Antibody response to the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine after conjugate vaccine in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

The 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23) given alone is ineffective in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and better antibody response is achieved with pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs). In this study, we determine whether CLL patients would achieve a significant antibody response and broaden their serotype coverage against invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) with PPV23 given five years after the 7-valent conjugate vaccine (PCV7). A total of 24 patients with CLL and eight controls were vaccinated with PPV23 five years after PCV7.

Age- and gender-specific incidence of new asthma diagnosis from childhood to late adulthood.

Background: Asthma is currently divided into different phenotypes, with age at onset as a relevant differentiating factor. In addition, asthma with onset in adulthood seems to have a poorer prognosis, but studies investigating age-specific incidence of asthma with a wide age span are scarce.

Objective: To evaluate incidence of asthma diagnosis at different ages and differences between child- and adult-diagnosed asthma in a large population-based study, with gender-specific analyzes included.

Hierarchical clustering in evaluating inflammatory upper airway phenotypes; increased symptoms in adults with allergic multimorbidity.

Background: Inflammatory upper airway diseases cause significant morbidity. They include phenotypes with different treatment; allergic or non-allergic rhinitis (AR, nAR), and chronic rhinosinusitis with or without nasal polyps (CRSwNP, CRSsNP). In clinical practice, these phenotypes are often difficult to distinguish and may overlap.

Pregnancy outcome in women after total hip replacement: A population-based study.

Objective: Only a few small studies have been published on pregnancies after total hip replacement (THR), and they have reported no adverse pregnancy outcomes after THR. The aim of our study was to evaluate whether maternal THR affects pregnancy outcomes on a population-based level.

Study Design: Data for this nationwide register-based cohort study have been collected from four national registries in Finland from 1980 to 2007.

Poor long-term outcome in acute coronary syndrome in a real-life setting: Ten-year outcome of the TACOS study.

Background: Long-term outcome of the three categories of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in real-life patient cohorts is not well known. The objective of this study was to survey the 10-year outcome of an ACS patient cohort admitted to a university hospital and to explore factors affecting the outcome.

Methods: A total of 1188 consecutive patients (median age 73 years) with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) or unstable angina pectoris (UA) in 2002-2003 were included and followed up for ≥ 10 years.

The incidence of chronic subdural hematomas from 1990 to 2015 in a defined Finnish population.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the population-based epidemiology of chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) over a 26-year period.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted of all adult patients (≥ 18 years and residents of Pirkanmaa [Finland]) with a diagnosis of CSDH between 1990 and 2015. The cases were identified using ICD codes.

Bioactive glass ions induce efficient osteogenic differentiation of human adipose stem cells encapsulated in gellan gum and collagen type I hydrogels.

Background: Due to unmet need for bone augmentation, our aim was to promote osteogenic differentiation of human adipose stem cells (hASCs) encapsulated in gellan gum (GG) or collagen type I (COL) hydrogels with bioactive glass (experimental glass 2-06 of composition [wt-%]: NaO 12.1, KO 14.0, CaO 19.

Adverse influence of bisoprolol on central blood pressure in the upright position: a double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over study.

Treatment with beta-blockers is characterized by inferior reduction of central versus peripheral blood pressure. We examined changes in blood pressure, cardiac function, and vascular resistance after 3 weeks of bisoprolol treatment (5 mg/day) during passive head-up tilt in 16 never-treated Caucasian males with grade I-II primary hypertension. A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled cross-over design was applied, and hemodynamics were recorded using continuous tonometric pulse wave analysis and whole-body impedance cardiography.

Diabetics have Inferior Long-Term Survival and Quality of Life after CABG.

A prevalence of diabetes is increasing among the patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Data on whether health-related quality of life improves similarly after CABG in diabetics and nondiabetics are limited. We assessed long-term mortality and changes in quality of life (RAND-36 Health Survey) after CABG.

Combination of Treatments With or Without Surgery in Localized Provoked Vulvodynia: Outcomes After Three Years of Follow-Up.

Most vulvodynia patients receive combinations of several treatment modalities for their chronic painful condition. If conservative treatments fail, vestibulectomy is considered to be the ultimate treatment option for localized provoked vulvodynia (LPV). The aim of this descriptive study was to analyze relief of pain, quality of life (QoL), and complications associated with combining surgery with conservative treatments among LPV patients, both in short term and after 3 years of follow-up.

Rhinoviruses in infancy and risk of immunoglobulin E sensitization.

Previous data about the role of viruses in the development of allergic immunoglobulin E (IgE) sensitization are contradictory. The aim of this study was to determine the possible associations between exposure to different viruses (rhinovirus, enterovirus, norovirus, and parechovirus) during the first year of life and IgE sensitization. Viruses were analyzed from stool samples collected monthly from infants participating in a prospective birth cohort study.

The Phenotype of Celiac Disease Has Low Concordance between Siblings, Despite a Similar Distribution of HLA Haplotypes.

The factors determining the presentation of celiac disease are unclear. We investigated the phenotypic concordance and the distribution of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) risk haplotypes in affected siblings. One hundred sibling pairs were included.

Development of a coping model for work-related fear among staff working in emergency department in Finland - study for nursing and medical staff.

The emergency department is a workplace where the staff regularly encounter new challenges and factors that can cause fear. The aim of this study was to describe coping with work-related fear among emergency department staff. The study explains the current coping methods of emergency department staff and the requirement for support as well as the availability of support.

Prehospital on-scene anaesthetist treating severe traumatic brain injury patients is associated with lower mortality and better neurological outcome.

Background: Patients with isolated traumatic brain injury (TBI) are likely to benefit from effective prehospital care to prevent secondary brain injury. Only a few studies have focused on the impact of advanced interventions in TBI patients by prehospital physicians. The primary end-point of this study was to assess the possible effect of an on-scene anaesthetist on mortality of TBI patients.

A Cognitive Behavioural Intervention Programme to Improve Psychological Well-Being.

Psychosocial risk factors have increased in today's work environment, and they threaten work ability. Good workplace atmosphere, psychosocial support, the ability to cope with stress, and skills and knowledge are all connected to more successful coping. Faster changes in the work environment and an increased workload can lead to a chain of fatigue and illness.

Serology-based criteria for adult coeliac disease have excellent accuracy across the range of pre-test probabilities.

Background: The revised paediatric criteria for coeliac disease allow omission of duodenal biopsies in symptomatic children who have specific serology and coeliac disease-associated genetics. It remains unclear whether this approach is also applicable for adults with various clinical presentations.

Aim: To evaluate the accuracy of serology-based criteria in adults with variable pre-test probabilities for coeliac disease.

Comparison of visual assessment and computer image analysis of intracoronary thrombus type by optical coherence tomography.

Background: Analysis of intracoronary thrombus type by optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging is highly subjective. We aimed to compare a newly developed image analysis method to subjective visual classification of thrombus type identified by OCT.

Methods: Thirty patients with acute ST elevation myocardial infarction were included.

Small-intestinal TG2-specific plasma cells at different stages of coeliac disease.

Background: In coeliac disease, ingestion of gluten induces the production of transglutaminase 2 (TG2)-targeted autoantibodies by TG2-specific plasma cells present at high frequency in the small intestinal mucosa in untreated disease. During treatment with a gluten-free diet (GFD), the number of these cells decreases considerably. It has not been previously investigated whether the cells are also present prior to development of villous atrophy, or in non-responsive patients and those with dietary lapses.

High plasma resistin associates with severe acute kidney injury in Puumala hantavirus infection.

Background: Puumala hantavirus (PUUV) infected patients typically suffer from acute kidney injury (AKI). Adipokines have inflammation modulating functions in acute diseases including AKI. We examined plasma levels of three adipokines (resistin, leptin, and adiponectin) in acute PUUV infection and their associations with disease severity.

Novel electrocardiographic features in carriers of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy causing sarcomeric mutations.

Objectives: The sensitivity and specificity of the conventional 12-lead ECG to identify carriers of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) - causing mutations without left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) has been limited. We assessed the ability of novel electrocardiographic parameters to improve the detection of HCM mutation carriers.

Methods: We studied 140 carriers (G+) of the TPM1-Asp175Asn or MYBPC3-Gln1061X pathogenic variants for HCM: The G+/LVH+ group (n = 98) consisted of mutation carriers with LVH and the G+/LVH- group (n = 42) without LVH.

Characteristics and Outcomes of 79 Patients with an Insulinoma: A Nationwide Retrospective Study in Finland.

Objective: Insulinomas are rare pancreatic tumours. Population-based data on their incidence, clinical picture, diagnosis, and treatment are almost nonexistent. The aim of this study was to clarify these aspects in a nationwide cohort of insulinoma patients diagnosed during three decades.

Impact of lower urinary tract symptoms on mortality: a 21-year follow-up among middle-aged and elderly Finnish men.

Background: The usefulness of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) as mortality risk factors remains unclear. Repeated assessments are required to take into account symptom fluctuation and de novo symptom appearance. The study objective was to evaluate mortality in relation to three urinary storage symptoms-urgency, daytime frequency, and nocturia-in middle-aged and elderly men, considering also other time-varying factors during follow-up.

The prevalence of otitis media in 2-3 year old Cameroonian children estimated by tympanometry.

Background: Acute otitis media is a common illness in children under-five years of age and associated with major health care resources in high-income countries. However, there is paucity of data on its epidemiology and clinical presentation in low-income countries. We estimated the prevalence of otitis media and assessed risk factors among children in Cameroon.

Long-term functional outcome after restorative proctocolectomy: a cross-sectional study.

Objective: Restorative proctocolectomy is the procedure of choice in the surgical treatment of ulcerative colitis. Functional outcome is the key result of surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long term-functional outcome after the procedure.