poor biomarkers of intake.
OBJECTIVE: Decreased production of endothelial nitric oxide (NO) is associated with different cardiovascular pathology. We studied the association between the Glu298Asp polymorphism of the NO producing gene, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), and hypertension, left ventricular mass (LVM) and carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) in a population-based cohort of hypertensive and control subjects. DESIGN: Cross-sectional case-control study. SETTING: District around Oulu University Hospital, Northern Finland. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study population consisted of 600 middle-aged hypertensive subjects (300 men and 300 women) and 600 controls (300 men and 300 women) living in the City of Oulu. The hypertensive subjects were randomly selected by age stratification from the Social Insurance Institute register for reimbursement of antihypertensive medication. For each hypertensive subject, an age- and sex-matched control was randomly selected from the national health register. The overall participation rate was 87.8%. In the present study a total of 1024 subjects were screened. Echocardiographic examinations were performed by a trained cardiologist and carotid ultrasonographic examinations by a trained radiologist. RESULTS: The genotype distributions and allele frequencies between the hypertensive and control subjects and the relationship between the Glu298Asp variant and blood pressure, LVM and carotid artery IMT were determined. No differences in genotype distribution or allele frequencies were found between the hypertensive and control groups (the frequency of the Asp allele 0.299 vs. 0.288, respectively). Also, we could not find any association between the eNOS genotype and the measured cardiovascular complications. CONCLUSIONS: The Glu298Asp variant of the eNOS gene does not seem to be a major risk factor for cardiovascular alterations in the general population.
The efficacy of flunixin alone and together with enrofloxacin in treatment of experimental Escherichia coli mastitis was compared using six cows. The cross-over study design was used. Pharmacokinetics of flunixin and enrofloxacin were also studied in these diseased cows. The response of each cow was similar after the first and second challenge and the individual reaction seemed to explain the severity of clinical signs. The most important predictive factor for outcome of E. coli mastitis was a heavy drop in milk yield. Treatment with enrofloxacin and flunixin enhanced elimination of bacteria, but the difference from those receiving flunixin alone was not significant. Two cows, which had received no antimicrobial treatment (Group 1), were killed on day 4 postchallenge. One cow was killed after the first and the other after the second challenge. Cows receiving combination therapy produced 0.9 L more milk per day during the study period than cows which had only received flunixin (P < 0.05). Based on our findings, antimicrobial treatment might be beneficial in the treatment of high-yielding cows in early lactation. The absorption of enrofloxacin was delayed after subcutaneous administration, the mean apparent elimination half-life being about 23 h, whereas after i.v. administration elimination t(1/2) was only 1.5 h. The majority of the antimicrobial activity in milk originated from the active metabolite, ciprofloxacin, which could be measured throughout the 120-h follow-up period after the last subcutaneous administration. No differences were present in the pharmacokinetic parameters of flunixin between treatment groups: mean elimination half-life was 5.7-6.2 h, volume of distribution 0.43-0.49 L/kg and clearance 0.13-0.14 L h/kg. No flunixin or merely traces were detected in milk: one of the three cows had a concentration of 0.019 mg/L 8 h after administration.
Weight loss in obese patients, even if moderate, is clearly beneficial for health and implies a reduction in either adipocyte number or volume. This can be regulated by the key adipose transcription factors, sterol-regulatory-element binding protein-1c/adipocyte differentiation and determination factor-1 (SREBP1c/ADD1), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma2 (PPARgamma2) and CCAAT-enhancer binding protein-alpha (C/EBPalpha). which regulate the adipocyte metabolism and differentiation process. The present study was undertaken to obtain insights into the expression of these transcription factors during moderate weight loss in humans. In addition, the adipose depot-related differences and the relation to adipose lipoprotein lipase (LPL) expression and plasma lipids were studied. Using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), the total amount of each adipose transcription factor messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) was determined in the subcutaneous or omental adipose tissue after a controlled, 2-month, bodyweight-reduction trial in 11 obese middle-aged women and 17 comparable obese controls. Weight loss (6% of body weight) was associated with reduced serum insulin and plasma triacylglycerols. Adipose tissue PPARgamma2 and SREBP1c/ADD1 mRNA were lower in the weight-loss group than in controls (by 30% and 28%, respectively), whereas the C/EBPalpha mRNA level did not change. Moreover, PPARgamma2 mRNA was lower only in the subcutaneous adipose depot and was related to both adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase (LPL) mRNA and improvement in plasma triacylglycerols in the weight-loss group. Our results suggest a functional role for SREBP1c/ADD1 and PPARgamma2 in the control of energy metabolism in human adipose tissue.
High plasma total homocysteine (tHcy), low dietary intake of folate and other B vitamins, and genetic polymorphisms related to metabolism of homocysteine may interactively contribute to the risk of cardiovascular disease. We investigated whether known mutations in genes regulating homocysteine metabolism affect the responsiveness of serum folate and plasma tHcy to high intake of natural folate from food. Healthy females (n = 37) aged 22-57 y volunteered to participate in a crossover dietary intervention with two 5-wk diet periods (low and high folate diets). Concentrations of serum and RBC folate, serum vitamin B-12 and plasma tHcy were measured at baseline and at the end of each diet period. The prevalences of C677T transition of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene, 844ins68 of cystathionine beta-synthase (CBS) gene and A2756G mutation of methionine synthase (MS) gene were determined. Compared with the low folate diet, the high folate diet increased the serum folate concentration by 85% (P < 0.001), 77% (P < 0.001) and 55% (P < 0.05) in the subjects with the genotypes C/C (n = 19), C/T (n = 13) and T/T (n = 5), respectively, of the MTHFR gene. Also, the plasma tHcy of the subjects with the genotypes C/C, C/T and T/T was decreased by 11% (P < 0.001), 15% (P < 0.01) and 18% (P < 0.05), respectively, during the high folate diet period. The subjects carrying the G2756 allele of the MS gene (n = 15) had a more extensive reduction (P < 0.05) of plasma tHcy during the high folate diet period than the subjects with the genotype A/A (n = 22). The 844ins68 of CBS gene did not affect plasma tHcy concentrations or diet responsiveness. In conclusion, diet responsiveness of plasma homocysteine may be genetically regulated.
BACKGROUND: The genetic variance determining plasma lipid and lipoprotein concentrations may modify individual responsiveness to alterations in dietary fat and cholesterol content. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to examine the role of apolipoprotein (apo) B DNA polymorphisms in responsiveness of plasma lipids and lipoproteins to diet. DESIGN: A controlled dietary intervention study was conducted in 44 healthy, middle-aged subjects with a 3-mo baseline, a 1-mo fat-controlled, a 1-mo high-fat, and a 1-mo habitual diet period. We also conducted a meta-analysis of all published dietary trials, including our own. RESULTS: In our own dietary study, the apo B XbaI restriction-site polymorphism affected the responsiveness to diet of the plasma LDL-cholesterol concentration (P < 0.05, repeated-measures analysis of variance). Especially during the high-fat diet, homozygous absence of the XbaI restriction site (X(-)/X(-)) was associated with a greater increase in LDL cholesterol (44 +/- 5%) than was X(+)/X(+) (27 +/- 7%) or X(+)/X(-) (40 +/- 5%). The high-fat diet also induced a larger increase in plasma LDL cholesterol in subjects with the R(-)/R(-) genotype (homozygous absence of the EcoRI restriction site) (59 +/- 10%) than in those with the R(+)/R(-) (39 +/- 6%) or R(+)/R(+) (36 +/- 4%) genotype. The M(+)/M(+) genotype (homozygous presence of the MspI restriction site) was also more responsive (41 +/- 3% increase in LDL cholesterol) than the M(+)/M(-) genotype (27 +/- 10% increase). The meta-analysis supported the finding of the significant role of the EcoRI and MspI polymorphisms, but not that of the XbaI polymorphism. CONCLUSIONS: The present study indicated that the apo B EcoRI and MspI polymorphisms are associated with responsiveness to diet.
In order to demonstrate the detailed profile of the recent epidemic of ectopic pregnancy and the subsequent decrease of the disease, the authors analyzed the changes in 5-year age groups and by 5-year age cohorts in Finland. The results describe a link between the epidemic of ectopic pregnancy and the so-called "baby boom" cohort (from 1945 to 1954) in the 1970s and 1980s, when these large age groups were in their most fertile period. The authors conclude, through its risk factors, that ectopic pregnancy is strongly correlated with age and that it exemplifies how the changes caused by large age groups play a role in the rise and fall in occurrence of certain diseases.
As interleukin (IL-6) ahs been reported to have diverse effects on acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) blast cell growth, we investigated whether the level of IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) expression by blast cells is associated with their susceptibility to proliferate in response to exogenous IL-6. For absolute quantification of IL-6R transcript numbers, we established a quantitative IL-6R reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method with an internal RNA standard. In the present work, two types of AML blast cells were investigated, namely autonomously growing cell line cells (n = 8) and non cultured native blast cells (n = 20), including those from which the cell lines originate. The native blast cells expressed an average of 2.8 x 10(7) +/- 1.9 x 10(7) IL-6R transcripts in one microgram of total cellular RNA, whereas the expression by the cell line cells was significantly more abundant, the value being 8.3 x 10(7) +/- 2.8 X 10(7) (P < 0.001). The proliferation responses were evaluated by exposing the cells to IL-6 (1000 U/ml) in a clonogenic cell culture assay and, in the case of the cell line cells, in a long-term suspension culture assay as well. None of the autonomously growing cell lines responded to exogenous IL-6, whereas the native blast cell showed either stimulatory, inhibitory or neutral responses. Thus, the IL-6R expression level did not predict whether the cells proliferated in response to exogenous IL-6, which shows that IL-6R quantification cannot be used as a screening test prior to possibly applying this cytokine to clinical use in AML therapy.