Publications by authors named "Helena Ekoff"

Article Synopsis
  • Neutrophilic calprotectin (CP), myeloperoxidase (MPO), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), and eosinophil-derived neurotoxin (EDN) are potential markers for gut inflammation, but data supporting MPO, NGAL, and EDN is lacking.
  • A study involving adult patients assessed these markers in fecal and serum samples to distinguish between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), finding significant differences in protein concentrations.
  • Results indicated that fecal MPO and serum NGAL are effective biomarkers for differentiating IBD from IBS, with MPO showing the highest sensitivity and specificity, while serum NGAL was able to predict
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IgG anti-integrin αvβ6 autoantibodies (IgG anti-αvβ6) have been described as highly sensitive and specific markers of ulcerative colitis (UC) in the sera of Japanese inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of IgG anti-αvβ6 as a biomarker in Swedish patients with IBD or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The study included adult UC (n = 59), Crohn’s disease (CD, n = 38), and IBS patients (n = 100).

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Background: Eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP) is associated with airway inflammation and asthma. However, the clinical value of measuring ECP in childhood asthma is not fully known. We aimed to study the diagnostic performance of serum ECP and other common asthma biomarkers, individually and in combinations.

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Our aim is to assess the efficacy of fecal calprotectin (fCP) and fecal eosinophil-derived neurotoxin (fEDN) as diagnostic markers of cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA) and for monitoring the infants' response to a non-IgE mediated cow's milk protein (CMP)-free diet. We prospectively recruited infants aged 0 to 9 months. Stool samples were taken from 30 infants with CMPA, 19 with mild functional gastrointestinal disorders, 28 healthy infants, and 28 children who presented mild infections.

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Reference values of fecal calprotectin (fCP) have not been convincingly established in children. We aimed to investigate fCP concentrations in a larger population of healthy children aged 4-16 years to analyze more in depth the behavior of fCP in this age range and to determine if cut-off levels could be conclusively recommended. A prospective study was conducted to investigate fCP concentrations of healthy children aged 4-16 years.

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Background: Eosinophil Derived Neurotoxin (EDN) is an eosinophil granule protein that is released during eosinophil activation. EDN has proven to be a promising marker for eosinophilic inflammation both in asthma and in wheezing symptoms in children.

Objectives: Here we present a novel ImmunoCAP automated immunofluorescence research assay for measurement of EDN and its potential use in diagnosis of asthmatic children.

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Background: Specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) sensitization to wheat is more common than a doctor's confirmed wheat allergy and is also frequently observed in grass pollen-allergic patients (pollinosis patients). Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the level and feature of serological IgE cross-reactivity between grass pollen and wheat in a cohort of pollinosis subjects with no diagnosis of wheat allergy.

Methods: Seventy-two children, aged 5-17 years, with a doctor's diagnosis of pollinosis, IgE towards grass pollen, and currently eating wheat were recruited.

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