Physical exercise, systemic inflammation and adult-onset asthma: a 12-year follow-up study.

Physical exercise in treatment of asthma is scarcely studied with no clear exercise guidelines for asthmatics. We aimed to investigate the associations between physical exercise frequency, systemic inflammation and asthma control. This has not been previously studied in adult-onset asthma.

Early-pregnancy BMI, maternal gestational weight gain, and asthma and allergic diseases in children.

Background: Association of early pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and maternal gestational weight gain (GWG), and asthma and allergic disease in children is unclear.

Methods: We analyzed data from 3176 mother-child pairs in a prospective birth cohort study. Maternal anthropometric measurements in the first and last antenatal clinic visits were obtained through post-delivery questionnaires to calculate early pregnancy BMI and maternal GWG.

Rapid urine screening for ethyl glucuronide from pregnant women as a tool for detecting prenatal alcohol exposure.

Background: An increasing prevalence of alcohol consumption is a major public health problem, which has also led to an increasing number of children who have been prenatally exposed to the toxic effects of ethanol. However, obtaining reliable information on prenatal alcohol exposure through maternal self-reports has proved difficult.

Aims: Our aim was to evaluate the potential for rapid screening test for measuring ethyl glucuronide (EtG), a specific alcohol metabolite, from urine samples of pregnant women.

Longitudinal physical activity patterns and the development of cardiometabolic risk factors during adolescence.

Purpose: To examine the associations between longitudinal physical activity (PA) patterns and the development of cardiometabolic risk factors from adolescence to young adulthood.

Methods: This cohort study encompassed 250 participants recruited from sports clubs and schools, and examined at mean age 15 and 19. Device-measured moderate-to-vigorous PA was grouped into five patterns (via a data-driven method, using inactivity maintainers as a reference).

Higher circulating EGF levels associate with a decreased risk of IgE sensitization in young children.

Background: Decreased exposure to microbial agents in industrialized countries and urban living areas is considered as a risk factor of developing immune-mediated diseases, such as allergies and asthma. Epithelial surfaces in the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts and in the skin constitute the primary areas in contact with the environmental microbial load.

Methods: We analyzed the levels of 30 cytokines and growth factors in serum or plasma as markers of the immune maturation in the participants in the DIABIMMUNE study from Russian Karelia (n = 60), Estonia (n = 83) and Finland (n = 89), three neighboring countries with remarkable differences in the incidences of allergies, asthma and autoimmune diseases.

Immunomodulatory Effects of Rhinovirus and Enterovirus Infections During the First Year of Life.

Early childhood infections have been implicated in the development of immune-mediated diseases, such as allergies, asthma, and type 1 diabetes. We set out to investigate the immunomodulatory effects of early viral infections experienced before the age of one year on the peripheral regulatory T cell population (Treg) and circulating cytokines in a birth-cohort study of Estonian and Finnish infants. We show here a temporal association of virus infection with the expression of FOXP3 in regulatory T cells.

Allergy-Related Symptoms Are Poorly Predicted by IgE and Skin Prick Testing in Early Life.

Introduction: In childhood, the so-called allergic march involves progression from IgE sensitization to allergy-related symptoms. Both IgE sensitization and relevant clinical symptoms are required for the diagnosis of allergy, but concordance between test results and clinical symptoms varies greatly, creating challenges for the diagnostics and for the prediction of outcomes. We assessed the prevalence of IgE sensitization and allergy symptoms, concordance between 2 IgE sensitization testing methods, and predictive value of these tests in relation to clinical symptoms in young Finnish children.

Hydroxysteroid 17-β dehydrogenase 13 variant increases phospholipids and protects against fibrosis in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Carriers of the hydroxysteroid 17-β dehydrogenase 13 (HSD17B13) gene variant (rs72613567:TA) have a reduced risk of NASH and cirrhosis but not steatosis. We determined its effect on liver histology, lipidome, and transcriptome using ultra performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and RNA-seq. In carriers and noncarriers of the gene variant, we also measured pathways of hepatic fatty acids (de novo lipogenesis [DNL] and adipose tissue lipolysis [ATL] using 2H2O and 2H-glycerol) and insulin sensitivity using 3H-glucose and euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp) and plasma cytokines.

Maturation of Gut Microbiota and Circulating Regulatory T Cells and Development of IgE Sensitization in Early Life.

Recent studies suggest that the cross-talk between the gut microbiota and human immune system during the first year of life is an important regulator of the later development of atopic diseases. We explored the changes in the gut microbiota, blood regulatory T cells, and atopic sensitization in a birth-cohort of Estonian and Finnish children followed from 3 to 36 months of age. We describe here an infant Treg phenotype characterized by high Treg frequency, the maturation of Treg population characterized by a decrease in their frequency accompanied with an increase in the highly activated Treg cells.

Rhinoviruses in infancy and risk of immunoglobulin E sensitization.

Previous data about the role of viruses in the development of allergic immunoglobulin E (IgE) sensitization are contradictory. The aim of this study was to determine the possible associations between exposure to different viruses (rhinovirus, enterovirus, norovirus, and parechovirus) during the first year of life and IgE sensitization. Viruses were analyzed from stool samples collected monthly from infants participating in a prospective birth cohort study.

Assessment of alcohol consumption in depression follow-up using self-reports and blood measures including inflammatory biomarkers.

Aims: Alcohol consumption has been suggested a major role in the pathogenesis and prognosis of depression. However, reliable identification of hazardous drinking continues to be problematic. We compared the accuracy of different biomarkers and self-reports of alcohol consumption in the follow-up study of depression.

Status of inflammation and alcohol use in a 6-month follow-up study of patients with major depressive disorder.

Introduction: The studies on the relationship between alcohol consumption, the status of inflammation, and depression have produced conflicting results. In this study, we followed patients with major depressive disorders by monitoring biomarkers of inflammation together with biomarkers of heavy alcohol use.

Method: The levels of IL-6 (interleukin-6), IL-8 (interleukin-8), hs-CRP (high sensitivity C-reactive protein), YKL-40 (also known as Chitinase-3-like protein 1 or CHI3L1), and biomarkers of alcohol consumption and liver status (GT, CDT, ALT, alkaline phosphatase) were measured at baseline and after 6 months of psychiatric treatment from 242 patients suffering from current major depressive disorder (MDD) with (n = 99) or without (n = 143) alcohol use disorder (AUD).

Laboratory test based assessment of WHO alcohol risk drinking levels.

Low-risk thresholds for alcohol use differ across various national guidelines. To assess the novel WHO risk drinking levels in light of alcohol-sensitive common laboratory tests, we analysed biomarkers of liver status, inflammation and lipid profiles from a population-based survey of individuals classified to abstainers and different WHO risk drinking levels defined in terms of mean alcohol consumption per day. The study included 22,327 participants aged 25-74 years from the National FINRISK Study.

Development of atopic sensitization in Finnish and Estonian children: A latent class analysis in a multicenter cohort.

Background: The prevalence of atopy is associated with a Western lifestyle, as shown by studies comparing neighboring regions with different socioeconomic backgrounds. Atopy might reflect various conditions differing in their susceptibility to environmental factors.

Objective: We sought to define phenotypes of atopic sensitization in early childhood and examine their association with allergic diseases and hereditary background in Finland and Estonia.

Daily physical activity and lung function decline in adult-onset asthma: a 12-year follow-up study.

: There is a lack of knowledge on the association between daily physical activity and lung function in patients with asthma. : This study aims to examine the association between daily physical activity and asthma control, lung function, and lung function decline in patients with adult-onset asthma. : This study is part of Seinäjoki Adult Asthma Study (SAAS), where 201 patients were followed for 12 years after asthma diagnosis.

Enterovirus infection during pregnancy is inversely associated with atopic disease in the offspring.

Background: Prenatal environment has been shown to influence child's risk of atopic diseases. Laboratory-confirmed data about the role of maternal infections during pregnancy is scarce.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the associations between serologically confirmed maternal infections during pregnancy and atopic disease in the offspring.

The effects of adiposity and alcohol use disorder on adipokines and biomarkers of inflammation in depressed patients.

Patients with depression and alcohol use disorder frequently present with elevated markers of inflammation. Adipose tissue may function as a source for inflammation, yet the interplay between adiposity, alcohol use and depression has remained unknown. We examined 242 patients, referred to treatment for depressive symptoms, and followed for a period of 6 months.

Elevated serum antiphospholipid antibodies in adults with celiac disease.

Background And Aims: An increased incidence of thrombosis is suggested in celiac disease. We explored serum levels of antiphospholipid antibodies in untreated and treated adult celiac disease patients.

Methods: A cohort of 179 biopsy-proven celiac disease patients (89 untreated, 90 on long-term gluten-free diet) and 91 non-celiac controls underwent clinical examination, assessment of celiac serology and enzyme immunoassay testing for anticardiolipin IgG and IgM, prothrombin IgG, and phosphatidylserine-prothrombin IgG and IgM.

Where should the safe limits of alcohol consumption stand in light of liver enzyme abnormalities in alcohol consumers?

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence and risk factors for abnormal liver enzymes in a large age- and gender stratified population-based sample of apparently healthy individuals with or without alcohol consumption and other health-related risk factors (adiposity, physical inactivity, smoking).

Methods: Data on alcohol use, smoking, diet and physical activity were recorded using structured questionnaires from 13,976 subjects (6513 men, 7463 women, aged 25-74 years) in the national FINRISK studies. Alcohol data was used to categorize the participants into abstainers, light drinkers, moderate drinkers and heavy drinkers.

Vitamin D intake during the first 4 years and onset of asthma by age 5: A nested case-control study.

Background: Early-life vitamin D intake has been linked to asthma risk in childhood, but the role of longitudinal vitamin D exposure has not been previously evaluated. We investigated the association between vitamin D intake during the first 4 years of life and asthma risk by age 5.

Methods: Within a Finnish population-based birth cohort, 182 incident asthma cases were matched to 728 controls on sex, genetic risk for type 1 diabetes, delivery hospital, and time of birth.

Acute Changes in Inflammatory Biomarker Levels in Recreational Runners Participating in a Marathon or Half-Marathon.

Background: Strenuous physical activity activates the participant's immune responses; however, few studies exist, observing exercise-induced simultaneous changes in mediators of inflammation.

Methods: We examined individual responses in soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR), a marker of immune activation, soluble endocytic receptor for haptoglobin-hemoglobin complexes (CD163), a marker of monocyte-macrophage activation, C-reactive protein (CRP), and pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines from blood samples drawn at baseline, at 3- and 48-h post-races from recreational runners who successfully completed the marathon (199 ± 8 min, n = 4) or half-marathon (132 ± 4 min, n = 4) run. For comparisons, biomarkers reflecting muscle, heart, kidney, and liver functions were measured.

A 12-year prognosis of adult-onset asthma: Seinäjoki Adult Asthma Study.

Rationale: Long-term prognosis of adult-onset asthma is poorly known.

Objective: To evaluate 12-year prognosis of adult-onset asthma and the factors associated with disease prognosis.

Methods: Seinäjoki Adult-onset Asthma Study (SAAS) is a 12-year real-life single-center follow-up study of new-onset asthma diagnosed at adult age and treated in primary and specialized care.

Biomarker-Based Approaches for Assessing Alcohol Use Disorders.

Although alcohol use disorders rank among the leading public health problems worldwide, hazardous drinking practices and associated morbidity continue to remain underdiagnosed. It is postulated here that a more systematic use of biomarkers improves the detection of the specific role of alcohol abuse behind poor health. Interventions should be initiated by obtaining information on the actual amounts of recent alcohol consumption through questionnaires and measurements of ethanol and its specific metabolites, such as ethyl glucuronide.