Incidence and Risk Factors for Varicella-Zoster Virus-Associated Central Nervous System Infections: A Nationwide Swedish Retrospective Case-Control Study.

The determinants of varicella-zoster virus (VZV)-associated central nervous system (CNS) infection have not been fully elucidated. This study aimed to investigate the incidence and risk factors, including immunosuppression, for different manifestations of VZV-associated CNS infection. Patient registers were used to include adults diagnosed with VZV-associated CNS infections between 2010 and 2019 in Sweden.

Beyond Survival: Unveiling Psychological and Social Adaptation After Visceral Transplantation.

Aim: To explore the meaning of adaptation after visceral transplantation in terms of patient experiences, symptoms, self-efficacy, transplant-specific and mental well-being.

Design: A convergent parallel mixed-methods study, consisting of interviews and generic as well as transplant-specific questionnaires. Results were integrated using meta-inference.

Differential Impact of Medical Therapies for Acromegaly on Glucose Metabolism.

Acromegaly is a rare endocrine disorder caused by excessive growth hormone (GH) production, due, in the vast majority of cases, to the presence of a GH-secreting pituitary tumour. The chronic elevation of GH and the resulting high circulating levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) cause the characteristic tissue overgrowth and a number of associated comorbidities, including several metabolic changes, such as glucose intolerance and overt diabetes mellitus (DM). Elevated GH concentrations directly attenuate insulin signalling and stimulate lipolysis, decreasing glucose uptake in peripheral tissues, thus leading to the development of impaired glucose tolerance and DM.

Functional and Cognitive Impairment in Patients with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis: Cognitive Tests and Plasma Neurofilament Light Chain Levels.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory, autoimmune, and neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system. The disease can manifest and progress with both physical and cognitive symptoms, affecting the patient's daily activities. The aim of our study was to investigate the correlation between functional status, cognitive functions, and neurofilament light chain levels in plasma in MS patients.

From the Cytoplasm into the Nucleus-Hepatitis B Virus Travel and Genome Repair.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major global health concern, affecting millions of people worldwide. HBV is part of the hepadnaviridae family and one of the primary causes of acute and chronic liver infections, leading to conditions such as cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Understanding the intracellular transport and genome repair mechanisms of HBV is crucial for developing new drugs, which-in combination with immune modulators-may contribute to potential cures.

Plasma Concentrations of Benzylpenicillin and Cloxacillin in Infective Endocarditis-With Special Reference to Delayed Hypersensitivity Reactions.

Background: Current antibiotic regimens for infective endocarditis (IE) are effective but pose a high risk of delayed hypersensitivity reactions (DHR). Dose adjustments guided by therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) could mitigate these risks while maintaining treatment efficacy. This study aimed to investigate the plasma concentration of benzylpenicillin and cloxacillin in patients with IE and explore associations between antibiotic concentrations and DHR.

Dual-roles and beyond: values, ethics, and practices in forensic mental health decision-making.

Forensic mental health services (FMHS) involve restricting certain individual rights to uphold or promote other ethical values - the restriction of liberty in various forms is justified with reference to health and safety of the individual and the community. The tension that arises from this has been construed as a hallmark of the practice and an ever-present quandary for practitioners. Stating this ethical dilemma upfront is a common point of departure for many texts discussing FMHS.

The role of non-respiratory arousals in residual daytime sleepiness in patients with obstructive sleep apnea treated with positive airway pressure: An analysis of the European Sleep Apnea Database registry.

Study Objectives: To assess the impact of the non-respiratory arousal burden at baseline polysomnography (PSG) on residual daytime sleepiness in positive airway pressure (PAP)-treated obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Methods: We included OSA patients from the European Sleep Apnea Database registry with available arousal data who had at least 2 treatment follow-up visits. The primary outcome was the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) score under PAP.

Polygenic risk discriminates Lewy body dementia from Alzheimer's disease.

Introduction: Lewy body dementia (LBD) shares genetic risk factors with Alzheimer's disease (AD), including apolipoprotein E (APOE), but is distinguishable at the genome-wide level. Polygenic risk scores (PRS) may therefore improve diagnostic classification.

Methods: We assessed diagnostic classification using AD-PRS excluding APOE (AD-PRS ), APOE risk score (APOE-RS), and plasma phosphorylated tau 181 (p-tau181), in 83 participants with LBD, 27 with positron emission tomography amyloid beta (Aβ)positive mild cognitive impairment or AD (MCI+/AD), and 57 controls.

promotes synchronous multiple primary lung cancer progression through apoptosis regulation.

Background: Dysbiosis of the lung microbiome can contribute to the initiation and progression of lung cancer. Synchronous multiple primary lung cancer (sMPLC) is an increasingly recognized subtype of lung cancer characterized by high morbidity, difficulties in early detection, poor prognosis, and substantial clinical challenges. However, the relationship between sMPLC pathogenesis and changes in the lung microbiome remains unclear.

Association between white blood cell count and coronary artery bypass graft failure: an individual patient data analysis of clinical trials.

Background: Baseline systemic inflammation is associated with worse long-term outcomes after coronary artery bypass grafting [CABG], but the mechanisms of this association are unclear. This study aims to explore the association between pre-operative white blood cell [WBC] count and CABG graft failure.

Methods: We pooled individual patient data from two randomized clinical trials with systematic CABG graft imaging.

Clinical benefits and risks of remote patient monitoring: an overview and assessment of methodological rigour of systematic reviews for selected patient groups.

Background: Remote patient monitoring implies continuous follow-up of health-related parameters of patients outside healthcare facilities. Patients share health-related data with their healthcare unit and obtain feedback (which may be automatically generated if data are within a predefined range). The goals of remote patient monitoring are improvements for patients and reduced healthcare costs.

Challenges and possibilities when doing research on active school travel interventions in a school setting - a non-randomized pilot study assessing feasibility of an evaluation design.

Background: A wide range of school interventions have been launched to increase childrens' physical activity. Evaluation of the effectiveness of interventions requires suitable study designs and feasible quantitative evaluations relating to the school setting. The purpose of this study was to assess the evaluation design and methods for data collection, in order to make decisions about approaching forthcoming studies of the effectiveness of active school travel (AST) interventions.

Exercise capacity after long-term physical activity on prescription provided by physiotherapists.

Research has shown that physical activity on prescription (PAP), used in Swedish healthcare, increases patients' physical activity, but data are lacking regarding the long-term effects of PAP on exercise capacity. Therefor exercise capacity was evaluated in patients with metabolic risk factors, after 4.5 years of PAP treatment provided by physiotherapists in primary healthcare.

Income and education affect prognosis and treatment in symptomatic myeloma : A population-based study on 8672 multiple myeloma patients diagnosed 2008-2021 from the Swedish myeloma registry.

Despite advancements in multiple myeloma treatment, prognostic variability persists. We investigated the impact of income and education on treatment and survival in a country with publicly funded healthcare. We analysed data from the Swedish Myeloma Registry (2008-2021) linked to national registers.

Elevated Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio Predicts Prognosis in Acute Myocarditis.

Background: Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is an easy-to-use inflammatory biomarker. Baseline NLR is independently associated with incident cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality. However, whether this applies to acute myocarditis (AM) has not been evaluated.

How Do Personality Dysfunction and Maladaptive Personality Traits Predict Time to Premature Discontinuation of Pharmacological Treatment of ADHD?

Objectives: Non-adherence to medication is common in the adult ADHD clinical group. The goal of this pre-registered study was to examine whether the DSM-5 Alternative Model of Personality Disorder (AMPD), generality personality dysfunction (LPFS-BF 2.0) or maladaptive personality traits (PID-5), can predict time to premature discontinuation of pharmacological treatment beyond other known factors.

Identify biological Alzheimer's disease using a novel nucleic acid-linked protein immunoassay.

Blood-based biomarkers have been revolutionizing the detection, diagnosis and screening of Alzheimer's disease. Specifically, phosphorylated-tau variants (p-tau, p-tau and p-tau) are promising biomarkers for identifying Alzheimer's disease pathology. Antibody-based assays such as single molecule arrays immunoassays are powerful tools to investigate pathological changes indicated by blood-based biomarkers and have been studied extensively in the Alzheimer's disease research field.

No difference in ACL revision rates between hamstring and patellar tendon autograft in patients with ACL-R and a concurrent meniscal injury irrespective of meniscal treatment.

Purpose: The aims of this study were to compare (1) the rate of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) revision and (2) subjective knee function using the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) between isolated ACL reconstruction (ACL-R) and ACL-R and concurrent meniscal injury, based on graft selection and meniscal treatment.

Methods: Data from the Swedish National Knee Ligament Registry were extracted in November 2022 for patients who underwent primary ACL-R. Patients were divided into two main groups based on graft choice: hamstring tendon (HT) or patellar tendon (PT) autograft, with four meniscal sub-groups: no injury, resection, repair or left in situ.

High prevalence of undocumented SARS-CoV-2 infections revealed by analysis of nucleocapsid-specific IgG responses in diagnosed and undiagnosed individuals.

Acute SARS-CoV-2 infections are not always diagnosed; hence an unknown proportion of all infections are not documented. SARS-CoV-2 can induce spike and nucleocapsid protein specific IgG antibodies, which can be detected in seroprevalence studies to identify a previous infection. However, with the introduction of vaccines containing the spike protein it is no longer possible to use spike-IgG as a marker of infection.

Cerebral Microbleeds and Amyloid Pathology Estimates From the Amyloid Biomarker Study.

Importance: Baseline cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) and APOE ε4 allele copy number are important risk factors for amyloid-related imaging abnormalities in patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) receiving therapies to lower amyloid-β plaque levels.

Objective: To provide prevalence estimates of any, no more than 4, or fewer than 2 CMBs in association with amyloid status, APOE ε4 copy number, and age.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This cross-sectional study used data included in the Amyloid Biomarker Study data pooling initiative (January 1, 2012, to the present [data collection is ongoing]).