Publications by authors named "Johanna Hirvonen"

Article Synopsis
  • 2'-fucosyllactose (2'-FL) in human milk promotes gut health and immune development in infants, while Bi-26™ is a beneficial bacterium found in breastfed infants.
  • The study used piglets to test the effects of 2'-FL and Bi-26™ on immune development, with results showing increased levels of certain cytokines in the serum of piglets receiving 2'-FL compared to those that did not.
  • Findings suggest that 2'-FL enhances cytokine responses without altering immune cell populations and that Bi-26™ can moderate the pro-inflammatory response in immune cells stimulated by LPS.
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3-Fucosyllactose (3-FL) is one of the most abundant fucosylated oligosaccharides in human breast milk and is an approved infant formula ingredient world-wide. 3-FL functions as a prebiotic to promote early microbial colonization of the gut, increase pathogen resistance and modulate immune responses. To investigate safety and potential gut microbiota effects, 3-FL was fed for 21-days to farm piglets beginning on Postnatal Day (PND) 2.

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Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) shape the developing infant gut microbiota. In this study, a semi-continuous colon simulator was used to evaluate the effect of 2 HMOs-2'-fucosyllactose (2'-FL) and 3-fucosyllactose (3-FL)-on the composition of infant faecal microbiota and microbial metabolites. The simulations were performed with and without a probiotic subspecies Bi-26 (Bi-26) and compared with a control that lacked an additional carbon source.

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Development of the gut-brain axis during early-life is an important contributor of brain structural and functional development. Human milk oligosaccharides and gut microbiota have potential beneficial effects on various aspects of development; however, the effects of 2'-fucosyllactose (2'-FL) and subsp. Bi-26 (Bi-26) administration during infancy separately and combined are still not clear.

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Human milk is rich in oligosaccharides that influence intestinal development and serve as prebiotics for the infant gut microbiota. Probiotics and 2'-fucosyllactose (2'-FL) added individually to infant formula have been shown to influence infant development, but less is known about the effects of their synbiotic administration. Herein, the impact of formula supplementation with 2'-fucosyllactose (2'-FL) and subsp.

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Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), the third largest solid fraction in human milk, can modulate inflammation through Toll-like receptor signaling, but little is known about their immunomodulatory potential in the oral cavity. In this study, we determined whether the HMOs 2'-fucosyllactose (2'-FL) and 3-fucosyllactose (3-FL) regulate human-beta defensin (hBD)-2 and -3, cathelicidin (hCAP18/LL-37), and cytokine responses in human gingival cells using a three-dimensional oral mucosal culture model. The model was incubated with 0.

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Prebiotic human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are found in human milk, which are not digested by infants but are metabolized by beneficial gut bacteria. We determined the ability of 57 bacterial strains within the Family Lactobacillaceae and genera and and potentially pathogenic bacteria to ferment the HMOs 2'-fucosyllactose, 3-fucosyllactose, and difucosyllactose. In addition, prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), lactose, fucose, and glucose were evaluated as carbon sources for these bacterial strains.

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Phytase is commonly used as a feed enzyme in monogastric animals to increase the bioavailability of phytate phosphorus and other nutrients. The accumulation of -inositol phosphate intermediates during phytate degradation in various segments of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of spp.

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Article Synopsis
  • Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), particularly 2'-fucosyllactose (2'-FL), influence the gut microbiota of infants by serving as a fermentable energy source.
  • A study using a colon simulator compared the effects of 2'-FL with galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS) and lactose, analyzing how these sources affect the microbiota in breast-fed and formula-fed infants based on fermentation rates.
  • Results showed that 2'-FL led to significant increases in Firmicutes and variations in other bacterial groups, producing short-chain fatty acids and lactic acid in intermediate levels, highlighting its unique role compared to GOS and lactose in shaping the microbial community.
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Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) function as prebiotics for beneficial bacteria in the developing gut, often dominated by Bifidobacterium spp. To understand the relationship between bifidobacteria utilizing HMOs and how the metabolites that are produced could affect the host, we analyzed the metabolism of HMO 2'-fucosyllactose (2'-FL) in Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis Bi-26.

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Properly functioning adipose tissue is essential for normal insulin sensitivity of the body. When mice are kept on high-fat diet (HFD), adipose tissue expands, adipocytes increase in size and number, and the mice become obese. Many of these changes are mediated by the nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), the activity of which is regulated by multiple posttranslational modifications, including SUMOylation.

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Estrogen-related receptor γ (ERRγ) is an orphan nuclear receptor lacking identified natural ligands. The synthetic estrogen receptor ligands 4-hydroxytamoxifen and diethylstilbestrol have, however, been shown to bind to and abolish the constitutive transcriptional activity of ERRγ. Certain phytoestrogens were recently reported to act as agonists of the related ERRα.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to assess how waiting times for total knee replacement affect patients' health-related quality of life (HRQoL), knee pain, physical function, and medication costs.
  • 438 patients were divided into two groups: one with a short waiting time (≤ 3 months) and another with a nonfixed waiting time (> 3 months), and their outcomes were measured at multiple points.
  • Results showed that while the short waiting time group incurred higher medication costs and achieved better HRQoL three months earlier, the longer waiting time group reported better HRQoL one year post-surgery, with no significant differences in other health outcomes related to waiting time.
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Objective: This prospective randomized study assessed the effect of waiting time (WT) on health outcomes in Finnish patients admitted to hospital for primary total hip replacement (THR).

Methods: A total of 395 consecutive patients with a need for a primary THR because of osteoarthritis and who were placed on the waiting list between August 2002 and November 2003. After placement on the waiting list, the patients were randomly assigned to a short WT ( View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To determine whether longer waiting time for major joint replacement is associated with health and social services utilization before treatment.

Methods: When placed on the waiting list, patients were randomized to short ( View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aims: To evaluate the effect of waiting on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), pain and physical function in patients awaiting primary total knee replacement (TKR) due to osteoarthritis.

Methods: Some 438 patients awaiting TKR were randomized to a short waiting time (WT) group (< or =3 months) or a non-fixed WT group. In the final assessment, 310 patients (213 women) with a mean age of 68 years were included.

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Background: Co-morbidity is a powerful predictor of health care outcomes and costs, as well as an important cofounder in epidemiologic studies. The effect of co-morbidities is generally related to mortality or complications. This study evaluated the association between co-morbidity and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients awaiting total joint replacement.

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Background: Several quality-of-life studies in patients awaiting major joint replacement have focused on the outcomes of surgery. Interest in examining patients on the elective waiting list has increased since the beginning of 2000. We assessed health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients waiting for total hip (THR) or knee (TKR) replacement in three Finnish hospitals, and compared patients' HRQoL with that of population controls.

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