BACKGROUND: The presence of an apolipoprotein E4 (ApoE4) genotype is the major genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Astrocytes are the main source of ApoE in the brain, however ApoE can also be produced by neurons and microglia. ApoE plays a role in many cell types and processes related to AD, however, it remains unclear which mechanism(s) and cellular source of ApoE are most critical

Bile acids (BAs) play different roles in cancer development. Some are carcinogenic and BA signaling is also involved in various metabolic, inflammatory and immune-related processes. The liver is the primary site of BA synthesis. Liver dysfunction and microbiome compositional changes, such as during hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development, may modulate BA metabolism increasing concentration of c

The association between having a sibling diagnosed with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and risk for suicide attempt may be attributable to shared genetic liability between AUD and suicidal behavior, effects of environmental exposure to a sibling’s AUD, or both. To distinguish between these alternatives, we conducted a series of Cox regression models using data derived from Swedish population-based reg

Background: Despite increased interest in MSC-based cell therapies for the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), clinical investigations have not yet been successful and understanding of the potential in vivo mechanisms of MSC actions in ARDS remain limited. ARDS is driven by an acute severe innate immune dysregulation, often characterized by inflammation, coagulation, and cell injury. How t

Background: People with Parkinson’s disease are less physically active than controls. It is important to promote physical activity, which can be assessed using different methods. Subjective measures include physical activity questionnaires, which are easy and cheap to administer in clinical practice. Knowledge of the psychometric properties of physical activity questionnaires for people with Parki

Background: Suicide in old age is a significant contributor to mortality. However, the extent to which life weariness and suicidal thoughts impact on mortality in a long-term perspective is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of life weariness and suicidal thoughts on long-term survival (16 years) in an older Swedish population, controlling for demographic and social netwo

”Invasiva främmande arter” är ett uttryck som hörs allt oftare, såväl i medier som i diskussioner vid fikabordet. Vad är då en invasiv främmande art och varför väcker dessa arter så starka känslor? Varför är de ett problem? Hur blir man av med dem? Har de några positiva egenskaper? Det är några av de frågor vi tar upp i den här boken som är ett resultat av det tvärvetenskapliga forskningstemat ”Pe

Global climate change is projected to intensify soil drying-rewetting (DRW) events with extended drought, especially in arid and semiarid ecosystems. However, the extent to which the soil DRW with intensified drought can alter soil respiration (Rs) in forests is still under debate, and subsequent legacy effects on Rs are not well understood. Here, we conducted a 180-d soil incubation experiment to

Background: Radiation Therapy (RT) is a common treatment after breast cancer surgery and a complex process using high energy X-rays to eradicate cancer cells, important in reducing the risk of local recurrence. The high-tech environment and unfamiliar nature of RT can affect the patient’s experience of the treatment. Misconceptions or lack of knowledge about RT processes can increase levels of anx

Islet autoantibodies are key markers for the diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. Since their discovery, they have also been recognized for their potential to identify at-risk individuals prior to symptoms. To date, risk prediction using autoantibodies has been based on autoantibody number; it has been robustly shown that nearly all multiple-autoantibody-positive individuals will progress to clinical dis

Objective In systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), disease activity and glucocorticoid (GC) exposure are known to contribute to irreversible organ damage. We aimed to examine the association between GC exposure and organ damage occurrence. Methods We conducted a literature search (PubMed (Medline), Embase and Cochrane January 1966-October 2021). We identified original longitudinal observational stud

Objective: Galectin-3 (Gal-3) has been suggested as a proinflammatory mediator in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We aimed to study clinical and pathogenic aspects of Gal-3 in RA. Method: Plasma samples from healthy controls (n = 48) and patients with newly diagnosed, early RA were assayed for soluble Gal-3. In patients with chronic RA (n = 18), Gal-3 was measured in both plasma and synovial fluid. Syn

Transplantation in Parkinson's disease using human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived dopaminergic (DA) neurons is a promising future treatment option. However, many of the mechanisms that govern their differentiation, maturation, and integration into the host circuitry remain elusive. Here, we engrafted hESCs differentiated toward a ventral midbrain DA phenotype into the midbrain of a preclinical

Rationale: Atrial fibrillation causes one-fifth of ischemic strokes, with a high risk of early recurrence. Although long-term anticoagulation is highly effective for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation, initiation after stroke is usually delayed by concerns over intracranial hemorrhage risk. Direct oral anticoagulants offer a significantly lower risk of intracranial hemorrhage than other anti