Objectives: To explore the cost-effectiveness of early biologic treatment, followed by dose-reduction in the case of remission, of active rheumatoid arthritis (RA), compared with standard treatment with methotrexate (MTX) in Sweden.Methods: Effectiveness (function, disease activity, erosions) in early RA for both alternatives was taken from a clinical trial comparing etanercept (ETA) combined with

Nucleotide-binding and oligomerization domain (NOD) -like receptors (NLRs) and retinoic acid-inducible gene (RIG) -like receptors (RLRs) are recently discovered cytosolic pattern-recognition receptors sensing mainly bacterial components and viral RNA, respectively. Their importance in various cells and disorders is becoming better understood, but their role in human tonsil-derived T lymphocytes re

Routine outcome assessment of prophylaxis should use validated tools, while balancing comprehensiveness and burden. Collecting overlapping information should be avoided.

AIMS: Mammographic screening reduces mortality in breast cancer. It is not known if this reduction is more pronounced in certain groups. Obesity has been associated with worse survival following breast cancer diagnosis. This study investigates BMI in relation to breast cancer mortality, and if this association is affected by invitation to mammographic screening. METHODS: In 1976, a randomised mamm

What do we know about the prevalence and the specific features of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) among subjects in forensic psychiatry and special youth centres? A clinical case series consisting of 42 subjects with ASD, recruited from three well-characterized populations in forensic psychiatry and special youth care, was used to determine: 1) the prevalence of ASD in these institutions (at leas

BACKGROUND: Knowledge of the location and size of ischemic myocardium at risk for infarction could impact prehospital patient triage and reperfusion therapy. The 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) can roughly estimate ischemia size; however, individual precordial ECG leads are at different distances from the left ventricle (LV) and certain LV walls have greater effects on the ECG. Vectorcardiographic

Exposure to high-fat diet easily promotes overeating while at the same time disrupting insulin secretion and islet function. Enterostatin is a peptide which is secreted from the pancreas in response to high-fat feeding and has been shown to inhibit fat intake as well as insulin secretion in experimental animal models. Until recently, there was no known receptor for enterostatin. In 2002, Berger an

People vary genetically in their susceptibility to the effects of environmental risk factors for many diseases. Genetic variation also underlies the extent to which people respond appropriately to clinical therapies. Defining the basis to the interactions between the genome and the environment may help elucidate the biologic basis to diseases such as type 2 diabetes, as well as help target prevent

OBJECTIVE: To study the prevalence and risk factors for vertebral fractures (VF) in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and the relation between VF, measures of disease activity, and bone mineral density (BMD) in different measurement sites. METHODS: Patients with AS (modified New York criteria) underwent examination, answered questionnaires, and gave blood samples. Lateral spine radiographs were scor

Histopathologic classification of cancer in the lung is important for choice of treatment. Cytokeratin 5 (CK5), p63, and p40 are commonly used immunohistochemical markers for squamous cell carcinoma, and napsin A (NAPA) and thyroid transcription factor 1 (TTF-1) are markers for adenocarcinoma of the lung. The aim of the present study was to evaluate these 5 markers and to compare different commerc

To study the cortical reorganization after long time exposure to hand-held vibrating tools, we investigated 10 dental technicians with sensory neuropathy after long time exposure to vibrating tools and 10 controls for cortical changes using functional magnetic resonance imaging at 3 T. The activated volumes corresponding to individual fingers in the hand area of S1 were significantly larger in the

To provide practical guidelines for the cytopathologic diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma (MM). Cytopathologists involved in the International Mesothelioma Interest Group (IMIG) and the International Academy of Cytology (IAC), who have an interest in the field contributed to this update. Reference material includes peer-reviewed publications and textbooks. This article is the result of discussion

Background: Ischemic injury to the pancreas occurs in various clinical conditions. A method for online monitoring of pathophysiological events in pancreatic parenchyma is missing. Aims: To assess the timing of microdialysis (MD) technique response on temporary changes in pancreatic perfusion, and to evaluate the relationship between MD data and systemic markers of anaerobic metabolism and inflamma

In order to evaluate the previously published association between maternal use of selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRI) and persistent pulmonary hypertension in the neonate (PPHN), we used data from the Swedish Medical Birth Register for the years 1997-2005. Infants were identified from discharge diagnoses, and maternal exposure to drugs from interviews performed in early pregnancy and f

The effect of pH on the kinetics of the bioelectrocatalytic reduction of H2O2 catalysed by horseradish peroxidase (HRP) has been studied at –50 mV vs. AgjAgCl on HRP-modified Au electrodes placed in a wall-jet flow-through electrochemical cell. Native HRP (nHRP) and a nonglycosylated recombinant form containing a six-histidine tag at the C-terminus, CHisrHRP, produced by genetic engineering of non

The immune response to factor VIII and the development of inhibitory antibodies is a complex multi-factorial process involving a variety of immune regulatory genes and cells, several of which have the potential to determine risk. A better understanding of the mechanisms involved will increase the likelihood of development of new therapeutic options for patients with hemophilia. This review summari