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Ampadu F, Awasthi V, Joshi AD. Role of Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinase Kinase Kinase 4 Signaling in Liver and Metabolic Diseases. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2024; 390:233-239. [PMID: 38844365 PMCID: PMC11264251 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.124.002065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
MAP4K4 is a serine/threonine protein kinase belonging to the germinal center kinase subgroup of sterile 20 protein family of kinases. MAP4K4 has been involved in regulating multiple biologic processes and a plethora of pathologies, including systemic inflammation, cardiovascular diseases, cancers, and metabolic and hepatic diseases. Recently, multiple reports have indicated the upregulation of MAP4K4 expression and signaling in hyperglycemia and liver diseases. This review provides an overview of our current knowledge of MAP4K4 structure and expression, as well as its regulation and signaling, specifically in metabolic and hepatic diseases. Reviewing these promising studies will enrich our understanding of MAP4K4 signaling pathways and, in the future, will help us design innovative therapeutic interventions against metabolic and liver diseases using MAP4K4 as a target. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Although most studies on the involvement of MAP4K4 in human pathologies are related to cancers, only recently its role in liver and other metabolic diseases is beginning to unravel. This mini review discusses recent advancements in MAP4K4 biology within the context of metabolic dysfunction and comprehensively characterizes MAP4K4 as a clinically relevant therapeutic target against liver and metabolic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Ampadu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
| | - Vibhudutta Awasthi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
| | - Aditya D Joshi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
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Juin A, Spence HJ, Machesky LM. Dichotomous role of the serine/threonine kinase MAP4K4 in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma onset and metastasis through control of AKT and ERK pathways. J Pathol 2024; 262:454-466. [PMID: 38229581 DOI: 10.1002/path.6248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
MAP4K4 is a serine/threonine kinase of the STE20 family involved in the regulation of actin cytoskeleton dynamics and cell motility. It has been proposed as a target of angiogenesis and inhibitors show potential in cardioprotection. MAP4K4 also mediates cell invasion in vitro, is overexpressed in various types of cancer, and is associated with poor patient prognosis. Recently, MAP4K4 has been shown to be overexpressed in pancreatic cancer, but its role in tumour initiation, progression, and metastasis is unknown. Here, using the KrasG12D Trp53R172H Pdx1-Cre (KPC) mouse model of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), we show that deletion of Map4k4 drives tumour initiation and progression. Moreover, we report that the acceleration of tumour onset is also associated with an overactivation of ERK and AKT, two major downstream effectors of KRAS, in vitro and in vivo. In contrast to the accelerated tumour onset caused by loss of MAP4K4, we observed a reduction in metastatic burden with both the KPC model and in an intraperitoneal transplant assay indicating a major role of MAP4K4 in metastatic seeding. In summary, our study sheds light on the dichotomous role of MAP4K4 in the initiation of PDAC onset, progression, and metastatic dissemination. It also identifies MAP4K4 as a possible druggable target against pancreatic cancer spread, but with the caveat that targeting MAP4K4 might accelerate early tumorigenesis. © 2024 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Laura M Machesky
- CRUK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK
- School of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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Eeda V, Patil NY, Joshi AD, Awasthi V. Advancements in metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease research: Diagnostics, small molecule developments, and future directions. Hepatol Res 2024; 54:222-234. [PMID: 38149861 PMCID: PMC10923026 DOI: 10.1111/hepr.14008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Metabolic (dysfunction)-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), formerly known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, is a growing global health concern with no approved pharmacological treatments. At the same time, there are no standard methods to definitively screen for the presence of MASLD because of its progressive nature and symptomatic commonality with other disorders. Recent advances in molecular understanding of MASLD pathophysiology have intensified research on development of new drug molecules, repurposing of existing drugs approved for other indications, and an educated use of dietary supplements for its treatment and prophylaxis. This review focused on depicting the latest advancements in MASLD research related to small molecule development for prophylaxis or treatment and diagnosis, with emphasis on mechanistic basis at the molecular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Venkateswararao Eeda
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Nikhil Yuvaraj Patil
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Aditya Dilip Joshi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Vibhudutta Awasthi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
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Caputo M, Andersson E, Xia Y, Hou W, Cansby E, Erikson M, Lind DE, Hallberg B, Amrutkar M, Mahlapuu M. Genetic Ablation of STE20-Type Kinase MST4 Does Not Alleviate Diet-Induced MASLD Susceptibility in Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2446. [PMID: 38397122 PMCID: PMC10888586 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25042446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and its advanced subtype, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), have emerged as the most common chronic liver disease worldwide, yet there is no targeted pharmacotherapy presently available. This study aimed to investigate the possible in vivo function of STE20-type protein kinase MST4, which was earlier implicated in the regulation of hepatocellular lipotoxic milieu in vitro, in the control of the diet-induced impairment of systemic glucose and insulin homeostasis as well as MASLD susceptibility. Whole-body and liver-specific Mst4 knockout mice were generated by crossbreeding conditional Mst4fl/fl mice with mice expressing Cre recombinase under the Sox2 or Alb promoters, respectively. To replicate the environment in high-risk subjects, Mst4-/- mice and their wild-type littermates were fed a high-fat or a methionine-choline-deficient (MCD) diet. Different in vivo tests were conducted in obese mice to describe the whole-body metabolism. MASLD progression in the liver and lipotoxic damage to adipose tissue, kidney, and skeletal muscle were analyzed by histological and immunofluorescence analysis, biochemical assays, and protein and gene expression profiling. In parallel, intracellular fat storage and oxidative stress were assessed in primary mouse hepatocytes, where MST4 was silenced by small interfering RNA. We found that global MST4 depletion had no effect on body weight or composition, locomotor activity, whole-body glucose tolerance or insulin sensitivity in obese mice. Furthermore, we observed no alterations in lipotoxic injuries to the liver, adipose, kidney, or skeletal muscle tissue in high-fat diet-fed whole-body Mst4-/- vs. wild-type mice. Liver-specific Mst4-/- mice and wild-type littermates displayed a similar severity of MASLD when subjected to an MCD diet, as evidenced by equal levels of steatosis, inflammation, hepatic stellate cell activation, fibrosis, oxidative/ER stress, and apoptosis in the liver. In contrast, the in vitro silencing of MST4 effectively protected primary mouse hepatocytes against ectopic lipid accumulation and oxidative cell injury triggered by exposure to fatty acids. In summary, these results suggest that the genetic ablation of MST4 in mice does not mitigate the initiation or progression of MASLD and has no effect on systemic glucose or insulin homeostasis in the context of nutritional stress. The functional compensation for the genetic loss of MST4 by yet undefined mechanisms may contribute to the apparent discrepancy between in vivo and in vitro phenotypic consequences of MST4 silencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mara Caputo
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Emma Andersson
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ying Xia
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Wei Hou
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Emmelie Cansby
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Max Erikson
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Dan Emil Lind
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Bengt Hallberg
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Manoj Amrutkar
- Department of Pathology, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, 0372 Oslo, Norway
| | - Margit Mahlapuu
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
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Lv T, Lou Y, Yan Q, Nie L, Cheng Z, Zhou X. Phosphorylation: new star of pathogenesis and treatment in steatotic liver disease. Lipids Health Dis 2024; 23:50. [PMID: 38368351 PMCID: PMC10873984 DOI: 10.1186/s12944-024-02037-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Steatotic liver disease poses a serious threat to human health and has emerged as one of the most significant burdens of chronic liver disease worldwide. Currently, the research mechanism is not clear, and there is no specific targeted drug for direct treatment. Phosphorylation is widely regarded as the most common type of protein modification, closely linked to steatotic liver disease in previous studies. However, there is no systematic review to clarify the relationship and investigate from the perspective of phosphorylation. Phosphorylation has been found to mainly regulate molecule stability, affect localization, transform molecular function, and cooperate with other protein modifications. Among them, adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), serine/threonine kinase (AKT), and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-kB) are considered the core mechanisms in steatotic liver disease. As to treatment, lifestyle changes, prescription drugs, and herbal ingredients can alleviate symptoms by influencing phosphorylation. It demonstrates the significant role of phosphorylation as a mechanism occurrence and a therapeutic target in steatotic liver disease, which could be a new star for future exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiansu Lv
- Department of Endocrinology, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- The First Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Yan Lou
- Department of Endocrinology, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Qianhua Yan
- Department of Endocrinology, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- The First Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Lijuan Nie
- The First Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhe Cheng
- The First Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiqiao Zhou
- Department of Endocrinology, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.
- The First Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.
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Song S, Zheng J, Zhao D, Zheng A, Zhu Y, Xu Q, Liu T. Quantitative proteomics analysis based on data-independent acquisition reveals the effect of Shenling Baizhu powder (SLP) on protein expression in MAFLD rat liver tissue. Clin Proteomics 2023; 20:55. [PMID: 38036981 PMCID: PMC10691125 DOI: 10.1186/s12014-023-09442-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) has become the most common chronic liver disease worldwide, and it is also a high-risk factor for the development of other metabolic diseases. Shenling Baizhu powder (SLP) is a traditional Chinese herbal formula with good clinical efficacy against MAFLD. However, its molecular mechanism for the treatment of MAFLD is still not fully understood. This study used quantitative proteomics analysis to reveal the SLP action mechanism in the treatment of MAFLD by discovering the effect of SLP on protein expression in the liver tissue of MAFLD rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS Q-Orbitrap LC-MS/MS was used to identify the incoming blood compounds of SLP. The 18 SD male rats were randomly divided into 3 groups (n = 6): control group, HFD group and SLP group. The HFD group and SLP group were established as MAFLD rat models by feeding them a high-fat diet for 4 weeks. Afterwards, the SLP group was treated with SLP (10.89 g/kg/d) for 3 weeks. Biochemical parameters and liver pathological status were measured. Rat liver tissue was analyzed using DIA-based quantitative proteomics and the DEPs were validated by western blotting analysis. RESULTS A total of 18 active compounds of SLP were identified and isolated to enter the bloodstream. Comparison of DEPs between control group vs. HFD group and HFD group vs. SLP group revealed that SLP restored the expression of 113 DEPs. SLP catalyzes oxidoreductase activity and binding activity on mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum to promote lipid oxidative catabolism, maintain oxoacid metabolic homeostasis in vivo and mitigate oxidative stress-induced hepatocyte injury. And 52 signaling pathways including PPAR signaling, arachidonic acid metabolism and glycine, serine and threonine metabolism were enriched by KEGG. PPI topology analysis showed that Cyp4a2, Agxt2, Fabp1, Pck1, Acsm3, Aldh1a1, Got1 and Hmgcs2 were the core DEPs. The western blotting analysis verified that SLP was able to reverse the increase in Fabp1 and Hmgcs2 and the decrease in Pck1 induced by HFD, and the results were consistent proteomic data. CONCLUSION SLP ameliorates hepatic steatosis to exert therapeutic effects on MAFLD by inhibiting the expression of lipid synthesis genes and inhibiting lipid peroxidation in mitochondria. This study provides a new idea and basis for the study of SLP in the treatment of MAFLD and provides an experimental basis for the clinical application of SLP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sufei Song
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 570102, China
| | - Jixian Zheng
- Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 571199, China
| | - Dongmei Zhao
- Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 571199, China
| | - Anni Zheng
- Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 571199, China
| | - Ye Zhu
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 570102, China
| | - Qiuling Xu
- Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 571199, China.
| | - Tao Liu
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 570102, China.
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Xia Y, Andersson E, Caputo M, Cansby E, Sedda F, Font-Gironès F, Ruud J, Kurhe Y, Hallberg B, Marschall HU, Asterholm IW, Romeo S, Blüher M, Mahlapuu M. Knockout of STE20-type kinase TAOK3 does not attenuate diet-induced NAFLD development in mice. Mol Med 2023; 29:138. [PMID: 37864157 PMCID: PMC10589923 DOI: 10.1186/s10020-023-00738-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the primary hepatic consequence of obesity, is affecting about 25% of the global adult population. The aim of this study was to examine the in vivo role of STE20-type protein kinase TAOK3, which has been previously reported to regulate hepatocellular lipotoxicity in vitro, in the development of NAFLD and systemic insulin resistance in the context of obesity. METHODS Taok3 knockout mice and wild-type littermates were challenged with a high-fat diet. Various in vivo tests were performed to characterize the whole-body metabolism. NAFLD progression in the liver, and lipotoxic damage in adipose tissue, kidney, and skeletal muscle were compared between the genotypes by histological assessment, immunofluorescence microscopy, protein and gene expression profiling, and biochemical assays. Intracellular lipid accumulation and oxidative/ER stress were analyzed in cultured human and mouse hepatocytes where TAOK3 was knocked down by small interfering RNA. The expression of TAOK3-related STE20-type kinases was quantified in different organs from high-fat diet-fed Taok3-/- and wild-type mice. RESULTS TAOK3 deficiency had no impact on body weight or composition, food consumption, locomotor activity, or systemic glucose or insulin homeostasis in obese mice. Consistently, Taok3-/- mice and wild-type littermates developed a similar degree of high-fat diet-induced liver steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis, and we detected no difference in lipotoxic damage of adipose tissue, kidney, or skeletal muscle when comparing the two genotypes. In contrast, the silencing of TAOK3 in vitro markedly suppressed ectopic lipid accumulation and metabolic stress in mouse and human hepatocytes. Interestingly, the hepatic mRNA abundance of several TAOK3-related kinases, which have been previously implicated to increase the risk of NAFLD susceptibility, was significantly elevated in Taok3-/- vs. wild-type mice. CONCLUSIONS In contrast to the in vitro observations, genetic deficiency of TAOK3 in mice failed to mitigate the detrimental metabolic consequences of chronic exposure to dietary lipids, which may be partly attributable to the activation of liver-specific compensation response for the genetic loss of TAOK3 by related STE20-type kinases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Xia
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Emma Andersson
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Mara Caputo
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Emmelie Cansby
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Francesca Sedda
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine/Wallenberg Laboratory, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ferran Font-Gironès
- Department of Physiology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Johan Ruud
- Department of Physiology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Yeshwant Kurhe
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Bengt Hallberg
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Hanns-Ulrich Marschall
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine/Wallenberg Laboratory, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ingrid Wernstedt Asterholm
- Department of Physiology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Stefano Romeo
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine/Wallenberg Laboratory, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Matthias Blüher
- Helmholtz Institute for Metabolic, Obesity, and Vascular Research (HI-MAG) of the Helmholtz Zentrum München, University of Leipzig and University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Margit Mahlapuu
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
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