Combined Odds Ratio Research Articles

Prognosis assessment of CD44+/CD24- in breast cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

This meta-analysis investigated the relationships between the CD44+/CD24- phenotype and tumor size, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) in 8036 postoperative breast cancer patients enrolled in 23 studies. A literature search of PubMed, Medline, Cochrane, Embase, and PMC was conducted to identify eligible studies. The combined odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were analyzed to evaluate the relationships between the CD44+/CD24- phenotype and the pathological and biological characteristics of breast cancer patients, and the combined hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs were calculated to evaluate the relationships between CD44+/CD24- and DFS and OS of breast cancer patients using Stata12.0 software. The CD44+/CD24- phenotype were not related to the tumor size (tumor size > 2.0 vs ≤ 2.0cm, combined OR = 0.98, 95% CI 0.68-1.34, p = 0.792) and did not promote lymph node metastasis (lymph node metastasis vs. no lymph node metastasis, OR = 0.92, 95% CI 0.67-1.27, p = 0.626) and distant metastasis (distant metastasis vs no distant metastasis, combined OR = 3.88, 95% CI 0.93-16.24, p = 0.064). The CD44+/CD24- phenotype was negatively correlated with postoperative DFS (HR = 1.67, 95% CI 1.35-2.07, p < 0.00001) and OS (combined HR = 1.52, 95% CI 1.21-1.91, p = 0.0004). These results suggested expression of the CD44+/CD24- phenotype cannot be used as a reliable indicator of the tumor size, lymph node metastasis, and distant metastasis, however, it can be used be a potential therapeutic targets of DFS, OS in breast cancer patients.

The Prevalence of Coexisting Lumbar Spondylosis and Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

A systematic review. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of coexisting lumbar spondylosis (LS) and knee osteoarthritis (KOA), which has clinical implications on the screening, diagnosis, and management of orthopedic patients. Due to current global health trends, the number of affected patients is expected to increase substantially. However, no prior systematic reviews have discussed this topic. A systematic literature search was conducted in June 2021 in the PubMed, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL, and Cochrane CENTRAL databases. Clinical and epidemiological studies that reported quantitative data on the prevalence of coexisting LS and KOA were included. Studies which reported data on only LS or KOA alone were excluded. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for LS or KOA were retrieved or calculated for meta-analysis. Fixed-effects and random-effects models were used, and statistical significance was considered when p<0.05. Heterogeneity was evaluated using Cochran's Q test and the I2 statistic. Risk of bias was assessed using the MINORs (methodological index for nonrandomized studies) criteria. This review included nine studies (5,758 patients). Four studies (4,164 patients) defined KOA and LS by a Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) grade of ≥2 and were included in the meta-analysis. Two other studies defined KOA and LS by a joint space narrowing grade of ≥2. The remaining three studies reported other outcomes. The combined ORs of having KOA of KL grade ≥2 due to LS was 1.75 (95% CI, 1.22-2.50; p=0.002), while the combined OR of having LS of KL grade ≥2 due to KOA was 1.84 (95% CI, 1.23-2.77; p=0.003). In patients with either KOA or LS, the odds of having a concurrent knee-spine presentation are significantly increased. This may have implications for clinical decision-making and treatment strategies. Further high-level studies with larger patient populations are required to confirm these results in specific populations.

Interleukin 17A rs2275913 polymorphism is associated with susceptibility to systemic lupus erythematosus: A meta and trial sequential analysis.

The role of cytokines in the development of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has received much attention. Interleukin-17A upregulates several inflammation-related genes and is thought to have a crucial role in SLE development. The susceptibility to SLE development has been linked to functional genetic variations of the IL-17A gene; nevertheless, the findings have been conflicting. We conducted a meta-analysis that included previously published reports to establish a definitive conclusion on the role of the IL-17A rs2275913 polymorphism in SLE propensity. The PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus databases were used to find eligible published articles. All analyses were conducted using Comprehensive Meta-analysis V3.1. Funnel plots and Egger's regression analysis were used to assess publication bias. Q statistics and I2 test explored the heterogeneity among the included studies. Combined odds ratio, 95% confidence interval were calculated for each comparison model. Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of four reports, comprising of 608 SLE patients and 815 healthy controls, were considered for the present meta-analysis. The homozygous comparison (AA vs. GG: combined odds ratio= 2.046, p = 0.005) and recessive genetic model (AA vs. GG+GA: combined odds ratio=1.901, p = 0.010) analysis revealed a significant association of rs2275913 with susceptibility to the development of SLE. However, other genetic comparisons (A vs. G, GA vs. GG, AA+GA vs. GG) failed to demonstrate such association. Furthermore, trial sequential analysis revealed a sufficient number of studies, including enough cases and controls that have already been considered to conclude the role of IL17-A rs2275913 polymorphism in SLE. IL-17A rs2275913 polymorphism is associated with susceptibility to SLE development.

Apical Periodontitis and Cardiovascular Disease in Adults: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis.

A potential relationship between oral health and cardiovascular diseases has been proposed. However, uncertainty remains as to whether there is sufficient data to support this association. This review aims to appraise the relationship between apical periodontitis and cardiovascular disease based on data from observational studies. The databases Medline (via PubMed) and EMBASE (via Scopus) were searched up to August 2020 for observational studies (case-control, cross-sectional, and cohort) assessing the association of apical periodontitis with cardiovascular disease among adults. Pooled relative risk/odds ratio and 95% confidence interval (CI) were estimated using a random-effects model. Sensitivity analyses and random-effects meta-regressions were performed. The initial search yielded 2537 documents, of which 15 were eligible for inclusion, including 8 cross-sectional studies, 5 case-control studies, and 2 cohort studies. The majority of studies enrolled both men and women, with mean age ranging from 41 to 66 years. In cross-sectional studies, the presence of apical periodontitis was significantly associated with cardiovascular disease with a combined odds ratio of 1.53 (95% CI: 1.02-2.29, p = 0.039; I2 = 75.0%; p < 0.001). In the case-control studies, the combined odds ratio did not show a significant association of apical periodontitis with cardiovascular disease (OR = 1.24; 95% CI: 0.67-2.29, p = 0.494; I2 = 82.1%; p < 0.001). The pooled risk ratio from the 2 cohort studies showed (RR = 1.27; 95% CI: 0.71-2.27, p = 0.413; I2 = 69.1%; p = 0.072) also showed no significant association between apical periodontitis and cardiovascular disease. These results should be interpreted with caution due to the high heterogeneity. Data derived from cross-sectional studies suggest a weak association between apical periodontitis and cardiovascular disease. As the results were not consistent across study designs, further research is recommended, namely longitudinal studies with long-term follow-up. PROSPERO database (CRD42020204379).

Diagnostic accuracy of the visceral adiposity index in patients with metabolic-associated fatty liver disease: a meta-analysis

BackgroundConflicting results on the prognostic value of the visceral adiposity index (VAI) in patients with metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) have been reported. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic value of the VAI in MAFLD patients.MethodsThe Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, and other databases were searched to collect all documents that met the inclusion criteria from the establishment of the database to September 2021. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. The heterogeneity among the studies was analysed by the Cochran Q test and I2 test, and the appropriate model was selected according to the heterogeneity results. The diagnostic efficacy of the VAI was evaluated by sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve, and a Fagan diagram was generated to evaluate the diagnostic ability of the VAI.ResultsA total of 9 studies were included. The overall quality of the included studies was good. Meta-analysis showed that the combined sensitivity of the VAI for the diagnosis of MAFLD was 0.70 [95% CI (0.69–0.71)], the combined specificity was 0.67 [95% CI (0.67–0.68)], the combined positive likelihood ratio was 2.08 [95% CI (1.87–2.31)], the combined negative likelihood ratio was 0.39 [95% CI (0.34–0.44)], and the combined diagnostic odds ratio was 5.81 [95% CI (4.73–7.14)]. The corresponding area under the curve was 0.79 [95% CI (0.75–0.82)]. Meta-regression analysis showed that the diagnostic method was a potential source of heterogeneity (P < 0.05). The Fagan diagram showed that the precision of MAFLD diagnosis was 70% when the pretest probability was set to 50% and then supplemented by the VAI.ConclusionsThe VAI is an independent predictor in the diagnosis of MAFLD and may be helpful in the detection of MAFLD. A VAI > 2.33 suggests that patients have a high probability of having MAFLD.

The relationship between vascular endothelial growth factor expression and the risk of childhood nephroblastoma: systematic review and meta-analysis.

BackgroundThis study explores the correlation between vascular endothelial growth factor expression and the risk of childhood nephroblastoma.MethodsPubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang database were searched to collect independent study data published in China between 2010 and 2021 on the expression and significance of VEGF in childhood nephroblastoma, and literature heterogeneity was tested. The odds ratio (OR) value was used as the effect indicator. Meta-analysis software RevMan 4.2.2 was used, and the original data of each study were statistically processed to calculate the combined OR value and 95% confidence interval (CI).ResultsTwelve studies involving 1,226 cases of pediatric nephroblastoma were included for systematic evaluation. The 12 randomized controlled studies reported the expression of VEGF in childhood nephroblastoma (OR =9.06, 95% CI: 6.97–11.78, P<0.00001). There was a statistically significant difference in expression of VEGF between the unfavorable histology (UH) group and the favorable histology (FH) group (OR =1.17, 95% CI: 1.07–1.27, P=0.0006) and expression of VEGF in different clinical stages of nephroblastoma, including stage I–II and III–IV (OR =0.49, 95% CI: 0.42–0.58, P<0.00001). Positive expression of VEGF showed no significant statistical difference between cases with and without tumor metastasis (OR =1.08, 95% CI: 0.86–1.36, P=0.50).ConclusionsThe expression of VEGF may play an important role in the occurrence and development of childhood nephroblastoma and could help guide clinicians to judge disease and treatment.

Effects of imipenem combined with glutamine in the treatment of severe acute pancreatitis with abdominal infection in mainland China: a meta-analysis.

The aim of this study was to explore the efficacy of imipenem combined with glutamine in the treatment of severe acute pancreatitis with abdominal infection in mainland China using meta-analysis. We searched China National Knowledge Network, Wanfang Medical Network, Chinese Science Citation Database, PubMed, and Embase Databases for publications of imipenem combined with glutamine in the treatment of severe acute pancreatitis abdominal infection. The search time limit was from the establishment of the database to April 10, 2021. Stata software version 12.0 was used for statistical analysis; the combined effect size odds ratio and standardized mean difference values were calculated for the count data and measurement data, respectively; and the heterogeneity test was performed in this study. A total of five randomized controlled trials were included. A total of 499 cases were included, with 251 in the observation group and 248 in the control group. Meta-analysis results showed that the efficacy of imipenem combined with glutamine in the treatment of severe acute pancreatitis with abdominal infection was significantly better than that of imipenem alone (odds ratio=0.78, 95%CI 0.71-0.86, p=0.040). Imipenem combined with glutamine can significantly improve the efficacy in the treatment of severe acute pancreatitis with abdominal cavity infection.

The effect of social relationships on cognitive decline in older adults: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal cohort studies

BackgroundA previous meta-analysis (Kuiper et al., 2016) has shown that multiple aspects of social relationships are associated with cognitive decline in older adults. Yet, results indicated possible bias in estimations of statistical effects due to the heterogeneity of study design and measurements. We have updated this meta-analysis adding all relevant publications from 2012 to 2020 and performed a cumulative meta-analysis to map the evolution of this growing field of research (+80% of studies from 2012-2020 compared to the period considered in the previous meta-analysis).MethodsScopus and Web of Science were searched for longitudinal cohort studies examining structural, functional and combined effects of social relationships. We combined Odds Ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) using random effects meta-analysis and assessed sources of heterogeneity and the likelihood of publication bias. The risk of bias was evaluated with the Quality of Prognosis Studies in Systematic Reviews (QUIPS) tool.ResultsThe review was prospectively registered on PROSPERO (ID: CRD42019130667). We identified 34 new articles published in 2012-2020. Poor social relationships were associated with cognitive decline with increasing precision of estimates compared to previously reviewed studies [(for structural, 17 articles, OR: 1.11; 95% CI: 1.08; 1.14) (for functional, 16 articles, OR: 1.12; 95% CI: 1.05; 1.20) (for combined, 5 articles, OR: 1.15; 95% CI: 1.06; 1.24)]. Meta-regression, risk and subgroup analyses showed that the precision of estimations improved in recent studies mostly due to increased sample sizes.ConclusionsOur cumulative meta-analysis would confirm that multiple aspects of social relationships are associated with cognitive decline. Yet, there is still evidence of publication bias and relevant information on study design is often missing, which could lead to an over-estimation of their statistical effects.

Prognostic Significance of the Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index (SII) in Patients With Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Meta-Analysis

BackgroundPrevious studies have investigated the prognostic value of the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) in small cell lung cancer (SCLC). However, the results have been inconsistent. The study aimed to investigate the prognostic and clinicopathological significance of SII in SCLC through a meta-analysis.MethodsThe PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases were thoroughly searched. The pooled hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to evaluate the prognostic value of the SII for survival outcomes. The combined odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs were used to evaluate the correlation between SII and clinicopathological features.ResultsEight studies comprising 2,267 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Pooled analyses indicated that a high SII was significantly associated with worse overall survival (OS) (HR=1.52, 95% CI=1.15–2.00, p=0.003) but not progression-free survival (HR=1.38, 95% CI=0.81–2.35, p=0.238) in patients with SCLC. Moreover, a high SII was associated with extensive-stage SCLC (OR=2.43, 95% CI=1.86–3.17, p<0.001). However, there was a non-significant correlation between SII and age, sex, smoking history, Karnofsky Performance Status score, or initial therapeutic response.ConclusionOur meta-analysis demonstrated that a high SII could be an efficient prognostic indicator of OS in SCLC. We recommend adopting SII to predict OS in patients with SCLC, and SII in combination with other parameters or biomarkers may aid in addressing the clinical strategy and choosing the best treatment for an individual patient.

Diagnostic Value of Nonacid Nucleic Blood Tumor Marker Panels in Early Diagnosing Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

This study is aimed at determining the best nonacid nucleic blood tumor marker panels in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy in order to detect breast cancer in early stages (I, II, and III) among eligible women for breast cancer screening. PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane were systematically reviewed to assess nonacid nucleic blood tumor marker panels' diagnostic value in women, both healthy and patient (before any anticancer treatment), for detecting breast cancer. A network meta-analysis was carried out using a Bayesian network meta-analysis to estimate combined odd ratio (OR) and 95% CI credible interval for presenting the results. Rankograms plot was drawn to rank the diagnostic value of different panels. Of the 2358 titles initially identified, 9 studies and 8 panels were included in the network meta-analysis. Panels A (MMP-9/TIMP-1) and K (TF1+TF2+TF3) had the highest sensitivity in early stages, as panel A with OR = 11.61 and 95% CI (1.49-102.5) demonstrated a better function than mammography. Panels H (CA 15.3 + IL-18) and A (MMP-9/TIMP-1) had the highest specificity in early stages, but no significant difference with mammography. Panels A (MMP-9/TIMP-1) and H (CA 15.3 + IL-18) had the highest accuracy in early stages, as they significantly exhibited a higher function than mammography with OR = 6.87 and 95% CI (2.07-31.35) as well as OR = 3.44 and 95% CI (1.15-11.07), respectively. Panel A including MMP-9/TIMP-1 in early stages demonstrated a higher diagnostic value for breast cancer than the rest of the panels.

Intraoperative vancomycin powder to reduce surgical site infections after posterior spine surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of local application of vancomycin powder (VP) to prevent surgical site infections (SSIs) after posterior spine surgery.A comprehensive search of Web of Science, EMBASE, Pubmed, Ovid, and Cochrane Library databases for articles published was performed to collect comparative studies of intrawound vancomycin in posterior spine surgery before March 2021. Two reviewers independently screened eligible articles based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, assessed the study quality, and extracted the data. Revman 5.4 software was used for data analysis.A total of 22 articles encompassing 11 555 surgical patients were finally identified for meta-analysis. According to the information provided by the included literature, the combined odds ratio showed that topical use of VP was effective for reducing the incidence of SSIs (P< 0.00001) after posterior spine surgery without affecting its efficacy in the treatment of deep infections (P< 0.00001). However, there is no statistical significance in superficial infections. In a subgroup analysis, VP at a dose of 1, 2, and 0.5–2 g reduced the incidence of spinal SSIs. The result of another subgroup analysis suggested that local application of VP could significantly reduce the risk of SSIs, whether it was administered after posterior cervical surgery or thoracolumbar surgery. Moreover, the percentage of SSIs due to gram-positive germs (P< 0.00001) and MRSA (P< 0.0001) could reduce after intraoperative VP was used, but did not significantly reduce to gram-negative germs.The local application of VP appears to protect against SSIs, gram-positive germs, and MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) infections after the posterior spinal operation.

Prodromal Cognitive Deficits and the Risk of Subsequent Parkinson's Disease.

Background: There is growing interest in identifying individuals who are in the prodromal phase of Parkinson’s disease (PD), as these individuals are potentially suitable for inclusion in intervention trials to prevent clinically manifest PD. However, it is less clear whether—and to what extent—cognitive deficits are present in prodromal PD. Methods: A systematic query was conducted through PubMed and Embase for prospective observational cohort studies that (a) assessed cognitive performance in individuals free of manifest PD at baseline and (b) subsequently followed up participants for incident PD. We grouped the results by cognitive domain, and for domains that had been reported in at least three separate studies, we performed random-effects, inverse variance meta-analyses based on summary statistics. Results: We identified nine articles suitable for inclusion, with a total of 215 patients with phenoconversion and 13,524 individuals remaining disease-free at follow-up. The studies were highly heterogeneous in study design, study population, and cognitive test batteries. Studies that included only cognitive screening measures such as MMSE or MoCA reported no association between worse cognitive performance and onset of manifest PD (combined odds ratio 1.08; 95% confidence interval 0.66–1.77). By contrast, studies that used extensive cognitive testing batteries found that global cognitive deficits were associated with an increased risk of manifest PD. In domain-specific analyses, there was evidence for an association between worse executive functioning (OR 1.45; 95% CI 1.10–1.92), but not memory (OR 1.20; 95% CI 0.85–1.70) or attention (OR 0.98; 95% CI 0.23–4.26), and clinically manifest PD. Conclusion: Although some caution due to high heterogeneity among published studies is warranted, the available evidence suggests that global and executive cognitive deficits are prodromal features of PD. Collaborative prospective studies with extensive cognitive test batteries are required to shed light on domain-specific deficits, temporal relations, and subgroup differences in prodromal cognitive deficits in PD.

Inverse Association Between Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [S-25(OH)D] and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are correlated in many observational studies, whereas the causality of this association is uncertain, especially in European populations. We conducted a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study to determine the association between S-25(OH)D and NAFLD. Seven and 6 independent genetic variants associated with S-25(OH)D and NAFLD at the genome-wide-significance level, respectively, were selected as instrumental variables. Summary-level data for S-25(OH)D were obtained from the Study of Underlying Genetic Determinants of Vitamin D and Highly Related Traits consortium including 79,366 individuals. Summary-level data for NAFLD were available from a genome-wide association meta-analysis (1483 cases and 17,781 controls), the FinnGen consortium (894 cases and 217,898 controls), and the UK Biobank study (275 cases and 360,919 controls). Summary-level data for 4 liver enzymes were obtained from the UK Biobank. There were genetic correlations of S-25(OH)D with NAFLD and certain liver enzymes. Genetically predicted higher levels of S-25(OH)D were consistently associated with a decreased risk of NAFLD in the 3 sources. For a 1-SD increase in genetically predicted S-25(OH)D levels, the combined odds ratio of NAFLD was 0.78 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.69 to 0.89). Genetically predicted higher levels of S-25(OH)D showed a borderline association with aspartate aminotransferase levels (change -1.17; 95% CI, -1.36 to 0.01). Genetic predisposition to NAFLD was not associated with S-25(OH)D (change 0.13; 95% CI, -1.26 to 0.53). Our findings have clinical implications as they suggest that increased vitamin D levels may play a role in NAFLD prevention in European populations.

Metabolic and lifestyle factors in relation to senile cataract: a Mendelian randomization study

We conducted a Mendelian randomization study to determine the associations of body mass index (BMI), type 2 diabetes (T2D), systolic blood pressure (SBP), coffee and alcohol consumption and smoking initiation with senile cataract. Independent single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with the metabolic and lifestyle factors at the p < 5 × 10–8 were selected as instrument variables. Summary-level data for senile cataract were obtained from the FinnGen consortium (20,157 cases and 154,905 non-cases) and UK Biobank study (6332 cases and 354,862 non-cases). Higher genetically predicted BMI and SBP and genetic predisposition to T2D and smoking initiation were associated with an increased risk of senile cataract. The combined odds ratios were 1.19 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.09–1.29; p < 0.001) per one standard deviation increase in BMI (~ 4.8 kg/m2), 1.13 (95% CI 1.04–1.23; p = 0.004) per 10 mmHg increase in SBP, 1.06 (95% CI 1.03–1.09; p < 0.001) per one unit increase in log-transformed odds ratio of T2D, and 1.19 (95% CI 1.10–1.29; p < 0.001) per one standard deviation increase in prevalence of smoking initiation. Genetically predicted coffee consumption showed a suggestive association with senile cataract (odds ratio per 50% increase, 1.18, 95% CI 1.00–1.40; p = 0.050). This study suggests causal roles of obesity, T2D, SBP and smoking in senile cataract.

Association of the VEGFR2 single nucleotide polymorphism rs2305948 with glioma risk.

Background:Many studies have reported a relationship between the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2305948 and glioma, but their conclusions have been controversial. A meta-analysis was performed to assess the association between rs2305948 and glioma susceptibility.Methods:Inclusion criteria and a strategy for screening of original literature were created. Eligible articles on the correlation between the SNP rs2305948 and glioma were identified in the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CNKI and Wanfang databases. After extracting the data, Stata 12. 0 software was used to perform statistical analysis under 5 genetic models and to calculate the combined odds ratio (OR) value and its 95% confidence interval (CI).Results:Four case-control studies including 1595 cases and 1657 controls were entered into the study. The overall analysis showed that no obvious association existed between rs2305948 and glioma risk (allele: OR = 1.20, 95% CI = 0.93–1.54, P = .162; dominant: OR = 1.17, 95% CI = 0.93–1.46, P = .174; recessive: OR = 1.72, 95% CI = 0.94–3.15, P = .076; heterozygous: OR = 1.11, 95% CI = 0.94–1.30, P = .226; homozygous: OR = 1.74, 95% CI = 0.92–3.29, P = .088). The subgroup analysis suggested that the SNP rs2305948 was related to glioma susceptibility under allele, dominant, recessive and homozygote models in the Asian population (allele: OR = 1.34, 95% CI = 1.16–1.55, P < .001; recessive: OR = 2.24, 95% CI = 1.49–3.36, P < .001; homozygous: OR = 2.32, 95% CI = 1.54–3.50, P < .001).Conclusion:The vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 rs2305948 gene polymorphism may be related to glioma susceptibility in the Asian population. However, the association is not clear in non-Asian populations, for which there has been less research.

Oral Atenolol versus Propranolol in the Treatment of Infantile Hemangioma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

ABSTRACTBackground:Infantile hemangioma (IH) is the most common benign vascular tumor of infancy. Propranolol is considered first-line therapy for IH. However, it is associated with side effects. Therefore, there was a need for alternative therapy. Atenolol, a selective b1-blocker may be free from such side effects. Hence, the present study aims to develop a more accurate estimate of the safety and efficacy of atenolol compared to propranolol in the treatment of IH.Methodology:A search of various literature databases (PubMed, Embase, Ovid, Scopus, Cochrane Central, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Google Scholar) was done to identify studies which compared propranolol versus atenolol in the treatment of IH. The combined odds ratio along with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were evaluated using a fixed-effects model.Results:A total of 300 articles were screened of which five studies including 116 patients in atenolol arm and 138 patients in the propranolol arm were analyzed. Atenolol was comparable to propranolol in terms of efficacy as no significant difference was seen between both the treatment arms in terms of hemangioma activity score (mean difference 0.25 [95% CI;‒0.21, 0.71]) and complete response (odds ratio [OR] =0.43; 95% CI; 0.17, 1.11; P = 0.08,). Atenolol therapy was better than propranolol in terms of safety, i.e., serious/potentially serious side effect, (OR = 0.11; 95% CI; 0.02, 0.51; P = 0.005) and wheezing/bronchial hyperreactivity (OR = 0.11; 95% CI; 0.02, 0.51; P = 0.005).Conclusion:The present meta-analysis provides evidence that atenolol has got a comparable efficacy and better safety profile with propranolol

Associations between AGT M235T Polymorphism and Cancer: An Updated Meta-Analysis.

We assessed the relationship between AGT gene M235T polymorphism and the susceptibility to cancer by performing an updated meta-analysis. This study retrospectively searched related articles in the electronic databases. Afterwards, we determined combined odds ratios (ORs) and related 95% confidence intervals (CIs) by the fixed- or random-effects model. The present meta-analysis enrolled altogether 9 articles. On the whole, the relationship between AGT M235T polymorphism and the cancer risk was not significant among the entire population (TT vs. MM: OR = 1.28, 95%CI = 0.80 − 2.04; TM vs. MM: OR = 0.90, 95%CI = 0.53 − 1.52; recessive model: OR = 1.13, 95%CI = 0.83 − 1.52; dominant model: OR = 0.93, 95%CI = 0.55 − 1.57). Subgroup analysis by ethnicity, cancer type, and study quality for the relationship between the AGT M235T polymorphism and cancer risk showed no significant association. According to findings in the present meta-analysis, AGT M235T polymorphism may not be related to cancer susceptibility.

Apathy as a Risky Neuropsychiatric Syndrome of Progression From Normal Aging to Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Apathy has been suggested as a potential predictor of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) progression to dementia. Whether it might predict the transition from normal cognitive function to cognitive impairment has been less studied. The current study aimed to provide a comprehensive summary of the evidence on the association between apathy and the transition from normal cognitive function to cognitive impairment.Methods: We searched the PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases for longitudinal prospective cohort studies that evaluated apathy at baseline in the cognitively normal population and had cognitive impairment as the outcome. Random effects models were used, and heterogeneity was explored with stratification. The stability of the synthesized result was indicated using sensitivity analysis by excluding one study each time and recalculating the overall effect.Results: Ten studies comprising 26,195 participants were included. Apathy status was available for 22,101 participants. Apathy was present in 1,803 of 22,101 participants (8.16%). Follow-up ranged from 1 to 13 years. The combined odds ratio (OR) of cognitive impairment for patients with apathy was 2.07 (95% CI: 1.43–2.99; I2 = 86%), and the combined hazard ratio was 2.70 (95% CI: 1.38–5.27; I2 = 94%). The OR meta-analyses for different conversion outcomes were MCI (OR = 3.38, 95% CI: 1.57–7.28; I2 =71%), cognitive decline (OR = 1.27, 95% CI: 0.81–2.00; I2 = 64%) and dementia (OR = 2.12, 95% CI: 1.32–3.41; I2 = 86%). Subgroup analysis suggested that the association between apathy and cognitive impairment changed with age, depression adjustments, apathy measurement, and follow-up time.Conclusions: Apathy was associated with a greater than 2-fold increased risk of progression to cognitive impairment in the cognitively normal population. Future interventions targeting apathy management in the general population may reduce the risk of cognitive impairment.

Cumulative noise exposure and the risk of high-frequency hearing loss relationships

Objective: To explore the dose-response relationship between cumulative noise exposure and high-frequency hearing loss, and further to provide a basis for the control of occupational hazards of noise. Methods: A Meta-analysis of dose-response relationships was performed on the data of eligible literatures published in China from January 2000.1 to December 2019.12. Results: The initial combined Odds Ratio (OR) and its 95%CI in the Meta-analysis were 1.10 (1.08-1.12) . As the Begg's funnel plot and Egger's test indicated publication bias (t=5.97, P<0.01) , the Trim-and-Fill Method was used for OR value adjustment. The adjusted-OR was 1.09 (1.07-1.12) ; sensitivity analysis showed that the results of this Meta-analysis have high stability; subgroup analysis indicated that the ORs of the steady-state noise group and the non-steady-state noise group were 1.10 (1.08-1.12) and 1.14 (1.07-1.21) , the ORs of the old standard group and the new standard group were 1.10 (1.08-1.12) and 1.11 (1.00-1.24) , respectively. The nonlinear dose-response relationship curve demonstrated that the risk of high-frequency hearing loss increases rapidly after CNE reaches 95 dB (A) ·years. Conclusion: There is a definite dose-response relationship between CNE and high-frequency hearing loss, which can be used to predict the risk of high-frequency hearing loss in noisy workers.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of indirect comparison between miRNA and ctDNA in diagnosis of epithelial ovarian cancer.

BackgroundTo evaluate the clinical value of microRNA (miR) and circulating tumor RNA (ctDNA) in the diagnosis of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) by meta-analysis and indirect comparison based on common reference criteria.MethodsThe PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Chinese biology medicine (CBM), China national knowledge infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, and Chinese Weipu (VIP) databases were searched by computer. The retrieval time limit was from the date of establishment of the database to September 2020. Two researchers independently screened the literature and extracted the basic data according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria formulated in advance, and evaluated the literature quality according to the quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy research (quadas-2). The Meta disc 1.4 and Stata 12.0 software programs were used for meta-analysis to calculate the combined sensitivity, combined specificity, combined positive likelihood ratio, combined negative likelihood ratio and combined diagnostic odds ratio (DOR). The summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve was drawn using Revman 5.3 software, and the stability of the results was evaluated by sensitivity analysis. The publication bias was evaluated by Deek’s funnel asymmetric test. The relative diagnostic odds ratio (RDOR) results of indirect comparison between microRNA and ctDNA were obtained using R software.ResultsNineteen articles were included, including a total of 1,351 EOC patients and 1,194 controls. The heterogeneity test showed that there was obvious heterogeneity caused by non-threshold effect. The random effects model was used for meta-analysis of microRNA in the diagnosis of EOC. The results showed that there was no significant difference between microRNA and ctDNA in the accuracy of EOC diagnosis. The asymmetric test of Deek’s funnel chart showed that there was no significant publication bias.DiscussionThere are some limitations in this study, there is no blind diagnostic test, and the intensity of indirect comparison evidence is lower than that of direct comparison evidence. The accuracy of diagnostic tests and the imperfection of mesh meta-analysis statistical methods. MicroRNA and ctDNA have similar clinical diagnostic value for EOC.