Systemic increase in IL-26 is associated with severe COVID-19 and comorbid obstructive lung disease.

Background: IL-26 is a key mediator of pulmonary host defense given its abundant expression in human airways and its established antibacterial properties. Moreover, recent studies indicate that IL-26 can also inhibit viral replication. Along these lines, we have previously reported an increase in the plasma concentration of IL-26 among patients with acute COVID-19 that is linked to harmful hyperinflammation.

Incidence of Lyme Carditis and Lyme Carditis as a Cause of Pacemaker Implantation: A Nationwide Registry-Based Case-Control Study.

Background: Lyme borreliosis (LB) of the heart is called Lyme carditis (LC), which often manifests with high-grade atrioventricular block (AVB) requiring pacemaker implantation. LC is treated with antibiotics, and most patients recover fully after treatment. The overall incidence of LC, and of LC as a cause of pacemaker implantation, has not previously been systematically studied.

Body mass index and fitness in late adolescence and risk of cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and overall death after COVID-19.

Objective: Since obesity and poor fitness appear to be unfavorable for both cardiovascular health and coping with viral infections such as COVID-19, they are of specific interest in light of the increased risk of cardiovascular and respiratory events now seen after infection with SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate how body mass index (BMI) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in late adolescence are associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), respiratory disease, and mortality after COVID-19.

Methods: In this study, 1.

Body Weight in Adolescent Men in Sweden and Risk of an Early Acute Coronary Event: A Prospective Population-Based Study.

Background Coronary heart disease remains the dominant cause of death worldwide. To improve cardiovascular disease prevention, knowledge of early key risk factors, especially those that are modifiable, is essential. The ongoing global obesity epidemic is of particular concern.

Sex difference in circulating soluble form of ACE2 protein in moderate and severe COVID-19 and healthy controls.

Introduction: Membrane-bound angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) in epithelial cells is the main receptor for SARS-CoV-2. The extracellular portion of ACE2 may be shedded to plasma in which process ADAM17 (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase 17) is important. Results on the relationship between circulating levels of the soluble form of ACE2 (sACE2) and disease severity are inconclusive.

COVID-19 is associated with bystander polyclonal autoreactive B cell activation as reflected by a broad autoantibody production, but none is linked to disease severity.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with autoimmune features and autoantibody production in a small subset of the population. Pre-existing neutralizing antitype I interferons (IFNs) autoantibodies are related to the severity of COVID-19. Plasma levels of IgG and IgM against 12 viral antigens and 103 self-antigens were evaluated using an antibody protein array in patients with severe/critical or mild/moderate COVID-19 disease and uninfected controls.

No effect of remdesivir or betamethasone on upper respiratory tract SARS-CoV-2 RNA kinetics in hospitalised COVID-19 patients: a retrospective observational study.

Background: The viral kinetics of SARS-CoV-2 has been considered clinically important. While remdesivir and corticosteroids are recommended for COVID-19 patients requiring oxygen support, there is a limited number of published reports on viral kinetics in hospitalised patients with COVID-19 treated with remdesivir or corticosteroids.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study by collecting longitudinal samples from the nasopharynx/throat of 123 hospitalised patients (median age 55 years, 74% male) with COVID-19, to evaluate the effects of remdesivir and corticosteroid treatment on viral RNA levels.

Severe COVID-19 in people 55 and older during the first year of the pandemic in Sweden.

Background: Exposure to many contacts is the main risk factor for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, while risk of serious disease and death is chiefly determined by old age and comorbidities. Relative and population-attributable fractions (PAFs) of multiple medical and social exposures for COVID-19 outcomes have not been evaluated among older adults.

Objectives: We describe the effect of multiple exposures on the odds of testing positive for the virus and of severe disease (hospital care or death) and PAFs in Swedish citizens aged 55 years and above.

BMI in early adulthood is associated with severe COVID-19 later in life: A prospective cohort study of 1.5 million Swedish men.

Objective: Overweight and obesity have been identified as risk factors for severe COVID-19; however, prospective cohort studies investigating the association between overweight early in life and severity of COVID-19 are lacking.

Methods: This study included 1,551,670 Swedish men, born between 1950 and 1987, with BMI registered at age 18 years. They were followed until January 9, 2021.

Fitness, strength and severity of COVID-19: a prospective register study of 1 559 187 Swedish conscripts.

Objective: To investigate the possible connection between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and muscle strength in early adulthood and severity of COVID-19 later in life.

Design: Prospective registry-based cohort study.

Participants: 1 559 187 Swedish men, undergoing military conscription between 1968 and 2005 at a mean age of 18.

Increased immune activation and signs of neuronal injury in HIV-negative people on preexposure prophylaxis.

Objective: Persistent immune activation in the central nervous system and systemically are common in people living with HIV (PLHIV) despite antiretroviral therapy. It is not known whether this is generated by HIV replication or by other components such as coinfections and lifestyle-related factors.

Design: The aim of this study was to determine the importance of different factors; it is crucial to find well matched HIV-negative controls.

Cumulative Incidence of Infective Endocarditis in Patients with Congenital Heart Disease: A Nationwide, Case-Control Study Over Nine Decades.

Background: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a lifelong predisposing condition for infective endocarditis (IE). As a consequence of advances in pediatric care, the number of adults with CHD is now exceeding the number of children. The goal of the present study was to determine the cumulative incidence of IE in patients with CHD and detect temporal changes compared with controls.

Serum neopterin levels in relation to mild and severe COVID-19.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, is rapidly spreading worldwide. There is limited information about prognostic markers that could help clinicians to identify COVID-19 patients with a poor prognosis. Serum levels of the immune activation marker neopterin has shown to be of prognostic value in patients with SARS.

[The virtual ward - the students' clinical education during the current pandemic].

On March 17, 2020, the Swedish Government recommended all higher education institutions to move to online and distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The integrated course in Infection, Microbiology, and Immunity at the Programme in Medicine at University of Gothenburg had to be completely transformed. Creative solutions have now replaced the clinical training that normally takes place during the students' clinical education at the hospital.

Elevated resting heart rate in adolescent men and risk of heart failure and cardiomyopathy.

Aims: This study aims to investigate the association of resting heart rate (RHR) measured in late adolescence with long-term risk of cause-specific heart failure (HF) and subtypes of cardiomyopathy (CM), with special attention to cardiorespiratory fitness.

Methods And Results: We performed a nation-wide, register-based cohort study of all Swedish men enrolled for conscription in 1968-2005 (n = 1 008 363; mean age = 18.3 years).

Body Mass Index in Young Women and Risk of Cardiomyopathy: A Long-Term Follow-Up Study in Sweden.

Background: Incidence rates of cardiomyopathies, which are a common cause of heart failure in young people, have increased during the last decades. An association between body weight in adolescence and future cardiomyopathy among men was recently identified. Whether or not this holds true also for women is unknown.

Higher Body Mass Index in Adolescence Predicts Cardiomyopathy Risk in Midlife.

Background: Modifiable lifestyle factors in relation to risk for cardiomyopathy, a common and increasing cause of heart failure in the young, have not been widely studied. We sought to investigate a potential link between obesity, a recognized predictor of early heart failure, in adolescence and being diagnosed with cardiomyopathy in adulthood.

Methods: This was a nationwide register-based prospective cohort study of 1 668 893 adolescent men (mean age, 18.

Resting heart rate in late adolescence and long term risk of cardiovascular disease in Swedish men.

Aim: To investigate the association of resting heart rate (RHR) measured in late adolescence with the long term risk of myocardial infarction (MI), ischemic stroke (IS), heart failure (HF), atrial fibrillation (AF), cardiovascular- and all-cause death.

Methods And Results: We followed a cohort of Swedish men enrolled for conscription in 1968-2005 (n = 1,008,485; mean age = 18.3 years) until December 2014.

Cognitive performance in late adolescence and long-term risk of early heart failure in Swedish men.

Aims: Heart failure (HF) incidence appears to increase among younger individuals, raising questions of how risk factors affect the younger population. We investigated the association of cognitive performance in late adolescence with long-term risk of early HF.

Methods And Results: We followed a cohort of Swedish men enrolled in mandatory military conscription in 1968-2005 (n = 1 225 300; mean age 18.

Risk factors in Swedish young men for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in adulthood.

Recent research suggests that the incidence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) may be on the rise. Since ALS becomes predominant in later life, most studies on causal factors are conducted in middle-aged or older populations where potentially important influences from early life can usually not be adequately captured. We aimed to investigate predictors in young Swedish men for ALS in adulthood.

Mental disorders and stress resilience in adolescence and long-term risk of early heart failure among Swedish men.

Background: Recent research suggests that the prevalence of early heart failure may be on the rise. Compromised mental health in adolescence may help to explain this phenomenon. We aimed to investigate whether nonpsychotic mental disorder and low stress resilience in late adolescence were associated with increased risk of early heart failure.

Body weight in adolescence and long-term risk of early heart failure in adulthood among men in Sweden.

Aims: To study the relation between body mass index (BMI) in young men and risk of early hospitalization with heart failure.

Methods And Results: In a prospective cohort study, men from the Swedish Conscript Registry investigated 1968-2005 (n = 1 610 437; mean age, 18.6 years were followed 5-42 years (median, 23.