Hospital-treated infections in early- and mid-life and risk of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A nationwide nested case-control study in Sweden.

Background: Experimental observations have suggested a role of infection in the etiology of neurodegenerative disease. In human studies, however, it is difficult to disentangle whether infection is a risk factor or rather a comorbidity or secondary event of neurodegenerative disease. To this end, we examined the risk of 3 most common neurodegenerative diseases in relation to previous inpatient or outpatient episodes of hospital-treated infections.

Atrophic gastritis is inversely associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease in a twin register based study.

Background: The association between atrophic gastritis (AG) and symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) needs to be better assessed.

Objective: We aimed to study this association in a twin setting, controlling for genetic and familial factors, in addition to a range of known covariates.

Methods: We performed a co-twin control study based on the Swedish Twin Registry, including confirmed monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins.

Efficacy of Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification for Detection as Point-of-Care Testing by Noninvasive Sampling.

For targeted eradication of () to reduce gastric cancer burden, a convenient approach is definitely needed. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the LAMP assay for detection using samples collected by noninvasive and self-sampling methods. The available LAMP assay for detection was appraised and verified using reference and clinically isolated strains.

Gastric Microbiota in a Low-Helicobacter pylori Prevalence General Population and Their Associations With Gastric Lesions.

Introduction: Non-Helicobacter pylori microbiota might account for some cases with unexplained chronic gastritis that may in a minority eventually progress to gastric cancer through the Correa cascade. We characterized gastric microbiota by describing the normal stomach, compared it with early precancerous lesions and other disease states, and assessed whether H. pylori status affects bacterial diversity.

The Swedish Twin Registry: Content and Management as a Research Infrastructure.

The Swedish Twin Registry functions as research infrastructure containing information on 216,258 twins born between 1886 and 2015, of whom 86,199 pairs have zygosity determined by DNA, an intrapair similarity algorithm, or being of opposite sex. In essence, practically all twins alive and currently 9 years or older have been invited for participation and donation of DNA on which genomewide single nucleotide polymorphisms array genotyping has been performed. Content, management and alternatives for future improvements are discussed.

Helicobacter pylori infection, chronic corpus atrophic gastritis and pancreatic cancer risk in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort: A nested case-control study.

The association between H. pylori infection and pancreatic cancer risk remains controversial. We conducted a nested case-control study with 448 pancreatic cancer cases and their individually matched control subjects, based on the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort, to determine whether there was an altered pancreatic cancer risk associated with H.

Pirfenidone and nintedanib modulate properties of fibroblasts and myofibroblasts in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an incurable lung disease with a poor prognosis. Fibroblasts and myofibroblasts are the key cells in the fibrotic process. Recently two drugs, pirfenidone and nintedanib, were approved for clinical use as they are able to slow down the disease progression.

The coding ECP 434(G>C) gene polymorphism determines the cytotoxicity of ECP but has minor effects on fibroblast-mediated gel contraction and no effect on RNase activity.

Eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) is a secretory protein of the eosinophil granulocyte, a cell involved in innate immunity. Functional studies have implicated ECP in numerous processes, such as tissue remodeling in allergic inflammation and cytotoxicity toward a variety of pathogens. Recent genetic studies have suggested that the ECP 434(G>C) polymorphism resulting in an arg97thr substitution would alter the function of ECP in vivo.

Eosinophil cationic protein stimulates TGF-beta1 release by human lung fibroblasts in vitro.

Eosinophilic inflammation and airway remodeling are features of asthma. Eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) is released by activated eosinophils and transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta(1) has major functions in the fibrotic process. We therefore hypothesized that ECP stimulates TGF-beta(1) release by human lung fibroblasts.

Platelets stimulate fibroblast-mediated contraction of collagen gels.

Background: Platelets are thought to play a role in a variety of inflammatory conditions in the lung, some of which may lead to fibrosis. In the current study we tested the hypothesis that whole platelets and platelet lysate can mediate remodelling of extracellular matrix in vitro by affecting fibroblast-mediated contraction of a collagen gel. We also sought to determine to what extent platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) contribute to this effect.