Introducing video calls in an intensive care unit during the COVID-19 lockdown: a qualitative study.

Introduction: During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, visits to hospitals were prohibited. Therefore, new ways of communicating with relatives about and with patients were needed. This study aimed to explore experiences made with video calls in an adult ICU.

Quantitative assessment of clinical disease status in primary Sjögren's syndrome. A cross-sectional study using a new classification model.

Quantitative and qualitative assessment of the clinical disease manifestations in 41 primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) patients was performed according to a new classification model. Frequencies of subgrouped disease manifestations were as follows: 1) surface exocrine disease: 100%, 2) internal organ exocrine disease: 63%, 3) monoclonal B lymphocyte disease: 5%, 4) inflammatory vascular disease: 71%, 5) non-inflammatory vascular disease: 59%, 6) mediator induced disease: 98%. Summary scores for severity of surface exocrine disease correlated to the summary scores of all other disease manifestations (p = 0.

A new model for classification of disease manifestations in primary Sjögren's syndrome: evaluation in a retrospective long-term study.

Objectives: The clinical features of 80 patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (PSS) were revised in order to evaluate the descriptive and analytical facilities of a newly proposed model for classification of the exocrine and nonexocrine disease manifestations in PSS.

Design: Retrospective, long-term (median 7.5 years follow-up) observational, clinical study.

Increased expression of complement receptor type 1 (CR1, CD35) on human peripheral blood T lymphocytes after polyclonal activation in vitro.

The receptor for C3b and C4b--complement receptor type 1 (CR1, CD35)--is present on a variety of cell types including erythrocytes, phagocytic cells, B lymphocytes and a small subpopulation of T lymphocytes. The function of the receptor varies according to the different cell types, but on T lymphocytes the function is as yet not known. The present study concerns the influence of polyclonal stimulation on CR1-expressing T lymphocytes.

[Systemic lupus erythematosus. 2. Factors of predictive significance for survival].

Sixty-one of 173 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus followed for a mean of 13.9 years had severe infections which influenced their survival more than could be accounted for by the mortality (20 per cent) caused by the infections. Patients with infections had more SLE manifestations than patients without infections, and they died of lupus manifestations more often than patients without infections.

[Systemic lupus erythematosus. 1. Disease manifestations, infections, thrombotic episodes, causes of death and survival in a case load of 173 patients followed for 13.9 years].

One hundred and seventy-three patients had systemic lupus erythematosus according to the 1982-ARA-criteria. The mean disease duration at the time of the study was 16.4 years, and the patients were followed by three Copenhagen clinics for a mean of 13.

Complement receptor type 1 (CR1, CD35) expression on peripheral T lymphocytes: both CD4- and CD8-positive cells express CR1.

T lymphocytes from 42 healthy blood donors were examined for expression of CR1 on the cell surface using a fluorescence-activated cell sorter. The fraction of CR1-positive T lymphocytes varied in the range from 1 to 8% (median 2.4%).

Modulation of natural killer cell activity in peripheral blood by physical exercise.

The present study was designed to examine the effect of physical exercise on human natural killer (NK) cells. Six healthy volunteers underwent two different acute physical exercise tests with an interval of at least 1 week: (1) 60 min bicycle exercise at 80% of maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) and (2) 60 min back-muscle training at up to 29% of VO2max; blood samples were collected before and during the last few minutes of exercise, as well as 2 h and 24 h afterwards. The NK cell activity (lysis/fixed number of mononuclear cells) increased during bicycle exercise, dropped to a minimum 2 h later and returned to pre-exercise levels within 24 h.

Release of immune complexes bound to CR1 on erythrocytes; suramin inhibits factor I in the presence of EDTA.

An experimental model was established in order to study the release of immune complexes (IC) bound by complement C3b receptors (CR1) on human erythrocytes (RBC). Soluble tetanus toxoid anti-tetanus toxoid complexes were incubated with RBC in the presence of autologous serum at optimal conditions for binding. The RBC carrying complement-opsonized complexes were incubated with appropriate serum reagents, and it was shown that factor I was required for release of the complexes, which occurred without loss of CR1.

Erythrocyte CR1 determination using monoclonal antibody in a microtiter plate ELISA; receptors are not masked by immune complexes.

The microtiter plate ELISA using monoclonal antibody is a specific, sensitive and quantitative technique for measuring CR1 on human erythrocytes. The present investigations established that receptor occupancy by immune complexes did not affect the measurements. The monoclonal anti-CR1 antibody To5 bound unimpeded to receptors that had reacted with an excess of complement-opsonized tetanus toxoid anti-tetanus toxoid complexes prepared at antigen:antibody ratios between 32:1 and 1:8.

A microtiter plate enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for measuring C3b receptors on human erythrocytes.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was developed for quantitation of complement C3b receptors (C3bR) on human erythrocytes fixed in monolayer to microtiter plates. The disadvantages of macro test tube systems (large consumption of sample material and reagents, tedious washing procedures, cell loss and hemolysis) were avoided, and the fixed cells could be stored. In return a modest reduction in antigenicity induced by glutaraldehyde was inevitable.

Cytokines cause functional and structural damage to isolated islets of Langerhans.

Cytokines are soluble, antigen non-specific, non-immunoglobulin mediators produced and secreted by blood mononuclear cells interacting in the cellular immune-response. To test the possibility that cytokines participate in the autoimmune destruction of the pancreatic beta-cells leading to insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, isolated human or rat islets of Langerhans were incubated for 7 days with cytokine-rich, cell-free supernatants of blood mononuclear cells from healthy human donors stimulated with or without purified protein derivative of tuberculin or phytohaemagglutinin. Glucose stimulated insulin-release, and contents of insulin and glucagon in islets incubated with cytokine-rich supernatants were markedly reduced.

Detection of antibody against extractable nuclear antigen by an enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay. Results from patients with rheumatic and internal medical diseases.

Anti-ENA antibody determination by ELISA technique may offer a valuable diagnostic help in the discrimination of patients with mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) from those with other chronic inflammatory connective tissue diseases. Determination of this antibody was performed in a prospective designed investigation among 101 blood donors, 154 patients with various non-rheumatic internal medical diseases, and 229 patients with chronic inflammatory connective tissue diseases, including five patients with MCTD. A positive titre of anti-ENA antibody was found in approximately 10% of blood donors and patients with various internal medical disorders.

Lack of evidence for human lymphokines with thrombocyte aggregating activity. An in vitro study.

The ability of human lymphocytes to produce soluble mediator(s) with thrombocyte aggregating activity (TAA) was investigated in an in vitro technique. Isolated human mononuclear cells were stimulated with phytohaemagglutinin or purified protein derivative of tuberculin. The supernatants were investigated for lymphokine activity in a leucocyte migration inhibitory factor assay.

Antibodies against nuclear components in schistosomiasis. Results compared to values in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and osteoarthrosis.

Occurrence of autoantibodies against nuclear material was compared in groups of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA n = 22), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE n = 24), osteoarthrosis (OA n = 25), and chronic schistosomiasis mansoni (CSM n = 28). Anti-ds DNA antibody was detected by an ammonium sulphate precipitation radioimmunoassay antibodies against extractable nuclear antigen (ENA) were detected and differentiated in RNAse-resistant and RNAse-sensitive components (Sm and RNP antigens) with an ELISA technique. IgG organ-non-specific and granulocyte-specific antinuclear antibodies (ANA) were detected by immunofluorescence technique with quantitative titration of positive reactions and determination of complement-fixing properties.

Lymphocyte function and chromosome aberrations in patients with early mycosis fungoides and parapsoriasis en plaques.

Thirteen patients with stage I or II mycosis fungoides (MF) and 10 patients with large-plaque parapsoriasis en plaques (PEP) were examined for immunologic and cytogenetic disturbances. Total lymphocyte counts and immunoglobulin concentrations in the blood were normal. In vitro lymphocyte responses to polyclonal activators and various antigens in standard concentrations were normal.

Antibodies to SS-B in chronic inflammatory connective tissue diseases. Relationship with HLA-Dw2 and HLA-Dw3 antigens in primary Sjögren's syndrome.

SS-B antigen, purified from rabbit thymus, was used in an indirect enzyme immunoassay to demonstrate the presence of IgG-, IgA-, and IgM-type SS-B antibodies in sera from patients with well-defined and characterized chronic inflammatory connective tissue disease. High levels of antibodies to SS-B were found in patients with primary and secondary Sjögren's syndrome. Patients with Sjögren's syndrome secondary to systemic lupus erythematosus had significantly higher SS-B antibody values than patients with Sjögren's syndrome secondary to rheumatoid arthritis or patients with rheumatoid arthritis or systemic lupus erythematosus, alone.

Functional characteristics of synovial fluid and blood mononuclear cells in rheumatoid arthritis and traumatic synovitis.

The activity of blood mononuclear cells (BMC) and synovial fluid mononuclear cells (SMC) from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and traumatic synovitis (TS) was assessed by means of [14C]thymidine incorporation and production of leukocyte migration inhibitory factor (LIF). When compared with normal controls, spontaneous LIF production by BMC was found in 5 of 9 TS patients, whereas spontaneous LIF production by rheumatoid arthritis BMC and by SMC from both patient groups was infrequently seen. ConA-induced LIF production by BMC and SMC from both patient groups did not differ significantly from that of normal controls.