Public Defence: Susanne Kristine Aune

Cand.med. Susanne Kristine Aune at Institute of Clinical Medicine will be defending the thesis “Gut microbial translocation in coronary artery disease: Emphasis on physical activity and cardiometabolic disturbances” for the degree of PhD (Philosophiae Doctor).

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Photo: Kristin Ellefsen, UiO

Due to copyright issues, an electronic copy of the thesis must be ordered from the faculty. For the faculty to have time to process the order, the order must be received by the faculty at the latest 2 days before the public defence. Orders received later than 2 days before the defence will not be processed. After the public defence, please address any inquiries regarding the thesis to the candidate.

Trial Lecture – time and place

See Trial Lecture.

Adjudication committee

  • First opponent: Professor Johann Wojta, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
  • Second opponent: Professor Stein Ørn, University of Stavanger
  • Third member and chair of the evaluation committee: Professor Anne Cathrine Staff, University of Oslo

Chair of the Defence

Professor II Johannes Espolin Roksund Hov, University of Oslo

Principal Supervisor

Post Doctor Ragnhild Helseth, Oslo University Hospital

Summary

Gut microbial translocation is the leakage of bacterial products from the gut to the circulation, reflects an imbalance of gut microbial composition, and may downstream activate the immune system and cause chronic low-grade inflammation. An inflammatory state is central in both coronary artery disease (CAD) and metabolic disturbances such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

This thesis explored markers of gut microbial translocation (soluble cluster of differentiation 14 (sCD14), lipopolysaccharide- (LPS) binding protein (LBP) and intestinal fatty acid protein (I-FABP) in response to exercise of different modes and durations in populations with and without CAD, as well as associations to cardiometabolic disturbances. The main hypotheses were (1) that the markers would be higher in patients with CAD and metabolic disturbances, (2) that 1 year of exercise training could affect the markers, (3) that the markers would increase after strenuous exercise, both in patients with symptoms of CAD and in healthy athletes, and (4) that they would increase more in those with CAD and relate to release of cardiac biomarkers in the athletes.

In patients with both T2DM and CAD, physical fitness correlated inversely to sCD14, however, 1-year exercise intervention did not affect any marker. Gut leakage markers increased in patients with symptoms of CAD and in athletes after strenuous exercise, but did not correlate to degree of CAD or to release of cardiac biomarkers. Aune and colleagues conclude that patients with CAD does not have increased levels of gut leakage markers after strenuous exercise training compared to those who are healthy, and that gut leakage has no association to release of cardiac biomarkers after strenuous exercise in healthy athletes. Furthermore, patients with cardiometabolic disturbances in general had higher values of gut leakage markers, thus Aune and colleagues conclude that in this systemic low-grade inflammatory state, gut leakage plays a role.

Additional information

Contact the research support staff.

Published Jan. 4, 2023 10:14 AM - Last modified Jan. 16, 2023 1:18 PM