Predictors of short-term response and the role of heavy alcohol use in treatment of depression.

Background: Depression and alcohol use disorders frequently co-occur. However, research on psychosocial interventions for treating this dual pathology is limited. The Ostrobothnian Depression Study (ODS) aimed to increase the systematic use of evidence-based methods, particularly among patients with comorbid depression and substance use in a naturalistic setting.

Detection of Experimental Colorectal Peritoneal Metastases by a Novel PDGFRβ-Targeting Nanobody.

Peritoneal metastases in colorectal cancer (CRC) belong to Consensus Molecular Subtype 4 (CMS4) and are associated with poor prognosis. Conventional imaging modalities, such as Computed Tomography (CT) and Fluorodeoxyglucose-Positron Emission Tomography (FDG-PET), perform very poorly in the detection of peritoneal metastases. However, the stroma-rich nature of these lesions provides a basis for developing molecular imaging strategies.

Impact of Comorbid Alcohol Use Disorder on Health-Related Quality of Life Among Patients With Depressive Symptoms.

In psychiatric clinical practice, comorbidity of depression and alcohol use disorder (AUD) is common. Both disorders have a negative impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in general population. However, research on the impact of comorbid AUD on HRQoL among clinically depressed patients is limited.

Clozapine-Related Diarrhea and Colitis: Report of 4 Cases.

Background: During clozapine treatment, diarrhea is a rare but clinically relevant adverse effect. Cases of microscopic colitis and eosinophilic colitis have been previously reported.

Procedures: We present 4 patients who developed severe diarrhea in early weeks of clozapine therapy.

Assessment of alcohol consumption in depression follow-up using self-reports and blood measures including inflammatory biomarkers.

Aims: Alcohol consumption has been suggested a major role in the pathogenesis and prognosis of depression. However, reliable identification of hazardous drinking continues to be problematic. We compared the accuracy of different biomarkers and self-reports of alcohol consumption in the follow-up study of depression.

Status of inflammation and alcohol use in a 6-month follow-up study of patients with major depressive disorder.

Introduction: The studies on the relationship between alcohol consumption, the status of inflammation, and depression have produced conflicting results. In this study, we followed patients with major depressive disorders by monitoring biomarkers of inflammation together with biomarkers of heavy alcohol use.

Method: The levels of IL-6 (interleukin-6), IL-8 (interleukin-8), hs-CRP (high sensitivity C-reactive protein), YKL-40 (also known as Chitinase-3-like protein 1 or CHI3L1), and biomarkers of alcohol consumption and liver status (GT, CDT, ALT, alkaline phosphatase) were measured at baseline and after 6 months of psychiatric treatment from 242 patients suffering from current major depressive disorder (MDD) with (n = 99) or without (n = 143) alcohol use disorder (AUD).

Behavioral activation versus treatment as usual in naturalistic sample of psychiatric patients with depressive symptoms: a benchmark controlled trial.

Background: More systematic use of evidence-based brief therapies is needed in the treatment of depression within psychiatric care. The aim of this study was to explore the impact of behavioral activation therapy (BA) for patients with depressive symptoms in a routine clinical setting of secondary psychiatric care.

Methods: The BA-treated intervention group (n = 242) comprised patients with depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) score ≥ 17 at baseline).

Temperament clusters associate with anxiety disorder comorbidity in depression.

Background: Individual temperament is associated with psychiatric morbidity and could explain differences in psychiatric comorbidities. We investigated the association of temperament profile clusters with anxiety disorder comorbidity in patients with depression.

Methods: We assessed the temperament of 204 specialized care-treated depressed patients with the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI-R) and their diagnoses with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview.

Temperament and character profiles are associated with depression outcome in psychiatric secondary care patients with harmful drinking.

Background: Temperament and character profiles have been associated with depression outcome and alcohol abuse comorbidity in depressed patients. How harmful alcohol use modifies the effects of temperament and character on depression outcome is not well known. Knowledge of these associations could provide a method for enhancing more individualized treatment strategies for these patients.

Temperament and character profiles associated with depression and treatment response in patients with or without comorbid substance abuse.

There is limited knowledge on the relationship between temperament and character profiles and substance abuse comorbidity in depressed patients. We recruited 127 depressed patients without alcohol use problems (non-AUP) and 89 depressed patients with alcohol use problems (AUP). We assessed all patients using the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI-R) at baseline and after 6 weeks of treatment.

Outcome of patients with dual diagnosis in secondary psychiatric care.

Background: Dual diagnosis (DD) is a common co-morbidity of mental illness and substance use disorder (SUD) and patients with DD are prone to complications. Better knowledge on the outcome, mortality and management of patients with DD in usual secondary psychiatric care would help to inform improved treatment strategies in the future.

Aims: To explore the functional outcome and mortality of patients with DD receiving psychiatric treatment.

Phenotypic rescue of a Drosophila model of mitochondrial ANT1 disease.

A point mutation in the Drosophila gene that codes for the major adult isoform of adenine nuclear translocase (ANT) represents a model for human diseases that are associated with ANT insufficiency [stress-sensitive B(1) (sesB(1))]. We characterized the organismal, bioenergetic and molecular phenotype of sesB(1) flies then tested strategies to compensate the mutant phenotype. In addition to developmental delay and mechanical-stress-induced seizures, sesB(1) flies have an impaired response to sound, defective male courtship, female sterility and curtailed lifespan.

Education of research ethics for clinical investigators with Moodle tool.

Background: In clinical research scientific, legal as well as ethical aspects are important. It is well known that clinical investigators at university hospitals have to undertake their PhD-studies alongside their daily work and reconciling work and study can be challenging. The aim of this project was to create a web based course in clinical research bioethics (5 credits) and to examine whether the method is suitable for teaching bioethics.

[Assessment of an addiction psychiatric patient within primary health care].

Assessment of addiction psychiatric patients during the hectic work at a community health center is a challenging task. A more precise survey of the substance abuse and mental problem can be started by using various screening questionnaires. In devising the treatment plan, focus will initially be on the main problem, and upon prolonged cooperation a more precise survey of the drug and mental problem will be carried out.

Tumor hypoxia as a driving force in genetic instability.

Sub-regions of hypoxia exist within all tumors and the presence of intratumoral hypoxia has an adverse impact on patient prognosis. Tumor hypoxia can increase metastatic capacity and lead to resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Hypoxia also leads to altered transcription and translation of a number of DNA damage response and repair genes.

PTEN deletion in prostate cancer cells does not associate with loss of RAD51 function: implications for radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Purpose: PTEN deletions in prostate cancer are associated with tumor aggression and poor outcome. Recent studies have implicated PTEN as a determinant of homologous recombination (HR) through defective RAD51 function. Similar to BRCA1/2-defective tumor cells, PTEN-null prostate and other cancer cells have been reported to be sensitive to PARP inhibitors (PARPi).

The receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor amuvatinib (MP470) sensitizes tumor cells to radio- and chemo-therapies in part by inhibiting homologous recombination.

Background And Purpose: RAD51 is a key protein involved in homologous recombination (HR) and a potential target for radiation- and chemotherapies. Amuvatinib (formerly known as MP470) is a novel receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor that targets c-KIT and PDGFRα and can sensitize tumor cells to ionizing radiation (IR). Here, we studied amuvatinib mechanism on RAD51 and functional HR.

Tumor cell kill by c-MYC depletion: role of MYC-regulated genes that control DNA double-strand break repair.

MYC regulates a myriad of genes controlling cell proliferation, metabolism, differentiation, and apoptosis. MYC also controls the expression of DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair genes and therefore may be a potential target for anticancer therapy to sensitize cancer cells to DNA damage or prevent genetic instability. In this report, we studied whether MYC binds to DSB repair gene promoters and modulates cell survival in response to DNA-damaging agents.

Contextual synthetic lethality of cancer cell kill based on the tumor microenvironment.

Acute and chronic hypoxia exists within the three-dimensional microenvironment of solid tumors and drives therapy resistance, genetic instability, and metastasis. Replicating cells exposed to either severe acute hypoxia (16 hours with 0.02% O(2)) followed by reoxygenation or moderate chronic hypoxia (72 hours with 0.

A functionally distinct member of the DP family of E2F subunits.

E2F transcription factors regulate genes involved in cell-cycle progression. In mammalian cells, physiological E2F exists as an E2F/DP heterodimer. Currently, eight E2F and two DP subunits have been characterized.

Evaluation of exposure to man-made vitreous fibers by nasal lavage.

The objectives of this study were to develop a biomonitoring method for the assessment of exposure to man-made vitreous fibers (MMVF), to examine the level of exposure to MMVF in the prefabricated house industry, and to study nasal inflammatory reactions and respiratory symptoms associated with MMVF among workers. Nasal lavage was performed on workers from two factories, and concentrations of MMVF were measured by electron microscopy. Cytokines (IL-6, IL-8, TNF-alpha, and IFN-gamma) were also assayed and inflammatory cells (lymphocytes, eosinophils, neutrophils, and macrophages) were counted microscopically.

Technical knockout, a Drosophila model of mitochondrial deafness.

Mutations in mtDNA-encoded components of the mitochondrial translational apparatus are associated with diverse pathological states in humans, notably sensorineural deafness. To develop animal models of such disorders, we have manipulated the nuclear gene for mitochondrial ribosomal protein S12 in Drosophila (technical knockout, tko). The prototypic mutant tko(25t) exhibits developmental delay, bang sensitivity, impaired male courtship, and defective response to sound.

Production of reactive oxygen species by man-made vitreous fibres in human polymorphonuclear leukocytes.

Human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) or erythrocytes, isolated from human blood, were exposed to graded doses of asbestos (chrysotile), quartz, or man-made vitreous fibres (MMVF), i.e. refractory ceramic fibres (RCF), glasswool, or rockwool fibres.

Dissolution of short and long rockwool and glasswool fibers by macrophages in flowthrough cell culture.

Dissolution of MMVF (man-made vitreous fibers) by macrophages has previously been studied utilizing cell cultures in wells. A new, more dynamic method has been developed to explore the effects of macrophages on MMVF dissolution. In this method, the culture medium flows through a membrane on which the macrophages and fibers are placed.

Comparison of cytotoxicity of man-made vitreous fibres.

The purpose of the study was to compare the cytotoxicity of man-made vitreous fibres (MMVFs): four refractory ceramic fibres (RCFs 1-4), two glasswool fibres (MMVF 10 and 11), a rockwool fibre (MMVF 21) and a slagwool fibre (MMVF 22). The ability of the fibres to induce haemolysis in sheep erythrocytes, to release lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) from rat alveolar macrophages (AM) and to increase the production of reactive oxygen metabolites (ROMs) in human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PML) was studied. To assess the relative cytotoxicity of MMVFs, their toxicity was compared with that induced by quartz, chrysotile or titanium dioxide.