Genetic diversity of rotavirus strains circulating in Norway before and after the introduction of rotavirus vaccination in children.

Globally, rotavirus (RV) is the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in young children under 5 years of age. Implementation of RV vaccination is expected to result in fewer cases of RV in the target population, but it is unknown if this also results in vaccine-induced virus strain replacement. Rotarix, a monovalent vaccine based on G1P[8] RV, was introduced in Norway in the children's immunization program in September 2014.

Effect of rotavirus vaccine implementation on the prevalence of coinfections with enteric viruses in Norway.

Acute gastroenteritis (AGE) is a common illness in both adults and children worldwide and is caused by several microorganisms including viruses, bacteria, and parasites. Rotavirus (RV), which is the main cause of AGE, can occur as a mixed infection with other viruses. The aim of this study is to assess the molecular epidemiology of viral enteric viruses and assess RV coinfections with other enteric viruses and their influence on disease severity before and after RV vaccine introduction in children under 5 years of age.

Rotavirus detection in bulk stool and rectal swab specimens in children with acute gastroenteritis in Norway.

Background: Bulk stool specimens are traditionally used for rotavirus detection but may be challenging to obtain from young children. Immediate and easy sampling may however be required in different situations, such as outbreak investigation.

Objectives: We assessed the diagnostic performance of rectal swabs compared to bulk stools for the detection of rotavirus by Enzyme Immunoassay (EIA) and multiplex semi-nested reverse transcription PCR (semi-nested RT-PCR) in children recruited through active hospital-based surveillance of acute gastroenteritis in Norway.

Salt-inducible kinase 1 (SIK1) is induced by gastrin and inhibits migration of gastric adenocarcinoma cells.

Salt-inducible kinase 1 (SIK1/Snf1lk) belongs to the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) family of kinases, all of which play major roles in regulating metabolism and cell growth. Recent studies have shown that reduced levels of SIK1 are associated with poor outcome in cancers, and that this involves an invasive cellular phenotype with increased metastatic potential. However, the molecular mechanism(s) regulated by SIK1 in cancer cells is not well explored.