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M Seppänen

Publications and source records attributed to M Seppänen.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2007

Human MHC region harbors both susceptibility and protective haplotypes for coronary artery disease.

Aiming to study the role of human major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region on coronary artery disease (CAD), we enrolled two separate patient materials and controls. First, heart transplantation recipients (n = 276) were divided into three subgroups according to the severity of atherosclerosis. The human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A-B-DR haplotype and gene frequencies were compared between groups. Second, patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) (n = 100) and healthy controls (n = 74) were assessed by nine genetic MHC markers (HLA-A, HLA-B, HLA-DRB1, LTA+253(a/g), LTA+496(C/T), LTA+633(c/g), LTA+724(C/A), C4A and C4B), and the frequencies were compared. In the heart transplantation recipients, HLA-DR1 was strongly associated with CAD [severe vs no evidence, odds ratio (OR) 2.37; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.33-4.25; P = 0.003]. Similarly, in the patients with ACS, HLA-DRB1*01 was associated with CAD (patients vs controls, OR 2.36; 95% CI 1.25-4.44; P = 0.007). HLA-DRB1*01 was associated with low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (OR 5.32; 95% CI 1.64-17.26; P = 0.005) and smoking habit (OR 3.13; 95% CI 1.09-9.03; P = 0.035) as risk factors. The strongest protective gene was HLA-B*07 alone (OR 0.46; 95% CI 0.24-0.88; P = 0.02) or together with the haplotype LTA+253a-LTA+633g-C4A3-C4B1 (OR 0.36; 95% CI 0.22-0.57; P = 0.00001). In conclusion, human MHC region harbors genes that protect from and predispose to CAD.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Practice strategies of musicians modulate neural processing and the learning of sound-patterns.

Previous studies suggest that pre-attentive auditory processing of musicians differs depending on the strategies used in music practicing and performance. This study aimed at systematically revealing whether there are differences in auditory processing between musicians preferring and not-preferring aural strategies such as improvising, playing by ear, and rehearsing by listening to records. Participants were assigned to aural and non-aural groups according to how much they employ aural strategies, as determined by a questionnaire. The change-related mismatch negativity (MMN) component of event-related brain potentials (ERPs) was used to probe pre-attentive neural discrimination of simple sound features and melody-like patterns. Further, the musicians' behavioral accuracy in sound perception was tested with a discrimination task and the AMMA musicality test. The data indicate that practice strategies do not affect musicians' pre-attentive neural discrimination of changes in simple sound features but do modulate the speed of neural discrimination of interval and contour changes within melody-like patterns. Moreover, while the aural and non-aural groups did not differ in their initial neural accuracy for discriminating melody-like patterns, they differed after a focused training session. A correlation between behavioral and neural measures was also obtained. Taken together, these results suggest that auditory processing of musicians who prefer aural practice strategies differs in melodic contour and interval processing and perceptual learning, rather than in simple sound processing, in comparison to musicians preferring other practice strategies.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed2006

Low-intensity tensile loading increases intratendinous glucose uptake in the Achilles tendon.

The metabolic activity of tendinous tissues has traditionally been considered to be of limited magnitude. However, recent studies have suggested that glucose uptake increases in the force-transmitting tissues as a response to contractile loading, which in turn indicates an elevated tissue metabolism. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether such a mechanism could be observed for the human Achilles tendon following tensile loading. Six subjects participated in the study. Unilateral Achilles tendon loading was applied by 25-min intermittent voluntary plantar flexor contractions. A radioactive tracer ([18F]-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose) was administered during muscle action, and glucose uptake was measured by use of PET. Regions of interest were defined on the PET images corresponding to the cross section of Achilles tendon at two longitudinally separated sites (insertion and free tendon). Glucose uptake index was determined within respective regions of interest for the active and resting leg. Tendon force during voluntary contractions was approximately 13% of maximal voluntary contraction force. Tendon loading induced an elevated glucose uptake index compared with that of the contralateral resting tendon in the region of tendon insertion (0.13 +/- 0.05 vs. 0.09 +/- 0.02; P < 0.05) and at the free tendon (0.12 +/- 0.01 vs. 0.08 +/- 0.02; P < 0.05). The present data suggest that tissue metabolism is elevated in the human Achilles tendon in response to low-intensity loading.

Achilles Tendon↗
PubMed2006

Immunoglobulins and complement factor C4 in adult rhinosinusitis.

We assessed whether complement and its factor C4 or abnormal immunoglobulin levels are associated with chronic or recurrent rhinosinusitis. We used multiple patient and control groups to obtain clinically meaningful data. Adult chronic or recurrent rhinosinusitis and acute purulent rhinosinusitis patients were compared with unselected adults and controls without previous rhinosinusitis. Associated clinical factors were reviewed. Levels of immunoglobulins, plasma C3, C4 and classical pathway haemolytic activity were analysed. C4 immunophenotyping was used to detect C4A and C4B deficiencies as null alleles. Complement was up-regulated in rhinosinusitis. C4A nulls and low IgA, IgG, IgG1, IgG2, IgG3 and IgG4 levels were all more common in chronic or recurrent rhinosinusitis patients than in unselected and healthy controls. We searched for relevant differences between the patient groups. According to stepwise logistic regression analysis, nasal polyposis [odds ratio (OR) 10.64, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.5-45.7, P = 0.001], bronchial asthma (OR 8.87, 95% CI 2.3-34.9, P = 0.002), C4A null alleles (OR 5.84, 95% CI 1.4-24.9, P = 0.017) and low levels of IgG4 together with either IgG1 or IgG2 (OR 15.25, 95% CI 1.4-166.8, P = 0.026) were more common in chronic or recurrent rhinosinusitis than in acute rhinosinusitis patients. Isolated low IgG subclasses had limited value in patient assessment. C4A null alleles are associated with chronic or recurrent rhinosinusitis, potentially through their effect on immune defence and inflammation control. Multiple clinical and immunological parameters may need to be evaluated when searching for prognostic variables.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Complement C4 deficiency and HLA homozygosity in patients with frequent intraoral herpes simplex virus type 1 infections.

Three consecutive patients with no apparent immunodeficiency who had frequent intraoral herpes simplex type 1 recurrences, a rare complication of herpes simplex virus infection, were found to have a total deficiency of either the A or B isotype of the complement component C4 and to be homozygous for the studied HLA antigens. A combination of HLA homozygosity, which may lead to impaired T cell recognition of viral peptides, and deficiency in the classical complement pathway, which can compromise virus neutralization, may predispose to severe and frequent herpes simplex virus infections.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Real-time PCR for detection and quantitation of hepatitis B virus DNA.

A sensitive and reproducible real-time PCR assay based on TaqMan technology was developed for the detection and quantitation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in serum, and compared with an "in-house" qualitative PCR assay. HBV DNA was measured in 125 serum samples from 76 hepatitis B patients, consisting of 22 patients with an acute infection, 20 patients with a previous history of hepatitis B infection, and 34 patients with a chronic hepatitis B. Four patients with a chronic infection were treated with either an IFN-alpha monotherapy or a combination of IFN-alpha and lamivudine. Twenty-nine sera from healthy individuals and non-hepatitis B patients served as negative controls. The assay was validated by using a 10-fold dilution series of the World Virological Quality Control (VQC) sample containing 3.73 x 10(7) genome equivalents per ml. The detection limit for the real-time PCR was 3.73 x 10(2) genome equivalents per ml (geq/ml), while it was 3.73 x 10(3) geq/ml for the in-house PCR. The real-time PCR assay had an 8-logarithm dynamic range spanning from 10(2) to 10(10) geq/ml. In clinical serum samples, the real-time PCR and the in-house PCR detected HBV DNA in 81% (101/125) and 66% (83/125) of samples, respectively. HBV DNA was not detected among the negative controls by either of these assays. In conclusion, real-time PCR is a sensitive, specific, and a reproducible approach for the detection and quantitation of HBV DNA in clinical serum samples, useful also for monitoring the efficacy of antiviral treatment.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2000

Activation of transcription factor NF-kappaB by growth inhibitory cytokines in vulvar carcinoma cells.

Numerous investigations show that cytokines have a significant role in the regulation of cell growth. There is also increasing evidence for the role of transcription factors in cytokine-mediated growth-regulation of cancer cells. Our previous data demonstrate that several cytokines are able to inhibit DNA synthesis of vulvar carcinoma cells. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of growth-inhibitory cytokines on the binding activity of transcription factor AP-1 and NF-kappaB in two vulvar carcinoma cell lines UM-SCV-6 and UM-SCV-1A in vitro. The effects of interferon gamma (IFN-gamma), interleukins 10 (IL-10) and 13 (IL-13), transforming growth factor beta(1) (TGF-beta(1)) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) on the DNA binding proteins were studied by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). Our results showed that NF-kappaB and AP-1 were constitutively activated in both cell lines. The binding activity of NF-kappaB was found to be stimulated by TNF-alpha in both vulvar carcinoma cell lines while no effect on AP-1 was found by any of the cytokines. The binding activity of NF-kappaB was decreased by IL-10 and IL-13 in UM-SCV-1A cells suggesting that the pathway by which TNF-alpha activates NF-kappaB differs from that activated by interleukins.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗
PubMed2000

Melioidosis presenting as urinary tract infection in a previously healthy tourist.

Melioidosis is a tropical disease caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei, which is common in southeast Asia and Australia, but which is rarely diagnosed in Scandinavia. An increasing number of cases are being reported among tourists to infected areas. We report the first Finnish case of melioidosis, which presented as urinary tract infection in a previously healthy male tourist.

Anti-Infective Agents, Urinary↗
PubMed2000

Regulation of UT-OC-3 ovarian carcinoma cells by cytokines: inhibitory effects on cell proliferation and activation of transcription factors AP-1 and NF-kappaB.

The present study was designed to investigate the growth regulatory effects of cytokines in UT-OC-3 ovarian cystadenocarcinoma cells in vitro. The effects of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interferons alpha (IFN-alpha) and gamma (IFN-gamma), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), and transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1) were investigated by (125)I-deoxyuridine ((125)IUdR) incorporation assay. In order to understand better the molecular mechanisms of the observed effects, the activation of DNA-binding proteins was studied by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. In addition, cellular DNA was tested by fragmentation analysis to determine if the most growth inhibitory cytokines are able to induce programmed cell death (apoptosis). After 48h in culture, TGF-beta1, TNF-alpha, IFN-alpha and IL-6 showed a clear inhibitory effect on (125)IUdR incorporation (P<0.005), and IFN-gamma and GM-CSF caused even more significant inhibition (P<0.001). IFN-alpha and IFN-gamma were both growth inhibitory after 72h in culture (P<0.005). Similarly, GM-CSF induced a slight inhibition (P<0.05), whereas TGF-beta1 and TNF-alpha almost blocked DNA synthesis (P<0.001) after 72h. IL-6 had no statistically significant effect on cell proliferation after 72h. Transcription factors AP-1 and NF-kappaB were both constitutively expressed in UT-OC-3 cells. The binding activity of AP-1 was found to be stimulated by the growth inhibitory cytokines, TGF-beta1 and TNF-alpha, and the binding of NF-kappaB was stimulated by TNF-alpha. Apoptosis does not seem to be induced by any of these cytokines in the UT-OC-3 ovarian cancer cell model.

Apoptosis↗
PubMed2000

[Animal bites].

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Amoxicillin-Potassium Clavulanate Combination↗
PubMed1998

Ethics in health care management: developing an instrument to assess humane caring.

The care of patients should be professional, human and humane. This is an ethical issue. The words human (inhimillinen) and humane (ihmisläheinen) have different meanings in the Finnish language. At Kuopio University Hospital (1200 beds), in Finland, it was decided to provide patients with professional and humane caring. Ethical values differ for different groups of people. Therefore humane caring was assessed by questioning both hospital patients (n = 160) and staff (n = 196). The data were subjected to content analysis. The result was that the values obtained for both patients and staff were similar. Five descriptive categories of humane caring emerged. To discover what kind of caring was provided for patients, the categories were operationalized into 66 criteria and a questionnaire was drawn up on the basis of these criteria. The data for evaluation of the quality of caring were collected from patients (n = 1708). The data were analysed using cross-tabulations and the chi-squared test; sum variables were calculated for the five standards. The results suggest that special attention should be paid to vulnerable patient groups (e.g. the elderly and the young). One means of ethical management is to support our staff to care more humanely by discussing with them the results of this study, setting standards and criteria for humane caring and what this means in practice. It is hoped our caring will therefore be more humane.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Inhibitory effects of cytokines on ovarian and endometrial carcinoma cells in vitro with special reference to induction of specific transcriptional regulators.

In the present study, we have investigated the effects of interferons-alpha (IFN-alpha) and -gamma (IFN-gamma), interleukin-10 (IL-10) and -13 (IL-13), transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) on cell proliferation and induction of transcription factors AP-1 and NF-kappaB in UM-EC-3 human endometrial adenocarcinoma cells and UT-OC-5 ovarian carcinoma cells in vitro. In addition, cellular DNA was extracted to study if any of these factors is able to induce apoptosis. In UM-EC-3 cell line DNA synthesis was inhibited by GM-CSF, IL-10, IL-13, TGF-beta1, IFN-alpha, and IFN-gamma after 48 and 72 h in culture, whereas TNF-alpha had no significant effect on cell proliferation in any of the experiments. The inhibition of DNA synthesis was similarly observed in UT-OC-5 ovarian carcinoma cells by IL-10, TNF-alpha, and IFN-gamma after 48 and 72 h, whereas IFN-alpha had no statistically significant effect. An inhibitory effect of GM-CSF was observed only after 48 h and TGF-beta after 72 h in culture, respectively. Transcription factors AP-1 and NF-kappaB were both constitutively active in UM-EC-3 and UT-OC-5 cells. The binding activity of AP-1 was found to be stimulated by all growth-inhibitory cytokines studied in both cell lines, whereas the specific binding activity of NF-kappaB was affected moderately only by TNF-alpha in UT-OC-5 ovarian carcinoma cells. No signs of DNA fragmentation typical of apoptosis were observed in any of these studies.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1997

Regulation of proliferation of UM-SCV-1A and UM-SCV-6 vulvar carcinoma cells by cytokines.

The biology and pathogenesis of vulvar carcinoma are poorly understood at present. In order to understand this disease better, we have used recently developed squamous cell carcinoma lines of the vulva as models. Two cell lines originating from two individuals (UM-SCV-1A and UM-SCV-6) were cultured in vitro in 10% fetal calf serum. The effects of interleukins 10 and 13, interferons alpha and gamma, granulocyte/macrophage-growth-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha), and transforming growth factor beta (TGFbeta) on the proliferation of the cells was investigated by using radioactively labelled uridine as tracer. In addition, an investigation on the molecular structure of extracted cellular DNA was carried out to investigate whether programmed cell death (apoptosis) would be inducible by any of the factors. In UM-SCV-1A cells, interleukin-10 (IL-10) and interleukin-13 (IL-13) caused an approximately 12-fold decrease in DNA synthesis in cells cultured for 72 h (P<0.001), while GM-CSF had no significant effect. TGFbeta showed a significant inhibitory effect on deoxyuridine incorporation (P<0.001), which was 2.0- and 4.2-fold at 48 h and 72 h, respectively. TFG alpha showed a 1.2-fold inhibitory effect on DNA synthesis at 48 h (P<0.01) and a 1.5-fold inhibition at 72 h (P<0.05). Interferon gamma (IFNgamma) showed an inhibitory effect on DNA synthesis (1.3-fold; P<0.01). In UM-SCV-6 cells, both IL-10 and IL-13 showed inhibitory effects on deoxyuridine incorporation (1.3- and 1.4-fold at 48 h, respectively; P<0.001) that were even more pronounced at 72 h (2.4- and 2.5-fold respectively; P<0.001). IFNgamma caused a 3.6-fold inhibition of DNA synthesis by UM-SCV-6 cells at 72 h (P<0.001). Both TFGbeta and TNF alpha inhibited uridine incorporation (3.0- and 1.6-fold at 48 h, respectively; 2.7-fold at 72 h for both factors). GM-CSF inihibited DNA synthesis by UM-SCV-6 cells 1.3- 2.0-fold at 48 h and 72 h, respectively. In dose/response analyses, the effect of INF alpha on DNA synthesis was inhibitory in both cell lines at 48 h, while stimulatory effects were observed at 72 h. Electrophoretic analyses of DNA isolated from cells cultured in the presence or absence of different factors did not reveal DNA fragmentation. All cytokines, with the exception of IFN alpha, showed inhibitory effects on DNA synthesis by vulvar carcinoma cells. Of the factors studied, the recently described interleukins 10 and 13 showed potent inhibition of cell growth, encouraging further investigation on the molecular mechanisms of the observed inhibition. Apoptosis does not seem to be induced in the two vulvar carcinoma cell lines by any of the cytokines studied.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗
PubMed1995

Hemodynamic control of atrial natriuretic peptide plasma levels in neonatal respiratory distress syndrome.

To evaluate the contribution of the pulmonary and ductal hemodynamics on the cardiac atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) synthesis and release in neonatal respiratory distress syndrome, serial blood samples for plasma C-terminal end, and the more stable N-terminal end (NT-proANP) of the propeptide were obtained. Simultaneous evaluation of the systolic pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) and magnitude of ductal shunting by the Doppler method were made of 37 distressed infants during the first 4 days of life. Both plasma ANP and NT-proANP rose after birth, peaked at 48 hours of age, and correlated significantly (r = 0.66; p < 0.001; n = 78) with each other. The initially high systolic PAP and, since the systemic arterial pressure (SAP) did not change, the PAP/SAP ratio declined slowly during the study period, as did the magnitude of ductal left-to-right shunting after an initial increase during the first hours after birth. Plasma NT-proANP had a positive correlation to the magnitude of ductal left-to-right shunting both during the first 2 and 4 days of life, but did not correlate with PAP, SAP, or PAP/SAP ratio during the same time periods. Eight infants with delayed closure of the ductus maintained elevated plasma NT-proANP values after the second day of life.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Atrial Natriuretic Factor↗
PubMed1994

Acute effects of synthetic surfactant replacement on pulmonary blood flow in neonatal respiratory distress syndrome.

To assess the acute effects of surfactant replacement therapy on the pulmonary blood flow in neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), 23 distressed infants were studied before and for 1 hour after either synthetic surfactant instillation (n = 13) or endotracheal suctioning (n = 10). Doppler ultrasound was used to measure blood flow velocity and flow velocity integral, representing volumetric flow, of the left pulmonary artery branch, ductal left-to-right shunt, and ascending aorta. Surfactant instillation increased the left pulmonary artery and ductal shunt flow velocity and flow velocity integral for 1 hour in 10 of 13 treated infants, whereas no change was found after endotracheal suctioning. There was a significant (P < 0.05) correlation between the changes in the pulmonary artery and ductal flow values at 1 hour after surfactant treatment. The mean increase during 1 hour after treatment in the pulmonary artery flow ranged from 15 to 25% and in the ductal left-to-right shunt from 28 to 33%. No change in the aortic flow or heart rate was found in either group. Our results thus suggest that synthetic surfactant therapy may acutely increase pulmonary blood flow and ductal left-to-right shunting in infants with RDS.

Blood Flow Velocity↗
PubMed1993

Pulmonary hemodynamics after synthetic surfactant replacement in neonatal respiratory distress syndrome.

To evaluate the acute effects of surfactant replacement therapy on pulmonary circulation in neonatal respiratory distress syndrome, we studied 25 infants before and for 1 hour after either synthetic surfactant administration (n = 15) or endotracheal suctioning (n = 10). The noninvasive Doppler method was used to estimate systolic pulmonary artery pressure from tricuspid regurgitant flow velocity and to measure blood flow velocity of the left-to-right shunt through the ductus arteriosus. Pulmonary artery pressure decreased significantly within 15 minutes after surfactant administration and remained low throughout the study period, whereas suctioning did not change pulmonary artery pressure levels. No changes in systemic pressure were found in either group. Velocity of the ductal left-to-right shunting increased and remained elevated for 1 hour only in surfactant-treated infants. In addition, right-to-left ductal shunting disappeared in four infants after surfactant administration. Our data thus indicate that administration of synthetic surfactant to infants with respiratory distress syndrome reduces pulmonary vascular resistance, resulting in a decrease in pulmonary artery pressure and an increase in ductal flow velocity.

Blood Flow Velocity↗