Diagnoses and prescription patterns among users of medications for obstructive airway diseases in Finland.

Background: Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are common diseases mostly treated in primary care. However, the usage patterns of drugs for obstructive airway diseases (R03 drugs) at the national level are not known.

Objective: The aims of this study were to describe (1) for which diagnoses each class of R03 drugs were used, (2) the usage pattern of different drug classes for asthma and COPD, and (3) how often these medications were used without a diagnosis of asthma or COPD in Finland.

Age at asthma diagnosis and onset of symptoms among adults with allergic and non-allergic asthma.

Background: Childhood-onset allergic asthma is the best-known phenotype of asthma. Adult-onset asthma, also an important entity, is instead often shown to be more non-allergic. There is still a lack of studies concerning the association of allergies and age at asthma onset from childhood to late adulthood.

Adherence to treatment guidelines and good asthma control in Finland.

Background: Asthma program in Finland decreased asthma-related mortality and expenses of care on national level, but there is lack of data on adherence to treatment guidelines and disease control on individual level. We aimed to assess adherence to guidelines and disease control among Finnish adult asthmatics.

Methods: Questionnaires were sent in Finland to 2000 randomly selected recipients aged 18-80 years, who had bought medication for obstructive airways disease during the previous 12 months.

Syntheses of Thiophene and Thiazole-Based Building Blocks and Their Utilization in the Syntheses of A-D-A Type Organic Semiconducting Materials with Dithienosilolo Central Unit.

Dithienosilole moiety is an electron donating unit, and it has been applied, for example, as a part of small molecular and polymeric electron donors in high performance organic photovoltaic cells. Herein, we report efficient synthetic routes to two symmetrical, dithienosilolo-central-unit-based A-D-A type organic semiconducting materials and . Fine-tuned conditions in Suzuki-Miyaura couplings were tested and utilized.

Thymic neuroendocrine tumors in patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1.

Objective: MEN1 is associated with an increased risk of developing tumors in different endocrine organs. Neuroendocrine tumors of the thymus (TNETs) are very rare but often have an aggressive nature. We evaluated patients with MEN1 and TNET in three university hospitals in Finland.

Acromegaly caused by a GHRH-producing pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor: a rare manifestation of MEN1 syndrome.

Summary: Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 NM_001370259.2(MEN1):c.466G>C(p.

Characteristics and Outcomes of 79 Patients with an Insulinoma: A Nationwide Retrospective Study in Finland.

Objective: Insulinomas are rare pancreatic tumours. Population-based data on their incidence, clinical picture, diagnosis, and treatment are almost nonexistent. The aim of this study was to clarify these aspects in a nationwide cohort of insulinoma patients diagnosed during three decades.

Changes in cardiac repolarisation during spontaneous nocturnal hypoglycaemia in subjects with type 1 diabetes: a preliminary report.

Aims: Experimental studies have revealed that hypoglycaemia can result in morphological changes in electrocardiographic repolarisation in subjects with type 1 diabetes. However, the influence of spontaneous nocturnal hypoglycaemia on repolarisation morphology in a 'real life' situation is not clear.

Methods: Adults with type 1 diabetes (n = 11) underwent continuous glucose monitoring with a subcutaneous sensor and digital 12-lead ECG recording for three nights.

[Treatment of primary hypothyroidism in adult patients].

The diagnosis of hypothyroidism is based on the findings of an increased serum TSH (above the reference range) and decreased serum free T4 (below the reference range) concentration. Treatment of subclinical hypothyroidism is indicated if serum THS is above 10 mU/l. For less severe forms of subclinical hypothyroidism, the treatment should be individually tailored.

Long-term hormonal follow-up after human Puumala hantavirus infection.

Objective: Nephropathia epidemica (NE) is a haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) caused by Puumala hantavirus (PUUV). Pituitary haemorrhage and hypopituitarism may complicate recovery from acute NE.

Design: Forty-seven of our recent cohort of 58 NE patients volunteered to be re-examined in order to estimate the burden of hormonal deficiency 4 to 8 years after the acute illness.

MRI-guided laser ablation of neuroendocrine tumor hepatic metastases.

Background: Neuroendocrine tumors (NET) represent a therapeutically challenging and heterogeneous group of malignancies occurring throughout the body, but mainly in the gastrointestinal system.

Purpose: To describe magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided laser ablation of NET liver metastases and assess its role within the current treatment options and methods.

Material And Methods: Two patients with NET tumor hepatic metastases were treated with MRI-guided interstitial laser ablation (LITT).

Long-term health-related quality of life of surgically treated pituitary adenoma patients: a descriptive study.

Context. The literature concerning the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients with surgically treated PA is controversial. Objective.

[Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1].

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) is a complex multisystem disease characterized by the combined occurrence of endocrine tumours of the parathyroid glands, anterior pituitary gland and adrenal glands and the neuroendocrine tumours (NET) of duodenum, pancreas, thymus and bronchus. Malignancy occurs commonly (up to 30 %) and malignant NETs are important causes of the MEN1-related morbidity and mortality. Regular clinical, biochemical and radiologic screening for the syndrome-related tumours are the basis of the life-long surveillance.

Autonomic cardiac regulation during spontaneous nocturnal hypoglycemia in patients with type 1 diabetes.

Objective: Experimental clamp studies have suggested that hypoglycemia evokes a reduction of cardiac vagal control in patients with type 1 diabetes. However, there are limited data on the influence of spontaneous nocturnal hypoglycemia on cardiac autonomic regulation.

Research Design And Methods: Adults with type 1 diabetes (n = 37) underwent continuous glucose monitoring via a subcutaneous sensor as well as recording of R-R interval or electrocardiogram for 3 nights.

A multilevel layout algorithm for visualizing physical and genetic interaction networks, with emphasis on their modular organization.

Background: Graph drawing is an integral part of many systems biology studies, enabling visual exploration and mining of large-scale biological networks. While a number of layout algorithms are available in popular network analysis platforms, such as Cytoscape, it remains poorly understood how well their solutions reflect the underlying biological processes that give rise to the network connectivity structure. Moreover, visualizations obtained using conventional layout algorithms, such as those based on the force-directed drawing approach, may become uninformative when applied to larger networks with dense or clustered connectivity structure.

Young male patients are at elevated risk of developing serious central nervous system complications during acute Puumala hantavirus infection.

Background: Our aim was to characterize clinical properties and laboratory parameters in patients with or without cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) findings suggestive of central nervous system (CNS) involvement, and especially those who developed serious CNS complications during acute nephropathia epidemica (NE) caused by Puumala hantavirus (PUUV) infection.

Methods: A prospective cohort of 40 patients with acute NE and no signs of major CNS complications was analyzed. In addition, 8 patients with major CNS complications associated with NE were characterized.

Clinical characteristics and therapeutic responses in patients with germ-line AIP mutations and pituitary adenomas: an international collaborative study.

Context: AIP mutations (AIPmut) give rise to a pituitary adenoma predisposition that occurs in familial isolated pituitary adenomas and less often in sporadic cases. The clinical and therapeutic features of AIPmut-associated pituitary adenomas have not been studied comprehensively.

Objective: The objective of the study was to assess clinical/therapeutic characteristics of AIPmut pituitary adenomas.

Central nervous system-related symptoms and findings are common in acute Puumala hantavirus infection.

Background: Puumala hantavirus (PUUV) causes a hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) also called nephropathia epidemica (NE). Recent case reports and retrospective studies suggest that NE may damage the pituitary gland. Based on these observations, our goal was to explore the nature of this complication prospectively.

The expression of AIP-related molecules in elucidation of cellular pathways in pituitary adenomas.

Germline mutations in the aryl hydrocarbon receptor interacting protein (AIP) gene predispose to the development of pituitary adenomas. Here, we characterized AIP mutation positive (AIPmut+) and AIP mutation negative (AIPmut-) pituitary adenomas by immunohistochemistry. The expressions of the AIP-related proteins aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), AHR nuclear translocator (ARNT), cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1B encoding p27(Kip1), and hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha were examined in 14 AIPmut+ and 53 AIPmut- pituitary adenomas to detect possible expression differences.

Aryl hydrocarbon receptor interacting protein mutations seem not to associate with familial non-medullary thyroid cancer.

Background: Over 95% of all thyroid malignancies are non-medullary thyroid carcinomas (NMTC). Familial NMTC are more aggressive and mortality is higher as compared with sporadic carcinomas. Known genetic factors do not explain all familial NMTC.

Mutation analysis of MEN1, HRPT2, CASR, CDKN1B, and AIP genes in primary hyperparathyroidism patients with features of genetic predisposition.

Objective: Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT), a common endocrine condition, is usually caused by sporadically occurring parathyroid adenoma. A subset of patients carry germline mutations in genes such as MEN1 (multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1), HRPT2 (hyperparathyroidism 2), and CASR (calcium-sensing receptor) predisposing to syndromic forms of PHPT or familial isolated hyperparathyroidism (FIHP). Recently, germline mutations in two novel genes AIP (aryl hydrocarbon receptor-interacting protein) and CDKN1B (cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1B) have been found to be associated with endocrine tumors.

The clinical value of [18F]fluoro-dihydroxyphenylalanine positron emission tomography in primary diagnosis, staging, and restaging of neuroendocrine tumors.

The study was set up to determine the clinical value of dihydroxyphenylalanine positron emission tomography-computed tomography ([(18)F]DOPA PET-CT) in patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). Eighty-two patients with suspected/known NET were imaged with PET(-CT) using [(18)F]DOPA. Patients were divided into two groups: primary diagnosis/staging and restaging of disease.

Large genomic deletions in AIP in pituitary adenoma predisposition.

Context: Germline mutations in AIP have been recently shown to cause pituitary adenoma predisposition (PAP). Subsequently, many intragenic germline mutations have been reported, both in familial and in sporadic settings.

Objective: Our objective was to evaluate the possible contribution of large genomic germline AIP deletions, an important mutation type in tumor predisposition syndromes, in PAP.

Effects of controlled hypoglycaemia on cardiac repolarisation in patients with type 1 diabetes.

Aims/hypothesis: Nocturnal hypoglycaemia may contribute to sudden death in diabetic patients. However, it is not well known why hypoglycaemia makes these patients prone to death.

Methods: We assessed the effects of controlled hypoglycaemia on cardiac repolarisation using novel electrocardiographic descriptors of T-wave and QRS complex morphology in 16 type 1 diabetic patients and eight healthy counterparts.

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 in Northern Finland; clinical features and genotype phenotype correlation.

Objective: The existence of genotype-phenotype correlation in multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) is controversial. Two founder mutations of the MEN1 gene in Northern Finland gave us an opportunity to compare clinical features among heterozygotes of different mutations.

Design And Methods: Study cohort included 82 MEN1 heterozygotes who were tested for MEN1 during the years 1982-2001.