Search results

Popular Abstract in Swedish När vi drabbas av infektioner är det immunförsvaret som ser till att de invaderande organismerna oskadliggörs. För att immunförvaret skall veta vilka organismer och celler som skall attackeras måste det kunna skilja på kroppseget och främmande. En del främmande organismer lever antingen i symbios med den egna kroppen eller så utgör de inget hot. Teoretiskt sett är mat kThe immune response is designed to protect the body from harmful microbial invasions. However, when the immune system attacks itself instead, an autoimmune reaction starts that damage our own cells, tissues and organs. Despite decades of research concerning the etiology of autoimmune diseases the molecular mechanisms of these disorders are poorly understood as they are complex and influenced by bo

Encapsulated Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and non-encapsulated H. influenzae (NTHi) are important pathogens causing invasive and mucosal infections in children. A 42 kDa surface-exposed lipoprotein, protein D, has been found to be a potential virulence factor of NTHi. The gene encoding protein D (hpd) is homologous to the glpQ gene encoding glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase in Escheri

Popular Abstract in Swedish För att skydda sig mot infektioner har människan ett välutvecklat immunförsvar. I immunförsvaret ingår många olika celler och proteiner (äggviteämnen). Till exempel finns det celler som producerar antikroppar som specifikt känner igen bakterier och virus som en människa har utsatts för vid en tidigare infektion. Det finns också speciella celler som kan fagocytera (äta uMany microorganisms have developed mechanisms to protect themselves against attack from the complement system of the host. One possible mechanism for a microorganism to evade complement attack is to bind a human complement regulator, which may allow the microorganism to down-regulate complement activation. This thesis describes studies of such interactions between human C4b-binding protein (C4BP),

Popular Abstract in Swedish Immunförsvaret är till för att bekämpa patogener såsom bakterier, virus, parasiter och svamp. Det kan också bekämpa cancerceller även om dessa har en förmåga att undkomma till slut. För att kunna känna igen och eliminera främmande kroppar måste immunförsvaret kunna skilja på dem och våra kroppsegna ämnen. Immunförsvaret består av vita blodkroppar. Vita blodkroppar är enT cells constitute a heterogenous population of lymphocytes. Their unifying property is that they express surface bound antigen-receptors, called T cell receptors (TCRs). The TCR is a heterodimer composed of either TCRalpha and beta chain proteins (alphabeta TCR) or gamma and delta chain proteins (gammadelta TCR). Depending on which TCR isotype that is expressed, the T cells are divided into alpha

Assessment of indoor air quality in terms of microbial flora is important since inhalation of air-borne microorganisms has been associated e.g. with asthma and allergy. We focus on certain unique microbial markers: muramic acid, marker of bacterial peptidoglycan/biomass; 3-hydroxy fatty acids with 10-18 carbon chains, markers of lipopolysaccharide (LPS, endotoxin) of Gram-negative bacteria; and er

The immune system is an important part of the physiology of higher organisms. In the immune system antibodies play a key role in neutralizing and clearing potentially lethal threats from the environment. The importance of antibodies in the immune system has made them come to the attention as a tool in chemistry and medicine. This thesis, which is based on four original papers, deal with antibody d

Popular Abstract in Swedish Är ledgångsreumatism en immunreaktion mot brosk? Kroppens immunförsvar bygger på ett antal olika vita blodkroppar, immunceller, som cirkulerar i blod och lymfa på spaning efter främmande och farliga "angrepp". Immuncellerna sägs svara på "angrepp", sådana immunsvar dirigeras av s k T-hjälparceller (Th-celler). Th-cellerna kommer från benmärgen, men de blir inte funktioThis thesis is based on work trying to understand the normal and pathological interactions taking place between the immune system and cartilage, specifically involving the cartilage-specific protein typ II collagen (CII). The work has been carried out in an experimental model of rheumatoid arthritis namely collagen type II induced arthritis (CIA) in mice. CIA can be triggered in mice of certain MH

Heparin-binding protein (HBP) is an inducer of vascular endothelial leakage in severe infections. Fluid accumulation into alveoli is a general finding in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Severe acute respiratory failure with ARDS is a complication of influenza A(H1N1) infection. Accordingly, we studied the HBP levels in critically ill patients with infection of influenza A(H1N1).Critica

This study aimed at describing environmental barriers in housing and functional limitations among older community-living people in Sweden, to provide knowledge of housing accessibility problems from a longitudinal perspective, and to shed some light on older people's subjective reflections on housing. Along with a study-specific questionnaire on subjective reflections on housing, the Housing Enabl

Prevotella bivia has been associated with female upper genital tract infections and an increased risk of preterm delivery. In this study, the adherence and invasion capacity of P. bivia was investigated using a cervix epithelial cell line. P. bivia was furthermore analysed for its ability to evoke a proinflammatory cytokine response in epithelial cells. The invasion capacity, defined as the number

PURPOSE: In order to increase the theoretical understanding of the concept of accessibility, this paper reports the results from an exploration of methodological difficulties inherent in systematic accessibility assessments of single persons' travel chains in urban public bus transport. In addition, Special Transport Service (STS) travellers' perception of environmental demands in public transport

Objectives To create reference values representative of normal findings on two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) transvaginal ultrasound (TVS) examination of the cervix from 17 to 41 weeks' gestation and to determine the agreement between cervical measurements taken by 2D and 3D TVS. Methods Cross-sectional study covering 17 to 41 weeks in 419 nulliparous and 360 parous women who deliver

Antimicrobial peptides produced by epithelial cells and neutrophils represent essential elements of innate immunity, and include the defensin and cathelicidin family of antimicrobial polypeptides. The human cathelicidin cationic antimicrobial protein-18 is an antimicrobial peptide precursor predominantly expressed in neutrophils, and its active peptide LL-37 is released from the precursor through

Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk) is a nonreceptor tyrosine kinase, critical for B-cell development and function. Mutations that inactivate this kinase were found in families with X-linked agammaglobulinaemia (XLA). In this study the Btk gene was analyzed in 13 registered Greek patients with XLA phenotype originated from 12 unrelated families, in order to provide a definite diagnosis of the XLA. The

Moraxella catarrhalis is an airway pathogen whose role in infection has been increasingly recognized in recent years. Most authorities in this field now agree that M. catarrhalis causes significant morbidity and is not just a harmless commensal. The universal prevalence of BRO ?-lactamases in this pathogen is a serious concern. In addition, M. catarrhalis may be further propelled into a more promi

The distribution of human papillomavirus (HPV) types in cervical cancers is essential for design and evaluation of HPV type-specific vaccines. To follow up on a previous report that HPV types 35 and 58 were the dominant HPV types in cervical neoplasia in Mozambique, the HPV types in a consecutive case series of 74 invasive cervical cancers in Mozambique were determined. The most common worldwide m

The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of borrelia serology (Quick ELISA C6 Borrelia assay kit) as a diagnostic tool in cases of suspected neuroborreliosis. A retrospective patient material consisting of 124 paired serum and cerebrospinal fluid samples with a positive anti-borrelia antibody index (AI) using the IDEIA Lyme Neuroborreliosis test was compared with 124 Al-negative matche

The CC chemokine CCL25 (TECK) is selectively expressed in the thymus and small intestine, indicating a potential role in T lymphocyte development. In the present study we examined the role of CCL25 in the generation of the small-intestinal CD8alpha alpha(+)CD3(+) intraepithelial lymphocyte (IEL) compartment. CCL25 mRNA expression in the murine small intestine increased at three weeks of age and co

Antibody-based microarray is a novel technology with great promise within high-throughput proteomics. The tremendous complexity of all proteomes will, however, pose major technological challenges, especially when targeting low-abundant analytes that remains to be resolved. In this paper, we have shown that antibody microarrays readily could be used for screening of low-abundant low molecular weigh

Background. The lipopolysaccharide of Helicobacter pylori plays an important role in colonization and pathogenicity. The present study sought to compare structural and biological features of lipopolysaccharides from gastric and enterohepatic Helicobacter spp. not previously characterized.Materials and methods. Purified lipopolysaccharides from four gastric Helicobacter spp. (H. pylori, Helicobacte