Venous thromboembolism (VTE), a collective term for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), has been considered a separate disease from arterial cardiovascular diseases (CVD, i.e. myocardial infarction (MI) and ischemic stroke). However, recent studies have proposed an association between VTE and arterial CVD. The aim of the thesis was to investigate this association in a general ...

<p><i>Introduction:</i> Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) apheresis is used for the removal of LDL in selected patients and is also used for other medical indications. This thesis aimed to systematically study how different LDL apheresis systems affected the immune system in a biocompatibility perspective under in vivo and ex vivo conditions. <p><i>Methods:</i> Whole blood adsorption, dextran sulfate ...

Articular cartilage is the thin avascular tissue covering the ends of adjacent bones that provides frictionless movement to the skeleton. Cartilage injuries are frequent, but due to its avascular nature the cartilage of skeletally matured individuals has a poor healing capacity. Degenerative diseases such as osteoarthritis (OA), is characterised by the gradual destruction of articular cartilage, ...

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, aggressive neuroendocrine form of skin cancer with a rising incidence and a high mortality rate. The risk of developing Merkel cell carcinoma increased among a large number of immunosuppressed patients. The origin of cancer not known and the pathogenesis of MCC not fully understood. Two causes can initiate MCC tumorigenesis, such as accumulation of UV-induced ...

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic disease and is characterised by insulin resistance and insufficient insulin secretion, resulting in hyperglycaemia. The prevalence of diabetes was estimated to be 10.5% in 2021, globally. T2DM is associated with several complications, including cardiovascular complications, degradation of nerve fibres and eyesight, and impaired kidney function, especially ...

I den epidemiologiske delen har vi brukt data fra den fjerde og den femte Tromsø undersøkelsen. Vi fant at kroppsmasseindeks (KMI) var nært knyttet til røykestatus og at personer som røkte 5–10 sigaretter per dag hadde lavest KMI. Vi fant også at personer med høyt nivå av parathyroideahormon (PTH, er sentralt hormon i kalkstoffskiftet) hadde lavere beintetthet og større fettmasse enn personer med ...

Atherosclerosis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in western world. Bone morphogenetic proteins are secreted regulatory proteins that regulate various processes throughout human body. Recent studies indicate their presence in atherosclerotic plaques and emerging role in plaque development. Since monocytes are the key effector cells in atherosclerosis, the aim of this thesis was to investigate ...

In this thesis, we investigated the role of NEAT1 in stress, cancer, and autophagy in breast cancer. In paper I, we studied NEAT1 in oxidative stress and heat shock. In the heat shock response, HSF1 translocates into the nucleus in order to activate its target gene, and we discovered a novel binding site for HSF1 in the promoter of NEAT1. The expression of NEAT1, as well as paraspeckle formation, ...

Hjerte- og karsykdom er ledende årsak til død og sykelighet på verdensbasis. I Norge er det årlig ca. 13 000 hjerteinfarkt og 12 000 hjerneslag. Til tross for at den forebyggende og akuttmedisinske behandlingen er betydelig forbedret i løpet av de siste 30 år, forventes en fortsatt økning i hjerte- og karsykdommer på verdensbasis. De tradisjonelle risikofaktorene (alder, kjønn, blodtrykk, kolesterol, ...

In persons with Multiple sclerosis (MS) low bone mineral density (BMD) is more prevalent when compared with healthy controls and MS may be a possible cause of secondary osteoporosis. BMD is primarily determined by genetic and hormonal factors, body mass index, physical activity and intake of calcium and vitamin D. Vitamin D level at 50 nmol/L or higher is classified as sufficient, however, optimal ...