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Our purpose was to characterize the pattern of B-cell subsets in children with a combined diagnosis of type 1 diabetes (T1D) and celiac disease (C) since children with single or double diagnosis of these autoimmune diseases may differ in peripheral B-cell subset phenotype patterns. B-cells were analyzed with flow cytometry for the expression of differentiation/maturation markers to identify transitional, naive and memory B-cells. Transitional (CD24hiCD38hiCD19+) and memory Bregs (CD24hiCD27+CD19+, CD1d+CD27+CD19+, CD5+CD1d+CD19+) were classified as B-cells with regulatory capacity. Children with a combined diagnosis of T1D and C showed a pattern of diminished peripheral B-cell subsets. The B-cells compartment in children with combined diagnosis had higher percentages of memory B subsets and Bregs, including activated subsets, compared to children with either T1D or C. Children with combined diagnosis had a lower percentage of naive B-cells (CD27-CD19+; IgD+CD19+) and an increased percentage of memory B-cells (CD27+CD19+; IgD-CD19+). A similar alteration was seen among the CD39+ expressing naive and memory B cells. Memory Bregs (CD1d+CD27+CD19+) were more frequent, contrary to the lower percentage of CD5+ transitional Bregs in children with a combined diagnosis. In children with either T1D or C, the peripheral B-cell compartment was dominated by naive cells. Differences in the pattern of heterogenous peripheral B-cell repertoire subsets reflect a shifting in the B-cell compartment between children with T1D and/or C. This is an immunological challenge of impact for the pathophysiology of these autoimmune diseases.

Numerous studies have shown that lifestyle factors, such as regular physical activity and vitamin D intake, may remarkably improve overall health and mental wellbeing. This is especially important in older adults whose vitamin D deficiency occurs with a high prevalence. This study aimed to examine the influence of lifestyle and vitamin D on global DNA methylation patterns in an elderly cohort in Southwest of Sweden. We also sought to examine the methylation levels of specific genes involved in vitamin D's molecular and metabolic activated pathways. We performed a genome wide methylation analysis, using Illumina Infinium DNA Methylation EPIC 850kBeadChip array, on 277 healthy individuals from Southwest Sweden at the age of 70–95. The study participants also answered queries on lifestyle, vitamin intake, heart medication, and estimated health. Vitamin D intake did not in general affect methylation patterns, which is in concert with other studies. However, when comparing the group of individuals taking vitamin supplements, including vitamin D, with those not taking supplements, a difference in methylation in the solute carrier family 25 (SCL25A24) gene was found. This confirms a previous finding, where changes in expression of SLC25A24 were associated with vitamin D treatment in human monocytes. The combination of vitamin D intake and high physical activity increased methylation of genes linked to regulation of vitamin D receptor pathway, the Wnt pathway and general cancer processes. To our knowledge, this is the first study detecting epigenetic markers associated with the combined effects of vitamin D supplementation and high physical activity. These results deserve to be further investigated in an extended, interventional study cohort, where also the levels of 25(OH)D3 can be monitored., Included in thesis in manuscript form.

Nuclear receptors (NRs) are ligand-activated transcription factors that regulate gene expression when bound to specific DNA sequences. Crosstalk between steroid NR systems has been studied for understanding the development of hormone-driven cancers but not to an extent at a genetic level. This study aimed to investigate crosstalk between steroid NRs in conserved intron and exon sequences, with a focus on steroid NRs involved in prostate cancer etiology. For this purpose, we evaluated conserved intron and exon sequences among all 49 members of the NR Superfamily (NRS) and their relevance as regulatory sequences and NR-binding sequences. Sequence conservation was found to be higher in the first intron (35%), when compared with downstream introns. Seventy-nine percent of the conserved regions in the NRS contained putative transcription factor binding sites (TFBS) and a large fraction of these sequences contained splicing sites (SS). Analysis of transcription factors binding to putative intronic and exonic TFBS revealed that 5 and 16%, respectively, were NRs. The present study suggests crosstalk between steroid NRs, e.g., vitamin D, estrogen, progesterone, and retinoic acid endocrine systems, through cis-regulatory elements in conserved sequences of introns and exons. This investigation gives evidence for crosstalk between steroid hormones and contributes to novel targets for steroid NR regulation., CC BY 4.0© 2021 Maria Araceli Diaz Cruz et al., published by De Gruyter 2021.Corresponding author: Maria Araceli Diaz Cruz, Research School of Health and Welfare, School of Health and Welfare, Jönköping University, Jönköping, Sweden, e-mail: Maria-Araceli.Cruz@ju.se, tel: +46-737553177This study was financially supported by Högskolans Jubileumsfond at the University College of Skövde (Dnr HS 2015/536). Jönköping University provided with open access funding and the necessary resources to carry out this investigation.

Immune cells and their mediators are key players in human cancer progression involving alternation in the number and function of immune cells, both peripheral and at the site of tumor. Through reliable predictive biomarkers, cancer can be predicted, and progression and response to therapy followed. Thereby immune biomarkers, e.g., cytokines and chemokines can serve as intermediate mediators of cancer diagnostics. Multiplex analysis of immune mediators in small blood volumes allows for rapid quantification of large number of circulating analytes. The fluorochrome (Luminex) technique is a bead-based sandwich immunoassay that combines the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with flow cytometry. The Luminex technique allows multiple immune mediators to be measured simultaneously in small volumes, and provides a convenient and sensitive tool for the detection of a large number of extracellular secreted cytokines and chemokines to be used in prediction and therapy prognosis of cancer. The technique is based on so-called microspheres (beads) that serve as a solid phase for molecular detection. These individually dyed microbeads have monoclonal antibodies directed against the cyto- and chemokines of interest and allow a simultaneous detection of up to nearly 100 cyto- and chemokines in a dual-laser flow analyzer. Immune mediators can be detected in serum and plasma samples as well as in cell culture supernatants from in vitro stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). This chapter describes the Luminex technique for detection of immune mediators in cancer by using magnetic bead sandwich immunoassay, with focus on some important pre-analytic factors, e.g., cell separation and cryopreservation and thawing of PBMC that may affect the outcome of detection of immune mediators. The Luminex technique thus represents a very suitable method to identify immune mediators in cancer tissues in order to diagnose and improve clinical outcome of cancer.

Purpose. The study aimed to investigate resting levels of several selected growth and metabolic hormones in a group of 24 endurance-trained adolescents (aged 13-19 years) compared with 24 untrained age- and sex-matched controls, and to investigate if increased cardiac dimensions were related to these hormones at rest with emphasis on insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). Methods. The hormones (cortisol, IGF-1, IGF-2, follicle-stimulating hormone, growth hormone, luteinizing hormone, prolactin, and thyroid-stimulating hormone) were analysed with chemiluminescence microparticle immunoassay (CMIA) or multiplex fluorochrome (Luminex) technique. Cardiac dimensions were assessed by echocardiographic examination at rest. Peak oxygen uptake was obtained by a maximal cardiopulmonary exercise test on a treadmill. Results. Circulating levels of analysed hormones at rest did not differ between the groups. A correlation was found between increased cardiac dimensions and IGF-1 in the controls, but not in the active group. This correlation declined also among the controls when the cardiac parameters were indexed for body surface area. Conclusion. Increased cardiac dimensions in endurance-trained adolescents could not be related to resting levels of hormones associated with growth and metabolism, including IGF-1 and GH. In addition, the resting levels of these hormones seem not to be affected by intense regular endurance exercise in adolescents. These findings may contribute to the knowledge about cellular signaling that trigger growth as well as cardiac adaptation to endurance training in young athletes.

The aims of the study were to explore the temporal change of cardiac function after peak exercise in adolescents, and to investigate how these functional changes relate to maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max ). The cohort consisted of 27 endurance-trained adolescents aged 13-19 years, and 27 controls individually matched by age and gender. Standard echocardiography and colour tissue Doppler were performed at rest, and immediately after as well as 15 min after a maximal cardio pulmonary exercise test (CPET) on a treadmill. The changes in systolic and diastolic parameters after exercise compared to baseline were similar in both groups. The septal E/e'-ratio increased immediately after exercise in both the active and the control groups (from 9·2 to 11·0; P<0·001, and from 8·7 to 10·2; P = 0·008, respectively). In a comparison between the two groups after CPET, the septal E/e'-ratio was higher in the active group both immediately after exercise and 15 min later compared to the control group (P = 0·007 and P = 0·006, respectively). We demonstrated a positive correlation between VO2max and cardiac function including LVEF and E/e' immediately after CPET, but the strongest correlation was found between VO2max and LVEDV (r = 0·67, P<0·001) as well as septal E/e' (r = 0·34, P = 0·013). Enhanced diastolic function was found in both groups, but this was more pronounced in active adolescents. The cardiac functional response to exercise, in terms of LVEF and E/e', correlates with the increase in VO2 uptake. These findings in trained as well as un-trained teenagers have practical implications when assessing cardiac function.

Several key factors can affect the outcome of immunological studies; isolation/cryopreservation can possibly alter T, B, NK, and T-regulatory (Treg) cell marker expression patterns. Blood samples from 50 blood donors supplemented with Na-heparin or K2EDTA were handled within 4 and 24 h after blood sampling. PBMC were isolated with different density gradients. Flow cytometric analysis of intracellular and extracellular CD markers was performed on blood samples freshly isolated PBMC, and PBMC was thawed 6 and 12 mo post-cryopreservation for the purpose of identifying B, NK, Th, T-cytotoxic, and Treg cells. No differences were observed in the percentages for CD3+, CD3+CD4+, CD3+CD8+, CD19+, or CD56+CD16+ cells within 24 h of sampling regardless of which supplement or isolation techniques were used. Differentiated (diff) CD4+ cells were in general less affected by isolation and cryopreservation than diff CD8+ cells. Terminally diff effector CD4+ and CD8+ cells were not affected by either isolation of lymphocytes or cryopreservation. In contrast, naive and early-diff effector memory CD4+ and CD8+ cells were affected by isolation and cryopreservation. The percentages of Treg cells defined as CD4+CD25hi expressing CD101 or CD129, CD4+CD25hiCD127−, and CD4+CD25hiCD127−FOXP3+, respectively, remained stable after isolation and cryopreservation. Subsets expressing CD127, with or without FOXP3, were not affected by isolation/cryopreservation. Subsets expressing CD39, contrary to CD45RA, on CD4+CD25+CD127− cells with or without FOXP3 were not affected by either isolation or cryopreservation. In conclusion, subsets of CD4+, CD8+, and CD25hi lymphocytes are in general not influenced by isolation and long-term cryopreservation.

Objective: As a primary objective, this study purports to develop guidelines to better care for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), particularly regarding these children's preparation for anesthesia and radiologic procedures. Methods: Using a Delphi method with an online distribution of questionnaire, guidelines for caring for children with ASD were created. Twenty-one participants were included in the expert panel. These participants were working with children with ASD in several anesthesia and radiology departments in Sweden. A list of items was created from a previous survey and the literature. In the first round, the items with <60% agreement were discarded. Items were merged, and a new list was created. Two more similar rounds were performed. In the last 2 rounds, 21 participants responded, and 80% agreement was considered to be consensus. Results: The final guidelines consisted of 14 items and a checklist of 16 factors. The 5 areas covered by the items and the checklist were as follows: planning involving parents/guardians, features in the environment, and use of time, communication, and the health care professionals. The organization was important in making it possible for the health care professional to care for the individual child according to the child's needs. It was important to involve the parents/guardians to obtain knowledge about the functioning of the child. Conclusion: A caring encounter involving a child with ASD in the anesthesia and radiology contexts requires advance planning, catered specifically to the individual needs of each child. To accomplish this, general knowledge regarding ASD and ASD's particular manifestation in the child entrusted to their care, is required from the health care workers. The organization needs to have structures in place to facilitate this process.

Aims: The aims of the study were to explore the effects of long-term endurance exercise on atrial and ventricular size and function in adolescents and to examine whether these changes are related to maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max). Methods and results: Twenty-seven long-term endurance-trained adolescents aged 13–19 years were individually matched by age and gender with 27 controls. All participants, 22 girls and 32 boys, underwent an echocardiographic examination at rest, including standard and colour tissue Doppler investigation. VO2max was assessed during treadmill exercise. All heart dimensions indexed for body size were larger in the physically active group compared with controls: left ventricular end-diastolic volume 60 vs. 50 mL/m2 (P <0.001), left atrial volume 27 vs. 19 mL/m2 (P <0.001), and right ventricular (RV) and right atrial area 15 vs. 13 and 9 vs. 7 cm2/m2, respectively (P <0.001 for both). There were strong associations between the size of the cardiac chambers and VO2max. Further, we found improved systolic function in the active group compared with controls: left ventricular ejection fraction 61 vs. 59% (P= 0.036), tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion 12 vs. 10 mm/m2 (P= 0.008), and RV early peak systolic velocity s′ 11 vs. 10 cm/s (P = 0.031). Conclusion: Cardiac remodelling to long-term endurance exercise in adolescents is manifested by an increase in atrial as well as ventricular dimensions. The physically active group also demonstrated functional remodelling with an increase in TAPSE and systolic RV wall velocity. These findings have practical implications when assessing cardiac enlargement and function in physically active youngsters., Editor's Choice

Introduction: Anxiety is often experienced by children undergoing health care procedures, and children with autism spectrum disorders (ADS) experience more anxiety than typically developed children. A prerequisite for obtaining an optimum procedure is firstly based on the health care provider’s knowledge about children with ASD, but may also depend on the use of guidelines. Two previous national surveys showed, that none radiology or paediatric departments and a minority of anaesthesiology departments throughout Sweden use specific guidelines when seeing children with ASD. Following, the purpose was to develop guidelines to use when caring for and preparing children with ASD in those settings. Methods: A modified Delphi method was used, including19 experts identified from the two afore mentioned surveys. The questions considered in the process, proceeded from previous research and the results from the surveys. The experts’ responses regarding the importance of each item, were analysed and scrutinized between each round. Results: The Delphi process resulted in guidelines consisting of 15 items and a checklist with 16 aspects. The items cover the areas: planning and involving parents, features in the environment, use of time, communication, thehealth care professionals. The checklist covers the child’spattern of communication, anxiety, sensory stimuli, special interests and likes/dislikes. Conclusions: To obtain an optimum caring encounter when a child with ASD is seen in the preoperative and radiology setting, a meticulous planning is important and the environment should be adjusted for the needs of the child. To accomplish this, guidelines need to be in place and be followed.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of guidelines and routines used nationwide when children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are taken care of and examined in a radiology department during a peri-radiographic process. METHOD: A nationwide survey was compiled and distributed to 94 radiology departments throughout Sweden, i.e. those performing more than 100 000 radiographic examinations annually. The survey was designed as a web questionnaire with seven questions on possible guidelines and/or routines for the departments when preparing and taking care of children with ASD in conjunction with a radiographic procedure. The data were scrutinized, using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: In total, 86 radiology departments responded to the survey (response rate 92%). Of those departments, 40 did not examine children with ASD. None of the departments included in the study had existing guidelines underpinning the routines when preparing and performing radiographic examinations for children diagnosed with ASD. A few departments (n = 8) would set aside more time for the procedure if it were known in advance that the child to be examined had been diagnosed with ASD. Also, some departments (n = 7) had radiographers who were more experienced in the care of children who would be appointed to perform examinations for children with ASD. CONCLUSION: It is suggested that guidelines should be developed in order to increase interaction in a supportive way and decrease anxiety during the peri-radiographic process with children with ASD.

Objective: The overall aim of this study was to describe the current set of guidelines for the preparation and care for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the perioperative setting across Sweden and explore the content of these guidelines in detail. Method: An online questionnaire was distributed to the chairpersons of all anesthesia departments (n = 68) and pediatric departments (n = 38) throughout Sweden. Follow-up phone calls were made to those departments that did not return the questionnaire. The presence of guidelines was analyzed through descriptive statistics. These guidelines and comments on routines used in these departments were analyzed inspired by conventional content analysis. Results: Seven of the 68 anesthesia departments and none of the 38 pediatric departments across Sweden have guidelines for preparing and/or administering care to children with ASD within the perioperative setting. From the guidelines and routines used, 3 categories emerge: "lacking the necessary conditions," "no extra considerations needed," and "care with specific consideration for children with ASD." These 3 categories span a continuum in the care. In the first category, the anesthesia induction could result in the child with ASD being physically restrained. In the last category, the entire encounter with the health care service would be adapted to the specific needs of the child. Conclusion: There is a lack of evidence-based guidelines specifically designed to meet the needs of children with ASD in the preoperative period in Sweden. Further research is needed to understand if children with ASD would benefit from evidence-based guidelines.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) and celiac disease are both characterized by an autoimmune feature. As T1D and celiac disease share several common risk factors such as environment, genetics and immune dysregulation, patients have risk of developing the other disease subsequently. Patients with manifest T1D may have had a latent celiac disease, which is activated parallel to the anti-islet immune reactivity during the development of T1D. Contrary, a low prevalence of β-cell autoimmunity is found in young patients with celiac disease. The role of antigen-specific T cells and their relation to cytokines and chemokines is not well characterized in children with combination of T1D and celiac disease. Defective regulation and an impaired ability of responder T cells to be suppressed are suggested to contribute. We have previously shown that children suffering from these two immunological diseases in combination have a suppressed immune response to several antigens for example food antigens like gluten. Low percentages of both early and late effector memory CD8+ cells together with observations of immune aberrancies seen in the gut, in children who are prone to T1D, may suggests poor development of oral tolerance that may predispose for development of celiac disease. This review highlights the immunological complexity in these two common pediatric immunological disorders that indicates that the combination of type 1 diabetes and celiac disease is an immunological challenge. It is obvious that we are far from understanding the immunological impact of these two autoimmune diseases in combination. This immunological challenge therefore needs to be elucidated to be able to predict and prevent these autoimmune diseases.

Stress is defined as a state of threatened homeostasis or disharmony that is counteracted by a complex repertoire of physiological and behavioral adaptive responses in order to establish homeostasis. Confronted with a stressful condition, the nervous and immune systems initiate a coping process to maintain homeostasis in the body. Psychological stress, recognized as a public health issue in children and young adults, may be one mechanism to induce and maintain autoimmunity in children. It is necessary to increase our understanding of how psychological stress can affect the immune system at a young age because autoimmune diseases, especially type 1 diabetes, are alarmingly common in children. Psychological stress may be involved in other autoimmune diseases, such as celiac disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, and juvenile idiopathic arthritis, that frequently occur in children as well. This review summarizes the studies attempting to evaluate the link between psychological stress and autoimmune response in children. A number of them have observed that the autoimmune disease itself causes psychological stress. We are far from fully understanding how long-term psychological stress is linked to autoimmune response in children with a high risk of, or already diagnosed, autoimmune disease.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) and coeliac disease are both characterized by an autoimmune feature. As T1D and coeliac disease share the same risk genes, patients risk subsequently developing the other disease. This study aimed to investigate the expression of T helper (Th), T cytotoxic (Tc) and regulatory T cells (Treg) in T1D and/or coeliac disease children in comparison to healthy children. Subgroups of T cells (Th:CD4+ or Tc:CD8+); naive (CD27+CD28+CD45RA+CCR7+), central memory (CD27+CD28+CD45RA-CCR7+), effector memory (early differentiated; CD27+CD28+CD45RA-CCR7- and late differentiated; CD27-CD28-CD45RA-CCR7-), terminally differentiated effector cells (TEMRA; CD27-CD28-CD45RA+CCR7-) and Treg (CD4+CD25+FOXP3+CD127-) cells, and their expression of CD39, CD45RA, CD101 and CD129, were studied by flow cytometry in T1D and/or coeliac disease children or without any of these diseases (reference group). Children diagnosed with both T1D and coeliac disease showed a higher percentage of TEMRA CD4+ cells (P<0·05), but lower percentages of both early and late effector memory CD8+ cells (P<0·05) compared to references. Children with exclusively T1D had lower median fluorescence intensity (MFI) of forkhead box protein 3 (FoxP3) (P<0·05) and also a lower percentage of CD39+ and CD45RA+ within the Treg population (CD4+CD25+FOXP3+CD127-) (P<0·05). Children with exclusively coeliac disease had a higher MFI of CD101 (P<0·01), as well as a higher percentage of CD129+ (P<0·05), in the CD4+CD25hi lymphocyte population, compared to references. In conclusion, children with combined T1D and coeliac disease have a higher percentage of differentiated CD4+ cells compared to CD8+ cells. T1D children show signs of low CD39+/CD45RA+ Treg cells that may indicate loss of suppressive function. Conversely, children with coeliac disease show signs of CD101+/CD129+ Treg cells that may indicate suppressor activity.