BACKGROUND: Available evidence suggests that mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNA-CN) may differ among patients with mental disorders compared to the general population. However, whether mtDNA-CN is independently associated with the subsequent incidence of mental disorders remains unclear.MATERIAL AND METHODS: We used droplet digital PCR to measure the absolute mtDNA-CN in DNA samples obtained fro

This thesis covers the results of studies on the amino acid sequence, three-dimensional structure, and activities of two types of DNA-interactive proteins: Holliday Junction resolving enzyme (represented by Hjc_15-6 isolated from phage Tth15-6) and DNA Polymerase I (represented by PolI_G20c, isolated from phage G20c), including studies on their homologous counterparts. As these proteins originate

This article discusses the multi-faceted and changing role played by trade unions in providing unemployment benefits in Sweden, a country using the so-called Ghent system. As an important institutional feature explaining the high rate of unionisation in the Nordics, the system has been much debated. This article provides a comprehensive account of the retrenchment of the state unemployment benefit

Background: Coronary flow reserve (CFR) is an index of coronary microcirculation. No previous reports exist on the association between testosterone levels and CFR. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to explore the association between testosterone and CFR in a group of men from the general population.Material and Methods: The study consisted of 66 men with no history of cardiovascular disea

I denna avhandling studeras proteiner. Dessa molekyler finns i många varianter, och tillsammans utför de stora delar av kroppens funktioner. Detta inkluderar olika former av signalering (till exempel närvaro av kapsaicin som ger mat hetta), molekyltransport (som till exempel syre), katalys (av till exempel matnedbrytning) och delar av kroppens struktur (som till exempel muskler). Det är därmed kanThis thesis involves the study of proteins. These molecules exist in many variants, and perform most of our bodily functions. This includes signaling (for example the presence of capsaicin, which makes food spicy), molecular transport (including oxygen), catalysis (including food digestion) and part of our body structure (such as muscles). So it is perhaps not too strange that an overwhelming frac

Background: Oral administration of health-promoting bacteria is increasingly used in clinical practise. These bacteria have anti-inflammatory characteristics and modulate the immune system without major reported side effects. The mechanisms of action are not yet fully defined. Our aim was to study systemic effects of probiotics by measurements of leukocytes as well as local effects on rectal mucos

Background: A subset of individuals with allergic asthma develops a late phase response (LPR) to inhaled allergens, which is characterized by a prolonged airway obstruction, airway inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness. The aim of this study was to identify changes in the plasma proteome and circulating hematopoietic progenitor cells associated with the LPR following inhaled allergen challen

INTRODUCTION: Mechanical ventilation is a fundamental component in the management of patients post cardiac arrest. However, the ventilator settings and the gas-exchange targets used after cardiac arrest may not be optimal to minimise post-anoxic secondary brain injury. Therefore, questions remain regarding the best ventilator management in such patients. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is a preplanned

Midbrain dopamine (mDA) neurons can be replaced in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) in order to provide long-term improvement in motor functions. The limited capacity for long-distance axonal growth in the adult brain means that cells are transplanted ectopically, into the striatal target. As a consequence, several mDA pathways are not re-instated, which may underlie the incomplete restorati

Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of aortic regurgitation (AR) contain recommendations that do not always match. We systematically reviewed clinical practice guidelines and summarized similarities and differences in the recommendations as well as gaps in evidence on the management of AR. We searched MEDLINE and Embase (1 January 2011 to 1 September 2021), Google Scholar, and websites of

Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the pattern, causes, and predictors of all new hospitalizations in patients who underwent transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Methods and results: The nationwide Swedish TAVI registry was merged with other mandatory healthcare registries, which enabled the analysis of all TAVI procedures, new hospital admissions, and death between the year

The extensive register infrastructure available for coronavirus disease 2019 surveillance in Scania county, Sweden, makes it possible to classify individual cases with respect to hospitalisation and disease severity, stratify on time since last dose and demographic factors, account for prior infection and extract data for population controls automatically. In the present study, we developed a case

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease linked with the loss of dopaminer-gic neurons in the brain region called substantia nigra and caused by unknown pathogenic mecha-nisms. Two currently recognized prominent features of PD are an inflammatory response manifested by glial reaction and T-cell infiltration, as well as the presence of various toxic mediators derived from activated g

Channelrhodopsins (ChRs) are light-gated ion channels that are receiving increasing attention as optogenetic tools. Despite extensive efforts to gain understanding of how these channels function, the molecular events linking light absorption of the retinal cofactor to channel opening remain elusive. While dark-state structures of ChR2 or chimeric proteins have demonstrated the architecture of non-

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and other eicosanoid pathway modifiers are among the most ubiquitously used medications in the general population. Their broad anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, and analgesic effects are applied against symptoms of respiratory infections, including SARS-CoV-2, as well as in other acute and chronic inflammatory diseases that often coexist with allergy an

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) has been used for over 20 years to obtain peripheral blood stem cells from healthy donors for allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Concerns have been raised about a potentially increased cancer incidence in donors after donation, especially regarding haematological malignancies. In a prospective Swedish national cohort study, we studied the cancer inc

Background The protein C (PC) anticoagulant system has a key role in maintaining hemostatic balance. One missense (Ser219Gly) variant in the PC receptor (PROCR) was associated with venous thromboembolism (VTE) in genome-wide association studies. Objectives This study aimed to determine the thrombotic risk of rare and common PROCR variants in a large population-based cohort of middle-aged and older