Publications by authors named "Janne Bjorkander"

Background: Immunoglobulin G subclass deficiencies (IgGsd) comprise a wide clinical spectrum from no symptoms to repeated respiratory infections and risk for the development of lung damage. Our aims were to investigate whether the immunological phenotype of IgGsd patients on and off immunoglobulin replacement therapy (IgRT) was reflected in the clinical features of IgGsd.

Method: Thirty patients with IgGsd were included in this prospective study of 18 months of IgRT, followed by 7-18 months of IgRT discontinuation.

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Introduction: There is a need to evaluate the safety and efficacy of intralymphatic immunotherapy (ILIT) for inducing tolerance in patients with allergic rhinitis.

Methods: Thirty-seven patients with seasonal allergic symptoms to birch and grass pollen and skin prick test >3 mm and/or IgE to birch and timothy >0.35 kU/L were randomized to either ILIT, with three doses of 0.

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Introduction: There is a need for a fast, efficient and safe way to induce tolerance in patients with severe allergic rhinitis. Intralymphatic immune therapy has been shown to be effective.

Methods: Patients with severe birch and timothy allergy were randomized and received three doses of 0.

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Article Synopsis
  • Individuals with immunoglobulin G deficiency (IgGsd) commonly experience higher levels of fatigue and lower quality of life compared to healthy individuals, and this fatigue is linked to the necessity for immunoglobulin replacement therapy (IgRT).
  • The study assessed 35 IgGsd patients and 32 controls through various questionnaires and analysis of 92 inflammatory markers in plasma, revealing significant dysregulation of 25 inflammatory factors in IgGsd patients.
  • Results suggest that low-grade systemic inflammation may drive fatigue in these individuals and highlight the importance of considering fatigue levels when deciding on IgRT treatment.
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Article Synopsis
  • An amendment to the original paper has been released.
  • The amendment contains updates or clarifications to the original content.
  • Readers can access the amendment through the original article link.
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Background: Genomic medicine has paved the way for identifying biomarkers and therapeutically actionable targets for complex diseases, but is complicated by the involvement of thousands of variably expressed genes across multiple cell types. Single-cell RNA-sequencing study (scRNA-seq) allows the characterization of such complex changes in whole organs.

Methods: The study is based on applying network tools to organize and analyze scRNA-seq data from a mouse model of arthritis and human rheumatoid arthritis, in order to find diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

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Aim: Advances in technology generate new opportunities to develop e-health tools to help individuals in self-management by assessing symptoms of illness and its relation to treatments. Self-management is central when living with primary immunodeficiency diseases. The aim was to explore the experiences of people living with primary immunodeficiency, who used a pilot version of the web-based health diary.

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Background: Immunoglobulin G subclass deficiencies (IgGsd) are associated with recurrent respiratory tract infections. Immunoglobulin substitution therapy may be needed to prevent chronic lung tissue damage but tools for identifying the patients that will benefit from this treatment are still insufficient. Some FcγR polymorphisms seem to predispose for an increased risk for infections.

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Background: Health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) is impaired in patients with hereditary angioedema (HAE) but has not yet been satisfactorily described.

Objective: To study HR-QoL in patients with HAE by combining different HR-QoL instruments with disease activity assessment.

Methods: All adults in the Swedish HAE registry were invited to take part in this questionnaire study, which used the generic HR-QoL instruments, EuroQol 5 Dimensions 5 Level (EQ-5D-5L) and the RAND Corporation Short Form 36 (RAND-36), the disease-specific Angioedema Quality of Life instrument (AE-QoL), the recently introduced Angioedema Activity Score (AAS) form, and questionnaires on sick leave and prophylactic medication.

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Specific immunotherapy (SIT) reverses the symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) in most patients. Recent studies report type I interferons shifting the balance between type I T helper cell (Th1) and type II T helper cells (Th2) towards Th2 dominance by inhibiting the differentiation of naive T cells into Th1 cells. As SIT is thought to cause a shift towards Th1 dominance, we hypothesized that SIT would alter interferon type I signaling.

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Bee and wasp stings can cause allergic reactions. Although the local reactions are more frequent, anaphylaxis due to insect stings can be potentially fatal. Rapid recognition of anaphylaxis is therefore critical and reactions should immediately be treated with i.

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Aim: Few studies have been published on children with hereditary angioedema (HAE), an autosomal dominant disease caused by mutations on chromosome 11. This study explored various aspects of the disease in the Swedish paediatric population.

Methods: A retrospective questionnaire was sent to all 36 Swedish children known to have HAE, and a physician carried out follow-up telephone interviews.

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Early regulators of disease may increase understanding of disease mechanisms and serve as markers for presymptomatic diagnosis and treatment. However, early regulators are difficult to identify because patients generally present after they are symptomatic. We hypothesized that early regulators of T cell-associated diseases could be found by identifying upstream transcription factors (TFs) in T cell differentiation and by prioritizing hub TFs that were enriched for disease-associated polymorphisms.

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Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is rare, disabling and sometimes life-threatening. The aim of this study is to describe its prevalence, symptomatology and treatment in Sweden. A total of 146 patients were identified; 110 adults and 36 children with HAE type I (n = 136) or II (n = 10), giving a minimal HAE prevalence of 1.

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Background: Primary immune deficiency (PID) due to humoral defects is associated with recurrent respiratory tract infections (RTIs). Reliable clinical warning signs of PID would facilitate early diagnosis and thereby reduce long-term complications. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the accuracy of the warning sign, 'four or more antibiotic-treated RTIs annually for 3 or more consecutive years,' for detecting PID among adults in a primary health-care setting.

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Hereditary angioedema (HAE) due to C1 inhibitor deficiency is a rare disease characterized by attacks of edema, known to impact quality of life (QoL). This study investigates the burden of HAE in Swedish patients, both children and adults. We used a retrospective registry study of Swedish patients with HAE, captured by the Sweha-Reg census.

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Intermittent allergic rhinitis (IAR) is a common allergic disease, which is associated with local infiltration of T cells, eosinophils, and basophils. However, changes of circulating inflammatory cells may reflect local and systemic allergic inflammation and potentially, also the response to treatment with glucocorticoids (GCs). In this study, we comprehensively profiled peripheral blood immune cells and subsets from 12 patients with IAR during the birch pollen season before and after GC treatment and nine healthy controls by flow cytometry.

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Background: Hereditary angioedema is characterized by recurrent attacks of angioedema of the skin, larynx, and gastrointestinal tract. Bradykinin is the key mediator of symptoms. Icatibant is a selective bradykinin B2 receptor antagonist.

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Background: We published the Canadian 2003 International Consensus Algorithm for the Diagnosis, Therapy, and Management of Hereditary Angioedema (HAE; C1 inhibitor [C1-INH] deficiency) and updated this as Hereditary angioedema: a current state-of-the-art review: Canadian Hungarian 2007 International Consensus Algorithm for the Diagnosis, Therapy, and Management of Hereditary Angioedema.

Objective: To update the International Consensus Algorithm for the Diagnosis, Therapy and Management of Hereditary Angioedema (circa 2010).

Methods: The Canadian Hereditary Angioedema Network (CHAEN)/Réseau Canadien d'angioédème héréditaire (RCAH) http://www.

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Hereditary angioedema (C1 inhibitor deficiency, HAE) is associated with intermittent swellings which are disabling and may be fatal. Effective treatments are available and these are most useful when given early in the course of the swelling. The requirement to attend a medical facility for parenteral treatment results in delays.

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Objectives: Exposure to metalworking fluids is known to cause mucous membrane inflammation of the airways. In this case report, the authors attempted to identify responsible components in the metalworking fluids for the rhinitis of an exposed patient.

Methods: The patient underwent two provocation tests.

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The European Common Variable Immunodeficiency Disorders registry was started in 1996 to define distinct clinical phenotypes and determine overlap within individual patients. A total of 7 centers contributed patient data, resulting in the largest cohort yet reported. Patients (334), validated for the diagnosis, were followed for an average of 25.

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Background: The importance of acquiring comprehensive epidemiological and clinical data on hereditary angioedema has increasingly caught the attention of physicians and scientists around the world. The development of networks and creation of comprehensive policies to improve care of people suffering from rare diseases, such as hereditary angioedema, is a stated top priority of the European Union. Hereditary angioedema is a rare disease, that it may be life-threatening.

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