Capsule endoscopic findings correlate with fecal calprotectin and C-reactive protein in patients with suspected small-bowel Crohn's disease.

Objective: Capsule endoscopy (CE) is a sensitive method for detecting inflammatory lesions in the small bowel. Such lesions may be due to Crohn's disease but also to other causes and a histological diagnosis may be difficult to achieve in the small bowel. The aim of the study was to find a possible correlation between capsule endoscopic findings, biochemical parameters, and symptoms in patients with suspected or known small-bowel Crohn´s disease.

CDKAL1-related single nucleotide polymorphisms are associated with insulin resistance in a cross-sectional cohort of Greek children.

Five novel loci recently found to be associated with body mass in two GWAS of East Asian populations were evaluated in two cohorts of Swedish and Greek children and adolescents. These loci are located within, or in the proximity of: CDKAL1, PCSK1, GP2, PAX6 and KLF9. No association with body mass has previously been reported for these loci in GWAS performed on European populations.

Evaluation of genome-wide loci of iron metabolism in hereditary hemochromatosis identifies PCSK7 as a host risk factor of liver cirrhosis.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have revealed genetic determinants of iron metabolism, but correlation of these with clinical phenotypes is pending. Homozygosity for HFE C282Y is the predominant genetic risk factor for hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) and may cause liver cirrhosis. However, this genotype has a low penetrance.

Decellularized feeders: an optimized method for culturing pluripotent cells.

Pluripotent cells such as human embryonic stem cells and human induced pluripotent stem cells are useful in the field of regenerative medicine because they can proliferate indefinitely and differentiate into all cell types. However, a limiting factor for maintaining and propagating stem cells is the need for inactivated fibroblasts as a growth matrix, since these may potentially cause cross-contamination. In this study, we aimed to maintain stem cells on the extracellular matrix (ECM) of either nonirradiated or γ-irradiated fibroblasts.

An observational cohort study of the effect of hypertension on the loss of renal function in pediatric kidney recipients.

Background: Post-transplant hypertension impacts negatively on renal graft survival. Our primary objective was to analyze the effect of hypertension on the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) slope.

Methods: All clinical charts of children who underwent renal transplantation since the introduction of the routine use of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) were reviewed.

Hepatocyte transplantation ameliorates the metabolic abnormality in a mouse model of acute intermittent porphyria.

Acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by insufficient porphobilinogen deaminase (PBGD) activity. When hepatic heme synthesis is induced, porphobilinogen (PBG) and 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) accumulate, which causes clinical symptoms such as abdominal pain, neuropathy, and psychiatric disturbances. Our aim was to investigate if hepatocyte transplantation can prevent or minimize the metabolic alterations in an AIP mouse model.

Nampt expression increases during osteogenic differentiation of multi- and omnipotent progenitors.

Despite emerging data showing that metabolic changes occur with stem cell differentiation, the cross-talk between factors governing energy metabolism and epigenetic modification is not understood. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) participates in both energy metabolism and protein modification processes. Changes of the intracellular NAD concentration have been shown to correlate with differentiation of adult and embryonic stem cells.

Digital X-ray radiogrammetry of hand or wrist radiographs can predict hip fracture risk--a study in 5,420 women and 2,837 men.

Objectives: To assess whether digital X-ray radiogrammetry (DXR) analysis of standard clinical hand or wrist radiographs obtained at emergency hospitals can predict hip fracture risk.

Methods: A total of 45,538 radiographs depicting the left hand were gathered from three emergency hospitals in Stockholm, Sweden. Radiographs with insufficiently included metacarpal bone, fractures in measurement regions, foreign material or unacceptable positioning were manually excluded.

The direct anterior approach: initial experience of a minimally invasive technique for total hip arthroplasty.

Background: Less invasive approaches for hip arthroplasty have been developed in order to decrease traumatisation of soft tissue and shorten hospital stay. However, the benefits with a new technique can be at the expense of a new panorama of problems. This manuscript describes, with emphasis on postoperative complications, our experience from the first 200 cases of unilateral hip replacement using the direct anterior minimally invasive (MIS) approach.

The importance of blood loss during colon cancer surgery for long-term survival: an epidemiological study based on a population based register.

Objective: This study tested the hypothesis that the amount of blood loss during surgery for colonic cancer influences long-term survival.

Background: The perioperative blood loss during surgery for colorectal cancer relates to the risk for complications and early mortality.

Methods: All patients who underwent surgery for colon cancer between 1997 and 2003 in the health-care region of Uppsala/Örebro were prospectively registered at the regional oncological center.

Protective effects of N-acetylcysteine amide (NACA) on gentamicin-induced apoptosis in LLC-PK1 cells.

Aim: Apoptosis plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of gentamicin (Gen)-induced nephrotoxicity. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms still remain unclear. In this study, we addressed the role of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) signaling pathway in Gen-induced nephrotoxicity and evaluated the protective effect of the free-radical scavenger N-acetylcysteine amide (NACA).

Adipose tissue volume is decreased in recently diagnosed cancer patients with cachexia.

Objective: Approximately 50% of patients with cancer develop cachexia. The aim of the present study was to determine if there were differences in the amount of visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissues at the time of the diagnosis among patients with cancer cachexia (CC), patients with cancer and a stable weight (WS), and patients with cancer and weight loss because of gastrointestinal obstruction (GO).

Methods: Patients with recently diagnosed cancer were divided into the CC, WS, and GO groups.

Food intake and meal pattern in IAPP knockout mice with and without infusion of exogenous IAPP.

Objective: The current study used islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) knockout mice (KO mice) to investigate the physiological role of IAPP in the regulation of food intake (FI).

Material And Methods: FI and body weight were measured in KO and wild-type (WT) mice for 27 weeks. In an additional short-term experiment, IAPP (25 pmol·kg(-1)min(-1)) was infused subcutaneously for 3 days in KO and WT mice, and FI, meal pattern, and body weight were analyzed.

Tracheobronchial transplantation with a stem-cell-seeded bioartificial nanocomposite: a proof-of-concept study.

Background: Tracheal tumours can be surgically resected but most are an inoperable size at the time of diagnosis; therefore, new therapeutic options are needed. We report the clinical transplantation of the tracheobronchial airway with a stem-cell-seeded bioartificial nanocomposite.

Methods: A 36-year-old male patient, previously treated with debulking surgery and radiation therapy, presented with recurrent primary cancer of the distal trachea and main bronchi.

Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (Nampt) affects the lineage fate determination of mesenchymal stem cells: a possible cause for reduced osteogenesis and increased adipogenesis in older individuals.

Human aging is associated with a progressive decline in bone mass and an accumulation of marrow fat. We found that osteoblast differentiation was reduced and adipocyte formation increased in bone marrow stromal cells derived from aged mice compared with young controls. The increased adipogenesis correlated with a relatively lower Sirt1 activity and a lower intracellular NAD(+) concentration.

The efficacy of hypotonic and near-isotonic saline for parenteral fluid therapy given at low maintenance rate in preventing significant change in plasma sodium in post-operative pediatric patients: protocol for a prospective randomized non-blinded study.

Background: Hyponatremia is the most frequent electrolyte abnormality observed in post-operative pediatric patients receiving intravenous maintenance fluid therapy. If plasma sodium concentration (p-Na+) declines to levels below 125 mmol/L in < 48 h, transient or permanent brain damage may occur. There is an intense debate as to whether the administered volume (full rate vs.

Efficient intravenous access without distress: a double-blind randomized study of midazolam and nitrous oxide in children and adolescents.

Objective: To determine whether treatment with midazolam or with nitrous oxide is more efficient in facilitating intravenous (IV) access in lean and obese children and adolescents.

Design: A prospective, double-blind, randomized trial of 90 children and adolescents.

Setting: Astrid Lindgrens Children's Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.

Acute renal failure in dense deposit disease: complete recovery after combination therapy with immunosuppressant and plasma exchange.

We describe the clinical course of a female adolescent who was followed because of isolated microhematuria and hypocomplementemia before admission to hospital with a sudden onset of acute renal failure. At presentation, she exhibited complement consumption through the complement alternative pathway (AP) while other serologic tests were negative. Renal biopsy revealed dense deposit disease (DDD) with a crescentic pattern.

Calcaneal BMD Obtained by Dual X-Ray and Laser Predicts Future Hip Fractures-A Prospective Study on 4 398 Swedish Women.

The predictive value of dual X-ray and laser (DXL) calcaneal BMD (BMD(DXL)) on hip fractures was prospectively studied in 4,398 females aged 55 to 99 years. The average follow-up period was 3 years and 11 months with a total of 17,270 person years. Fractures were identified from the national patient register.

Adolescents' perceptions of obesity treatment--an interview study.

Purpose: To describe adolescents' perceptions of obesity treatment in order to provide valuable information for design and development of treatment.

Method: A nominated sample of 18 obese adolescents (12 girls, 14-16 years, body mass index (BMI) 25-47.4 kg·m(-2)), recruited from a paediatric obesity clinic, participated in semi-structured interviews.

Resveratrol prevents RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation of murine osteoclast progenitor RAW 264.7 cells through inhibition of ROS production.

The bone protective effects of resveratrol have been demonstrated in several osteoporosis models while the underlying mechanism is largely unclear. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of resveratrol on differentiation and apoptosis of murine osteoclast progenitor RAW 264.7 cells.

Resveratrol-conjugated poly-ε-caprolactone facilitates in vitro mineralization and in vivo bone regeneration.

Incorporation of osteoinductive factors in a suitable scaffold is considered a promising strategy for generating osteogenic biomaterials. Resveratrol is a polyphenol found in parts of certain plants, including nuts, berries and grapes. It is known to increase DNA synthesis and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in osteoblasts and to prevent femoral bone loss in ovariectomized (OVX) rats.

Detection of genomic amplification of the human telomerase gene TERC, a potential marker for triage of women with HPV-positive, abnormal Pap smears.

The vast majority of invasive cervical carcinomas harbor additional copies of the chromosome arm 3q, resulting in genomic amplification of the human telomerase gene TERC. Here, we evaluated TERC amplification in routinely collected liquid based cytology (LBC) samples with histologically confirmed diagnoses. A set of 78 LBC samples from a Swedish patient cohort were analyzed with a four-color fluorescence in situ hybridization probe panel that included TERC.

Liver vessel enhancement by Gd-BOPTA and Gd-EOB-DTPA: a comparison in healthy volunteers.

Background: A thorough understanding of magnetic resonance (MR) contrast media dynamics makes it possible to choose the optimal contrast media for each investigation. Differences in visualizing hepatobiliary function between Gd-BOPTA and Gd-EOB-DTPA have previously been demonstrated, but less has been published regarding differences in liver vessel visualization.

Purpose: To compare the liver vessel and liver parenchymal enhancement dynamics of Gd-BOPTA (MultiHance) and Gd-EOB-DTPA (Primovist).