Long-term survivorship after acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treated during childhood and adolescence.
PhD Student: Adriani Kanellopoulos. Supervisor: Ellen Ruud (Division of Pediatrics).  Collaborator: May Brit Lund

Lungcancer - diagnostics and treatment
A PhD project in cooperation with the Interventional Centre, Rikshospitalet.
PhD student:  Kirill Neyman and supervisors: Johny Kongerud and Erik Fosse.
Objectives are to assess different aspects of interventional bronchoscopy in patients with different types of lung cancer. The project consists of such studies as quality of life and survival evaluation after interventional bronchoscopy treatment, assessment of the interventional bronchoscopy procedures effectiveness in curative treatment of carcinoid tumors etc. Financial support of the project is provided by Landsforening for Hjerte- og Lungesyke (LHL).

Symptom clusters and immune dysfunction in COPD (SCID-COPD-study)
A PhD project in cooperation with the The Center for Shared Decision Making and Nursing Research, Rikshospitalet.
PhD student: Vivi Lycke Christensen and supervisors: Tone Rustøen and Are Holm
In a multicentre study involving several hospitals in south-eastern Norway, we register the symptom burden in COPD patients using comprehensive questionnaires in addition to an extensive pulmonological assessment. Also, blood samples are drawn for analyses of certain immune markers. The patients are followed for one year. The project is a cooperation between The Center for Shared Decision Making and Nursing Research, the University of California San Francisco, The Norwegian Institute of Public Health and our department.

In a multicentre study involving several hospitals in south-eastern Norway, we register the symptom burden in COPD patients using comprehensive questionnaires in addition to an extensive pulmonological assessment. Also, blood samples are drawn for analyses of certain immune markers. The patients are followed for one year. The project is a cooperation between The Center for Shared Decision Making and Nursing Research, the University of California San Francisco, The Norwegian Institute of Public Health and our department.

Inflammatory biomarkers after occupational exposure to bacterial single cell protein workers
Name of investigators:
PhD MSc Liv Ingunn Bjoner Sikkeland, Prof. Dr.med Johny Kongerud, Dr.med Marit Skogstad, PhD MD Winjand Eduard

Bacterial single cell protein (BSCP) is used as a protein enrichment in animal and fish feed, and is extracted from dried bacterial mass. In the production of BSCP, workers are exposed to organic dust containing bacterial fragments such as endotoxins (350 EU/m3 (50-6500) (median, range)). In our previous studies we have found that workers producing BSCP have reported attack of fever, fatigue, chest tightness, skin dryness and eye inflammation and a few may have had organic dust toxic syndrome (ODTS). For workers exposed to > 10 000 EU/m3 a decrease in lung function during the work shift was detected. Also elevated levels of neutrophils in induced sputum, increased levels of cytokines in lung and blood, as well as LPS detection in plasma have been found in our previous studies among workers exposed to BSCP. The interesting about the present industry is that the workers are only exposed to bacterial fragments and the gram negative bacterium Methylococcus capsultus (90%) and Alcaligenes and Bacillus species (10 %) and no other biological agents during work.
In the year of 2006 the plant closed down, and one year after we have collected blood and sputum samples from all the workers. The aim of the present study is to investigate if the airway inflammation among the workers did decline one year after cessation of exposure because the plant was closed.

Airway inflammation in smelters.
Name of investigators:
Prof. Dr.med Johny Kongerud, Dr.med Vidar Søyseth, PhD MD Helle Laier Johnsen, PhD MSc Liv Ingunn Bjoner Sikkeland, MSc Tonje Bøyum Riste

Employees in the smelting industry are exposed to dust, fumes, and gases of various composistions that may be harmful to the respiratory tract. In a previous study we found a significant relationship between exposure and increased annual decline in lung function (FEV1) and between exposure and incidence of respiratory symptoms such as cough an phlegm.
In the present study we will study inflammation processes in the airways in smelter workers with increased annual decline in lung function compared with smelter workers with normal decline in lung function. Spirometry, exhaled NO and induced sputum samples have been collected from employees in a ferrosilicon alloy and silicon metal producing smelter in Norway. This fall we will analyse the sputum samples doing differential cell counts, gene expression analysis and protein analysis. The aim of the present study is to investigate the association between annual decline in lung function and different inflammation markers in the central airways.

Lung cancer is responsible for the majority of cancer deaths in men and women in Norway, and the incidence is still increasing. As surgery by far is the best documented tumor treatment with curative intent, selection of patients for resection has become an increasing important task.

A. Since 2005/2006 lung cancer surgery in Health Region South  (1,4mill inh) has been centralized to our hospital, and the final selection of patients fit for resection has become the responsibility of our Department. A database has been constructed to follow up all patients referred for cancer treatment. This database contains extensive information regarding all patients, comorbidity, lung-function, tumor type/extension, selection of invasive / non-invasive diagnostic strategy, type of treatment given and survival. Today more than 1000 patients are included. We now will be able to answer questions like the value of PET - CT in diagnosis of lung cancer, degree of positive PET related to molecular tumor testing, to compare patient survival in our health region with that of regions not utilizing modern invasive and non-invasive diagnostic tools, assess gender differences regarding tumor extension/ prognosis, the degree and consequences of co-morbidity in selecting patients fit for surgery. Besides, time delay in investigation and treatment start can be documented in all patients.

B. Translocational research

C. The value of interventional bronchoscopy

D. Commisioned research
A double-blind, randomized, placebo controlled Phase III study to assess the efficacy of recMAGE-A3 + AS15 Antigen Specicfic Cancer Immunotherapeutics as adjuvant therapy in patients with MAGE-A3-positive non-small cell lung cancer

In Norway, the number of lung transplantations has increased steadily the last few years, currently approaching 30 individuals per year. Our department is the national referral centre for organ transplantation in Norway and is a medium-sized centre for lung transplantation by international standards.

Bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome after lung transplantation: Inflammatory and Innate Immune Responses

Name of principal investigators: PhD Liv Ingunn Bjoner Sikkeland and Dr.med Are M. Holm
Name of co-investigators: MSc Tonje Bøyum Riste, Dr.med Øystein Bjørtuft, Prof PhD Neil Alexis, Prof. Dr.med Johny Kongerud, Dr.med May Britt Lund, Prof Dr.med Tom Eirik Mollnes, Prof. Dr.med Odd Geiran and Dr.med Arnt Fiane

A significant proportion of the lung transplant (TX) patients develop Bronchiolitis Obliterans Syndrome (BOS) (~50%), a disease marked by loss of lung function and excessive and destructive airways inflammation, frequently involving airways neutrophilia. BOS represents the single most important obstacle to successful long term outcome in lung transplantation.The cause of BOS is unknown, but evidence indicates that the innate host defense function may be impaired.

By using advanced immunological and molecular methods we aim to improve the understanding of BOS and chronic allograft rejection, thus specifically developing improved diagnostic tools and possibly identifying new therapeutic targets for this common disorder within transplantational medicine. We also want to compare the utility of induced sputum with the more invasive BAL in monitoring of inflammatory conditions (BOS and other) in the lungs, and hence whether BAL can be justified as a surveillance tool compared to sputum.

Inflammatory processes and organ function in organ procurement for lung transplantation

Name of principal investigators:  Dr.med Are M. Holm
Name of co-investigators: MD student Henrik Auråen, Dr.med Øystein Bjørtuft, Prof PhD Neil Alexis, Prof. Dr.med Johny Kongerud, Dr.med May Britt Lund, Prof Dr.med Tom Eirik Mollnes, Prof. Dr.med Odd Geiran and Dr.med Arnt Fiane

To improve the availability and quality of organs for lung transplantation, we study the impact of systemic inflammatory processes on the lungs in the donor during organ harvesting. In particular, we study the activation of innate immune processes such as complement. Also, we relate these pre-transplant observations to inflammatory and clinical markers such as graft dysfunction and rejection in the recipient after transplantation. This project is a cooperation between The Department for Thoracic Surgery and The Institute for Immunology, both at Oslo University Hospital, and our department.

Lung transplantation and inflammation

Lung cancer

Occupational exposure

Nursing research

------------

PhD projects

Other collaborative projects