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ABSTRACT: Data on how body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) are associated with body fat in the oldest-old people are scarce. The purpose of this study was to examine if BMI, WC or WHR are associated with leptin, a biological surrogate measure of body fat in 90-year-old people. The data comes from the Vitality 90+ Study, a prospective population-based study of people living in Tampere, Finland. BMI, WC, WHR and plasma concentration of leptin were available for 160 women and 54 men aged 90 years. BMI and WC had a strong significant positive association with leptin both in women and in men, but WHR was associated with leptin only in men. In conclusion, based on the circulating level of leptin, BMI and WC, and WHR in men, reflect body fat in 90-year-old people, but WHR seems to be a poor indicator of body fat in 90-year-old women.European Journal of Clinical Nutrition advance online publication, 27 February 2013; doi:10.1038/ejcn.2013.39.
European journal of clinical nutrition 02/2013; · 3.07 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Previous reports have described panhypopituitarism associated with severe cases of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS),
but the prevalence of hormonal deficiencies after nephropathia epidemica (NE), a milder form of HFRS, has not been studied.
This study was conducted in order to determine the prevalence of hormonal defects in patients with acute NE and during long-term
follow-up. Fifty-four patients with serologically confirmed acute NE were examined by serum hormonal measurements during the
acute NE, after 3months, and after 1 to 10 (median 5) years. Thirty out of 54 (56%) patients had abnormalities of the gonadal
and/or thyroid axis during the acute NE. After a median follow-up of 5years, 9 (17%) patients were diagnosed with a chronic,
overt hormonal deficit: hypopituitarism was found in five patients and primary hypothyroidism in five patients. In addition,
chronic subclinical testicular failure was found in five men. High creatinine levels and inflammatory markers during NE were
associated with the acute central hormone deficiencies, but not with the chronic deficiencies. Hormonal defects are common
during acute NE and, surprisingly, many patients develop chronic hormonal deficiencies after NE. The occurrence of long-term
hormonal defects cannot be predicted by the severity of acute NE.
European Journal of Clinical Microbiology 04/2012; 29(6):705-713. · 2.86 Impact Factor
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T Kuparinen,
I Seppälä,
J Jylhävä,
S Marttila,
J Aittoniemi,
J Kettunen,
J Viikari,
M Kähönen,
O Raitakari,
T Lehtimäki, M Hurme
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ABSTRACT: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) causes an infection, which is followed by a lifelong latency. CMV has received much attention in clinical studies, but little is known about the genetic basis of this common infection. To identify genetic polymorphisms associated with the susceptibility to and strength of anti-CMV immunoglobulin G (IgG) response to CMV infection, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using an Illumina BeadChip containing 670 000 probes and participants from the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study, including 1486 anti-CMV IgG seropositive and 648 seronegative individuals. Statistical analyses were performed using logistic (for susceptibility) and linear regression (for strength of antibody response). None of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) was found to be associated with susceptibility to CMV infection at the level of genome-wide significance (P<5 × 10(-8)). Also, none of the association signals identified reached genome-wide levels of statistical significance in the study of the strength of the antibody response to CMV although five SNPs in AGBL1 gene region displayed a suggestive association (lowest P-value=1.86 × 10(-6)). The results indicate that there is no strong evidence of major host genetic factors involved in either susceptibility to or the strength of antibody response to human CMV infection.
Genes and immunity 02/2012; 13(2):184-90. · 4.22 Impact Factor
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A Haarala,
M Kähönen,
T Lehtimäki,
J Aittoniemi,
J Jylhävä,
N Hutri-Kähönen,
L Taittonen,
T Laitinen,
M Juonala,
J Viikari,
O T Raitakari, M Hurme
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ABSTRACT: Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease in immunocompromised organ transplant patients. It has been linked with the pathogenesis of elevated arterial blood pressure. However, controversy exists as to whether CMV infection is associated with endothelial function, and little is known about its role as a potential risk factor for early atherosclerosis development at a young age. We aimed to discover if CMV antibody titres are associated with early vascular changes (carotid intima-media thickness, carotid artery distensibility and brachial artery flow-mediated dilation), blood pressure elevation or other traditional cardiovascular risk factors. CMV antibody titres were measured in 1074 women and 857 men (aged 24-39 years) taking part in the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns study. CMV antibody titres were significantly higher in women compared to men. In men, high CMV antibody titres were associated directly with age (P < 0·001) and systolic (P = 0·053) and diastolic (P = 0·002) blood pressure elevation, and associated inversely with flow-mediated dilation (P = 0·014). In women, CMV antibody titres did not associate with any of the analysed parameters. In a multivariate regression model, which included traditional atherosclerotic risk factors, CMV antibody titres were independent determinants for systolic (P = 0·029) and diastolic (P = 0·004) blood pressure elevation and flow-mediated dilation (P = 0·014) in men. High CMV antibody titres are associated independently with blood pressure and brachial artery flow-mediated dilation in young men. This association supports the hypothesis that common CMV infection and/or an immune response to CMV may lead to impaired vascular function at a young age.
Clinical & Experimental Immunology 02/2012; 167(2):309-16. · 3.36 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Our aim was to investigate whether plasma levels of the long pentraxin-3 (PTX3) associate with the severity of Puumala hantavirus-induced nephropathia epidemica (NE). Sixty-one prospectively identified consecutively hospitalized NE patients were examined. Plasma PTX3, interleukin (IL)-6, terminal complement complex SC5b-9, complement component C3, C-reactive protein (CRP), creatinine, sodium, kynurenine, and tryptophan levels, as well as the blood cell count, were determined for up to five consecutive days after hospitalization. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis revealed that the maximum PTX3 level >101.6 ng/ml (high PTX3) showed a sensitivity of 71% and a specificity of 89% for detecting platelet level <50 × 10(9)/l, with an area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.78 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.63-0.94). High PTX3 level was also associated with several other variables reflecting the severity of the disease: patients with high PTX3 level had higher maximum blood leukocyte (16.1 vs. 9.7 × 10(9)/l, p < 0.001), plasma IL-6 (16.9 vs. 9.0 pg/ml, p = 0.007), and creatinine (282 vs. 124 μmol/l, p = 0.007) levels than patients with low maximum PTX3 level. They also had longer hospital stays (8 vs. 5 days, p = 0.015) compared to patients with low PTX3 level. High plasma PTX3 levels are associated with thrombocytopenia and the overall severity of NE.
European Journal of Clinical Microbiology 09/2011; 31(6):957-63. · 2.86 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Chronic rhinosinusitis without and with nasal polyps (CRSwNP and CRSsNP), and antrochoanal polyps are different phenotypes with different pathomechanisms. Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is an enzyme expressed in many cells involved in the catabolism of the essential amino acid tryptophan to kynurenine. IDO might have a role in allergic airway inflammation. The aim was to evaluate if IDO expression is associated with CRSsNP, CRSwNP, or ACP. One hundred fifty specimens from the nasal cavity and sinus mucosa were immunohistochemically stained with mAb anti-IDO. The expression of epithelial and leukocyte IDO was associated with CRSwNP and ACP. The presence of ASA intolerance, asthma, atopy, smoking and use of medication did not significantly change the results. The different expression of IDO could putatively indicate the differences in the pathomechanisms of CRSsNP, CRSwNP and ACP. Further studies on the role of IDO in upper airways pathologies are required.
Rhinology 09/2011; 49(3):356-63. · 1.32 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is a novel candidate immunoinflammatory marker that has been reported to be associated with cardiometabolic risk factors and to predict adverse outcomes in individuals with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Despite being a member of the same pentraxin protein family as C-reactive protein (CRP), PTX3 probably reflects different aspects of CVD pathogenesis. In this study, we assessed plasma PTX3 correlates and determinants in the Health 2000 Survey population, which comprised n = 403 insulin-resistant subjects, n = 845 hypercholesterolaemic subjects and n = 311 hypertensive subjects, all aged between 46 and 76 years. In insulin-resistant subjects the PTX3 concentration was found to correlate directly with age, pulse pressure and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) enzyme activity and inversely with total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. In hypercholesterolaemic subjects, the PTX3 concentration correlated directly with HDL cholesterol, systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure, whereas in hypertensive subjects, the PTX3 concentration correlated directly with systolic blood pressure, pulse pressure and IDO activity. No correlation was observed between the concentrations of PTX3 and CRP, adiposity indicators or indicators of subclinical atherosclerosis in any of the subject groups. PTX3 concentration variations were attributed to variations in LDL cholesterol and IDO activity in insulin-resistant subjects and to pulse pressure in hypercholesterolaemic and hypertensive subjects. These results indicate that, in individuals at high risk of CVD, the PTX3 concentration is associated with cardiovascular risk factors but not with subclinical atherosclerosis.
Clinical & Experimental Immunology 03/2011; 164(2):211-7. · 3.36 Impact Factor
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J Jylhävä,
A Haarala,
C Eklund,
M Pertovaara,
M Kähönen,
N Hutri-Kähönen,
M Levula,
T Lehtimäki,
R Huupponen,
A Jula,
M Juonala,
J Viikari,
O Raitakari, M Hurme
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ABSTRACT: Serum amyloid A (SAA) is a sensitive marker of inflammation and its elevation has been implicated in obesity and in cardiovascular disease, yet data on its regulation in young adults or on its role in early atherosclerosis is scarce. We investigated which factors explain the variation in SAA and analysed whether SAA could be associated with preclinical atherosclerosis.
Serum amyloid A levels were measured in participants of the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study (n = 2280, n = 1254 women, n = 1026 men). Correlates and determinants of SAA were analysed and the effect of SAA on subclinical atherosclerosis, measured as intima-media thickness (IMT) and carotid artery compliance, was evaluated with risk-factor adjusted models.
Serum amyloid A correlated directly and independently of BMI with C-reactive protein (CRP), waist circumference and leptin in both sexes, with total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and ApolipoproteinA1 (ApoA1) in women and with triglycerides, insulin levels and insulin resistance in men. Use of combined oral contraceptives and intrauterine device was also associated with SAA levels. Determinants for SAA included CRP, leptin and ApoA1 in women, and CRP, leptin and HDL cholesterol in men. SAA levels correlated with carotid compliance in both sexes and with IMT in men, yet SAA had no independent effect on IMT or carotid compliance in multivariable analysis.
Serum amyloid A was associated with several metabolic risk factors but was not an independent predictor of IMT or carotid artery compliance. Further longitudinal studies will show whether SAA holds a prognostic value as a risk marker, analogously to CRP.
Journal of Internal Medicine 10/2009; 266(3):286-95. · 5.48 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Growing evidence points to a role for inflammation in prostate carcinogenesis. The significance of C-reactive protein (CRP), an inflammatory and innate immunity molecule, has not been evaluated thoroughly in prostate cancer (PC). In this study of 739 Finnish patients with PC and 760 healthy men, we evaluated the associations of CRP genotypes and haplotypes with total PC risk and PC progression, using prostate-specific antigen (PSA) as a marker of metastatic disease. Although the haplotype frequencies were similar in patients and controls, an association between haplotype ACCCA and patients' PSA levels was found. The carriers more often had a high PSA than non-carriers (P=0.0002) and the SNP rs2794521 A-allele and rs1800947 C-allele carriers had a higher PSA than non-carriers (P=0.009 and P=0.0004, respectively). A trend for a younger age at diagnosis was found among the carriers of ACCCA (P=0.07) and the rs1800947 C-allele (P=0.06), as well as a trend for the latter to have more likely metastases (P=0.06), but not after Bonferroni correction (alpha=0.00208). This is the first study to suggest association between PSA and CRP variants in PC and, therefore, further studies are warranted. CRP alleles previously found to protect against increased CRP levels are now suggested to be associated with metastatic PC, indicated by elevated PSA.
British Journal of Cancer 06/2009; 100(12):1846-51. · 5.04 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Atherosclerosis is characterized by a prominent inflammatory component and C-reactive protein (CRP) has been implicated to modulate the complement activity in atherosclerotic arteries via complement factor H (CFH) binding. In this study, we examined whether the gene-gene interactions between CRP haplotypes and CFH Tyr402His functional polymorphism exerted an effect on early atherosclerosis. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in CFH (Tyr402His) and CRP (-717A>G, -286C >T>A, +1059G>C, +1444C>T and +1846G>A) were genotyped in the participants of the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study (n=1698, aged 24-39 years). The CRP SNPs were further constructed into haplotypes and their interactive effects with the CFH Tyr402His polymorphism on the early atherogenic vascular changes [i.e. carotid artery compliance (CAC) and intima-media thickness (IMT)] were examined. After risk factor adjustment, a significant gene-gene interaction (P=0.007) on CAC was observed between CRP haplotype ATGTG and CFH Tyr402His polymorphism in males. Furthermore, logistic regression analysis verified the risk-modifying interactive effect on CAC between these loci (OR 3.70, 95% CI 1.37-10.02, P=0.010). No effects on CAC were observed in females and no effects on IMT were detected in either sex. We conclude that the combined presence of CRP haplotype ATGTG and CFH 402His allele may be disadvantageous to carotid artery elasticity in males.
Clinical & Experimental Immunology 01/2009; 155(1):53-8. · 3.36 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Total serum IgE is regulated by both environmental and genetic factors. Association and linkage studies have suggested a role of CD14-159C>T polymorphism in the regulation of serum total IgE, but the results have been contradictory. It seems that gene-environment interactions are involved in this regulation.
The aim of this study was to examine the possible gene-environment interactions among Toxoplasma gondii, Helicobacter pylori, CD14-159C>T and Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4+896A>G polymorphism on serum total IgE. For this study, we expanded the scope of our earlier comparison of allergic sensitization and microbial load between Finland and Russian Karelia by studying the CD14-159C>T and TLR4+896A>G polymorphism in a cohort of Russian Karelian children.
For this study, CD14-159C>T and TLR4+896A>G polymorphisms were analysed in 264 healthy Russian Karelian children. Serum total IgE levels and H. pylori and T. gondii antibodies were also measured.
We constructed a multiway anova model to analyse the gene-environment interactions among T. gondii seropositivity, H. pylori seropositivity, CD14-159C>T and TLR4+896A>G polymorphisms on serum total IgE. The model showed that there was an interaction between the CD14-159 allele T carrier status and H. pylori antibodies on serum total IgE (P=0.004). No other interactions were found.
Our results further emphasize the role of gene-environment interaction in the regulation of serum total IgE.
Clinical & Experimental Allergy 01/2009; 38(12):1929-34. · 5.03 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The role of the inflammatory mediator C-reactive protein (CRP) in atherosclerosis is recognized although its specific functions are not entirely clear. CRP binds to the Fcgamma receptor2A (FcgammaR2A) and its polymorphism, FCGR2A (Arg131His), strongly influences the binding. We wanted to evaluate the CRP-mediated proatherogenic process on early atherosclerosis and investigated whether CRP and FCGR2A show an interactive effect on carotid intima-media thickness (IMT). Polymorphisms of FCGR2A (Arg131His) and CRP (-717A > G, -286C > T > A, +1059G > C, +1444C > T and +1846G > A) were genotyped and their effects on IMT were analyzed in 2260 young adults participating in the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study. CRP haplotypes were constructed based on the CRP polymorphisms. The FCGR2A(Arg131His) polymorphism did not have an independent effect on IMT but a significant gene-gene interaction, epistasis, between FCGR2A and CRP genetics on IMT was found. The epistatic effect was seen in men at haplotype and genotypic level; both CRP haplotype GCGCG (-717, -286, +1059, +1444 and +1846) and CRP-717A > G polymorphism interacted with FCGR2A(Arg131His) on IMT. After adjustment with classical risk factors the P-values for interaction were P = 0.013 and P = 0.010, respectively. No associations were observed in women. In conclusion, this study showed that the effect of CRP genetics on early atherosclerotic changes is modulated by the FCGR2A genetics.
International Journal of Immunogenetics 12/2008; 36(1):39-45. · 1.29 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) insufficiency caused by point mutations in the MBL2 gene has been associated with increased susceptibility to bacteraemic infections. We here investigated the effect of MBL2 polymorphisms on the susceptibility and clinical course of bacteraemia. The study cohort comprised 145 patients with bacteraemia and 400 controls. In the case of patients with bacteraemia, laboratory findings and clinical data were registered on admission and during six consecutive days. MBL2 structural polymorphisms at codons 52 (CGT-->TGT; designated D or O), 54 (GGC-->GAC; B or O) and 57 (GGA-->GAA; C or O) in exon 1 of the MBL2 gene and promoter region polymorphisms at position -221 (G-->C, designated Y or X alleles) were determined. No difference in MBL2 genotype frequencies between the bacteraemic patients and controls was detected, and MBL2 genotype had no independent effect on mortality, nor disease severity. However, smoking proved a significant risk factor for Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae or beta-haemolytic streptococci) bacteraemia in patients carrying the variant O allele (53% current smokers in Gram-positive bacteraemia patients compared with only 21% in controls, odds ratios 4.2, 95% confidence intervals 2.0-9.0; P < 0.001), while it did not have an effect in those homozygous for the A allele. The same effect was not detected in Escherichia coli bacteraemia. In conclusion, MBL2 genotypes representing MBL insufficiency were not associated with the overall risk of bacteraemia or disease severity, but smoking in carriers of the structural variant O allele may have a deleterious effect increasing the risk of Gram-positive bacteraemia.
Scandinavian Journal of Immunology 10/2008; 68(4):438-44. · 2.23 Impact Factor
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P Niinisalo,
A Raitala,
M Pertovaara,
S S Oja,
T Lehtimäki,
M Kähönen,
A Reunanen,
A Jula,
L Moilanen,
Y A Kesäniemi,
M S Nieminen, M Hurme
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ABSTRACT: Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is an important immunomodulator suppressing the activation of T lymphocytes, and its level in blood is increased in several autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. We have previously shown that this activity associates with several signs and risk factors of atherosclerosis in 24 to 39-year-old females. Now we repeat this analysis in an older population (n = 921, age range 46-76 years), i.e. in a population with more advanced atherosclerosis. IDO activity had a significant positive correlation in both sexes with carotid artery intima/media thickness (IMT), an early marker of atherosclerosis. In females, a significant negative correlation with HDL cholesterol and a positive correlation with triglycerides levels was observed. The association with IMT did not remain significant after adjustment with classical risk factors of atherosclerosis. It is thus concluded that IDO is a sensitive marker of atherosclerosis--or the inflammatory response associated with it--but does not have an independent role in the pathogenesis of this disease.
Scandinavian journal of clinical and laboratory investigation 08/2008; 68(8):767-70. · 1.38 Impact Factor
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D Gimeno,
J E Ferrie,
M Elovainio,
L Pulkki-Raback,
L Keltikangas-Jarvinen,
C Eklund, M Hurme,
T Lehtimäki,
J Marniemi,
J S A Viikari,
O T Raitakari,
M Kivimäki
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ABSTRACT: It is unclear when in the life course do social inequalities in inflammation emerge. We examined whether the association between socioeconomic position (SEP) and C-reactive protein (CRP) is determined at conception, in childhood, adolescence or adulthood in 1484 participants from the population-based Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study.
Five variants of the CRP gene were used to investigate whether SEP differences in CRP levels are determined at conception. SEP and serum CRP were assessed in childhood (age 3-9), adolescence (age 12-18) and in adulthood (age 24-39). SEP was measured using parental education and occupational status in childhood and adolescence, and participants' own education and occupational status in adulthood. Participants with CRP > 10 mg/l were excluded.
All CRP gene variants were associated with circulating CRP concentrations in childhood, but there were no differences in the distribution of these variants by SEP. No strong evidence was found of associations between parental SEP and CRP. A graded association between higher SEP and lower CRP was observed in adulthood for education (P = 0.0005) but not for occupational status. Trajectories that led to high educational achievement both in the participants and their parents were associated with lower (P <or= 0.047) CRP levels in adulthood. Excluding participants with infectious diseases, pregnant or lactating women and women using oral contraceptives did not change the findings.
In this cohort, SEP differences in CRP concentrations seen in adulthood appear not to be determined at conception or evident in childhood or adolescence.
International Journal of Epidemiology 04/2008; 37(2):290-8. · 6.41 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Although C-reactive protein (CRP) is known to predict cardiovascular events, its status as a causal risk factor is still controversial. CRP gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been shown to associate with CRP concentration, but no direct independent effect on early atherosclerotic changes has been demonstrated. We aimed to determine if CRP gene polymorphisms or haplotypes are associated with CRP concentration or carotid artery compliance (CAC), an indicator of subclinical atherosclerosis. We genotyped CRP gene polymorphisms -717A>G, -286C>T>A, +1059G>C, +1444C>T and +1846G>A and measured CRP concentration and CAC in 2283 young adults participating in The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study. A strong association was found between CRP genotypes and CRP concentration, which was also seen at the haplotype level. Linear regression analysis showed an independent effect of each SNP on CRP concentration after adjustment for risk factors, except for +1444 in males. Moreover, -286C>T>A, +1444C>T and +1846G>A were associated with CAC in males, but not in females. Men carrying the SNP -286 allele C had increased CAC after adjusting for risk factors. These data suggest that the presence of high producer CRP genotype is deleterious to carotid elasticity in men.
Atherosclerosis 02/2008; 196(2):841-8. · 3.79 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is a tryptophan-degrading enzyme which suppresses T lymphocyte activity. IDO activity can be determined by relating kynurenine, the main metabolite of tryptophan, to tryptophan (kyn/trp). We have demonstrated recently that systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is activated during the sunny season as measured by the European Consensus Lupus Activity Measurement Index (ECLAM) activity score. Our aim here was to establish whether IDO-dependent mechanisms are involved in the activation process of SLE. Kyn/trp was measured by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in 33 (30 female, three male) SLE patients in winter, spring and summer and in 309 healthy control subjects. At the same time-points the SLE patients were examined by a rheumatologist and a dermatologist and the activity of SLE assessed by the ECLAM score. IDO activity was higher in SLE patients than in healthy subjects. There was no seasonal variation in IDO activity in SLE patients and it did not correlate with the ECLAM activity score in winter. However, there was a significant correlation between IDO activity and the ECLAM score both in spring and in summer. High IDO activity in winter predicted subsequent activation of SLE in spring and summer. Our results indicate that IDO-dependent immunosuppressive mechanisms are activated in SLE patients. Exposure to sunlight or another factor causing seasonal variation in SLE activity leads to insufficiency of this suppression in a subgroup of patients, causing activation of SLE. High IDO activity in winter predicts activation of SLE in the sunny season.
Clinical & Experimental Immunology 12/2007; 150(2):274-8. · 3.36 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Chronic low-grade inflammation is involved in the pathogenesis of many disease conditions in humans and it is frequently quantified by measuring the blood concentration of C-reactive protein (CRP). Here we show that the CRP concentration in old people (nonagenarians) is, at least partially, genetically determined, and that the high producer genotype is associated with a shorter life expectancy during follow-up. Thus, the data imply that the CRP gene may be a longevity gene in humans.
Mechanisms of Ageing and Development 11/2007; 128(10):574-6. · 3.44 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Experimental studies suggest increased cerebral production of inflammatory cytokines after prolonged seizures. Whether a single non-prolonged seizure in human patients is associated with activation of cytokine network is still unknown.
We studied the levels of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), interlukin-6 (IL-6) and soluble IL-6 receptors (sIL-6R and Gp130) in plasma after single seizures during video-EEG recordings in patients with chronic localization-related epilepsy.
The levels of IL-1ra and IL-6 were increased after seizures, whereas IL-1beta and IL-6 cytokine receptors remained unchanged.
These results show that only single seizures cause activation of cytokine cascade and associated inflammatory signals. In the case of recurrent seizures, these signals may result in structural changes in the nervous tissue, which are generally associated with drug refractory epilepsy.
Acta Neurologica Scandinavica 11/2007; 116(4):226-30. · 2.47 Impact Factor
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T Seiskari,
A Kondrashova,
H Viskari,
M Kaila,
A-M Haapala,
J Aittoniemi,
M Virta, M Hurme,
R Uibo,
M Knip,
H Hyöty
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ABSTRACT: Epidemiological data have indicated that some infections are associated with a low risk of allergic diseases, thus supporting the idea (hygiene hypothesis) that the microbial load is an important environmental factor conferring protection against the development of allergies. We set out to test the hygiene hypothesis in a unique epidemiological setting in two socio-economically and culturally markedly different, although genetically related, populations living in geographically adjacent areas. The study cohorts included 266 schoolchildren from the Karelian Republic in Russia and 266 schoolchildren from Finland. The levels of total IgE and allergen-specific IgE for birch, cat and egg albumen were measured. Microbial antibodies were analysed against enteroviruses (coxsackievirus B4), hepatitis A virus, Helicobacter pylori and Toxoplasma gondii. Although total IgE level was higher in Russian Karelian children compared to their Finnish peers, the prevalence of allergen-specific IgE was lower among Russian Karelian children. The prevalence of microbial antibodies was, in turn, significantly more frequent in the Karelian children, reflecting the conspicuous difference in socio-economic background factors. Microbial infections were associated with lower risk of allergic sensitization in Russian Karelian children, enterovirus showing the strongest protective effect in a multivariate model. The present findings support the idea that exposure to certain infections, particularly in childhood, may protect from the development of atopy. Enterovirus infections represent a new candidate to the list of markers of such a protective environment. However, possible causal relationship needs to be confirmed in further studies.
Clinical & Experimental Immunology 05/2007; 148(1):47-52. · 3.36 Impact Factor
