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Objectives The aim was to study blood transfusions and blood product ratios in massively transfused patients treated for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (rAAAs). Methods This was a registry based cohort study of rAAA patients repaired at three major vascular centres between 2008 and 2013. Data were collected from the Swedish Vascular Registry, hospitals medical records, and local transfusion r
The structural heterogeneity of tumor tissue can be probed by diffusion MRI (dMRI) in terms of the variance of apparent diffusivities within a voxel. However, the link between the diffusional variance and the tissue heterogeneity is not well-established. To investigate this link we test the hypothesis that diffusional variance, caused by microscopic anisotropy and isotropic heterogeneity, is assoc
Progressive supranuclear palsy and Parkinson's disease have distinct underlying neuropathology, but both diseases affect cognitive function in addition to causing a movement disorder. They impair response inhibition and may lead to impulsivity, which can occur even in the presence of profound akinesia and rigidity. The current study examined the mechanisms of cognitive impairments underlying disin
BACKGROUND: Although the association between cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG) repeat length and age at onset of Huntington's disease is well known, improved prediction of onset would be advantageous for clinical trial design and prognostic counselling. We compared various measures for tracking progression and predicting conversion to manifest Huntington's disease.METHODS: In this prospective observa
BACKGROUND: Parkinson's disease is typically treated with oral dopamine replacement therapies; however, long-term treatment leads to motor complications and, occasionally, impulse control disorders caused by intermittent stimulation of dopamine receptors and off-target effects, respectively. We aimed to assess the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of bilateral, intrastriatal delivery of ProSavin,
Background: Familial prostate cancer risk estimates are inflated by clinically insignificant low-risk cancer, diagnosed after prostate-specific antigen testing. We provide age-specific probabilities of non-low- and high-risk prostate cancer. Methods: Fifty-one thousand, eight hundred ninety-seven brothers of 32 807 men with prostate cancer were identified in Prostate Cancer data Base Sweden (PCBaS
The effect of the procedural variability in image acquisition on the quantitative assessment of bone scan is unknown. Here, we have developed and performed preanalytical studies to assess the impact of the variability in scanning speed and in vendor-specific γ-camera on reproducibility and accuracy of the automated bone scan index (BSI). Methods: Two separate preanalytical studies were performed:
Background High parity has been suggested to increase risk of maternal cardiovascular disease independent of body mass index measured after childbearing. Pregnancy is, however, associated with persistent weight gain and metabolic changes that, independent of parity, increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. It could therefore be questioned if high parity independently increases the risk of card
BACKGROUND: Suggestive interventions such as hypnosis and therapeutic suggestions are frequently used to alleviate surgical side effects; however, the effectiveness of therapeutic suggestion intervention has not yet been systematically evaluated. In the present study, we tested the hypotheses that (1) suggestive interventions are useful for reducing postoperative side effects; (2) therapeutic sugg
The adrenal-derived hormones dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfate (DHEAS) are the most abundant circulating hormones and their levels decline substantially with age. DHEAS is considered an inactive precursor, which is converted into androgens and estrogens via local metabolism in peripheral target tissues. The predictive value of serum DHEAS for fracture risk is unknown. The aim of this s
BACKGROUND: Autonomic disorders of the cardiovascular system, such as orthostatic hypotension and elevated resting heart rate, predict mortality and cardiovascular events in the population. Low-energy-fractures constitute a substantial clinical problem that may represent an additional risk related to such autonomic dysfunction.AIMS: To test the association between orthostatic hypotension, resting
Background: Podocalyxin-like 1 (PODXL) is a cell-adhesion glycoprotein and stem cell marker that has been associated with an aggressive tumour phenotype and adverse outcome in several cancer types. We recently demonstrated that overexpression of PODXL is an independent factor of poor prognosis in colorectal cancer (CRC). The aim of this study was to validate these results in two additional indepen
BACKGROUND: Hemostatic disorders are common in obstetric complications. Thromboelastography (TEG (R)) simultaneously measures coagulation and fibrinolysis within 10 to 20 minutes. Our primary aim in this prospective longitudinal study was to obtain knowledge about physiological changes in TEG (R) variables during normal pregnancy and 8 weeks postpartum. The secondary aims were to compare TEG (R) v
The complement system, a part of the innate immune system with several links to the adaptive immune system, plays an important role in the pathogenesis of many diseases. The purpose of this thesis was to document and clarify some of these mechanisms. The thesis is based on four papers (I-IV). (I and II) Autoantibodies to the C3 cleaving enzyme complex of the alternative pathway, C3 nephritic facto
Objective: Transcatheter valve-in-valve implantation has emerged as an option, in addition to reoperative surgical aortic valve replacement, to treat failed biologic heart valve substitutes. However, the clinical experience with this approach is still limited. We report the comprehensive experience of transcatheter valve-in-valve implantation in the Nordic countries from May 2008 to January 2012.
BACKGROUND: Certain immune-mediated diseases (IMDs), such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus, have been linked to cardiovascular disorders. We examined whether there is an association between 32 different IMDs and risk of subsequent hospitalization for coronary heart disease (CHD) related to coronary atherosclerosis in a nationwide follow up study in Sweden. METHODS AND FIND
Background: Although omic-based discovery approaches can provide powerful tools for biomarker identification, several reservations have been raised regarding the clinical applicability of gene expression studies, such as their prohibitive cost. However, the limited availability of antibodies is a key barrier to the development of a lower cost alternative, namely a discrete collection of immunohist
Background The two main functional goals of postural control are postural stability (balance) and postural orientation. Postural orientation is the ability to maintain alignment between body segments and the environment during a static or dynamic activity. Nae et al. have evaluated the measurement properties of a clinical test battery for assessing postural orientation errors (POEs) in patients wi
Climate change will alter the hydrological cycle in the 21st century with implications for the water balance and water quality. As characteristics of the landscape may vary significantly between nearby locations, hydrological models need to be able to delineate responses attributed to specific landscape characteristics, to estimate their responses to altered climatic drivers. Small streams are the
