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Objectives: To study the association between late organ damage in patients with primary systemic vasculitis (PSV) and cigarette smoking. PSV included Wegener's granulomatosis (WG), microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS), and polyarteritis nodosa (PAN). Methods: The pattern and extent of organ damage according to the Vasculitis Damage Index (VDI) were analysed for 86 prevalent
There is evidence across several species for genetic control of phenotypic variation of complex traits(1-4), such that the variance among phenotypes is genotype dependent. Understanding genetic control of variability is important in evolutionary biology, agricultural selection programmes and human medicine, yet for complex traits, no individual genetic variants associated with variance, as opposed
The disease mechanisms underlying type 2 diabetes (T2D) remain poorly defined. Here we aimed to explore the pathophysiology of T2D by analyzing gene co-expression networks in human islets. Using partial correlation networks we identified a group of co-expressed genes ('module') including F2RL2 that was associated with glycated hemoglobin. F2Rl2 is a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that encodes p
Introduction: Complement activation is involved in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS). Autoantibodies to complement inhibitor factor H (FH), particularly in association with deletions of the gene coding for FH-related protein 1 (CFHR1), are associated with aHUS. Methods: Autoantibodies against FH, factor I (FI) and C4b-bindin
The interplay between diet and immune-parameters which could affect type 1 diabetes (T1D) pathogenesis is not sufficiently clarified. Intestinal upregulation of the activating receptor NKG2D(CD314) and its ligands is a hallmark of celiac disease (CD). However, the direct effect of gluten on NKG2D expression is not known. We studied, by FACS (lymphoid tissues) and RT-qPCR (intestine and pancreatic
Background: Feedback is one of the most significant factors for students’ development of writing skills. For feedback to be successful, however, students and teachers need a common language – a meta-language – for discussing texts. Not least because in science education such a meta-language might contribute to improve writing training and feedback-giving. Purpose: The aim of this study was to exp
Introduction: Inherited deficiencies of several complement components strongly predispose to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) while deficiencies of complement inhibitors are found in kidney diseases such as atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS). Methods: The exons of complement inhibitor genes CD46 and CFH (factor H) were fully sequenced using the Sanger method in SLE patients with nephritis
Consumption of fruits and vegetables is associated with a lower overall mortality. The aim of this study was to identify causes of death through which this association is established. More than 450,000 participants from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition study were included, of which 25,682 were reported deceased after 13 years of follow-up. Information on lifestyle,
Weight loss and physical activity have shown favorable effects on risks associated with obesity. It is therefore of interest to evaluate exercise capacity and related co-morbidities in obese patients. We present data from obese subjects evaluated by the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) before and after a 7.3 (6.1-8.2) month weight reduction program. 251 subjects completed the test at baseline (BMI 40.6 [
Aims/hypothesis Thus far, it is unclear whether lifestyle recommendations for people with diabetes should be different from those for the general public. We investigated whether the associations between lifestyle factors and mortality risk differ between individuals with and without diabetes. Methods Within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), a cohort was forme
Islet-level oxidative stress has been proposed as a trigger for type 1 diabetes (T1D), and release of cytokines by infiltrating immune cells further elevates reactive oxygen species (ROS), exacerbating beta cell duress. To identify genes/mechanisms involved with diabeto-genesis at the beta cell level, gene expression profiling and targeted follow-up studies were used to investigate islet activity
Studies have suggested that moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a reduced risk of CVD and premature mortality in individuals with diabetes mellitus. However, history of alcohol consumption has hardly been taken into account. We investigated the association between current alcohol consumption and mortality in men and women with diabetes mellitus accounting for past alcohol consumption.
Low-grade inflammation has been repeatedly associated with cardiovascular diseases but the relationship with incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) remains unclear. We explored the association between elevated plasma levels of inflammation-sensitive proteins (ISPs) and incidence of AF in a population-based cohort. Plasma levels of five ISPs (fibrinogen, haptoglobin, ceruloplasmin, α(1)-antitrypsin
Background: The TREatment of ATopic eczema (TREAT) Registry Taskforce is a collaborative international network of registries collecting data of atopic eczema (AE) patients receiving systemic and phototherapy with the common goal to provide long-term real-world data on the effectiveness, safety and cost-effectiveness of therapies. A core dataset, consisting of domains and domain items with correspo
Background: Physical activity has been proposed to be beneficial for the symptomatic control of bipolar disorder, but the duration of the effects, sex-specific mechanisms, and impact of exercise intensity are not known. Method: With an observational study design, we followed skiers and age and sex-matched non-skiers from the general population to investigate if participation in a long-distance cro
Aim: The influence of dietary carbohydrates and fats on weight gain is inconclusively understood. We studied the acute impact of these nutrients on the overall metabolic state utilizing the insulin:glucagon ratio (IGR). Methods: Following in vitro glucose and palmitate treatment, insulin and glucagon secretion from islets isolated from C57Bl/6J mice was measured. Our human in vivo study included 2
Decision-making processes for clean-up of contaminated sites are often highly complex and inherently uncertain. It depends not only on hydrological and biogeochemical site variability, but also on the associated health, environmental, economic, and social impacts of taking, or not taking, action. These variabilities suggest that a dynamic framework is required for promoting sustainable remediation
PurposeZinc has been suggested to be protective against breast cancer, but the evidence remains inconclusive. One reason for inconsistent findings in previous studies may be that zinc only influences the risk of developing certain subtypes of breast cancer. Our study is the first study assessing zinc levels in relation to the risk of different breast cancer subgroups, defined by their tumor charac
