38 research outputs found
Fatigue in primary Sjogren's syndrome
OBJECTIVE: To assess fatigue in relation to depression, blood pressure,
and plasma catecholamines in patients with primary Sjogren's syndrome
(SS), in comparison with healthy controls and patients with rheumatoid
arthritis. METHODS: For the assessment of fatigue the Multidimensional
Fatigue Inventory (MFI) was used, a 20 item questionnaire, covering the
following dimensions: general fatigue, physical fatigue, mental fatigue,
reduced motivation, and reduced activity. Furthermore, the Zung depression
scale was used to quantify aspects of depression. Forty nine female
primary SS patients, 44 female patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA),
and 32 healthy women filled in both questionnaires. In addition, supine
values of blood pressure and plasma catecholamines were measured in the
patients with primary SS. RESULTS: Primary SS patients were more fatigued
compared with the healthy controls on all the five dimensions of the MFI.
When the analyses were repeated using depression as a covariate, group
differences disappeared for the dimensions of reduced motivation and
mental fatigue. In the primary SS patients, significant positive
correlations between depression and the dimensions of reduced motivation
and mental fatigue were found. Comparing patients with primary SS with
those with RA, using depression as covariate, no statistically significant
differences were found between these groups. No relation between fatigue
and blood pressure was found, but a negative correlation was observed
between the general fatigue subscale of the MFI and plasma noradrenaline.
CONCLUSION: Patients with primary SS report more fatigue than healthy
controls on all the dimensions of the MFI and when controlling for
depression significant differences remain on the dimensions of general
fatigue, physical fatigue, and reduced activity. The negative correlations
between levels of noradrenaline and general fatigue in patients with
primary SS may imply the involvement of the autonomic nervous system in
chronic fatigue
KKF-Model Platform Coupling : summary report KKF01b
Nederland bereidt zich voor op een sneller stijgende zeespiegel en een veranderend klimaat. Hiervoor is het Deltaprogramma gestart. Dit deltaprogramma voorziet een serie beslissingen die grote gevolgen zullen hebben voor het beheer van het water in Nederland. Om deze beslissingen zorgvuldig te nemen is informatie nodig over hoe het klimaat en de stijgende zeespiegel dit waterbeheer zullen beïnvloeden. De modellen die de gevolgen van klimaatverandering berekenen zullen daarom met dezelfde klimaat forcering en gekoppeld aan elkaar moeten worden gebruikt. In dit onderzoek is gekeken naar het linken van hydrologische en hydrodynamische modellen – en daaraan gekoppelde modellen die de ontwikkelingen in natuur en landgebruik modelleren -- die het gebied van de Alpen tot en met de Noordzee inclusief Nederland beschrijven
Rapid Low-Cost Microarray-Based Genotyping for Genetic Screening in Primary Immunodeficiency
Background: Genetic tests for primary immunodeficiency disorders (PIDs) are expensive, time-consuming, and not easily accessible in developing countries. Therefore, we studied the feasibility of a customized single nucleotide variant (SNV) microarray that we developed to detect disease-causing variants and copy number variation (CNV) in patients with PIDs for only 40 Euros. Methods: Probes were custom-designed to genotype 9,415 variants of 277 PID-related genes, and were added to the genome-wide Illumina Global Screening Array (GSA). Data analysis of GSA was performed using Illumina GenomeStudio 2.0, Biodiscovery Nexus 10.0, and R-3.4.4 software. Validation of genotype calling was performed by comparing the GSA with whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data of 56 non-PID controls. DNA samples of 95 clinically diagnosed PID patients, of which 60 patients (63%) had a genetically established diagnosis (by Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) PID panels or Sanger sequencing), w
Endocrine disorders are prominent clinical features in patients with primary antibody deficiencies
Background: Primary antibody deficiencies (PADs) and anterior pituitary dysfunction are both rare conditions. However, recent studies have remarkably reported the occurrence of anterior pituitary dysfunction in PAD patients. Methods: In this cross-sectional, single-center study we evaluated the prevalence of endocrine disorders in adult PAD patients. Our study focused on common variable immunodeficiency (CVID), immunoglobulin G (IgG) subclass deficiency (IgGSD), and specific anti-polysaccharide antibody deficiency (SPAD). We assessed hormone levels, performed provocative tests and genetic testing in a subset of patients by direct sequencing of the nuclear factor kappa beta subunit 2 (NFKB2) gene and primary immunodeficiency (PID) gene panel testing by whole exome sequencing (WES). Results: Our results demonstrated that one out of 24 IgGSD/SPAD patients had secondary hypothyroidism and three out of 9 men with IgGSD/SPAD had secondary hypogonadism. Premature ovarian failure was observed in four out of 9 women with CVID and primary testicular failure in one out of 15 men with CVID. In two out of 26 CVID patients we found partial adrenal insufficiency (AI) and in one out of 18 patients with IgGSD/SPAD secondary AI was found. Moreover, in one out of 23 patients with CVID and in two out of 17 patients with IgGSD/SPAD severe growth hormone deficiency (GHD) was found, while one patient with IgGSD/SPAD showed mild GHD. Combined endocrine disorders were detected in two women with CVID (either partial secondary AI or autoimmune thyroiditis with primary hypogonadism) and in three men with IgGSD/SPAD (two with either mild GHD or secondary hypothyroidism combined with secondary hypogonadism, and one man with secondary AI and severe GHD). Genetic testing in a subset of patients did not reveal pathogenic variants in NFKB2 or other known PID-associated genes. Conclusion: This is the first study to describe a high prevalence of both anterior pituitary and end-organ endocrine dysfunction in adult PAD patients. As these endocrine disorders may cause considerable health burden, assessment of endocrine axes should be considered in PAD patients
UVB irradiation modulates systemic immune responses by affecting cytokine production of antigen-presenting cells
The immunosuppressive effects of UVB irradiation have been well documented. The production of cytokines by keratinocytes is considered to play a major role in the induction of local as well as systemic immunosuppression. It is thought that partly due to the interaction of locally produced cytokines with antigen-presenting cells (APC) systemic effects, like antigen-specific tolerance, can be induced. In this study we examined the effect of UVB irradiation on cytokine profiles of peripheral APC as well as the functional consequences. Our results indicate that UVB irradiation impairs Th1-mediated immune responses in vivo by suppression of the systemic IL-12p70 production. Splenic APC from UVB-exposed mice showed an enhanced production of prostaglandin E2, IL-1, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor- after in vitro stimulation. Also, spleen cells from UVB irradiated IL-4–/– mice showed increased IL-6 levels. These APC were less efficient in inducing IFN- production by CD4 T cells and suppressed IgM production by B cells. We conclude that the altered cytokine profile of peripheral APC can be responsible for the systemic effects of UVB irradiation on the Th1/Th2 balance as well as on B cell response
UVB irradiation modulates systemic immune responses by affecting cytokine production of antigen-presenting cells
The immunosuppressive effects of UVB irradiation have been well documented. The production of cytokines by keratinocytes is considered to play a major role in the induction of local as well as systemic immunosuppression. It is thought that partly due to the interaction of locally produced cytokines with antigen-presenting cells (APC) systemic effects, like antigen-specific tolerance, can be induced. In this study we examined the effect of UVB irradiation on cytokine profiles of peripheral APC as well as the functional consequences. Our results indicate that UVB irradiation impairs Th1-mediated immune responses in vivo by suppression of the systemic IL-12p70 production. Splenic APC from UVB-exposed mice showed an enhanced production of prostaglandin E2, IL-1, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor- after in vitro stimulation. Also, spleen cells from UVB irradiated IL-4–/– mice showed increased IL-6 levels. These APC were less efficient in inducing IFN- production by CD4 T cells and suppressed IgM production by B cells. We conclude that the altered cytokine profile of peripheral APC can be responsible for the systemic effects of UVB irradiation on the Th1/Th2 balance as well as on B cell response
Demonstrating lambda calculus reduction
We describe lambda calculus reduction strategies using big-step operational semantics and show how to efficiently trace such reductions. This is used in a web-based lambda calculus reducer, a
Fatigue in primary Sjogren's syndrome
textabstractOBJECTIVE: To assess fatigue in relation to depression, blood pressure,
and plasma catecholamines in patients with primary Sjogren's syndrome
(SS), in comparison with healthy controls and patients with rheumatoid
arthritis. METHODS: For the assessment of fatigue the Multidimensional
Fatigue Inventory (MFI) was used, a 20 item questionnaire, covering the
following dimensions: general fatigue, physical fatigue, mental fatigue,
reduced motivation, and reduced activity. Furthermore, the Zung depression
scale was used to quantify aspects of depression. Forty nine female
primary SS patients, 44 female patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA),
and 32 healthy women filled in both questionnaires. In addition, supine
values of blood pressure and plasma catecholamines were measured in the
patients with primary SS. RESULTS: Primary SS patients were more fatigued
compared with the healthy controls on all the five dimensions of the MFI.
When the analyses were repeated using depression as a covariate, group
differences disappeared for the dimensions of reduced motivation and
mental fatigue. In the primary SS patients, significant positive
correlations between depression and the dimensions of reduced motivation
and mental fatigue were found. Comparing patients with primary SS with
those with RA, using depression as covariate, no statistically significant
differences were found between these groups. No relation between fatigue
and blood pressure was found, but a negative correlation was observed
between the general fatigue subscale of the MFI and plasma noradrenaline.
CONCLUSION: Patients with primary SS report more fatigue than healthy
controls on all the dimensions of the MFI and when controlling for
depression significant differences remain on the dimensions of general
fatigue, physical fatigue, and reduced activity. The negative correlations
between levels of noradrenaline and general fatigue in patients with
primary SS may imply the involvement of the autonomic nervous system in
chronic fatigue