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Biomedical subjects

M Berglund

Publications and source records attributed to M Berglund.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

Treatment and suicide in severe depression: a case-control study of antidepressant therapy at last contact before suicide.

Treatment at last contact in 89 persons with severe depression who committed suicide was compared with treatment at a corresponding date in 89 matched persons who did not commit suicide. No difference in electroconvulsive therapy use or prescription of antidepressant medication could be shown between those who committed suicide and those who did not. Neither was there a difference in response to treatment as measured in rates of improvement with treatment. However, continued treatment with antidepressant medication after electroconvulsive therapy was more common in the persons who did not commit suicide than in those who did (46% versus 13%, p < 0.025). None of the persons who committed suicide who were followed during the 6 months before death had received continued treatment after electroconvulsive therapy. This study lends statistical support to the importance of continuing treatment after electroconvulsive therapy to prevent suicide.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Perturbation of the synaptic release machinery in hippocampal neurons by overexpression of SNAP-25 with the Semliki Forest virus vector.

We have examined whether the Semliki Forest virus (SFV) expression vector can be used to manipulate the exocytotic machinery in cultured hippocampal neurons. Autaptic responses were recorded in individually identified neurons which overexpressed either a non-synaptic protein, the transferrin receptor, or the synaptic SNARE protein SNAP-25 (synaptosomal-associated protein of 25 kDA). In neurons overexpressing the transferrin receptor, autaptic responses occurred in a similar proportion and had similar amplitudes (12-18 h postinfection) as in uninfected control neurons. With increasing time after the infection, an increasing proportion of the transferrin receptor-overexpressing neurons showed changes in the shape of the cell body, but the autaptic responses appeared normal as long as recordings could be performed (up to 30 h postinfection). In contrast, in SNAP-25-overexpressing neurons, the proportion of responding cells was reduced 12-18 h after the infection, and the amplitude of the autaptic current in responding neurons was also reduced. The sensitivity to exogenously applied glutamate was, however, unchanged. Biochemical analysis showed that 50% of the overexpressed SNAP-25 was palmitoylated. The levels of two other SNAREs, syntaxin and synaptobrevin (also called vesicle-associated membrane protein), were not affected. Our results indicate that the SFV vector can provide an effective tool to study the function of proteins participating in neurotransmitter release.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Validation with biological markers for food intake of a dietary assessment method used by Swedish women with three different dietary preferences.

OBJECTIVES: To validate a dietary assessment method, a 4-day food record together with a duplicate portion technique, with biological markers for food intake. DESIGN: Four days of duplicate portions were collected in parallel with food recording. A 24-h urine sample and the faeces corresponding to the food intake (using a coloured marker) were collected. Completeness of urine and faeces collections was assessed using para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) in urine and cadmium in faeces, respectively. Biomarkers of food intake (energy, protein, fibre, sodium, potassium, calcium) were measured in urine and faeces. SETTING: Swedish west coast. SUBJECTS: Non-smoking Swedish women, 20-50 years of age, consuming a mixed diet (n = 34), a mixed diet rich in shellfish (n = 17) or a vegetarian/high-fibre diet (n = 23). RESULTS: The average ratio (food intake according to the dietary assessment methods/ biological marker) for protein, sodium, potassium and calcium was 0.86. This indicates an underestimation of the food intake by approximately 15%. The ratio of stated fibre intake to biological marker was 1.20 for the mixed diet and the vegetarian diet group, indicating an overestimation by approximately 20%. CONCLUSIONS: The underestimation of the intake of protein, sodium, potassium and calcium by all three groups and the overestimation of the fibre intake by two groups indicate that underreporting is selective to certain nutrients and foods and to various groups of people. The two dependent dietary assessment methods were equally good in measuring protein intake, which indicates that the women recorded what they actually duplicated.

4-Aminobenzoic Acid↗
PubMed1998

Serum transferrin receptor: a specific marker of iron deficiency in pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: Current markers of iron deficiency tend to be less reliable in pregnancy. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to study the usefulness of soluble serum transferrin receptor (sTfR) as a marker for iron deficiency during early and late gestation and to define iron status in 254 pregnant Swedish women. DESIGN: We performed a cross-sectional and longitudinal evaluation of sTfR in comparison with concentrations of serum ferritin and hemoglobin in blood collected around gestational weeks 11 and 36. RESULTS: The specificity of sTfR was 100%. The sensitivity in relation to both anemia and depleted iron stores was approximately 70%, but this figure is less reliable because of few samples. sTfR in early pregnancy was low: 11% of women had a value below the reference interval. sTfR increased significantly from early to late pregnancy even in the group of women with persisting iron stores. In late pregnancy, 14% of women developed tissue iron deficiency and 5% had iron deficiency according to a combination of all 3 markers. CONCLUSIONS: sTfR seems to be a specific and sensitive marker of iron deficiency in pregnancy and may have advantages over serum ferritin and hemoglobin. The low sTfR concentration in early gestation seems to be caused by reduced erythropoiesis, whereas the increase from early to late pregnancy reflects increased erythropoiesis, and in case of iron deficiency, also tissue iron deficiency. Further studies are needed to verify whether decreased erythropoiesis reduces the possibility of detecting iron deficiency during early gestation by sTfR.

Anemia↗
PubMed1998

The influence of alcohol drinking and alcohol use disorders on psychiatric disorders and suicidal behavior.

The present review reports on the influence of alcohol drinking and alcohol use disorders on psychiatric disorders and suicidal behaviour. The base of the study was previous reviews of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism publication Alcohol and Health in 1993 and by Helgason in 1996. Using a defined search strategy in Medline, another 42 articles from 1994 to 1996 were included in the comorbidity part and 19 in the suicidal part. Epidemiological and clinical studies confirm high comorbidity of substance use disorders and other mental disorders. Alcohol abuse worsens the course of psychiatric disorders. Light to moderate alcohol consumption has no documented positive effect on the course. Levels of risk consumption of alcohol in psychiatric disorders have not been well defined. One-fifth to one-third of increased deaths rate among alcoholics is explained by suicide. In countries with high alcohol consumption, the suicide rate is also high and is increasing with total increased alcohol consumption. Comorbidity is common among suicide victims, and substance use disorders is most frequently combined with depressive disorders. Interpersonal loss within 6 weeks before suicide is more often present among alcoholics than nonalcoholic suicide victims.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed1998

Health effects of cadmium exposure--a review of the literature and a risk estimate.

This report provides a review of the cadmium exposure situation in Sweden and updates the information on health risk assessment according to recent studies on the health effects of cadmium. The report focuses on the health effects of low cadmium doses and the identification of high-risk groups. The diet is the main source of cadmium exposure in the Swedish nonsmoking general population. The average daily dietary intake is about 15 micrograms/day, but there are great individual variations due to differences in energy intake and dietary habits. It has been shown that a high fiber diet and a diet rich in shellfish increase the dietary cadmium intake substantially. Cadmium concentrations in agricultural soil and wheat have increased continuously during the last century. At present, soil cadmium concentrations increase by about 0.2% per year. Cadmium accumulates in the kidneys. Human kidney concentrations of cadmium have increased several fold during the last century. Cadmium in pig kidney has been shown to have increased by about 2% per year from 1984-1992. There is no tendency towards decreasing cadmium exposure among the general nonsmoking population. The absorption of cadmium in the lungs is 10-50%, while the absorption in the gastrointestinal tract is only a few percent. Smokers have about 4-5 times higher blood cadmium concentrations (about 1.5 micrograms/l), and twice as high kidney cortex cadmium concentrations (about 20-30 micrograms/g wet weight) as nonsmokers. Similarly, the blood cadmium concentrations are substantially elevated in persons with low body iron stores, indicating increased gastrointestinal absorption. About 10-40% of Swedish women of child-bearing age are reported to have empty iron stores (S-ferritin < 12 micrograms/l). In general, women have higher concentrations of cadmium in blood, urine, and kidney than men. The population groups at highest risk are probably smokers, women with low body iron stores, and people habitually eating a diet rich in cadmium. According to current knowledge, renal tubular damage is probably the critical health effect of cadmium exposure, both in the general population and in occupationally exposed workers. Tubular damage may develop at much lower levels than previously estimated, as shown in this report. Data from several recent reports from different countries indicate that an average urinary cadmium excretion of 2.5 micrograms/g creatinine is related to an excess prevalence of renal tubular damage of 4%. An average urinary excretion of 2.5 micrograms/g creatinine corresponds to an average concentration of cadmium in renal cortex of 50 micrograms/g, which would be the result of long-term (decades) intake of 50 micrograms per day. When the critical concentrations for adverse effects due to cadmium accumulation are being evaluated, it is crucial to consider both the individual variation in kidney cadmium concentrations and the variations in sensitivity within the general population. Even if the population average kidney concentration is relatively low for the general population, a certain proportion will have values exceeding the concentration where renal tubular damage can occur. It can be estimated that, at the present average daily intake of cadmium in Sweden, about 1% of women with low body iron stores and smokers may experience adverse renal effects related to cadmium. If the average daily intake of cadmium would increase to 30 micrograms/day, about 1% of the entire population would have cadmium-induced tubular damage. In risk groups, for example, women with low iron stores, the percentage would be higher, up to 5%. Both human and animal studies indicate that skeletal damage (osteoporosis) may be a critical effect of cadmium exposure. We conclude, however, that the present evidence is not sufficient to permit such a conclusion for humans. We would like to stress, however, that osteoporosis is a very important public health problem worldwide, but especially in the Scandinav

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Perceived coercion related to psychiatric comorbidity and locus of control in institutionalized alcoholics.

One-hundred and four alcoholics, 73 men and 31 women, were treated at Karlsvi Rehabilitation Center between November 1990 and December 1992. Fifty-eight subjects were compulsorily treated and 46 voluntarily treated. Experiences of negatively perceived coercion were assessed in the beginning of treatment and at discharge after 5-6 months by using the semi-structural interview according to Eriksson-Westrin. Locus of control was measured by using the Swedish version of the Rotter-scale for external/internal attribution. Axis I psychiatric comorbidity was assessed according to the Structural Clinical Interview, DSM-III-R (SCID). Ninety-one percent of the compulsorily committed and 56% of the voluntarily admitted subjects reported violations of integrity or negatively perceived coercion during treatment (p < 0.001); women to a higher extent than men (93%/70%, respectively; p < 0.01). At the discharge interview 87% of the compulsorily treated subjects and 52% of the voluntarily treated subjects still reported that the coercive experiences were wrong or violating to personal integrity. Female subjects were less inclined to justify earlier reported coercive examples than male subjects (0%/8%, respectively; p < 0.05). Coercive implementation fait accompli was reported in 70%, persuasion in 21% and threat in 9% of the cases. No experiences of force were reported. Subjects with an internal locus of control reported negatively perceived coercion to a higher extent than subjects with an external locus of control (84%/22%, respectively; p < 0.001). Internally oriented subjects were also less inclined to justify the coercive experiences at the discharge interview than externally oriented subjects (2%/14%, respectively; p < 0.01). Prevalence of psychiatric comorbidity was high (78%). Reports of negatively perceived acts of coercion and locus of control were unrelated to psychiatric comorbidity. Sixty-seven percent of the subjects were homeless. Homelessness was unrelated to locus of control, coercive reports and psychiatric comorbidity.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

The characterization of plasma membrane-bound tubulin of cauliflower using Triton X-114 fractionation.

The cortical microtubules determine how cellulose microfibrils are deposited in the plant cell wall and are thus important for the control of cell expansion. To understand how microtubules can control microfibril deposition, the components that link the microtubules to the plasma membrane (PM) of plant cells must be isolated. To obtain information on the properties of the tubulin-membrane associations, cauliflower (Brassica oleracea) PM was subjected to Triton X-114 fractionation, and the distribution of alpha- and beta-tubulin was analyzed using immunoblotting. Approximately one-half of the PM-associated tubulin was solubilized by Triton X-114 and 10 to 15% of both alpha- and beta-tubulin was recovered in the detergent phase (indicative of hydrophobic properties) and 30 to 40% was recovered in the aqueous phase. The hydrophobic tubulin could be released from the membrane by high pH extraction with preserved hydrophobicity. A large part of the PM-associated tubulin was found in the Triton-insoluble fraction. When this insoluble material was extracted a second time, a substantial amount of hydrophobic tubulin was released if the salt concentration was increased, suggesting that the hydrophobic tubulin was linked to a high-salt-sensitive protein aggregate that probably includes other components of the cytoskeleton. The hydrophobicity of a fraction of PM-associated tubulin could reflect a direct or indirect interaction of this tubulin with the lipid bilayer or with an integral membrane protein and may represent the anchoring of the cortical microtubules to the PM, a key element in the regulation of cell expansion.

Brassica↗
PubMed1996

Beat-to-beat QRS amplitude variability after acute myocardial infarction and coronary artery bypass grafting.

Ischemic myocardial injury has been demonstrated to be associated with increased beat-to-beat electrical variability of the depolarization phase. This can be quantified by electrocardiographic (ECG) signal variance analysis, a technique that has proven its diagnostic value in the detection of coronary artery disease (CAD). This study evaluates QRS amplitude variability during a 6-month follow-up period in 73 patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and in 56 patients subjected to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The beat-to-beat QRS amplitude variability was quantified with variance electrocardiography. The equipment allows computerized time domain analysis of high-fidelity ECG signals from 24 leads, and the detected electrical heterogeneity is then expressed as a nondimensional index ranging from 0 to 150, with values >90 being indicative of ischemic myocardial involvement. One week after AMI 55% of the patients presented with an abnormal QRS variability index >90. A significant (p <0.01) increase in the index values occurred during the follow-up period, but only in the patients with an initial index <70. In the CABG group 44% of the patients had a preoperative QRS variability index >90. The values increased (p <0.05) in all patients after surgery; the increase was transient in patients with an initial index <70 (p <0.01). The results demonstrate that the myocardial injury in patients with CAD is often associated with increased electrical variability of myocardial depolarization. The QRS amplitude variability index can be used as a marker of such an injury, and analysis of its changes in the course of ischemic cardiac events may provide new insights into the dynamics of ischemic heart disease and the myocardial healing process.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

Bioavailability of cadmium from shellfish and mixed diet in women.

Dietary intake and uptake of cadmium (Cd) were studied in nonsmoking women, 20-50 years of age, consuming a mixed diet low in shellfish (N = 34) or with shellfish once a week or more (N = 17). Duplicate diets were collected during 4 consecutive days for the determination of Cd content. The women kept detailed dietary records, and the intake of energy and various nutrients was calculated. The shellfish diets (median 22.3 micrograms Cd/day) contained twice as much Cd as the mixed diets (median 10.5 micrograms Cd/day; p < 0.0001). Cadmium in feces corresponded to 100 and 99% of that in duplicates of shellfish diets and mixed diets, respectively, indicating a low average absorption of the dietary Cd. In spite of the differences in the daily intake of Cd, there was no statistically significant difference in the concentrations of Cd in blood (B-Cd, shellfish group 0.25 micrograms/liter, mixed diet group 0.23 micrograms/liter) or urine (U-Cd, 0.10 micrograms Cd/liter in both groups). This indicates a lower absorption of Cd in the shellfish group than in the mixed diet group or a difference in the kinetics. A higher gastrointestinal absorption of Cd in the mixed diet group could partly be explained by lower body iron stores as measured by the concentrations of serum ferritin (S-fer, median 18 micrograms/liter, compared to 31 micrograms/liter in the shellfish group). In the mixed diet group, S-fer was negatively correlated with B-Cd and the main determining for B-Cd besides U-Cd in the multiple regression analysis, indicating an increased absorption of Cd at low body iron stores. When women with S-fer exceeding 20 micrograms/liter were compared, the higher dietary intake of Cd in the shellfish group compared to the mixed diet group (24 versus 10 micrograms/day) resulted in higher B-Cd (0.26 versus 0.16 micrograms/liter), although not in proportion to the difference in Cd intake. Thus, there seems to be differences in the bioavailability and/or kinetics of dietary Cd related to the type of diet. This is, to our knowledge, the first study where the influence of various types of diets and nutritional factors on the intake and uptake of cadmium in human subjects has been studied.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Biochemical markers of bone metabolism after short and long time ethanol withdrawal in alcoholics.

The etiology of ethanol-associated osteopenia is not fully understood. A direct inhibitory effect of ethanol on osteoblast function has been suggested by in vitro and in vivo studies. In this study, we measured biochemical markers for bone formation (osteocalcin, bone specific alkaline phosphatase, procollagen-1-c-terminal peptide) and resorption (c-terminal telopeptide and urine deoxypyridinoline) in 18 otherwise healthy, but severely alcoholic men during a 10-day period of alcohol withdrawal. The same tests were performed in a group of 18 male abstainers, with more than 5 years of proven alcohol withdrawal. The results were compared with 29 male controls, randomly selected. In the group of alcoholics, osteocalcin (Oc) was significantly decreased at day 1 (p > 0.001; compared with controls). The low serum Oc levels normalized during the observation period and no significant difference was seen after 10 days. After a 5-year withdrawal, the bone-specific alkaline phosphatase was increased (p = 0.040) and there was a tendency, but not significant, of a persistent high level of Oc when compared with controls. A significant increase in fasting urinary secretion of deoxypyrodinoline was seen among the alcoholics (p = 0.001 compared with controls). The increase did not normalize during the 10-day observation period. Also, the abstainers had a significantly higher fasting urinary secretion of deoxypyridinoline after a 5-year alcohol withdrawal (p = 0.022 compared with controls). The present study suggests that there is an imbalance between bone formation and bone resorption among alcoholics that could result in rapid bone loss. Although most directions tended to normalize shortly after alcohol withdrawal, biochemical data suggest that there may still be a persistent high bone turnover after more than 5 years.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

A comparison of two techniques to reach relatives of alcoholics for information of available support.

Two different information techniques to reach spouses and relatives of inpatient alcoholics for information of available support, one standardized and one individualized, were compared. Each procedure was tested during 6 months in the same ward. In the standardized model 18% (20/112) and in the individualized model 20% (21/104) of spouses/relatives/friends attended the information session. In those living with a spouse, the rates were 46% and 41% respectively, and among those who were not cohabiting, but had relatives or sober friends, the figures were 11% and 17% respectively. There were no sex differences. Among preferred support, individual support, marital and family support and professional group support received the highest ratings. At the 1 year follow-up, more subjects in the individualized information group had received support compared with those in the standardized group. The low rates of informed subjects are in agreement with the literature and considerably lower than the rates in information programmes for relatives of schizophrenic patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Alcohol consumption and regular benzodiazepine use in 55-year-old female Malmö residents: results of a health screening.

The main objective of the present study was to examine the relationship between regular benzodiazepine (BZD) use and drinking patterns in 55-year-old female residents of Malmö, Sweden. All women born in 1935 (a total of 1223 subjects) were invited to a health screening at the Preventive Medicine Section, Malmö General Hospital; 69% agreed to participate. The screening included an extensive health questionnaire, and the responses to 33 items assessing social background, including immigrant status, use of BZD and analgesics, alcohol consumption (the revised Malmö-MAST), smoking and morbidity were analysed. A psychiatric symptoms scale including five of these items was constructed, yielding a Cronbach's alpha of 0.57. Present use of BZD hypnotics and/or tranquillizers was acknowledged by 6% of the women. BZD use at any time in the past or present was endorsed by 23%. Endorsement of > or = 3 revised Malmö-MAST items, indicating problem drinking, occurred in 3% of the participants; 16% were teetotallers and about 25% were regular weekend drinkers. BZD use was significantly more likely to occur in women with the following characteristics: early retirement, pain symptoms, longstanding use of analgesics, multiple psychiatric symptoms. Drinking patterns in relation to BZD use indicated that regular weekend drinkers were significantly less likely to be current and/or previous BZD users than problem drinkers and teetotallers. Logistic regression analyses indicated that use of BZDs was mainly predicted by endorsement of multiple psychiatric symptoms.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed1996

Chaos-related deterministic regulation of heart rate variability in time- and frequency domains: effects of autonomic blockade and exercise.

OBJECTIVES: To study non-linear complexity or chaotic behaviour of heart rate in short time series and its dependence on autonomic tone. METHODS: Ten healthy individuals (5 men, mean age 44 years) were investigated at rest, after intravenous injections of propranolol (0.15 mg/kg), followed by atropine (0.03 mg/kg). On another occasion, investigation was made during exercise on a bicycle ergometer at 40% and at 70% of maximal working capacity. Heart rate variability was assessed by: local sensitive dependence on initial conditions as quantitated by the dominant Lyapunov exponent, coefficient of variation of heart rate, power spectral analysis of high- and low-frequency bands and the 1/f-slope of the very-low-frequency band and time domain analysis. RESULTS: The approximate dominant Lyapunov exponent was positive at rest and remained positive during autonomic blockade and during exercise. The exponent decreased significantly with propranolol+atropine and even more so during exercise but did not attain zero. At baseline approximate predictability was lost after about 30 s whereas after autonomic blockade or exercise it was lost after about 60 s. The 1/f-slope remained unaltered around -1. As expected, power in high- and low-frequency bands as well as time domain index decreased significantly with autonomic blockade. The low-frequency band and time domain index were affected by exercise. CONCLUSIONS: Heart rate variability of sinus rhythm in healthy individuals has characteristics suggestive of low-dimensional chaos-like determinism which is modulated but not eliminated by inhibition of autonomic tone or by exercise. The dominant Lyapunov exponent characterises heart rate variability independent or the other investigated measures.

Adult↗