ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Tuberculosis
TUBERCULOSIS
We would like to thank Professor Bo Lundbäck from the Göteborg University for the conceptualization and organizing of the original FinEsS study. We would also thank the research nurse Kerstin Ahlskog for maintaining the FinEsS data in the Respiratory Research Unit of the Helsinki University Hospital and for helping to collect the data for mortality analyses.Conflict of interests: Dr Kankaanranta reports fees for consultancies and lectures from AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Chiesi Pharma, GSK, MSD, Novartis, Orion Pharma, and Sanofi Genzyme. Dr Kauppi reports consultancy fee from Sanofi and lecture fee from GSK. Dr Kauppi also holds positions as a member of the board of the Finnish Respiratory Society and as a member of the Grant Committee of the Tuberculosis Foundation of Finland. Dr Backman reports fees from AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, and GSK. Dr Langhammer reports fees from AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Diagnostica. All other authors declare that they have nothing to disclose.Funding: This work was supported by The Nordic Council of Ministers: NordForsk Foundation (Nordic EpiLung Study). The corresponding author has received personal funding from the following nongovernmental foundations for this work: Väinö ja Laina Kiven Säätiö, Ida Montinin Säätiö, and Hengityssairauksien Tutkimussäätiö. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; in writing of the manuscript; and in the decision to submit it for publication. The corresponding author had full access to all the data and had final responsibility for the decision to submit for publication.Ethics approval: The study was approved by the ethics committee of the Department of Medicine, Helsinki University Central Hospital. The subjects filled in a written informed consent form.Consent for publication: All participants of the study have signed an informed consent for research and publication.Jalasto, Luukkonen, Lindqvist, Langhammer, Kankaanranta, Backman, Rönmark, Sovijärvi, Kauppi, and Piirilä have no relationships/conditions/circumstances that present potential conflict of interest.The JOEM editorial board and planners have no financial interest related to this research.Supplemental digital contents are available for this article. Direct URL citation appears in the printed text and is provided in the HTML and PDF versions of this article on the journal’s Web site (