Diagnostic Test Accuracy Meta-analysis Research Articles

Systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy of ST-segment elevation for acute coronary occlusion

ObjectiveTo evaluate the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of ST-segment elevation on a 12‑lead ECG in detecting ACO across any coronary artery, challenging the current STEMI-NSTEMI paradigm. MethodsStudies from MEDLINE and Scopus (2012−2023) comparing ECG findings with coronary angiograms were systematically reviewed and analyzed following PRISMA-DTA guidelines. QUADAS-2 assessed the risk of bias. Study selectionStudies included focused on AMI patients and provided data enabling the construction of contingency tables for sensitivity and specificity calculation, excluding those with non-ACS conditions, outdated STEMI criteria, or a specific focus on bundle branch blocks or other complex diagnoses. Data were extracted systematically and pooled test accuracy estimates were computed using MetaDTA software, employing bivariate analyses for within- and between-study variation. The primary outcomes measured were the sensitivity and specificity of ST-segment elevation in detecting ACO. ResultsThree studies with 23,704 participants were included. The pooled sensitivity of ST-segment elevation for detecting ACO was 43.6% (95% CI: 34.7%–52.9%), indicating that over half of ACO cases may not exhibit ST-segment elevation. The specificity was 96.5% (95% CI: 91.2%–98.7%). Additional analysis using the OMI-NOMI strategy showed improved sensitivity (78.1%, 95% CI: 62.7%–88.3%) while maintaining similar specificity (94.4%, 95% CI: 88.6%–97.3%). ConclusionThe findings reveal a significant diagnostic gap in the current STEMI-NSTEMI paradigm, with over half of ACO cases potentially lacking ST-segment elevation. The OMI-NOMI strategy could offer an improved diagnostic approach. The high heterogeneity and limited number of studies necessitate cautious interpretation and further research in diverse settings.

Urea breath test for Helicobacter pylori infection in adult dyspeptic patients: A meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection has been well-established as a significant risk factor for several gastrointestinal disorders. The urea breath test (UBT) has emerged as a leading non-invasive method for detecting H. pylori. Despite numerous studies confirming its substantial accuracy, the reliability of UBT results is often compromised by inherent limitations. These findings underscore the need for a rigorous statistical synthesis to clarify and reconcile the diagnostic accuracy of the UBT for the diagnosis of H. pylori infection. To determine and compare the diagnostic accuracy of 13C-UBT and 14C-UBT for H. pylori infection in adult patients with dyspepsia. We conducted an independent search of the PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central databases until April 2022. Our search included diagnostic accuracy studies that evaluated at least one of the index tests (13C-UBT or 14C-UBT) against a reference standard. We used the QUADAS-2 tool to assess the methodological quality of the studies. We utilized the bivariate random-effects model to calculate sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative test likelihood ratios (LR+ and LR-), as well as the diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and their 95% confidence intervals. We conducted subgroup analyses based on urea dosing, time after urea administration, and assessment technique. To investigate a possible threshold effect, we conducted Spearman correlation analysis, and we generated summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curves to assess heterogeneity. Finally, we visually inspected a funnel plot and used Egger's test to evaluate publication bias. The titles and abstracts of 4621 studies were screened; 79 articles were retrieved and selected for full-text reading. Finally, 60 studies were included in the diagnostic test accuracy meta-analysis. Our analysis demonstrates superior diagnostic accuracy of 13C-UBT over 14C-UBT, indicated by higher sensitivity (96.60% vs 96.15%), specificity (96.93% vs 89.84%), likelihood ratios (LR+ 22.00 vs 10.10; LR- 0.05 vs 0.06), and area under the curve (AUC; 0.979 vs 0.968). Notably, 13C-UBT's DOR (586.47) significantly outperforms 14C-UBT (DOR 226.50), making it the preferred diagnostic tool for dyspeptic individuals with H. pylori infection. Correlation analysis revealed no threshold effect (13C-UBT: r = 0.48; 14C-UBT: r = -0.01), and SROC curves showed consistent accuracy. Both 13C-UBT and 14C-UBT showed high AUC values (13C-UBT 0.979; 14C-UBT 0.968) near 1.00, reinforcing their excellent accuracy and endorsing both as reliable diagnostic tools in clinical practice. In summary, our study has demonstrated that 13C-UBT has been found to outperform the 14C-UBT, making it the preferred diagnostic approach. Additionally, our results emphasize the significance of carefully considering urea dosage, assessment timing, and measurement techniques for both tests to enhance diagnostic precision. Nevertheless, it is crucial for researchers and clinicians to evaluate the strengths and limitations of our findings before implementing them in practice.

Risk of Endometrial Cancer in Asymptomatic Postmenopausal Women in Relation to Ultrasonographic Endometrial Thickness: Systematic Review and Diagnostic Test Accuracy Meta-analysis

(Abstracted from Am J Obstet Gynecol 2023;228:22–35.e2) Endometrial carcinoma (EC) can be suspected in cases of postmenopausal bleeding (PMB) with a thickened endometrium on transvaginal ultrasonography (TVS) examination. Typical guidelines recommend further investigation of PMB when the endometrial lining is greater than 4–5 mm, indicating an elevated risk of EC.

An empirical comparison of statistical methods for multiple cut-off diagnostic test accuracy meta-analysis of the Edinburgh postnatal depression scale (EPDS) depression screening tool using published results vs individual participant data

BackgroundSelective reporting of results from only well-performing cut-offs leads to biased estimates of accuracy in primary studies of questionnaire-based screening tools and in meta-analyses that synthesize results. Individual participant data meta-analysis (IPDMA) of sensitivity and specificity at each cut-off via bivariate random-effects models (BREMs) can overcome this problem. However, IPDMA is laborious and depends on the ability to successfully obtain primary datasets, and BREMs ignore the correlation between cut-offs within primary studies.MethodsWe compared the performance of three recent multiple cut-off models developed by Steinhauser et al., Jones et al., and Hoyer and Kuss, that account for missing cut-offs when meta-analyzing diagnostic accuracy studies with multiple cut-offs, to BREMs fitted at each cut-off. We used data from 22 studies of the accuracy of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS; 4475 participants, 758 major depression cases). We fitted each of the three multiple cut-off models and BREMs to a dataset with results from only published cut-offs from each study (published data) and an IPD dataset with results for all cut-offs (full IPD data). We estimated pooled sensitivity and specificity with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for each cut-off and the area under the curve.ResultsCompared to the BREMs fitted to the full IPD data, the Steinhauser et al., Jones et al., and Hoyer and Kuss models fitted to the published data produced similar receiver operating characteristic curves; though, the Hoyer and Kuss model had lower area under the curve, mainly due to estimating slightly lower sensitivity at lower cut-offs. When fitting the three multiple cut-off models to the full IPD data, a similar pattern of results was observed. Importantly, all models had similar 95% CIs for sensitivity and specificity, and the CI width increased with cut-off levels for sensitivity and decreased with an increasing cut-off for specificity, even the BREMs which treat each cut-off separately.ConclusionsMultiple cut-off models appear to be the favorable methods when only published data are available. While collecting IPD is expensive and time consuming, IPD can facilitate subgroup analyses that cannot be conducted with published data only.

UTILITY OF PR3-ANCA IN PATIENTS WITH INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS

Abstract BACKGROUND/PURPOSE Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) directed to proteinase 3 (PR3) represent a highly established marker for patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV). PR3-ANCA have also demonstrated utility in the management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with certain immunoassays. More specifically, PR3-ANCA discriminated patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) from Crohn`s disease (CrD) patients and were associated with disease severity and activity. Lastly, evidence is mounting that PR3-ANCA helps to stratify patients according to treatment response. Here, we aimed to summarize the current data on the diagnostic utility of PR3-ANCA in IBD. METHODS A structured systematic literature review including three electronic databases (Pubmed, Scopes, and Web Of Science) was conducted on June 6th 2023 to identify studies assessing the diagnostic accuracy of the QUANTA Flash PR3 assay (RUO for IBD) in UC vs. CrD patients. Electronic searches were supplemented by hand searching. A hierarchical, bivariate, mixed-effect meta-analysis was conducted using metandi function in STATA MP v17.0, as per the Cochrane collaboration recommendations for a review of diagnostic test accuracy studies. Study quality was assessed using QUADAS-2 tool which considers the risk of bias and applicability. RESULTS Out of 111 citations retrieved for titles and abstracts screen, a total of 6 studies met the inclusion criteria and reported QUANTA Flash PR3 diagnostic accuracy in UC vs. CrD. Diagnostic test accuracy of individual studies is available in Table 1. The six studies included 667 UC patients and 682 individuals with CrD. Of these, 2 articles (Horn et al. and Laass et al) were case-control studies in children. Sensitivity point estimate for UC was 34.9% [95% confidence interval (CI): 26.2-44.6%]. Specificity point estimate for CrD was 95.9% (95% CI: 92.0-98.0%). This results in a Diagnostic Odds Ratio (DOR) of 12.6 (95% CI: 5.7-27.9%), a positive likelihood ratio of 8.5 (95% CI: 4.2-17.5), and a negative likelihood ratio of 0.68 (95% CI: 0.59-0.78) (Table 2). The risk of bias was low in the index test and reference standard domains. Four studies (67%) showed an unclear risk of bias in the patient selection and flow and timing domains. All studies had low concerns of applicability in all the domains. CONCLUSION In this meta-analysis QUANTA Flash PR3 assay has demonstrated to be able to discriminate between UC from CrD with a sensitivity of 34.9% and a specificity of 95.9%. Due to the limited number of studies published, clinical trials should consider the inclusion of PR3-ANCA as an exploratory biomarker for patient stratification. Table 1 Summary of diagnostic test accuracy of individual studies. Table 2 Meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy of QUANTA Flash PR3.

Intraoperative parathyroid hormone monitoring in parathyroidectomy for hyperparathyroidism: a protocol for a network meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy.

Intraoperative parathyroid hormone (iPTH) monitoring is standard-of-care in the surgical management of hyperparathyroidism. It involves real-time determination of circulating PTH levels to guide parathyroid gland excision. There exists several iPTH monitoring criteria, such as the Miami criteria, and a lack of standardization in the timing of post-parathyroid gland excision samples. We present a protocol of a systematic review and network meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy to identify the iPTH criteria and post-gland excision timepoint that best predicts surgical cure in hyperparathyroidism. The database search strategy will be developed in conjunction with a librarian specialist. We will perform a search of Medline (Ovid), EMBASE (Ovid), CINAHL, Cochrane Collaboration, and Web of Science from 1990-present. Studies will be eligible if they include adult patients diagnosed with hyperparathyroidism who undergo parathyroidectomy with iPTH monitoring. We will only include studies that report diagnostic test properties for iPTH criteria and/or post-excision sampling timepoints. All screening, full-text review, data extraction, and critical appraisal will be performed in duplicate. Critical appraisal will be performed using QUADAS-2 instrument. A descriptive analysis will present study and critical appraisal characteristics. We will perform evaluation of between-study heterogeneity using I2 and Cochrane Q and where applicable, we will perform sensitivity analysis. Our network meta-analysis will include Bayesian hierarchical framework with random effects using multiple models. Ethics approval is not required. This proposed systematic review will utilize a novel Bayesian network meta-analysis model to help standardize iPTH monitoring in hyperparathyroidism, thereby optimizing patient outcomes and healthcare expenditures.

Diagnostic accuracy of microvascular flow imaging ultrasound for endoleak detection after endovascular aortic aneurysm repair: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The objective was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of microvascular flow imaging ultrasound (MVUS) for the detection of endoleak after endovascular aortic aneurysm repair. A systematic search of the literature published until January 2024 was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses of Diagnostic Test Accuracy (PRISMA-DTA) guidelines. The pooled rates of sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratio of MVUS in endoleak detection with computed tomography angiography as the reference standard were estimated using univariate random-effect analysis with 95% confidence intervals. Three studies were considered eligible for inclusion. Superb micro-vascular imaging (SMI) was used as an MVUS technique in all cases. The total number of paired scans was 209. Sensitivity and specificity of the individual studies ranged 0.75-1.00 and 0.93-1.00, respectively. Pooled sensitivity and specificity of the SMI method was 0.91 (CI: 0.82-0.96) and 0.98 (CI: 0.94-1.00), respectively. The pooled diagnostic odds ratio was 635 (95% CI: 128-3140). The findings of the present study support the use of the MVUS for endoleak detection. However, further research is warranted to explore the broader application of MVUS, providing a more comprehensive understanding and establishing robust criteria for its role in clinical practice.

Relapse in clinically stable adult patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder: evidence-based criteria derived by equipercentile linking and diagnostic test accuracy meta-analysis

There is no consensus on defining relapse in schizophrenia, and scale-derived criteria with unclear clinical relevance are widely used. We aimed to develop an evidence-based scale-derived set of criteria to define relapse in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. We searched the Yale University Open Data Access (YODA) for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in clinically stable adults with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, and obtained individual participant data on Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Clinical Global Impression Severity (CGI-S), Personal and Social Performance (PSP), and Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale (SOFAS). Our main outcomes were PANSS-derived criteria based on worsening in PANSS total score. We examined their relevance using equipercentile linking with CGI-S and functioning scales, and their test-performance in defining relapse with diagnostic test accuracy meta-analysis against CGI-S worsening (≥1-point increase together with a score ≥4 points) and psychiatric hospitalisation. Based on data from seven RCTs (2354 participants; 1348 men [57·3%] and 1006 women [42·7%], mean age of 39·5 years [SD 12·0, range 17-89]; 303 Asian [12.9%], 255 Black [10.8%], 1665 White [70.7%], and other or unspecified 131 [5.6%]), an increase of 12 points or more in PANSS total (range 30-210 points) corresponded to clinically important deterioration in global severity of illness (≥1 point increase in CGI-S, range 1-7) and functioning (≥10 points decline in PSP or SOFAS, range 1-100). The interpretation of percentage changes varied importantly across different baseline scores. An increase of 12 points or more in PANSS total had good sensitivity and specificity using CGI-S as reference standard (sensitivity 82·1% [95% CI 77·1-86·4], specificity 86·9% [82·9-90·3]), as well as good sensitivity but lower specificity compared to hospitalisation (sensitivity 81·7% [74·1-87·7], specificity 69·2% [60·5-76·9]). Requiring either an increase in PANSS total or in specific items for positive and disorganization symptoms further improved test-performance. Cutoffs for situations where high sensitivity or specificity is needed are presented. An increase of either 12 points or more in the PANSS total score, or worsening of specific positive and disorganisation symptom items could be a reasonable evidence-based definition of relapse in schizophrenia, potentially linking symptoms used to define remission and relapse. Percentage changes should not be used to define relapse because their interpretation depends on baseline scores. German Research Foundation (grant number: 428509362).

Radiomics to Differentiate Malignant and Benign Breast Lesions: A Systematic Review and Diagnostic Test Accuracy Meta-Analysis.

Breast cancer is a prevalent global health concern, necessitating accurate diagnostic tools for effective management. Diagnostic imaging plays a pivotal role in breast cancer diagnosis, staging, treatment planning, and outcome evaluation. Radiomics is an emerging field of study in medical imaging that contains a broad set of computational methods to extract quantitative features from radiographic images. This can be utilized to guide diagnosis, treatment response, and prognosis in clinical settings. A systematic review was performed in concordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Diagnostic Test Accuracy. Quality was assessed using the radiomics quality score. Diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of radiomics analysis, with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), were included for meta-analysis. The area under the curve analysis was recorded. An extensive statistical analysis was performed following the Cochrane guidelines. Statistical significance was determined if p-values were less than 0.05. Statistical analyses were conducted using Review Manager (RevMan), Version 5.4.1. A total of 31 manuscripts involving 8,773 patients were included, with 17 contributing to the meta-analysis. The cohort comprised 56.2% malignant breast cancers and 43.8% benign breast lesions. MRI demonstrated a sensitivity of 0.91 (95% CI: 0.89-0.92) and a specificity of 0.84 (95% CI: 0.82-0.86) in differentiating between benign and malignant breast cancers. Mammography-based radiomic features predicted breast cancer subtype with a sensitivity of 0.79 (95% CI: 0.76-0.82) and a specificity of 0.81 (95% CI: 0.79-0.84). Ultrasound-based analysis yielded a sensitivity of 0.92 (95% CI: 0.90-0.94) and a specificity of 0.85 (95% CI: 0.83-0.88). Only one study reported the results of radiomic evaluation from CT, which had a sensitivity of 0.95 (95% CI: 0.88-0.99) and a specificity of 0.56 (95% CI: 0.45-0.67). Across different imaging modalities, radiomics exhibited robust diagnostic accuracy in differentiating benign and malignant breast lesions. The results underscore the potential of radiomic assessment as a minimally invasive alternative or adjunctive diagnostic tool for breast cancer. This is pioneering data that reports on a novel diagnostic approach that is understudied and underreported. However, due to study limitations, the complexity of this technology, and the need for future development, biopsy still remains the current gold standard method of determining breast cancer type.

A multiple cut-off diagnostic meta-analysis to identify the atrial high-rate episodes threshold that better relates to thromboembolic events

Abstract Background Despite the high prevalence of atrial high-rate episodes (AHRE) detected by cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED), clinical guidelines and consensus documents have failed to agree on a universal AHRE definition. Clear evidence on the best management strategy is lacking. Purpose The present is a diagnostic test accuracy meta-analysis aiming to derive from available literature the optimal AHRE threshold to predict thromboembolic events. Methods PubMed/MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were screened for studies on CIED patients reporting incidence of thromboembolic events referred to at least one AHRE definition. A random-effect diagnostic test accuracy meta-analysis with multiple cut-offs was performed: duration of AHRE was the "diagnostic test" (positive test if the patients experienced an AHRE lasting at least as long as the time cut-off under examination) whose performance in predicting the "disease" (thromboembolic events) was evaluated across multiple cut-offs. Two analyses, according to AHRE definition (longest episode vs. cumulative burden), were performed. Results 23 studies were included in the analyses (Fig. 1 Panel A), encompassing 46,189 patients: 19 considering the longest single AHRE and 4 the AHRE burden, respectively. Median follow-up was 40.75 (IQR 28.25-52.80) months. The analysis on the longest single AHRE indicated 0.07 minutes as the optimal cut-off to differentiate AHRE associated or not to thromboembolic events [sensitivity 65.4% (95% CI 48.8-79.0%), specificity 52.7% (95%CI 46.0-59.4%), area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-SROC): 0.62; Fig. 1 Panel B]. The analysis on AHRE burden indicated, instead, 1.4 minutes as the optimal cut-off [sensitivity 58.2% (95%CI 25.6-85.0%), specificity 57.5% (95% CI 42.0-71.7%), AUC-SROC 0.60; Fig. 1 Panel C]. PPV and NPV for 6 minutes and 24 hours cut-offs were similar in each analysis (Figure 2). Sensitivity analyses exclusively considering studies reporting data on patients without previous AF diagnosis and high-quality studies only yield similar results. Conclusion The present evidence-based approach suggests the presence (or not) of AHRE, rather than a specific duration, relates to an increased thromboembolic risk in CIED patients. A linear relationship between AHRE duration (both in terms of single longest episode than cumulative burden) and thromboembolic events was not observed.

Role of atrial high-rate episodes in stratifying thromboembolic risk: a multiple cut-off diagnostic meta-analysis.

Despite the high prevalence rate of atrial high-rate episodes (AHREs) detected using cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs), clinical guidelines and consensus documents have disagreed on a universal AHRE definition and a temporal cut-off related to subsequent thromboembolic events. This diagnostic test accuracy meta-analysis aims to derive the optimal temporal threshold of clinically significant AHREs from the available literature. The PubMed/MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were screened for studies on CIED patients reporting the incidence of thromboembolic events related to at least one AHRE temporal cut-off. A total of 23 studies were included: 19 considering the longest single AHRE and four the AHRE burden, respectively. A random-effect diagnostic test accuracy meta-analysis with multiple cut-offs was performed. Two analyses were performed according to the AHRE temporal cut-off subtype (longest episode vs. cumulative burden). The analysis on the longest single AHRE indicated 0.07 min as the optimal duration to differentiate AHRE associated or not with thromboembolic events [sensitivity 65.4% (95% CI 48.8%-79.0%), specificity 52.7% (95% CI 46.0%-59.4%), and area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-SROC): 0.62]. The analysis on AHRE burden indicated 1.4 min as the optimal cut-off [sensitivity 58.2% (95% CI 25.6%-85.0%), specificity 57.5% (95% CI 42.0%-71.7%), and AUC-SROC 0.60]. A sensitivity analysis excluding patients with a history of atrial fibrillation and including high-quality studies only yielded similar results. The presence of AHRE, rather than a specific duration, relates to an increased, albeit low, thromboembolic risk in CIED patients. Any AHRE should constitute an additional element in patient-specific thromboembolic risk assessment.

Nucleobindin-2 derived nesfatin-1 in polycystic ovary syndrome: a PRISMA and GRADE-compliant systematic review and meta-analysis with diagnostic test accuracy.

Nesfatin-1 is a satiety peptide secreted by central, peripheral nervous system and some peripheral tissues. This meta-analysis was conducted to explore the associations with diagnostic accuracy of circulatory nesfatin-1 in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Relevant studies were retrieved by online database and manual searching. The standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were obtained by a random-effects meta-analysis. The subgroup analysis based on the Body Mass Index (BMI), fasting insulin (F-INS), and the homeostasis model assessment-estimated insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was conducted. Meta-analysis of correlations and meta-regression were performed for the associations of nesfatin-1 with metabolic and hormonal covariates. The diagnostic test accuracy (DTA) meta-analysis was conducted for the utility of nesfatin-1 in PCOS. The publication bias was tested with Egger's and Begg's regression tests. The combined effect size including a total of 14 studies showed a significantly higher nesfatin-1 level in PCOS as compared to controls (SMD=0.93, Z=2.17, P=0.03). The nesfatin-1 was found to be significantly higher in a subgroup of studies with mean BMI>25 kg/m2 (SMD=1.35, Z=2.06, P=0.04), F-INS <13 mIU/mL (SMD=2.74, Z=3.59, P=0.0003), and HOMA-IR >2.7 (SMD=1.58, Z=2.65, P=0.008). The DTA meta-analysis produced a pooled diagnostic odds ratio of 19.58 and area under curve were of 0.888 for nesfatin-1 in PCOS. The results indicate a multifactorial involvement such as endocrine and metabolic alterations in the form of BMI, insulin and HOMA-IR status with the higher nesfatin-1 levels in PCOS. The promising results of DTA meta-analysis warrants further research into the clinical and prognostic utility of nesfatin-1 in PCOS.

S611 Diagnostic Accuracy of Artificial Intelligence in the Diagnosis of Intestinal Metaplasia and Dysplasia in Patients With Barrett’s Esophagus: A Diagnostic Test Accuracy Meta-Analysis

S611 Diagnostic Accuracy of Artificial Intelligence in the Diagnosis of Intestinal Metaplasia and Dysplasia in Patients With Barrett’s Esophagus: A Diagnostic Test Accuracy Meta-Analysis

Diagnostic Roles of Immunohistochemical Markers CK20, CD44, AMACR, and p53 in Urothelial Carcinoma In Situ.

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic roles of various immunohistochemical (IHC) markers in urothelial carcinoma in situ (uCIS) through a meta-analysis and review of diagnostic test accuracy. Materials and Methods: The IHC markers CK20, CD44, AMACR, and p53 were evaluated in the present study. We analyzed the expression rates of the IHC markers and compared their diagnostic accuracies. Results: The estimated expression rates were 0.803 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.726-0.862), 0.142 (95% CI: 0.033-0.449), 0.824 (95% CI: 0.720-0.895), and 0.600 (95% CI: 0.510-0.683) for CK20, CD44, AMACR, and p53, respectively. In the comparison between uCIS and reactive/normal urothelium, the expression of CK20, AMACR, and p53 in uCIS was significantly higher than in reactive/normal urothelium. CD44 showed significantly lower expression in uCIS than in the reactive/normal urothelium. Among the markers, AMACR had the highest sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratio. The AUC on SROC was the highest for CK20. Conclusions: In conclusion, IHC markers, such as CK20, CD44, AMACR, and p53, can be useful in differentiating uCIS from reactive/normal urothelium.

Distance from skin to epiglottis measurement with ultrasonography as a predictor of difficult laryngoscopy: A diagnostic test accuracy meta-analysis

BackgroundThe studies investigating distance from the skin to epiglottis measurements by ultrasonography (US-DSEM) for prediction of difficult laryngoscopy are inconclusive and non-standardised. AimWe aimed to assess the diagnostic test accuracy (DTA) of US-DSEM relative to Cormack Lehane 3–4 for diagnosing difficult laryngoscopy using a meta-analysis method. MethodStrict inclusion criteria were used to provide clear definition of how to measure US-DSEM. PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase and Google Scholar were searched for papers published between January 2005 and March 2021 to perform a systematic review and DTA meta-analysis. Publications reporting data on US-DSEM in difficult laryngoscopy prediction in adults with normal airway were included. Exclusions were obese or pregnant patients and patients with difficult airway predictors and those in which the measurements were made in a position other than supine and neutral positions. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive/negative likelihood ratios (PLR/NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and area under the hierarchic summary receiver operating characteristics curve (AU-HSROC) were determined. Results1244 patients from nine studies were included. Pooled sensitivity: 0.68 (95%CI 0.39–0.87), specificity: 0.76 (95%CI 0.68–0.83), PLR: 2.87 (95%CI 2.20–3.73), NLR: 0.42 (%95CI 0.20–0.87), DOR: 6.80 (95%CI 2.72–17.3), and AU-HSROC: 0.79 (0.75–0.82) were the results. No threshold effect (r = 0.53, p = 0.137) and publication bias (p = 0.540) existed. ConclusionThis meta-analysis showed that US-DSEM measured with linear probe placed transversely at the thyrohyoid membrane level with midline approach and neutral head position is accurate and has diagnostic value in predicting difficult laryngoscopy. However, its sensitivity and specificity are not sufficient to replace clinical tests.

Circulating microRNA profiles in Wilms tumour (WT): A systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy.

Wilms tumour (WT) is caused by aberrant embryonic kidney development and associated with dysregulated expression of short, non-protein-coding RNAs termed microRNAs (miRNAs). At present, there is no reliable circulating biomarker of WT, and this remains an urgent unmet clinical need. Such biomarkers may assist diagnosis, subtyping/prognostication, and disease-monitoring. Here, we established the list of dysregulated circulating miRNAs in WT from the existing published literature. Regardless of publication date, PubMed, Scopus, Web-of-Science, and Wiley online library databases were searched for English/French studies on WT circulating miRNAs. The PRISMA-compliant search was registered in PROSPERO. The QUADAS tool measured retained article quality. The meta-analysis assessed the sensitivity and specificity of miRNAs for WT diagnosis. Qualitative analysis included 280 samples (172 WT patients; 108 healthy controls) from five of 450 published articles. The study uncovered 301 dysregulated miRNAs (144 up-regulated, 143 down-regulated, 14 conflicting). The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and AUC of the 49 significantly dysregulated microRNAs from two studies was 0.67 [0.62; 0.73], 0.95 [0.92; 0.96] and 0.77 [0.73; 0.81] respectively, indicating a stronger diagnostic potential for WT. Circulating miRNAs show promise for WT diagnosis and prognosis. More research is needed to confirm these findings and determine associations with tumour stage/subtype. CRD42022301597.

DTAmetasa: An R shiny application for meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy and sensitivity analysis of publication bias.

Meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy (DTA) is a powerful statistical method for synthesizing and evaluating the diagnostic capacity of medical tests and has been extensively used by clinical physicians and healthcare decision-makers. However, publication bias (PB) threatens the validity of meta-analysis of DTA. Some statistical methods have been developed to deal with PB in meta-analysis of DTA, but implementing these methods requires high-level statistical knowledge and programming skill. To assist non-technical users in running most routines in meta-analysis of DTA and handling with PB, we developed an interactive application, DTAmetasa. DTAmetasa is developed as a web-based graphical user interface based on the R shiny framework. It allows users to upload data and conduct meta-analysis of DTA by "point and click" operations. Moreover, DTAmetasa provides the sensitivity analysis of PB and presents the graphical results to evaluate the magnitude of the PB under various publication mechanisms. In this study, we introduce the functionalities of DTAmetasa and use the real-world meta-analysis to show its capacity for dealing with PB.

Efficacy of Eustachian Tube Function Tests in Predicting Myringoplasty Success Rate

Abstract Background Tympanoplasty is a commonly performed surgical procedure to close perforations of the tympanic membrane. The results of tympanic membrane based on multiple factors as the eustachian tube dysfunction. Aim of the Work to assess the efficacy of the eustachian tube function test in predicting myringoplasty success rate and compare the efficacy of different tests in prediction of myringoplasty outcome. Material and Methods An electronic search via PubMed, Cochrane library, google scholar and web of science (WOS) until janurary2021.We included articles published in English language and conducts adult cases only. We excluded studies based on expert opinion and laboratory studies. Outcomes of interest were success rate of tympanoplasty according to eustachian tube function test and the efficacy of the different tests of eustachian tube function. Analysis was conducted using Comprehensive Meta Analysis© version 3 (Biostat© Englewood, NJ) and the jamovi project (2021); jamovi (Version 1.6.23.0) [Computer Software] for the efficacy of the eustachian tube function tests in predicting tympanoplasty success rate and using Review Manager (RevMan) [Computer program]. Version 5.4. The Cochrane Collaboration, 2020, and MetaDTA: Diagnostic Test Accuracy Meta-Analysis v2.01, 2021 for detecting and comparing the accuracy of different eustachian tube function tests. Results Regarding tympanoplasty success rate meta-analysis of the revelent 14 studies shows that preoperative normal Eustachian tube function is associated with significantly higher probability of successful graft taking (Log odds ratio = 1.78, 95% CI = 1.10 to 2.46).Regarding to the different accuracy of eustachian tube function test meta-analysis of the revelent 14 studies shows that accuracy of the tests are ranked as follows: methylene blue (most accurate), saccharine, impedance audiometry, tubomanometry and sonotubometry (least accurate). Further studies are needed to validate our findings. Conclusions Our pooled estimate suggest a good benefits of preoperative eustachian tube function test and tympanoplasty success rate. According to efficacy of different test of tympanoplasty our pooled estimate that methylene blue test is the most accurate test while the sonotubometry test is the least accurate test.However, our evidence have several limitations and there is controversy among these studies. We suggest further studies are needed to validate our findings to detect the most accurate test of eustachian tube function.

Approximate likelihood and pseudo-likelihood inference in meta-analysis of diagnostic accuracy studies accounting for disease prevalence and study design.

Bivariate random-effects models represent a recommended approach for meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy, jointly modeling study-specific sensitivity and specificity. As the severity of the disease status can vary across studies, a proper analysis should account for the dependence of the accuracy measures on the disease prevalence. To this aim, trivariate generalized linear mixed-effects models have been proposed in the literature, although computational difficulties strongly limit their applicability. In addition, the attention has been mainly paid to cohort studies, where the study-specific disease prevalence can be estimated from, while information from case-control studies is often neglected. To overcome such limits, this article introduces a trivariate approximate normal model, which accounts for disease prevalence along with accuracy measures in cohort studies and sensitivity and specificity in case-control studies. The model represents an extension of the bivariate normal mixed-effects model originally developed for meta-analysis not accounting for disease prevalence, under an approximate normal within-study distribution for the logit of estimated sensitivity and specificity. The components of the approximate within-study covariance matrix are derived and the likelihood function is obtained in closed-form. The approximate likelihood approach is compared to that based on the exact within-study distribution and to its modifications following a pseudo-likelihood strategy aimed at reducing the computational effort. The comparison is based on simulation studies in a variety of scenarios, and illustrated in a meta-analysis about the accuracy of a test to diagnose fungal infection and a meta-analysis of a noninvasive test to detect colorectal cancer.

Sonoelastography for Testicular Tumor Identification: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Diagnostic Test Accuracy.

The objective of this review was to summarize the applications of sonoelastography in testicular tumor identification and inquire about their test performances. Two authors independently searched English journal articles and full conference papers from CINAHL, Embase, IEEE Xplore®, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science from inception and organized them into a PIRO (patient, index test, reference test, outcome) framework. Eleven studies (n = 11) were eligible for data synthesis, nine of which (n = 9) utilized strain elastography and two (n = 2) employed shear-wave elastography. Meta-analyses were performed on the distinction between neoplasm (tumor) and non-neoplasm (non-tumor) from four study arms and between malignancy and benignity from seven study arms. The pooled sensitivity of classifying malignancy and benignity was 86.0% (95%CI, 79.7% to 90.6%). There was substantial heterogeneity in the classification of neoplasm and non-neoplasm and in the specificity of classifying malignancy and benignity, which could not be addressed by the subgroup analysis of sonoelastography techniques. Heterogeneity might be associated with the high risk of bias and applicability concern, including a wide spectrum of testicular pathologies and verification bias in the reference tests. Key technical obstacles in the index test were manual compression in strain elastography, qualitative observation of non-standardized color codes, and locating the Regions of Interest (ROI), in addition to decisions in feature extractions. Future research may focus on multiparametric sonoelastography using deep learning models and ensemble learning. A decision model on the benefits-risks of surgical exploration (reference test) could also be developed to direct the test-and-treat strategy for testicular tumors.