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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by chronic inflammation of the airways. In the majority of cases, the inflammation is triggered by tobacco smoke. Smoking also affects the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), protecting against ulcerative colitis (UC) and promoting development of Crohn's disease (CD). The present study was undertaken to investigate occurre

Blood vessels and adjacent cells form perivascular stem cell niches in adult tissues. In this perivascular niche, a stem cell with mesenchymal characteristics was recently identified in some adult somatic tissues. These cells are pericytes that line the microvasculature, express mesenchymal markers and differentiate into mesodermal lineages but might even have the capacity to generate tissue-speci

The incidence of the most common fracture types in Iceland is reported based on individual data from the Reykjavik Study 1967-2008. Time trend is reported for the major osteoporotic fractures (MOS) 1989-2008. This study aims to assess the incidence of all fractures in Iceland, with emphasis on the rate of hip fractures, and compare the incidence with other populations as well as examine the secula

Background-The number of circulating blood monocytes impacts atherosclerotic lesion size, and in mouse models, elevated levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol suppress blood monocyte counts and atherosclerosis. We hypothesized that individuals with mild renal dysfunction at increased cardiovascular risk would have reduced high-density lipoprotein levels, high blood monocyte counts, and acc

The phosphatase and actin regulator 1 (PHACTR1) locus is a very commonly identified hit in genome-wide association studies investigating coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction (MI). However, the function of PHACTR1 in the heart is still unknown. We characterized the mechanisms regulating Phactr1 expression in the heart, used adenoviral gene delivery to investigate the effects of Phactr1

When energy is needed, white adipose tissue (WAT) provides fatty acids (FAs) for use in peripheral tissues via stimulation of fat cell lipolysis. FAs have been postulated to play a critical role in the development of obesity-induced insulin resistance, a major risk factor for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. However, whether and how chronic inhibition of fat mobilization from WAT modulates ins

Background Stroke is a serious vascular disorder that comprises intracerebral hemorrhages, subarachnoid hemorrhages and ischemic stroke (IS). The etiology of stroke, including hereditary components induced by cellular mechanisms, is therefore a research field of vital importance. The aim of this thesis was to assess possible genetic impact on stroke risk. We thus evaluated family history of strok

Background: Genetic factors seem to be of greater importance in prostate cancer than in other forms of cancer. Studies have suggested familial concordance in survival, but the extent to which that is due to tumor characteristics is not known. Objective: We hypothesized that a brother of an index case with prostate cancer is at particularly increased risk of prostate cancer with the same tumor diff

Epigenetics may play a role in the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes (T2D), and increased DNA methylation of the metabolic master regulator peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha (PPARGC1A) has been reported in muscle and pancreatic islets from T2D patients and in muscle from individuals at risk of T2D. This study aimed to investigate DNA promoter methylation and gen

Background: Postprandial lipaemia varies with gender and the composition of dietary fat due to the partitioning of fatty acids between beta-oxidation and incorporation into triacylglycerols (TAGs). Increasing evidence highlights the importance of postprandial measurements to evaluate atherogenic risk. Postprandial effects of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) in women are poorly characterized. We therefor

Objective . Intestinal ischaemia is a life-threatening condition with high mortality, and the lack of accurate and readily available diagnostic methods often results in delay in diagnosis and treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate the accuracy of different plasma biomarkers in diagnosing intestinal ischaemia. Material and methods . Prospective inclusion of patients older than 50 years

Objective: To analyse if predictors of radiographic progression differ between patients treated with or without prednisolone in early rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Radiographs of hands and feet were assessed using the modified Sharp/van der Heijde score and radiographic progression was defined as an increase in the total Sharp score above 5.8 (the smallest detectable change). Design: Prospective, ran