Biomedical subjects

A Andreasson

Publications and source records attributed to A Andreasson.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2000

Toxic effects of SLE serum on normal monocytes in vitro: cell death induced by apoptosis related to complement dysfunction.

The aim of this study was to assess toxic effects of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) serum on blood peripheral mononuclear cells from healthy donors and to evaluate if complement activation was involved. Monocytes from a healthy donor were incubated with 20 sera from ten SLE patients in both high and low disease activity states. After incubation non-adherent cells were analysed by flow cytometry. Serum from six SLE patients induced an increased cell death, four in active disease only, one in the inactive state and one in the active and the inactive state. Five of these sera, three with high and two with low disease activity, induced an increased apoptosis in the monocytes. Proportion of apoptotic cells correlated inversely with C1q and C3 concentration in the active disease sera, but not with disease activity as evaluated by SLEDAI. Apoptosis could be induced by addition of active C1s or antigen/antibody complexes to normal serum before incubation. Serum with complexes added induced increased tumour necrosis factor-alpha secretion from mononuclear cells, but SLE patient sera did not. The results demonstrate that the toxic effect of serum from SLE patients on healthy monocytes is explained by induction of apoptosis. The induction process is suggested to be connected with complement activation in the serum.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

Postoperative downregulation of MHC class II antigen on monocytes does not differ between open and endovascular repair of aortic aneurysms.

OBJECTIVES: To study immune cell response and histocompability class II (HLA-DR) expression after aortic aneurysm repair. SETTING: University hospital, Sweden. SUBJECTS: 42 patients operated on for aortic aneurysm, 26 by an endovascular and 16 by an open technique. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Analysis of HLA-DR expression and concentrations of blood mononuclear cells by flow cytometry. Splanchnic pH analysed by tonometry and interleukin-6 and tumour necrosis factor-alpha measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: The HLA-DR expression on lymphocytes did not change, whereas total HLA-DR expression on monocytes was downregulated, and more pronounced in five patients who developed severe postoperative complications. There were no differences in cell or HLA-DR responses between the two operations. CONCLUSIONS: Both endovascular and open repair of aortic aneurysm produced similar downregulation of monocyte HLA-DR expression and similar responses in circulating mononuclear blood cells. There was pronounced downregulation of monocyte HLA-DR expression in patients with severe postoperative complications.

Aged↗

PubMed1999

Interleukin-6 and disease severity in patients with bacteremic and nonbacteremic febrile urinary tract infection.

An interleukin-6 (IL-6) response was detected in 81 patients with febrile urinary tract infections (UTIs). Bacteremic patients (n=24) had higher serum IL-6 at inclusion and throughout the first 24 h (P<. 01) and higher urine IL-6 from 6 h after start of therapy (P<.01) than did nonbacteremic patients (n=57). The serum and urine IL-6 responses remained elevated longer in the bacteremic group. Patients with clinical signs of pyelonephritis had higher serum and urine IL-6 concentrations than did other patients in the study population (P=.058, P<.01, respectively). IL-6 high responders had higher temperatures (P<.05) and C-reactive protein levels (P<.05, P<.01) than did low responders. The results demonstrate that IL-6 responses accompany febrile UTIs regardless of bacteremia and that the response reflects disease severity. The results suggest that IL-6 produced in the urinary tract can trigger the systemic host response in the absence of bacteremia.

Acute-Phase Reaction↗

PubMed1997

Evaluation of single-dose inhaled corticosteroid activity with an allergen challenge model.

BACKGROUND: Inhaled corticosteroids are the most commonly used antiinflammatory agents for asthma. There is no simple way to compare objectively the relative potency of inhaled corticosteroids. The allergen-induced late asthmatic response (LAR) can be suppressed by a single dose of inhaled corticosteroid. OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to evaluate LAR as a model for the determination of the relative potency of single doses of inhaled corticosteroids. METHODS: We compared doses of 200 and 800 microg of a highly active inhaled corticosteroid (budesonide) with placebo and a marginally active investigational inhaled corticosteroid (D5159). Ten atopic patients with asthma completed a randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, multicenter, four-way, crossover trial. A standardized allergen challenge with the identical dose of allergen was performed 10 minutes after each of four blinded, single-dose treatments: 200 microg of budesonide, 800 microg of budesonide, 8 mg of D5159, and placebo, all administered from Turbuhaler. The LAR was recorded as the maximum percent fall in FEV1 between 4 and 7 hours, and the allergen-induced increase in methacholine airway responsiveness at 24 hours was recorded as the A log PC20 from the day before to the day after allergen challenge. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the early asthmatic responses during the 4 days; the mean maximum percent in FEV1 fall ranged between 19.5% and 22%. D5159 produced a slight inhibition of the LAR with maximum percent fall in FEV1 recorded as 28.8% +/- 5.0% for D5159 versus 34.1% +/- 4.8% for placebo (p < 0.05). There was a greater reduction recorded after administration of the two doses of budesonide. The mean LAR was 15.1% +/- 3.8% for 200 microg of budesonide and 11.2% +/- 2.3% for 800 microg of budesonide (p < 0.01 compared with placebo and D5159). The two doses of budesonide were not statistically different. Airway responsiveness to methacholine increased by 1.07 doubling doses 24 hours after allergen challenge. This increased airway responsiveness was slightly, but not significantly, reduced by the three active treatments (0.6 to 0.91 doubling doses). CONCLUSION: The allergen-induced LAR model was able to differentiate a single dose of an active inhaled corticosteroid from placebo and a highly potent inhaled corticosteroid from a weak inhaled corticosteroid. The model did not differentiate between 2 fourfold doses of the highly active inhaled corticosteroid (at the doses used in this study), neither for the fall in FEV1 nor for the increase in airway hyperresponsiveness.

Administration, Inhalation↗

PubMed1995

Cytokines in childhood hemolytic uremic syndrome and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.

Serum and urine cytokines were analyzed in children with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). Interleukin-6 (IL-6) was elevated in the serum of 33 of 35 children with HUS (94%) and in 2 of 2 children with recurrent TTP. Serum IL-6 was higher in children with HUS who developed anuria, extrarenal manifestations during the acute phase of illness and/or chronic renal sequelae. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) was detected in the serum of 7 patients with HUS (20%) and 1 patient with TTP. IL-6 and TNF-alpha were elevated in the urine of 4 of 4 children with HUS and 2 of 2 children with TTP. Urinary levels were higher than serum levels, suggesting local production of cytokines in the urinary tract. Sequential serum and urine samples showed that IL-6 levels varied with disease activity. IL-6 and TNF-alpha were not detected in the serum (n = 25) and urine (n = 15) of healthy children. We conclude that IL-6 in urine may be used to monitor disease activity in HUS and TTP.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1994

Interleukin 6 response to urinary tract infection in childhood.

This study analyzed the interleukin 6 (IL-6) response in 114 children with suspected urinary tract infection (UTI). Urine and serum samples were obtained at the time of enrollment. There were 90 children with UTI, 41 with and 49 without a temperature > or = 38.5 degrees C. The remaining 24 children did not have bacteriuria; 11 were febrile and 13 were not. The urinary IL-6 concentrations were higher in the children with UTI (mean, 129 units/ml) than in the children without bacteriuria (mean, 7 units/ml, P < 0.01). In contrast the serum IL-6 did not differ between children with or without UTI or between children with or without a temperature > or = 38.5 degrees C. The urinary IL-6 response was higher in children who were infected with P fimbriated Escherichia coli than in other children with UTI (P < 0.05). There was a correlation of urinary IL-6 with the degree of proteinuria, hematuria and urinary leukocyte counts (P < 0.001, P < 0.05, P < 0.05, respectively) but not with serum IL-6, CRP or temperature, and of serum IL-6 to C-reactive protein (P = 0.053) and renal concentrating capacity (P < 0.05). The results demonstrate that infections of the urinary tract activate an IL-6 response in children and that the magnitude of the IL-6 response is influenced by the properties of the infecting strain.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1993

Effect of coffee on ambulatory blood pressure in patients with treated hypertension.

Effects of caffeine on ambulatory blood pressure, heart rate, renin-angiotensin system, and ANP were studied in patients treated for mild to moderate hypertension in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial comparing 2 weeks of caffeine-free diet with 2 weeks of regular coffee use. Twenty-three patients (13 men; aged 28-74 years) with treated, mild to moderate essential hypertension and a regular intake of 3-4 cups of coffee daily completed the study. Mean 24-h, day- or night-time ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate were not different between regimens. Nor were there any effects on the renin-angiotensin system while ANP was significantly increased during caffeine intake. Compliance of the dietary regimen was excellent as assessed by serum caffeine concentration measurements. We conclude that habitual coffee drinking did not influence the 24-h blood pressure profiles or cardiovascular hormones in treated hypertensives.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

Effects of enzymatic inhibition and increased paracellular shunting on transport of vasopressin analogues in the rat.

The Ussing chamber technique was used as an oral absorption model for studies of the relative effects of the inhibition of enzymatic degradation and increased paracellular route on the transport of the poorly absorbed vasopressin analogues lysine vasopressin (LVP) and desmopressin (DDAVP). The rates of transport of LVP or DDAVP at 250 microM across ileum and colon segments were studied in the absence and in the presence of protease inhibitors (aprotinin and bestatin) and cytochalasin-B. During the different treatments, the rates of degradation of the peptides were also studied. Detectable amounts of LVP could only be measured on the serosal side of the intestinal segment in the presence of protease inhibitors or cytochalasin-B. The treatment with cytochalasin-B increased the rates of transport of both peptides severalfold, and the effect was reversible. We suggest that the Ussing chamber technique can be used to evaluate the reasons for low transport rates across intestinal membranes. The results also show that, apart from enzymatic degradation, the vasopressin analogues LVP and DDAVP have additional permeation problems; therefore, it may be necessary to increase the paracellular route to increase the absorption of these peptides.

Animals↗

PubMed1981

[Symphysiotomy].

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Adolescent↗