Publications by authors named "Susan Mikkelsen"

Article Synopsis
  • The CCR5 receptor is linked to susceptibility to Staphylococcus aureus leukotoxin ED, and researchers investigated the effects of the CCR5Δ32 deletion on S. aureus infection and nasal carriage in a large Danish blood donor study.
  • Analysis involved over 95,000 participants, examining various health outcomes and inflammatory markers through sophisticated statistical methods.
  • Findings indicated that CCR5Δ32 does not significantly affect the risk of S. aureus-related infections or nasal carriage, although it was associated with higher levels of certain chemokines in individuals with the deletion.
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Background: Signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6) is central to type 2 (T2) inflammation, and common noncoding variants at the STAT6 locus associate with various T2 inflammatory traits, including diseases, and its pathway is widely targeted in asthma treatment.

Objective: We sought to test the association of a rare missense variant in STAT6, p.L406P, with T2 inflammatory traits, including the risk of asthma and allergic diseases, and to characterize its functional consequences in cell culture.

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Background: Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a highly effective treatment for infection. Its use is backed by solid evidence, but application methods differ. Encapsulated FMT is a non-invasive, patient-friendly and scalable application method that may be preferred over colonoscopy or nasoduodenal tube application.

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Objective: To determine the association between human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles and migraine, migraine subtypes, and sex-specific factors.

Background: It has long been hypothesized that inflammation contributes to migraine pathophysiology. This study examined the association between migraine and alleles in the HLA system, a key player in immune response and genetic diversity.

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Most plasma used for manufacturing plasma-derived medicinal products (PDMPs) such as albumin, immunoglobulin (Ig), and clotting factors is obtained from source plasma collected via plasmapheresis, the majority of which is contributed by the United States (US). While the demand for PDMPs continues to rise, it remains unclear whether high-frequency plasmapheresis, such as the twice-weekly plasma donation allowed in the US, may have any (long-term) adverse health effects on the donor. To investigate the frequency at which plasma can be donated without harm to the donor, the current systematic review explores the impact of plasma donation frequency on cardiovascular health, protein depletion, and adverse events in healthy plasma donors.

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Objective: Rituximab (RTX)-treated patients exhibit suboptimal responses to COVID-19 vaccines. However, existing research primarily involves patients already receiving RTX when vaccines were introduced, failing to account for the current landscape where patients are vaccinated before initiating RTX. Our objective was to compare the serological response to COVID-19 vaccines in patients vaccinated before or after RTX initiation.

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Background & Aims: Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is associated with high mortality. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is an established treatment for recurrent CDI, but its use for first or second CDI remains experimental. We aimed to investigate the effectiveness of FMT for first or second CDI in a real-world clinical setting.

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Headache disorders are the most common disorders of the nervous system. The lifetime prevalence of headache disorders show that some individuals never experience headache. The etiology of complete freedom from headache is not known.

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Background: The emerging use of biomarkers in research and tailored care introduces a need for information about the association between biomarkers and basic demographics and lifestyle factors revealing expectable concentrations in healthy individuals while considering general demographic differences.

Methods: A selection of 47 biomarkers, including markers of inflammation and vascular stress, were measured in plasma samples from 9876 Danish Blood Donor Study participants. Using regression models, we examined the association between biomarkers and sex, age, Body Mass Index (BMI), and smoking.

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Introduction: Migraine is a prevalent neurological headache disorder. Due to challenges associated with finding effective treatment, many individuals with migraine feel compelled to explore alternative treatment strategies, such as blood donation, hypothesized to provide migraine relief.

Methods: Through logistic, Poisson, and Cox regression methods, we examined the links between migraine and blood donation activities in two population cohorts: Danish blood donors in the Scandinavian Donations and Transfusions Database (SCANDAT-DK, N >1 million) and the Danish Blood Donor Study (N ~ 100,000).

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Social trust is a heritable trait that has been linked with physical health and longevity. In this study, we performed genome-wide association studies of self-reported social trust in n = 33,882 Danish blood donors. We observed genome-wide and local evidence of genetic similarity with other brain-related phenotypes and estimated the single nucleotide polymorphism-based heritability of trust to be 6% (95% confidence interval = (2.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Blood types were accurately predicted from genetic information, achieving over 99.5% accuracy for most blood groups, with some exceptions for rarer types.
  • * The genetic prediction narrowed down candidates for a rare blood type (Vel-negative) from 180,000 individuals to just 70, highlighting the potential for cost-effective blood type management using existing data.
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Article Synopsis
  • - The study aimed to assess how a two-dose mRNA COVID-19 revaccination impacts antibody responses in patients with rheumatic diseases who initially did not respond to the vaccine, and to determine if pre-revaccination B-cell or T-cell levels were predictive of seroconversion.
  • - Out of the patients who were non-responders, 47% developed detectable neutralizing antibodies after revaccination, yet their antibody levels remained lower compared to healthy controls and blood donors; these patients also showed a shift in antibody class from IgM to IgG.
  • - Despite similar T-cell responses before and after revaccination among all groups, only 29% of non-responders had measurable B-cells, and those
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Background And Objectives: As part of a large-scale project to safely increase plasma collection in Europe, the current scoping review identifies the existing evidence (gaps) on adverse events (AEs) and other health effects in plasmapheresis donors, as well as factors that may be associated with such events/effects.

Materials And Methods: We searched six databases and three registries. Study characteristics (publication type, language, study design, population, outcomes, associated factors, time of assessment, duration of follow-up, number and frequency of donations, convalescent plasma [y/n], setting and location) were synthesized narratively and in an interactive evidence gap map (EGM).

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Background: Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is effective for recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (rCDI), but its effect varies inexplicably.

Aims: To optimise the effectiveness of FMT for rCDI and validate determinants for effect METHODS: We conducted a cohort study, including all patients treated with FMT for rCDI between October 2018 and June 2020. Statistical process control was used to evaluate the impact of prospective quality improvement on the effect of single FMT treatments per 10-11 patients.

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Background: The identification of blood donors at risk of developing low hemoglobin (Hb) and subsequent intervention is expected to reduce donation-induced iron deficiency and low Hb among blood donors. This study explores the effects of ferritin-guided iron supplementation for female first-time donors implemented in four of five administrative regions in Denmark.

Study Design And Methods: We included 45,919 female first-time donors in this study.

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Air pollution is a significant contributor to the global burden of disease with a plethora of associated health effects such as pulmonary and systemic inflammation. C-reactive protein (CRP) is associated with a wide range of diseases and is associated with several exposures. Studies on the effect of air pollution exposure on CRP levels in low to moderate pollution settings have shown inconsistent results.

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Introduction: Antigen presentation and antimicrobial immune responses involve the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system. Onychomycosis is primarily caused by dermatophytes and affects around 5.5% of the population worldwide.

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Importance: There is a need for better recognition and more extensive research into menstrual migraine (MM) in the general population, and a revision of the diagnostic criteria for MM is warranted to move the field forward. Increased understanding of MM is crucial for improving clinical care, diagnosis, and therapy for MM.

Objectives: To assess the clinical characteristics of MM, including severity and treatment response, and to propose new diagnostic criteria for pure MM and menstrually related migraine.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aims to uncover new genetic factors linked to calcific aortic stenosis (AS) and identify mechanisms through functional and expression data integration.
  • A large genome-wide meta-analysis involving over 653,000 European participants found 17 significant genetic loci associated with AS, with further support for their involvement from independent cohorts.
  • Findings highlight the roles of dyslipidemia, inflammation, calcification, and obesity in AS development, suggesting potential new strategies for treatment and prevention.
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Background And Purpose: Understanding migraine in a sex-specific manner is crucial for improving clinical care, diagnosis and therapy for both females and males. Here, data on sex differences are provided in the presentation of migraine in a large European-based population cohort, which is representative of the general population.

Methods: A population-based study of 62,672 Danish blood donors (both present and previous donors), of whom 12,658 had migraine, was performed.

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Objectives: The aim was to determine if Helicobacter pylori is transmitted from donors to recipients by faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) via oral capsules.

Methods: In a cohort of faeces donors not primarily screened for H. pylori, consecutive stool samples were retrospectively analysed by the H.

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The aim of this study was to provide information about immunity against COVID-19 along with risk factors and behavior among employees in day care facilities and preschools (DCS) in Denmark. In collaboration with the Danish Union of Pedagogues, during February and March 2021, 47,810 members were offered a point-of-care rapid SARS-CoV-2 antibody test (POCT) at work and were invited to fill in an electronic questionnaire covering COVID-19 exposure. Seroprevalence data from Danish blood donors (total Ig enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA]) were used as a proxy for the Danish population.

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