Sinus barotrauma in diving.

Introduction: Sinus barotrauma is a common occurrence in diving and subaquatic medicine, potentially compromising dive safety. To gain a more thorough understanding of the condition, an in-depth investigation is justified.

Methods: This was a survey study.

Middle ear barotrauma in diving.

Introduction: Middle ear barotrauma (MEBt) is the most common medical complication in diving, posing a serious risk to dive safety. Given this prevalence and the continuing growth of the diving industry, a comprehensive overview of the condition is warranted.

Methods: This was a survey study.

Decompression illness (DCI) in Finland 1999-2018: Special emphasis on technical diving.

Introduction: This is the first published study on decompression illness (DCI) and its treatment in Finland. Diving conditions are demanding, as even in the summer the water temperature below 20 meters' sea/fresh water (msw/mfw) is 4-10°C. Technical diving has become more popular over the years, so the emphasis of this study was to describe DCI in technical divers and compare it with non-technical recreational divers.

The Psoriasis Risk Allele Shows Evidence of Association with Chronic or Recurrent Streptococcal Tonsillitis.

Pharyngeal tonsillitis is one of the most common upper respiratory tract infections, and group A streptococcus is the most important bacterial pathogen causing it. While most patients experience tonsillitis only rarely, a subset of patients suffers from recurrent or chronic tonsillitis or pharyngitis. The predisposing factors for recurring or chronic forms of this disease are not yet fully understood, but genetic predisposition has been suggested.

Occurrence of human bocaviruses and parvovirus 4 in solid tissues.

Human bocaviruses 1-4 (HBoV1-4) and parvovirus 4 (PARV4) are recently discovered human parvoviruses. HBoV1 is associated with respiratory infections of young children, while HBoV2-4 are enteric viruses. The clinical manifestations of PARV4 remain unknown.

[Sinusitis or rhinosinusitis?].

Acute or chronic infections of nasal and paranasal sinuses are very common. Previously a clear-cut classification based on the anatomy of nasal and paranasal sinuses was used when referring to infection of this region. When symptoms of infection or inflammation were present only within the nasal cavity, the condition was called rhinitis.

Acquisition of complement factor H is important for pathogenesis of Streptococcus pyogenes infections: evidence from bacterial in vitro survival and human genetic association.

Streptococcus pyogenes (or group A streptococcus [GAS]) is a major human pathogen causing infections, such as tonsillitis, erysipelas, and sepsis. Several GAS strains bind host complement regulator factor H (CFH) via its domain 7 and, thereby, evade complement attack and C3b-mediated opsonophagocytosis. Importance of CFH binding for survival of GAS has been poorly studied because removal of CFH from plasma or blood causes vigorous complement activation, and specific inhibitors of the interaction have not been available.

Binding of complement regulators factor H and C4b binding protein to group A streptococcal strains isolated from tonsillar tissue and blood.

Group A streptococcus (GAS) is the most common pathogen causing bacterial pharyngitis. We isolated streptococcal strains from tonsils removed from patients with tonsillar disease (n=202) and studied their ability to bind the complement regulators factor H (FH) and C4b binding protein (C4BP) using 125 I-labeled proteins. Blood isolates of GAS (n=10) were obtained from patients with bacteraemia.

Association of allergy, asthma and IgE sensitisation to adenoidectomy and infections in children.

Objective: To find out whether previous adenoidectomy is associated with asthma, allergic symptoms or allergen-specific IgE antibodies. RECRUITMENT AND METHODS: We recruited 213 paediatric patients admitted for elective tonsillectomy and 155 paediatric controls. Using a structured questionnaire, we recorded their respiratory symptoms, allergies, bronchial asthma and environmental factors.

Rhinovirus/enterovirus RNA in tonsillar tissue of children with tonsillar disease.

Background: Human rhinoviruses (HRVs) together with the closely related human enteroviruses (HEVs) cause most of the acute respiratory illnesses throughout the year. HRVs have been detected in most parts of the respiratory tract but not in pharyngeal tonsils.

Objectives: We aimed to find out whether HRVs were detectable in tonsillar tissue and if their presence correlated to the tonsillar disease.