Agneta Bergqvist

Publications (8)27.03 Total impact

• Article: A prospective observational study of the effects of treatment with extended-release tolterodine on health-related quality of life of patients suffering overactive bladder syndrome in Sweden.

  Ralph Peeker, Göran Samsioe, Jan Kowalski, Ann-Sofie Andersson, Agneta Bergqvist
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  ABSTRACT: Overactive bladder (OAB) is a chronic condition that has a profound impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This study measured changes in bother of OAB symptoms and self-perceived HRQoL over 6 months in patients treated with extended-release (ER) tolterodine in a naturalistic setting. This was a prospective, single-cohort observational study of patients diagnosed with OAB, naïve to antimuscarinic treatment and prescribed tolterodine ER for the first time. Patients were asked to complete the Overactive Bladder Questionnaire (OAB-q) containing a symptom bother scale (0-100) and an HRQoL scale (0-100), which measures coping, social interaction, concern and sleep, at baseline and after 3 and 6 months. In total, 235 patients (211 women and 24 men), with a mean age of 61 years (30-87), were recruited. The numbers of patients who completed the OAB-q were 220 and 169 at 3 and 6 months, respectively. The mean reductions in the symptom bother score from baseline were 19.6 and 19.3 at 3 and 6 months, respectively. Significant improvement (p < 0.0001) was seen in all HRQoL subscale scores. The proportion of responders who met the minimally important difference (change in the score of 10 or more units between baseline and 6 months) was 64% for the symptom bother score and 34-60% for the total HRQoL and subscale scores. OAB patients beginning treatment with tolterodine ER reported clinically significant improvement in OAB symptoms and self-perceived HRQoL over the 6 months of this observational study. The rate of discontinuation from treatment was 49%.
  Scandinavian Journal of Urology and Nephrology 04/2010; 44(3):138-46. · 0.99 Impact Factor
• Article: Effects of anti-TNF-mAb treatment on pregnancy in baboons with induced endometriosis.

  Henrik Falconer, Jason M Mwenda, Daniel C Chai, Xioa-Yu R Song, Freddy J Cornillie, Agneta Bergqvist, Gabriel Fried, Thomas M D'Hooghe
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  ABSTRACT: Hormonal suppressive therapy is not effective for endometriosis-associated subfertility and can even prevent conception. Medical inhibition of TNFalpha, which has been shown to improve conception, is effective in the prevention and treatment of endometriosis in baboons. Prospective, placebo-controlled fertility trial. Animal research and laboratory facility. Sixteen adult female baboons with induced endometriosis. All animals received a single IV dose of the anti-TNFalpha monoclonal antibody c5N (n = 9) or placebo (n = 7) at four different time points. The animals were then exposed to timed mating up to nine completed cycles or until pregnancy was achieved. Pregnancy rate (PR), cycle fecundity rate (CFR), time to pregnancy (TTP), and cumulative pregnancy rate (CPR). Inhibition of TNFalpha did not result in a significant improvement in PR (100% c5N vs. 86% placebo), CFR (18% c5N vs. 30% placebo), median TTP (5 cycles c5N vs. 2 cycles placebo), or CPR (100% c5N vs. 80% placebo). The duration of the menstrual cycle was unchanged in both groups before and after the study. Two nonpregnant baboons in the c5N-group died during the study. Medical inhibition of TNFalpha allowed for normal conception but did not improve fecundity in baboons with induced endometriosis when compared with placebo. Larger studies with clinically available TNFalpha blockers in baboons with moderate to severe endometriosis are needed to further test the potential of these agents in the prevention or treatment of endometriosis-associated subfertility.
  Fertility and sterility 06/2008; 89(5 Suppl):1537-45. · 3.97 Impact Factor
• Article: Expression of human endogenous gammaretroviral sequences in endometriosis and ovarian cancer.

  Lijuan Hu, Daniela Hornung, Raffael Kurek, Helen Ostman, Ostman Helen, Jonas Blomberg, Agneta Bergqvist
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  ABSTRACT: Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) probably originate from ancient germ cell infections by exogenous retroviruses. A high expression of retroviruses in reproductive tissue increases the risk of viral transmission to germ line cells. We therefore investigated the expression of human ERVs (HERVs) in normal endometrium, endometriosis, normal ovaries, and ovarian cancer. Four real-time PCRs (QPCRs) for HERV-E, HERV-I/T, HERV-H, and HERV-W, respectively, and an expression control gene were used. HERV-E RNA expression was significantly higher in endometriotic tissue (average, SD) than in normal endometrium (average, SD), both measured as ratios versus control gene expression and as. HERV-E and HERV-W RNA were higher in normal ovarian tissue than in ovarian cancer. This illustrates that HERV expression is not automatically higher in malignant tissues. The other HERV PCRs did not show expression patterns as distinctive as HERVE and HERV-W in the two kinds of reproductive tissue. A small number of candidate HERV-E loci from which the transcription took place were identified by sequencing of amplimers. The role of HERV-E and HERV-W in endometriosis merits further investigation.
  AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses 07/2006; 22(6):551-7. · 2.25 Impact Factor
• Article: Subcutaneous injection of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate compared with leuprolide acetate in the treatment of endometriosis-associated pain.

  William D Schlaff, Sandra Ann Carson, Anthony Luciano, Doug Ross, Agneta Bergqvist
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  ABSTRACT: To compare the efficacy and safety of SC depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA-SC 104) with that of leuprolide acetate in treatment of endometriosis. Phase 3, multicenter, randomized, evaluator-blinded, comparator-controlled trial. Clinical trial sites in Canada and United States. Two hundred seventy-four women with surgically diagnosed endometriosis. Intramuscular injections of DMPA-SC (104 mg) or leuprolide acetate (11.25 mg), given every 3 months for 6 months, with 12 months of posttreatment follow-up. Reduction in five endometriosis symptoms or signs (dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, pelvic pain, pelvic tenderness, pelvic induration); change in bone mineral density (BMD), hypoestrogenic symptoms, bleeding, and weight. The depot medroxyprogesterone acetate given SC was statistically equivalent to leuprolide in reducing four of five endometriosis symptoms or signs at the end of treatment (month 6) and in reducing all five symptoms after 12 months' follow-up (month 18). Patients in the DMPA-SC 104 group showed significantly less BMD loss than did leuprolide patients at month 6, with scores returning to baseline at 12 months' follow-up. No statistically significant differences in median weight changes were observed between groups. Compared with leuprolide, DMPA-SC 104 was associated with fewer hypoestrogenic symptoms but more irregular bleeding. Efficacy of DMPA-SC 104 was equivalent to that of leuprolide for reducing endometriosis-associated pain, with less impact on BMD and fewer hypoestrogenic side effects but more bleeding.
  Fertility and sterility 03/2006; 85(2):314-25. · 3.97 Impact Factor
• Article: Basal release of urokinase plasminogen activator, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, and soluble plasminogen activator receptor from separated and cultured endometriotic and endometrial stromal and epithelial cells.

  Christine Bruse, Yongmei Guan, Magdalena Carlberg, Kjell Carlström, Agneta Bergqvist
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  ABSTRACT: To investigate whether separated and cultured endometriotic and endometrial stromal and epithelial cells release urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), and soluble plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) antigens in vitro. In vitro study. University hospital clinic. Regularly menstruating women with and without endometriosis. Tissue samples were collected at surgery performed for clinical reasons. The antigen concentrations of uPA, PAI-1, and suPAR in culture medium were assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Both stromal and epithelial cells from endometriotic and endometrial tissue released the three types of antigens, but the release of PAI-1 was significantly higher from stromal cells in the three types of tissue than from epithelial cells. Furthermore, the release of PAI-1 was significantly higher from endometriotic cells than from endometrial stromal cells. This study has demonstrated the basic capacity of separated epithelial and stromal cells from all three types of tissue to release uPA, PAI-1, and suPAR without any paracrine influence, as in vivo. The higher release of PAI-1 from endometriotic stromal cells might have importance for the invasive growth.
  Fertility and Sterility 05/2005; 83 Suppl 1:1155-60. · 3.56 Impact Factor
• Article: Impact of epidermal growth factor and transforming growth factor beta-1 on the release of fibrinolytic factors from cultured endometrial and ovarian endometriotic stromal cells.

  Yong-Mei Guan, Magdalena Carlberg, Christine Bruse, Agneta Bergqvist
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  ABSTRACT: We have investigated whether there are any differences in the release of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) and its inhibitor (PAI-1) from cultured endometrial and endometriotic stromal cells, and whether the release is regulated by epidermal growth factor (EGF) or transforming growth factor beta1 (TGFbeta1). The cells were isolated from endometriomas and endometrium from women with and without endometriosis. After treatment with EGF or TGF and in untreated controls, incubated media collected at 0, 24, 48 and 72 h were analyzed by ELISA. Stromal cells from all three types of tissues released uPA and PAI-1, but the soluble receptor of uPA was not measurable in any group. The basal release of uPA and PAI-1 from endometriotic cells was higher than from endometrial cells. The uPA release in endometriotic cells was reduced with and without the addition of EGF (p < 0.05) or TGFbeta1 (p < 0.05). EGF increased the release of PAI-1 from stromal cells from women without endometriosis (p < 0.05) but decreased the release of PAI-1 from stromal cells from endometriotic women (p < 0.05). TGFbeta1 increased the release of PAI-1 from endometriotic cells (p < 0.05) but had no effect in endometrial cells.
  Gynecologic and Obstetric Investigation 01/2003; 55(1):7-13. · 1.28 Impact Factor
• Article: Effects of hormones on uPA, PAI-1 and suPAR from cultured endometrial and ovarian endometriotic stromal cells.

  Yong-Mei Guan, Magdalena Carlberg, Christine Bruse, Kjell Carlström, Agneta Bergqvist
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  ABSTRACT: To investigate whether endometriotic stromal cells release the urokinase plasminogen activator, soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1. If so, to establish if there are any differences between endometrial stromal cells from women with and without endometriosis, and whether the release is hormonally regulated. Biopsies were obtained from endometriotic tissue and from endometrium from women with and without endometriosis. Stromal cells were isolated, incubated and treated with estradiol-17beta, progesterone or raloxifen. Incubation media collected at 0, 24, 48 and 72 h were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. All these types of stromal cells released the urokinase plasminogen activator, soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor and urokinase plasminogen inhibitor-1. There was a significantly higher release of urokinase plasminogen inhibitor-1 and lower release of urokinase plasminogen activator and soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor in endometriotic cells. The release of urokinase plasminogen activator from endometrial stromal cells decreased during the study period both in control cultures and in cultures treated with progesterone or estradiol-17beta, but not in cultures treated with raloxifen nor in endometriotic cultures. The given hormones did not influence the release of the soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor. Progesterone significantly increased the urokinase plasminogen inhibitor-1 release in endometrial cells from both patient categories, and raloxifen significantly reduced the urokinase plasminogen inhibitor-1 release from stromal cells from both tissue categories from endometriotic patients. Estradiol-17beta had no effect. This study shows that stromal cells from endometrium and endometriotic tissues release the urokinase plasminogen activator, soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor and urokinase plasminogen inhibitor-1. The release is partly hormonally regulated, but differently in endometriotic than in endometrial cells.
  Acta Obstetricia Et Gynecologica Scandinavica 06/2002; 81(5):389-97. · 1.77 Impact Factor
• Article: Advances in the management of endometriosis: an update for clinicians.

  Piergiorgio Crosignani, David Olive, Agneta Bergqvist, Anthony Luciano
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  ABSTRACT: Endometriosis is a chronic and recurrent disease characterized by the presence and proliferation of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity, which occurs in approximately 10% of women of reproductive age. In this estrogen-dependent disorder, lesions become inactive and gradually undergo regression during states of ovarian down-regulation, such as amenorrhoea or menopause. The impact of endometriosis includes impaired fertility potential, as well as symptoms of dysmenorrhoea, dyspareunia and chronic non-menstrual pain, all of which adversely affect quality of life. Management of endometriosis focuses on pain relief and includes medical and surgical treatment. Pharmacologic therapies currently in use include combination oral contraceptives (COCs), danazol, GnRH analogues and progestins. Although some agents show efficacy in relieving pain, all differ in their side effects, making it difficult to achieve a balance between efficacy and safety. Efficacy has been demonstrated with danazol or GnRH analogues; however, treatment is limited to 6 months because of significant metabolic side effects. Alternatives for longer-term management of symptoms include add-back therapy with GnRH analogues, COCs or progestins. Newer options for treatment of endometriosis include depot medroxyprogesterone acetate subcutaneous injection, as well as several agents under investigation that may prove to have therapeutic potential.
  Human Reproduction Update 12(2):179-89. · 9.23 Impact Factor