Analysis of BoDV-1 status, EEG resting-state alpha activity and pro-inflammatory cytokines in adults with and without major depressive disorder.

Introduction: In severe cases, an infection with the Borna Disease Virus 1 (BoDV-1), the causative agent of Borna disease in horses, sheep, and other domestic mammals, was reported to be accompanied by cognitive dysfunctions, seizures, deep coma, or severe to fatal encephalitis in humans. In addition, asymptomatic or mild courses of BoDV-1 infection are discussed to act as a co-factor in the etiology of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Previously, studies using electroencephalography (EEG) reported BoDV-1-dependent changes in event-related potentials (ERPs), thus indicating the use and added value of non-invasive studies in Borna research.

Characterization and spatial distribution of the immune cell infiltrate in triple-negative breast cancer: a novel classification based on plasma cells and CD8+ T cells.

Stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (sTILs) are a robust prognostic and predictive biomarker in triple-negative breast carcinoma. However, the sTIL compartment comprises different cell populations. The aim of the study is to characterize the distribution of T cells (CD3+ and CD8+), B cells, and plasma cells and explore their association with outcome in the surgical specimen of 62 patients.

The underreporting of hepatocellular carcinoma to the cancer register and a log-linear model to estimate a more correct incidence.

Unlabelled: The Cancer Register (CR) in Sweden has reported that the incidence of primary liver cancer (PLC) has slowly declined over the last decades. Even though all cancers, irrespective of diagnostic method, should be reported to the CR, the PLC incidence may not reflect the true rate. Improved diagnostic tools have enabled diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma based on noninvasive methods without histological verification, possibly associated with missed cancer reports or misclassification in the CR.

Rationale and design of the Cyclosporine to ImpRove Clinical oUtcome in ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients (the CIRCUS trial).

Background: Both acute myocardial ischemia and reperfusion contribute to cardiomyocyte death in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The final infarct size is the principal determinant of subsequent clinical outcome in STEMI patients. In a proof-of-concept phase II trial, the administration of cyclosporine prior to primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) has been associated with a reduction of infarct size in STEMI patients.

A phase I clinical study of a live attenuated Bordetella pertussis vaccine--BPZE1; a single centre, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-escalating study of BPZE1 given intranasally to healthy adult male volunteers.

Background: Acellular pertussis vaccines do not control pertussis. A new approach to offer protection to infants is necessary. BPZE1, a genetically modified Bordetella pertussis strain, was developed as a live attenuated nasal pertussis vaccine by genetically eliminating or detoxifying 3 toxins.

Risk of pancreatic cancer among individuals with hepatitis C or hepatitis B virus infection: a nationwide study in Sweden.

Background: A few studies indicated that hepatitis C and hepatitis B virus (HCV/HBV) might be associated with pancreatic cancer risk. The aim of this nationwide cohort study was to examine this possible association.

Methods: Hepatitis C virus- and hepatitis B virus-infected individuals were identified from the national surveillance database from 1990 to 2006, and followed to the end of 2008.

A nationwide cohort study of mortality risk and long-term prognosis in infective endocarditis in Sweden.

Objectives: Infective endocarditis (IE) remains a serious disease with substantial mortality. In this study we investigated the incidence of IE, as well as its associated short and long term mortality rates.

Methods: The IE cases were identified in the Swedish national inpatient register using ICD-10 codes, and then linked to the population register in order to identify deaths in the cohort.

Study of regulatory T-cells in patients with gastric malt lymphoma: influence on treatment response and outcome.

Purpose: FOXP3+ regulatory T cells (Treg) play an essential role in modulating host responses to tumors and infections. The role of these cells in the pathogenesis of MALT lymphomas remains unknown. The aims of the study were to quantify the number of infiltrating FOXP3+ and CD3+ cells in patients with gastric MALT lymphoma at diagnosis and to study kinetics of these cells and CD20+ tumor cells after treatment and during long-term follow-up.

Antibiotic prescriptions and laboratory-confirmed cases of Mycoplasma pneumoniae during the epidemic in Sweden in 2011.

Swedish laboratories reported an increase of Mycoplasma pneumoniae during the autumn 2011. Data from the laboratory in Skövde, covering 12.9% of the Swedish population, indicate an approximate increase in the number of laboratory-confirmed cases in the whole country, from around 3,500 in 2009 to 11,100 in 2011.

A method to visualize and adjust for selection bias in prevalent cohort studies.

Selection bias and confounding are concerns in cohort studies where the reason for inclusion of subjects in the cohort may be related to the outcome of interest. Selection bias in prevalent cohorts is often corrected by excluding observation time and events during the first time period after inclusion in the cohort. This time period must be chosen carefully-long enough to minimize selection bias but not too long so as to unnecessarily discard observation time and events.

Risk of kidney cancer and chronic kidney disease in relation to hepatitis C virus infection: a nationwide register-based cohort study in Sweden.

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is an established cause of liver cancer, and recent studies have suggested a link with kidney cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate risk of kidney cancer in relation to HCV infection in a nationwide registry-based study of Swedish residents diagnosed with HCV between 1990 and 2006. A total of 43 000 individuals with chronic HCV infection were included, and the mean follow-up time was 9.

Expression of estrogen and progesterone receptors in the anal canal of women according to age and menopause.

Purpose: Fecal incontinence is highly prevalent, especially in menopausal women. The aim of this study was to analyze the expression of estrogen and progesterone receptors in the anal canal of women in relation to menopausal status and age.

Methods: Samples of hemorrhoidal tissue were obtained from 34 women undergoing hemorrhoidectomy.

Hepatocellular carcinoma in individuals with HBV infection or HBV-HCV co-infection in a low endemic country.

Objective: The aim of this nationwide cohort study was to assess the risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection or HBV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infection in Sweden, a low endemic country.

Material And Methods: A total of 12,080 patients with HBV and 3238 patients with HBV-HCV co-infection were notified to the Swedish institute for Infectious Disease Control between 1990 and 2004. After excluding 1850 patients with acute HBV and 584 patients infected in adult life, we analyzed the cohort of 9646 subjects with chronic HBV infection.

A proposed method to adjust for selection bias in cohort studies.

Selection bias is a concern in cohort studies in which selection into the cohort is related to the studied outcome. An example is chronic infection with hepatitis C virus, where the initial infection may be asymptomatic for decades. This problem leads to selection of more severely ill individuals into registers of such infections.

Nutrient density and variation in nutrient intake with changing energy intake in multimorbid nursing home residents.

Background: The low energy intake seen in some institutionalised elderly has led to a focus on energy dense diets. The present study aimed to investigate nutrient density in the diet of nursing home residents, and calculate how changes in energy intake affect nutrient intake.

Methods: The investigation comprised a longitudinal observational study analysing the relation between energy and nutrient intake in a general nursing home in Sweden.

Emergence and spread of Chlamydia trachomatis variant, Sweden.

A variant of Chlamydia trachomatis that had escaped detection by commonly used systems was discovered in Sweden in 2006. In a nationwide study, we found that it is now prevalent across Sweden, irrespective of the detection system used. Genetic analysis by multilocus sequence typing identified a predominant variant, suggesting recent emergence.

Renal function in community-dwelling frail elderly. Comparison between measured and predicted glomerular filtration rate in the elderly and proposal for a new cystatin C-based prediction equation.

Background And Aims: There is a great need to evaluate renal function regularly in elderly people. This study aimed at analyzing renal function in stable, community-dwelling elderly people of 75 years and over, to compare measured and predicted glomerular filtration rates (GFR) and to develop an accurate prediction equation for this age group.

Methods: Forty-five ambulatory elderly people in stable health in ordinary living were randomly selected into four age-classes, aged 75-95.

Hepatocellular carcinoma and other primary liver cancers in hepatitis C patients in Sweden - a low endemic country.

The aim of this study was to assess the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and other primary liver cancers (PLC) in the nationwide cohort of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected patients in Sweden. The basis was the total HCV-cohort notified in 1990-2004, after excluding 3238 people also reported with hepatitis B, the study cohort consisted of 36 126 people contributing an observation time of 246 105 person-years. The most common route of transmission was intravenous drug use (57%).

Cause of death in individuals with chronic HBV and/or HCV infection, a nationwide community-based register study.

Studies on chronic viral hepatitis and mortality have often been made on selected populations or in high-endemic countries. The aim of this study was to investigate the causes of death and the mortality rates in the nationwide cohorts of people chronically infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and/or hepatitis C virus (HCV) in Sweden, a low-endemic country. All notifications on chronic HBV infection and HCV infection 1990-2003 were linked to the Cause of Death Register.

Short- and long-term effects of bacterial gastrointestinal infections.

During 1997-2004, microbiologically confirmed gastrointestinal infections were reported for 101,855 patients in Sweden. Among patients who had Salmonella infection (n = 34,664), we found an increased risk for aortic aneurysm (standardized incidence ratio [SIR] 6.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.

Coverage of hepatitis B vaccination in Swedish healthcare workers.

The aim of this study was to assess how well the guidelines on vaccination against hepatitis B had been implemented among healthcare workers (HCWs) at risk for blood exposure. A point-prevalence survey was conducted in six departments of a university hospital in Sweden: the emergency room, intensive care unit, postoperative unit, surgical theatre, department of anaesthesiology and the laboratory for blood chemistry. All HCWs who worked in these departments during the 24h of the survey were asked to complete a questionnaire.

Description of a new all cause mortality surveillance system in Sweden as a warning system using threshold detection algorithms.

A warning system has been set up to detect unusual weekly clusters of deaths by age group and municipality using all-cause Swedish death registry data. The technique for monitoring deaths by age group (<1, 1-24, 25-44, 45-64 and 65 plus) and week uses a compound smoothing technique, which calculates a baseline of expected events from retrospective data. Due to insufficient baseline data for the geographical component of the system a different algorithm, based on the Poisson distribution, was chosen to calculate expected weekly number of deaths per municipality, adjusting for municipalities with inherently higher mortality rates.

Salmonella-associated deaths, Sweden, 1997-2003.

We examined excess deaths after infection with Salmonella in a registry-based matched cohort study of 25,060 persons infected abroad and 5,139 infected within Sweden. The domestically infected have an increased standardized mortality ratio, whereas those who acquired Salmonella infection abroad had no excess risk of death.

Mortality following Campylobacter infection: a registry-based linkage study.

Background: Campylobacteriosis is one of the most commonly identified causes of bacterial diarrheal disease and a common cause of gastroenteritis in travellers from developed nations. Despite the widespread occurrence, there is little information on Campylobacter mortality.

Methods: Mortality among a cohort of Campylobacter cases were compared with the general population 0-1, 1-3, 3-12 and more than 12 month after the onset of the illness.