Calprotectin (S100A8/S100A9) and Myeloperoxidase: Co-Regulators of Formation of Reactive Oxygen Species

Inflammatory mediators trigger polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS: O2-, H2O2, ∙OH). Mediated by myeloperoxidase in PMN, HOCl is formed, detectable in a chemiluminescence (CL) assay. We have shown that the abundant cytosolic PMN protein calprotectin (S100A8/A9) similarly elicits CL in response to H2O2 in a cell-free system. Myeloperoxidase and calprotectin worked synergistically. Calprotectin-induced CL increased, whereas myeloperoxidase-triggered CL decreased with pH > 7.5. Myeloperoxidase needed NaCl for CL, calprotectin did not. 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, binding ∙OH, almost abrogated calprotectin CL, but moderately increased myeloperoxidase activity. The combination of native calprotectin, or recombinant S100A8/A9 proteins, with NaOCl markedly enhanced CL. NaOCl may be the synergistic link between myeloperoxidase and calprotectin. Surprisingly- and unexplained- at higher concentration of S100A9 the stimulation vanished, suggesting a switch from pro-oxidant to anti-oxidant function. We propose that the ∙OH is predominant in ROS production by calprotectin, a function not described before

The Separation and Cultivation of Basal and Differentiating Cells from Hairless Mouse Epidermis

An earlier described method for the separation of basal and differentiating cells from hairless mouse epidermis (1) has been further studied. 1) A more precise quantitative determination of the specificity of the separation procedure has been performed by radioactive labeling of DNA in basal cells. By autoradiography the number of labeled basal cells in each fraction was counted and the purity calculated. The purity of the basal cell suspensions was 87.0 per cent and the differentiating cells 77.8 per cent. As purely morphological judgement is insufficient to distinguish an early differentiating cell from a basal cell, such specificity tests are necessary to ensure a correct separation technique. 2) The viability of the separated cells has been studied by culture in diffusion chambers up to 10 days. The cells appeared intact the first 24 hours, and thereafter a pronounced cell loss took place. The surviving differentiating cells appeared to continue their keratinization ending after 7 days, as expected from their turnover time in vivo. Basal cells either went into differentiation or proliferation, but the latter process was outweighed by the cell loss

Bibliotekarer blir ved sin lest

Vi presenterer en studie av bachelorstudenter i bibliotek- og informasjonsvitenskap uteksaminert i perioden 2011-2014. 188 kandidater har svart på undersøkelsen. Vi har blant annet undersøkt arbeidsmarkedet for kandidatene, inkludert hvilke praksisfelt de arbeider på samt deres arbeidsoppgaver, kandidatenes lønn og deres fornøydhet med utdanningen. Resultatene viser at svært mange av kandidatene arbeider i bibliotek og at forholdsvis mange har en form for lederansvar. Vi sammenlikner også våre funn med studier gjort i Sverige og Danmark og konkluderer med at arbeidsmarkedene i de tre landene er ganske like. Sammenliknet med studenter fra andre utdanninger ved Høgskolen i Oslo og Akershus tar det noe mer tid for våre studenter å få en relevant jobb

Bibliotekarer blir ved sin lest

Vi presenterer en studie av bachelorstudenter i bibliotek- og informasjonsvitenskap uteksaminert i perioden 2011-2014. 188 kandidater har svart på undersøkelsen. Vi har blant annet undersøkt arbeidsmarkedet for kandidatene, inkludert hvilke praksisfelt de arbeider på samt deres arbeidsoppgaver, kandidatenes lønn og deres fornøydhet med utdanningen. Resultatene viser at svært mange av kandidatene arbeider i bibliotek og at forholdsvis mange har en form for lederansvar. Vi sammenlikner også våre funn med studier gjort i Sverige og Danmark og konkluderer med at arbeidsmarkedene i de tre landene er ganske like. Sammenliknet med studenter fra andre utdanninger ved Høgskolen i Oslo og Akershus tar det noe mer tid for våre studenter å få en relevant jobb

Should GPs ask patients about their financial concerns? Exploration through collaborative research

Objective: Health services should arguably be concerned about the financial situation of patients since health problems can cause financial concerns, which in turn can cause health problems. In this study, we explored the role of the general practitioner (GP) as a potential early discoverer of financial problems who can refer at-risk patients to financial counselling services. Design: A collaborative health service research experiment. For four weeks, GPs asked their patients predefined questions about financial concerns and health, by anonymous data mapping. GPs shared their experiences with the researchers after the experiment. Setting: One GP office in Norway. Subjects: A total of 565 patients were included in data mapping by 8 GPs. Main outcome measures: Patient prevalence data and GPs experimental data of patients’ health problems that caused financial concerns and financial concerns that affected patients’ health. Results: Of 565 GP patients, 11% (n1⁄463) indicated that they had health problems causing them financial concerns, or vice versa; 9% of patients reported health problems causing financial concerns and 8% of patients reported financial concerns that affected their health. Through the data mapping experiment GPs became aware of financial concerns of their patients and by this expanded and improved their therapeutic toolbox. Several months after the experiment the GPs reported that more patients received financial counselling since the GPs asked their patients about financial problems more often than before and because the patients had heard that GPs cared about such problems. Conclusion: Our results suggest that GPs can be early discoverers of financial problems interacting with their patients’ health. When there are no clear medical explanations for the health problems that prompted the consultation, the best therapy may thus be financial counselling