Tag: Sweden

The Swedish Twin Registry in the third millennium

Abstract:

Since the Swedish Twin Registry was first established in the late 1950s to study the importance of smoking and alcohol consumption on cancer and cardiovascular diseases, it has been expanded and updated on several occasions. The focus has similarly broadened to most common complex diseases. The content of the database is described, ongoing projects based on the registry are summarized, and we review some of the principal findings on aging, cancer and cardiovascular disease that have come from the registry. Ongoing efforts and future plans for the STR are discussed. Among others, we plan blood collection and genotyping to study the genetic bases of complex diseases, a first contact ever with the cohorts born after 1958, and in-depth studies of selected diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease and chronic fatigue syndrome.

 

Source: Pedersen NL, Lichtenstein P, Svedberg P. The Swedish Twin Registry in the third millennium. Twin Res. 2002 Oct;5(5):427-32. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12537870

 

Chronic illness — a disruption in life: identity-transformation among women with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia

Abstract:

BACKGROUND: People with chronic illnesses often suffer from identity-loss. Empirical research concerning patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) or fibromyalgia has not, however, adequately addressed the consequences of these illnesses for identity.

AIM: The aim of this article is to describe how women with CFS and fibromyalgia create new concepts of identity after the onset of illness, and how they come to terms with their newly arisen identities. I aim to illuminate the biographical work done by these individuals, which includes a re-evaluation of their former identity and life. This process is illustrated by the following themes: An earlier identity partly lost and Coming to terms with a new identity.

METHOD: The study is based on interviews with 25 women in Sweden, 12 with the diagnosis of CFS and 13 diagnosed with fibromyalgia. A grounded theory orientated approach was used when collecting and analysing the data.

FINDINGS: The main findings are that: (1) the illnesses can involve a radical disruption in the women’s biography that has profound consequences for their identity, particularly in relation to work and social life, (2) biographical disruptions are partial rather than total, calling for different degrees of identity transformation, (3) many of the women also experience illness gains in relation to the new identity.

CONCLUSIONS: Thus, the biographical disruption and illness experience comprised both losses and illness gains that had consequences for identity.

 

Source: Asbring P. Chronic illness — a disruption in life: identity-transformation among women with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. J Adv Nurs. 2001 May;34(3):312-9. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11328436

 

Absence of evidence of Borna disease virus infection in Swedish patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Abstract:

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is characterized by debilitating fatigue, somatic symptoms and cognitive impairment. An infectious basis has been proposed; candidate agents include enteroviruses, herpesviruses, retroviruses and Borna disease virus (BDV), a novel neurotropic virus associated with neuropsychiatric disorders.

Sera and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from Swedish CFS patients were assayed for evidence of infection using ELISA and Western immunoblot for detection of antibodies to BDV proteins N, P and gp18; and using nested reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for detection of BDV N- and P-gene transcripts. No specific immunoreactivity to BDV proteins was found in sera from 169 patients or 62 controls.

No BDV N- or P-gene transcripts were found through RT-PCR analysis of PBMC from 18 patients with severe CFS. These results do not support a role for BDV in pathogenesis of CFS.

 

Source: Evengård B, Briese T, Lindh G, Lee S, Lipkin WI. Absence of evidence of Borna disease virus infection in Swedish patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. J Neurovirol. 1999 Oct;5(5):495-9. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10568886

 

No findings of enteroviruses in Swedish patients with chronic fatigue syndrome

Abstract:

Enteroviruses have been proposed to cause an immune complex disease in the chronic fatigue syndrome. Altogether 34 patients with the chronic fatigue syndrome, according to criteria of the Centers for Disease Control, USA, were studied evenly over the seasons for the possible presence of a chronic enterovirus infection.

In 11 patients, 1-5 faecal samples were collected at about 6 month intervals for virus isolation before and after acid treatment, followed by ultracetrifugation at pH 3 to dissolve possible enterovirus-antibody complexes. Another 14 fecal samples were subjected to routine virus isolation alone.

Seven pairs of serum-cerebrospinal fluid samples were analysed for cross-reactive IgG antibody activity to enteroviruses. In 29 patients a muscle biopsy was collected for enterovirus polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

We were unable to identify enteroviruses in any of these samples by any of these techniques. Our study does not confirm evidence for persistent enterovirus infection in the chronic fatigue syndrome.

 

Source: Lindh G, Samuelson A, Hedlund KO, Evengård B, Lindquist L, Ehrnst A. No findings of enteroviruses in Swedish patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. Scand J Infect Dis. 1996;28(3):305-7. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8863367