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Bioimpedance (mfBIA) non-invasively assesses cellular muscle health. Our aim was to explore whether mfBIA captures abnormal cellular muscle health in patients with Parkinson's Disease (PD) and how such changes are modulated with the use of Parkinson's medication. In patients with PD (n = 20) mfBIA measurements were made of biceps brachii, triceps, and extensor carpi radialis longus muscles of the more affected arm whilst at rest, using a mobile mfBIA device (IMPEDIMED, Australia). mfBIA and assessment of motor symptoms were performed in a pragmatic off-medication state, as well as one and 3 h after oral intake of 200 mg levodopa. Age and sex-matched healthy subjects (HC; n = 20) served as controls. PD and HC mfBIA parameters were compared by applying an unpaired two-tailed adjusted t-test and ANOVA with Tukey's correction for multiple comparisons (p ≤ 0.05). The PD group consisted of 13 men (71 ± 17 years) and 7 women (65 ± 7 years). Independent of medication, internal (Ri) and external resistance (Re) were found to be significantly higher, and membrane capacitance (Mc) significantly lower, in m.biceps brachii in PD subjects compared to HC. Center frequency (fc) was significantly higher in m.biceps brachii of PD subjects in the “medication-off” state. There was no difference between PD and HC in mfBIA parameters in the measured extensor muscles. The upper limb flexor muscle shows a difference in mfBIA parameters in PD compared to HC. mfBIA may be useful in the diagnosis and assessment of PD patients and is objective, non-invasive, reliable, and easy to use.

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Rossen, J., Klungsøyr, K., Albrechtsen, S., Løkkegård, E., Rasmussen, S., Bergholt, T. & Skjeldestad, F.E. (2018). Can oxytocin augmentation modify the risk of epidural analgesia by maternal age in cesarean sections? Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, 97(7), 872-879, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/aogs.13341. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions. Introduction: Maternal age is an established risk factor for cesarean section; epidural analgesia and oxytocin augmentation may modify this association. We investigated the effects and interactions of oxytocin augmentation, epidural analgesia and maternal age on the risk of cesarean section. Material and methods: In all, 416 386 nulliparous women with spontaneous onset of labor, ≥37 weeks of gestation and singleton infants with a cephalic presentation during 2000–2011 from Norway and Denmark were included [Ten‐group classification system (Robson) group 1]. In this case‐control study the main exposure was maternal age; epidural analgesia, oxytocin augmentation, birthweight and time period were explanatory variables. Chi‐square test and logistic regression were used to estimate associations and interactions. Results: The cesarean section rate increased consistently with advancing maternal age, both overall and in strata of epidural analgesia and oxytocin augmentation. We observed strong interactions between maternal age, oxytocin augmentation and epidural analgesia for the risk of cesarean section. Women with epidural analgesia generally had a reduced adjusted odds ratio when oxytocin was used compared with when it was not used. In Norway, this applied to all maternal age groups but in Denmark only for women ≥30 years. Among women without epidural, oxytocin augmentation was associated with an increased odds ratio for cesarean section in Denmark, whereas no difference was observed in Norway. Conclusions: Oxytocin augmentation in nulliparous women with epidural analgesia is associated with a reduced risk of cesarean section in labor with spontaneous onset.

Intact PTH measurements between 1989-96 in a 116-patient (63 HD, 53 PD) dialysis unit were reviewed to evaluate the determinants of PTH. Prophylactic treatment included calcium carbonate and maximal alphacalcidol therapy. A forward stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that duration of dialysis, phosphate, albumin and chronic glomerulonephritis were independently positively correlated with PTH, and that ionized calcium, parathyroidectomy, age, diabetic nephropathy and systemic disease were independently negatively correlated. During the first five years of dialysis PTH rose from 124 ng/L (SD range 33-462) to 160 (63-402)* in HD patients but fell from 119 ng/L (33-423) to 88 (31-251)** in PD patients despite the less intensive treatment. PTH fell with increasing age (40-50 years 173 ng/L (52-575);60 years 100 (31-316)**) and hypoalbuminemia (400 micromol/L 68 ng/L (22-209);550 pmol/1138 (41-457)**). PD patients were generally older and increasingly malnourished; after correcting for these factors, no influence of dialysis modality on PTH could be seen. Low-calcium dialysate (1.25 mmol/L) was introduced for both dialysis groups in 1994. Consequent to this, aluminium consumption was virtually eliminated and consumption of alphacalcidol increased. PTH fell from 161 to 128 ng/L in HD patients but rose from 119 to 135 ng/L in PD patients. The incidence of parathyroidectomy fell from 4.3%/year to 1.5%/year*.Malnourishment and increasing age reduce PTH secretion and are important determinants of hyperparathyroidism during maintenance dialysis. Adynamic bone disease is common in PD patients and associated with low PTH levels, and may be a consequence of malnourishment and involutional changes. The introduction of low-calcium dialysate reduced the incidence of parathyroidectomy. Control of hyperparathyroidism improved in HD but not PD patients.

During a period of one year, spleen lymphocytes from cadaver kidney donors were cryopreserved for later investigations. The HLA-D types of 33 donors and the corresponding 39 recipients were determined in six experiments and the reactivities of the lymphocytes of the individual recipients towards those of the donors were assayed in MLC. The MLC experiments included a sufficient number of unrelated responders and stimulators to allow an estimate of the specific MLC reactivity by the stabilized relative response. A strong and significant correlation was found between specifically low reactivity of recipient lymphocytes against donor lymphocytes and graft survival. A correlation was also found between HLA-D compatibility and graft survival. DR typing was performed on the same donor-recipient pairs. In sixteen cases the DR typing of the recipients was initially a technical failure but successful when repeated on cryopreserved lymphocytes. There was a significant correlation between HLA-DR compatibility and graft survival. HLA-A, B matching and pretransplant blood transfusion did not significantly affect graft survival in this material.