Publications by authors named "Johan Westin"

During the last few years, cell-free DNA (cfDNA) has emerged as a possible non-invasive biomarker for prediction of complications after lung transplantation. We previously published a proof-of-concept study using a digital droplet polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR)-based method for detection of cfDNA. In the current study, we aimed to further evaluate the potential clinical usefulness of detecting chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD) using three different ddPCR applications measuring and calculating the donor fraction (DF) of cfDNA as well as one method using the absolute amount of donor-derived cfDNA.

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Background: Community-acquired lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) is a common reason for hospitalisation. Antibiotics are frequently used while diagnostic microbiological methods are underutilised in the acute setting.

Objectives: We aimed to investigate the relative proportion of viral and bacterial infections in this patient group and explore methods for proper targeting of antimicrobial therapy.

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Background & Aims: Liver stiffness measurement (LSM) by vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE) is a non-invasive diagnostic biomarker of liver fibrosis. It is uncertain if LSM can predict risk for future liver-related outcomes in large, heterogenous populations.

Methods: This Swedish multi-centre cohort study included patients (n = 14 414) from 16 sites who underwent LSM by VCTE between 2008 and 2020.

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Detailed knowledge regarding norovirus transmission within hospitals is limited. We investigated a norovirus hospital outbreak affecting 65 patients at five different wards. PCR showed that 61 (94%) of the patients were infected with genotype II.

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Purpose: Several studies report decreased hospital admissions for acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD) during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there are no studies that compare AECOPD admissions with admissions for respiratory infections, including COVID-19. This study aimed to examine hospital admission rates for AECOPD, pneumonia, influenza, and COVID-19 among COPD patients, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Background: Effective direct-acting antiviral treatment against hepatitis C virus infection is available in many countries worldwide. Despite good treatment results, a proportion of patients does not respond to treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term prognosis and the outcome of salvage therapy, after an initial treatment failure, in a nation-wide real-life setting.

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Influenza causes seasonal epidemics of respiratory infection in all parts of the world. Manifestations of influenza range from mild upper to severe lower respiratory tract infection. Medical risk groups are defined by factors predisposing for development of severe disease and are recommended annual vaccination as a protective measure.

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Seasonal variation of viral gastroenteritis is related to weather conditions, but the relationship with the incidence of viral gastroenteritis (GE) is not fully understood. This study examined the impact of outdoor climate factors on seasonal variation in detection rates of gastroenteritis viruses, with emphasis on norovirus. Weekly detection rates of norovirus genogroup I (GI) and II (GII), rotavirus, adenovirus, astrovirus, and sapovirus were analyzed in relation to average weekly means of meteorological parameters.

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Article Synopsis
  • Population movements driven by climate changes have influenced the genetic structure of plant species, especially during glacial periods when species retreated to warmer areas.
  • A study of 5000 Picea abies trees in Scandinavia reveals two distinct genetic clusters, one from the Baltics and the other from Northern Russia, with their contact zone aligning with major climatic boundaries.
  • The research shows that natural selection played a key role in this contact zone's formation, supported by models indicating selection rather than neutrality, and evidence of genomic loci linked to environmental factors and phenological traits.
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Background: The transmission dynamics of influenza virus within healthcare settings are not fully understood. Capturing the interplay between host, viral and environmental factors is difficult using conventional research methods. Instead, system dynamic modelling may be used to illustrate the complex scenarios including non-linear relationships and multiple interactions which occur within hospitals during a seasonal influenza epidemic.

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Background: Lung transplantation (LTx) is a lifesaving procedure burdened with limited long-term survival. The most common cause of death after LTx is chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD). Today, useful biomarkers for the detection of CLAD are lacking.

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Background: The aim of this study was to compare the outcome of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in hospitalised patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with the outcome in matched COVID-19 patients without COPD.

Methods: Sixty-three COPD patients hospitalised for acute COVID-19 from March through August 2020 were retrospectively identified and 63 hospitalised COVID-19 patients without COPD were selected and matched for age, gender and month of hospital admission.

Results: COPD patients had a higher rate of comorbidities, especially cardiovascular disease, and a trend towards a higher 30-day mortality than control patients (35% vs.

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Background: The knowledge on the concentration of viral particles in exhaled breath is limited. The aim of this study was to explore if severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can be detected in aerosol from subjects with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during various types of breathing and coughing and how infection with SARS-CoV-2 may influence the number and size of exhaled aerosol particles.

Methods: We counted and collected endogenous particles in exhaled breath in subjects with COVID-19 disease by two different impaction-based methods, during 20 normal breaths, 10 airway opening breaths, and three coughs, respectively.

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Objective: Recovery time and treatment effect of oseltamivir in influenza-like illness (ILI) differs between patient groups. A point-of-care test to better predict ILI duration and identify patients who are most likely to benefit from oseltamivir treatment would aid prescribing decisions in primary care. This study aimed to investigate whether a C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration of ≥30 mg/L can predict (1) ILI disease duration, and (2) which patients are most likely to benefit from oseltamivir treatment.

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Objective: Effective infection prevention and control (IPC) measures are key for protecting patients from nosocomial infections and require knowledge of transmission mechanisms in different settings. We performed a detailed outbreak analysis of the transmission and outcome of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a geriatric ward by combining whole-genome sequencing (WGS) with epidemiological data.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

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Background: Norovirus outbreaks cause severe medico-socio-economic problems affecting healthcare workers and patients. The aim of the study was to investigate prevalence of norovirus infection and risk factors for infection in healthcare workers during nosocomial outbreaks.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of norovirus infections in healthcare workers was performed in seven outbreak wards in a large university hospital.

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Background: Chronic rejection, defined as chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD), is the major factor limiting long-term survival after lung transplantation (LTx). A specific subgroup of CLAD is restrictive allograft syndrome (RAS). CLAD's pathogenesis is largely unknown, but previous findings suggest that it is associated with increased fibrosis in the transplanted lung.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study focuses on overcoming the challenges of using diverse phenotypic data from long-lived tree species to conduct a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on Norway spruce, involving data from over 483,000 progenies from 120 field experiments and 134,605 SNPs from 5,056 parental trees.
  • - Researchers identified 55 new quantitative trait loci (QTLs), particularly related to growth stages like budburst and traits such as wood quality and frost damage; some QTLs linked to MAP3K genes showed significant pleiotropic effects.
  • - The findings suggest that existing and varied phenotypic data from long-term breeding programs can effectively inform GWAS, highlighting the potential for future genomic selection based on
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Objectives: Despite recombinant interferon-λ 4 (IFN-λ4) demonstrating anti-viral activity and the ancestral functional gene () being conserved in all other primates, there has been speculation that IFN-λ4 may be detrimental in humans. In light of recent rekindled interest in humoral immunity, this study aimed at evaluating the impact of baseline characteristics, including , on antibody levels to hepatitis C virus (HCV).

Materials And Methods: Pretreatment sera from 279 well-characterized North European Caucasians with chronic HCV genotype 2 or 3 infection having undergone liver biopsy were analyzed regarding (rs12979860) and anti-HCV antibody levels using a commercially available assay.

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Objectives: In central nervous system infections, early and correct management is of utmost importance. Rapid syndromic panel testing can potentially provide valuable guidance. The FilmArray meningitis/encephalitis (ME) panel detects 14 pathogens through multiplex PCR.

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Background: Progress in the field of evolutionary forest ecology has been hampered by the huge challenge of phenotyping trees across their ranges in their natural environments, and the limitation in high-resolution environmental information.

Findings: The GenTree Platform contains phenotypic and environmental data from 4,959 trees from 12 ecologically and economically important European forest tree species: Abies alba Mill. (silver fir), Betula pendula Roth.

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Background: In vitro studies have demonstrated that lithium has antiviral properties, but evidence from human studies is scarce. Lithium is used as a mood stabilizer to treat patients with bipolar disorder. Here, the aim was to investigate the association between lithium use and the risk of respiratory infections in patients with bipolar disorder.

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