超声内镜弹性成像鉴别诊断胰腺实性肿块良恶性价值的Meta分析

目的:评价超声内镜(endoscopic ultrasonography,EUS)-弹性成像鉴别诊断胰腺肿块良恶性的诊断价值.方法:Meta分析.计算机检索2015-05-01之前在Pubmed、Medline、EMBASE、Science Direct、Springer link、CBM、万方、维普以及中国知网数据库公开发表的有关EUS-弹性成像鉴别诊断胰腺实性肿块良恶性价值的文献,根据已定的纳入排除标准筛选文献并提取数据,采用QUADAS量表进行严格的文献质量评价,运用Meta-Disc1.4统计软件进行异质性分析和综合定量合成,计算汇总的灵敏度、特异度、阳性似然比(positive likelihood ratio,+LR)、阴性似然比(negative likelihood ratio,-LR)、准确度及约登指数,并绘制SROC曲线评估诊断效能,最后利用Stata12.0评估发表偏倚.结果:共纳入15篇英文文献,Meta分析表明:E U S-弹性成像定性法鉴别诊断胰腺实性肿块良恶性价值的合并灵敏度为97%(95%CI:9 5%-9 8%),合并特异度为6 3%(9 5%C I:55%-70%),+L R为2.48(95%C I:1.49-4.12),-LR为0.06(95%CI:0.02-0.15),SROC曲线下面积为0.9013;EUS-弹性成像定量法鉴别诊断胰腺实性肿块良恶性价值时的合并灵敏度为96%(95%CI:94%-97%),合并特异度为71%(95%CI:63%-78%),+LR为3.00(95%CI:1.91-4.70),-L R为0.09(95%C I:0.05-0.15),SROC曲线下面积为0.9193.结论:EUS-弹性成像法鉴别诊断胰腺实性肿块良恶性的诊断效能较高,定性法和定量法灵敏度基本一致,其中定量法有更高的特异性,误诊率低,可以作为早期鉴别诊断胰腺实性肿块良恶性的方法之一,值得临床推广.     

血清p16甲基化对肺癌诊断价值的荟萃分析

目的采用Meta分析的方法评价血清p16甲基化在肺癌诊断中的价值。方法检索PubMed、ISI Web of Knowledge、Springerlink、Elsevier、OVID等数据库,检索时间截止为2010年10月,收集研究血清P16甲基化对肺癌诊断价值的相关文献;按纳入与排除标准筛选文献,并对纳入文献进行质量评价;采用MetaDisc1.4软件对数据进行异质性分析,计算汇总敏感度、特异度、汇总似然比,做汇总受试者工作特征曲线(SROC曲线),综合评价血清P16甲基化在肺癌诊断中的价值。结果共纳入10篇文献,分析病例组肺癌患者602例,对照组530例。对入选10篇文献进行异质性检验,提示所纳入文献具有齐性,应用固定效应模型进行Meta分析。分析结果:汇总灵敏度为0.37(95%CI0.33~0.41),汇总特异度为0.96(95%CI0.94~0.98),汇总阳性似然比为11.51(95%CI6.84~19.36),汇总阴性似然比为0.66(95%CI0.62~0.72),SROC曲线下面积为0.8511。结论血清p16甲基化在肺癌的诊断中有很高的特异度和一定的灵敏度,在肺癌诊断中有一定的参考价值。     

血管内皮生长因子对恶性胸腔积液诊断价值的Meta分析

目的运用Meta分析的方法综合评估血管内皮生长因子(VEGF)对恶性胸腔积液的诊断价值。方法通过计算机检索Best Evidence、Cochrane library、Pub Med、Web of Science、中国生物医学文献数据库(CBM)、中国期刊全文数据库(CNKI)、维普数据库(VIP)、万方数据库等,并结合网上查询(www.google.cn;www.baidu.com)及文献追溯等方法,收集2000年1月至2016年5月国内外发表的相关文献进行筛选、质量评价及资料提取后,采用Meta-Disc 1.4和Rev Man 5.3软件进行资料分析,并通过汇总各研究的灵敏度、特异度、阳性似然比、阴性似然比、诊断比值比以及绘制总的受试者工作曲线(SROC)评估VEGF对恶性胸腔积液的诊断价值。结果共搜索文献747篇,最终纳入10篇,样本量为893例患者,包括468例恶性胸腔积液及425例良性胸腔积液。VEGF诊断恶性胸腔积液的汇总灵敏度为0.72(95%CI 0.67,0.76),汇总特异度为0.80(95%CI 0.75,0.83),汇总阳性似然比为3.81(95%CI2.40,6.06),汇总阴性似然比为0.37(95%CI 0.28,0.48),汇总诊断比值比为12.79(95%CI 6.33,25.84),SROC曲线下面积(AUC)为0.8384。结论 VEGF诊断恶性胸腔积液具有较高的灵敏度和特异度,可作为恶性胸腔积液非侵入性诊断的辅助工具。     

血清YKL-40对肝纤维化分期诊断价值的Meta分析

目的探讨血清YKL-40蛋白对肝纤维化分期的诊断价值,为慢性肝病肝纤维化的无创诊断提供参考。方法系统检索数据库包括Pub Med、EMBASE、the Cochrane Library、Web of Science、CNKI等针对YKL-40诊断肝纤维化或者肝硬化临床价值的研究,使用质量评估方法(QUADAS-2)评价文献,采用Stata12.0软件对纳入研究进行综合定量评价,检验识别偏倚情况,分析异质性来源并且绘制森林图和汇总受试者工作曲线(SROC)。结果最终纳入9篇文献,共1592例患者,其中6篇文献对显著性肝纤维化(≥F2)进行研究;7篇对进展性肝纤维化(≥F3)进行研究。YKL-40诊断显著性肝纤维化(≥F2)的合并敏感度和特异度分别是0.78[95%可信区间(95%CI):0.69~0.85]、0.53(95%CI:0.33~0.72),阳性似然比为1.7(95%CI:1.0~2.7),阴性似然比为0.41(95%CI:0.21~0.76),优势比值比为4(95%CI:1~13)、SROC曲线下面积(AUC)是0.76(95%CI:0.72~0.80)。YKL-40诊断进展性肝纤维化(≥F3)的合并敏感度和特异度分别是0.83(95%CI:0.76~0.89)、0.72(95%CI:0.62~0.80),阳性似然比为3.0(95%CI:2.0~4.4),阴性似然比为0.23(95%CI:0.14~0.37),诊断比值比为13(95%CI:5~30)、AUC为0.85(95%CI:0.82~0.88)。结论鉴于血清YKL-40在显著性肝纤维化和进展性肝纤维化方面的诊断价值有限,其成为新的、有效的诊断肝纤维化分期的血清标志物有待进一步验证。     

中性粒细胞与淋巴细胞比值对中国人群卒中相关性肺炎诊断价值的Meta分析

目的 系统评价中性粒细胞与淋巴细胞比值（NLR）对中国人群卒中相关性肺炎（SAP）的诊断价值。方法 计算机检索Pubmed、Web of Science、Embase、Cochrane Library、Wiley、中国知网、万方数据知识服务平台、中国生物医学文献数据库中NLR对中国人群SAP诊断价值的相关文献，检索时间自建库至2022年5月。提取纳入文献的资料，采用诊断性试验评价工具QUADAS-2进行文献质量评价，运用Stata 17.0进行Meta分析。结果 共纳入14篇文献，总样本量为3 966例。Meta分析结果显示，NLR诊断中国人群SAP的合并灵敏度为0.79[95%CI(0.73,0.83)]，合并特异度为0.80[95%CI(0.73,0.86)]，合并阳性似然比为4.00[95%CI(2.80,5.70)]，合并阴性似然比为0.27[95%CI(0.21,0.34)]，合并诊断比值比（DOR）为15.10[95%CI(8.98,25.40)]，拟合受试者工作特征（SROC）曲线分析结果显示，NLR诊断中国人群SAP的AUC为0.86[95%CI(0.82,0.88)]...     

粪便抗原检测儿童及青少年幽门螺杆菌感染诊断试验的系统评价

目的:采用Meta分析的方法评价幽门螺杆菌粪便抗原( H pylori stool antigen,HpSA)诊断儿童H pylori感染的价值,为临床应用提供依据.方法:以"幽门螺杆菌"、"儿童""诊断性试验"、"粪便抗原"、"诊断准确性"为检索词,通过联机检索CNKI中国期刊全文数据库、CBM中国生物医学文献数据库,文献追溯和手工检索的方法收集发表时间为1998-01/2008-05国内正式刊物上公开发表的有关评价粪便抗原检测H pylori感染准确性的相关研究文献.按确定的纳入、排除标准进行筛选,采用QUADAS工具对纳入的文献进行质量评价,应用MetaDisc1.4软件进行Meta分析,综合评价灵敏度、特异度、似然比、诊断优势比和SROC曲线下面积、Q*指数等指标.结果:共17篇文献符合纳入标准,各研究间具有同质性.共累计样本含量1466例,由金标准确诊H pylori感染737例,非感染729例.Me t a分析结果显示各研究之间的一致性较高,粪便抗原诊断H pylori感染的合并敏感度、特异度分别是92%(95%CI 90%-94%)和92%(95%CI 90%-94%);合并阳性似然比、阴性似然比分别为11.44(95%CI 8.83-14.81)和0.10(95%CI 0.08-0.13).合并诊断优势比DOR126.14(84.84-187.55).绘制SROC曲线,估计SROC曲线下面积AUC = 0.9696,Q* =0.9193.结论:粪便抗原检测儿童及青少年H pylori感染的方法准确度较高.     

小探头超声内镜诊断早期胃癌浸润深度准确性的Meta分析

目的对小探头超声内镜诊断早期胃癌浸润深度的准确性进行定量系统评价。 方法检索PubMed、Cochrane Library、Embase、CNKI、万方、维普数据库检索相关文献。对纳入的文献用Stata 14.2软件进行meta分析,得出汇总敏感度、特异度、阳性似然比、阴性似然比、诊断优势比及其95% CI,绘制总受试者工作特征曲线(SROC),并计算曲线下面积(AUC)等,评估其诊断价值。 结果共纳入文献16篇,包括3 168例病灶,汇总敏感度、特异度、阳性似然比、阴性似然比、诊断优势比及其95% CI分别是0.85(95% CI：0.78～0.90),0.73(95% CI：0.65～0.80),3.2(95% CI：2.4～4.1),0.20(95% CI：0.14～0.30),16(95% CI：9～26),SROC曲线下面积为0.85。 结论小探头超声内镜虽不能准确诊断早期胃癌M/SM1层浸润,但仍能很大程度提高对早期胃癌浸润深度的正确判断。     

术前B型利钠肽水平预测冠状动脉旁路移植术后早期并发症：荟萃分析

目的应用meta分析的方法评价术前B型利钠肽（BNP）水平在预测冠状动脉旁路移植术（CABG）术后早期并发症中的价值。方法汁算机检索PubMed,Embase,Cochrane图书馆,中国期刊全文数据库及维普数据库,按照诊断试验的评价标准检索并筛选有关CABG术前BNP测定与术后早期并发症发生相关性的文献。根据QUADAS质量评价标准评价纳入文献的质量。采用Rev Man5．2进行异质性检验及Meta—Disc1．4进行meta分析,对纳入文献进行加权定量合并,计算汇总灵敏度、特异度、诊断比值比、阳性似然比和阴性似然比及其95％可信区间（95％Cl）,绘制汇总受试者工作特征曲线（SROC）,并计算曲线下面积（AUC）。结果检出相关文献259篇,根据纳入标准最终入选5篇文献;共入选病例548例,其中术后发生早期并发症者160例,未发生者388例;术前增加的BNP浓度与术后早期并发症发生的诊断比值比（DOR）为14．92[95％Cl（9．13,24．37）];汇总灵敏度为0．86[95％Cl（0．79,0．91）],汇总特异度为0．74[95％Cl（0．69,0．78）],汇总阳性似然比为3．65[95％Cl（2．23,5．97）],汇总阴性似然比为0．20[95％Cl（0．14,0．29）];SROC曲线的AUC为0．9018（Q值为0．8331）。结论术前BNP水平升高与术后早期并发症具有明显的相关性,是术后早期并发症发生的强预测因子,可以高度预测术后早期并发症的发生。     

钙卫蛋白在炎症性肠病诊断中临床价值的Meta分析

目的系统评价钙卫蛋白在炎症性肠病(inflammatory bowel disease,IBD)诊断中的临床价值.方法计算机检索Pub Med、EMBASE、中国期刊全文数据库、万方数字化期刊全文数据库,由两名人员独立查找评价应用钙卫蛋白在IBD诊断的文献,筛选符合纳入标准的文献,并对纳入文献进行质量评价.采用Meta-Disc1.40软件对数据进行统计学分析,计算汇总灵敏度、特异度、95%CI,并绘制SROC曲线,计算曲线下面积及Q*.结果共有13篇文献(共21组数据,其中I B D组7 2 1例,对照组6 6 4例)纳入研究,汇总灵敏度为0.86(95%CI:0.84-0.88),特异度为0.76(95%CI:0.74-0.79),SROC曲线下面积为0.9169,Q*为0.8498.结论钙卫蛋白对诊断IBD有较高的灵敏度、特异度,可用于临床辅助诊断IBD.     

~(18)F-脱氧葡萄糖-正电子发射/计算机体层扫描对肺部良恶性病变鉴别诊断价值的荟萃分析

目的 应用荟萃分析方法综合评价~(18)F-脱氧葡萄糖-正电子发射/计算机体层扫描(~(18)F-FDG PET/CT)对肺部良恶性病变的鉴别诊断价值.方法 应用"PET/CT&lung cancer"等检索词在PubMed等数据库检索1980-2008年发表的相关文献,根据纳入标准筛选符合条件的文献,并对文献进行信息统计、科学性评估及质量分级;采用Meta-Disc1.4和RewMan 4.2软件进行数据分析;通过汇总敏感度和特异度、汇总似然比及汇总受试者工作特征曲线(SROC曲线)等统计指标综合评价~(18)F-FDG PET/CT对肺部良恶性病变的鉴别诊断价值.结果 共纳入7篇文献,其中英文5篇,中文2篇,样本量为795例.异质性检验显示纳入研究齐性好,通过确定模型的汇总计算得出汇总敏感度为95%(93%～97%),汇总特异度为77%(71%～82%).汇总阳性似然比为4.12,汇总阴性似然比为0.08,SROC曲线下面积为94%.结论 ~(18)F-FDG PET/CT对肺部良恶性病变的鉴别诊断具有较大价值,但仍需要开展更大样本、多中心、高质量的前瞻性研究,以更准确地评价其临床价值.     

Diagnostic accuracy of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration for pancreatic cancer: A meta-analysis

Background and objectiveEUS-FNA of pancreatic lesion has been put into clinical use widely in many centers. The present meta-analysis was conducted to study the diagnostic role of EUS-FNA in pancreatic cancer.MethodsA comprehensive review of study on the precision of EUS-FNA in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. A random effects model was used to pool the sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR) and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR). A summary receiver-operating characteristic (SROC) was constructed to summarize the overall test performance.ResultsThirty-one articles were eligible for the meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, PLR, NLR and DOR of EUS-FNA in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer were 0.89 (95% CI: 0.88–0.90), 0.96 (95% CI: 0.95–0.97), 16.88 (95% CI: 10.63–26.79), 0.13 (95%CI: 0.10–0.16) and 150.80 (95%CI: 95.94–237.03) respectively. In subgroup meta-analysis of the prospective studies, the pooled sensitivity, specificity, PLR, NLR and DOR were 0.91 (95% CI: 0.90–0.93), 0.94 (95% CI: 0.91–0.96), 11.19 (95% CI: 6.36–19.69), 0.10 (95% CI: 0.07–0.15) and 125.22 (62.37–251.41). The area under the curve (AUC) was 0.97, indicating a good performance of overall accuracy.ConclusionEUS-FNA has the high sensitivity and specificity in differentiating pancreatic cancer. Moreover, it is also a safe diagnostic modality with little complications.     

SDC2基因甲基化对结直肠癌诊断价值的Meta分析

目的 通过Meta分析方法评价多配体蛋白聚糖2(Syndecan-2,SDC2)基因甲基化作为生物标志物诊断结直肠癌(colorectal cancer,CRC)的价值.方法 计算机检索PubMed、Cochrane Library、Embase、Web of Science、CBM、万方、知网、维普数据库,查找建库至...     

Association between Ras association domain family 1A promoter methylation and hepatocellular carcinoma: A meta-analysis

AIM:To assess diagnostic accuracy of Ras association domain family 1A(RASSF1A)promoter methylation in body fluids(serum,plasma and whole blood)for hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).METHODS:Relative information about study characteristics and incidence of RASSF1A methylation was collected.Quality of all included studies was evaluated by Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2.Sensitivity and specificity were pooled using a randomeffect model,and a summary receiver operating characteristic curve was used to demonstrate the overall diagnostic performance.Positive likelihood ratio(PLR),negative likelihood ratio(NLR),and diagnostic odds ratio(DOR)with 95%CI were also calculated.Meta-regression was applied to analyze observed heterogeneity,and Deeks’test was performed to detect publication bias.RESULTS:After a systematic literature review,seven studies with a total of 302 cases of HCC and 250 cases of chronic liver diseases were included in the analysis.The pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.70(95%CI:0.49-0.85)and 0.72(95%CI:0.54-0.85),respectively.The PLR was 2.51(95%CI:1.64-3.86),NLR was 0.41(95%CI:0.25-0.68),and DOR was 6.13(95%CI:3.17-11.84).Theχ2values of sensitivity,specificity,PLR,NLR and DOR were 59.41(P<0.001),50.50(P<0.001),17.40(P=0.010),31.24(P<0.001)and80.51(P<0.001),respectively.The area under the curve was 0.77(95%CI:0.73-0.81).Three factors were analyzed by univariate meta-regression and none was significant to interpret the observed heterogeneity(P>0.05).No significant publication bias was detected by Deeks’test(P=0.346).CONCLUSION:We showed the potential diagnostic value of RASSF1A methylation in body fluids in HCC patients and it may improve diagnostic accuracy combined with theα-fetoprotein test.     

A panel of circulating miRNAs as diagnostic biomarkers for screening multiple myeloma: a systematic review and meta‐analysis

Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) have been proved to be effective diagnostic markers for multiple myeloma (MM). The meta‐analysis was aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of related miRNAs. Multiple databases (PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CBM, and CNKI) were systematically searched for available studies up to March 2016. All data were analyzed with the help of software revman 5.3 and metadisc 1.4. The eligible articles’ quality was estimated by QUADAS‐2, and pooled parameters were acquired with the bivariate random‐effects meta‐analysis model. Subgroup analysis and meta‐regression were conducted to explore the heterogeneity of studies included. After steps of screening, seven qualified literatures were selected. They consisted of 22 studies that included 486 newly diagnosed MM patients and 292 healthy controls. Summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) analyses of all miRNAs showed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.86 (95%CI, 0.82–0.91). Together with the AUC, the positive likelihood ratio‐PLR 4.45 (95%CI, 3.28–6.04), negative likelihood ratio‐NLR 0.29 (95%CI, 0.24–0.35), and diagnostic odds ratio‐DOR 17.59 (95%CI, 11.26–27.4) confirmed that circulating miRNAs possessed relatively high diagnostic value in discriminating MM patients from healthy controls. For miRNAs combined together, miRNA‐1308/miRNA‐720 had the highest sensitivity 0.96 (95%CI, 0.79–1.00) and specificity 0.92 (95%CI 0.64–1.0). The subgroup and meta‐regression analyses also showed that miRNAs profiling was the sole source of heterogeneity, and the diagnostic accuracy of combined miRNAs was 6.02 times higher than single one. Combined circulating miRNAs in serum or plasma may be highly effective biomarker for diagnosis of MM.     

Endobronchial ultrasound‐guided transbronchial needle biopsy for the diagnosis of intrathoracic lymph node metastases from extrathoracic malignancies: A meta‐analysis and systematic review

Intrathoracic lymph node metastases in patients with extrathoracic malignancies are a common clinical manifestation. Several studies evaluating intrathoracic lymph node metastases in patients with extrathoracic malignancy by using the endobronchial ultrasound‐guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS‐TBNA) have been reported. The objective of this meta‐analysis is to investigate the diagnostic value of EBUS‐TBNA for diagnosing intrathoracic lymph node metastases in patients with extrathoracic malignancies. We systematically searched Cochrane Library, Medline and Embase for relevant studies published prior to May 2013. Studies specifically designed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of EBUS‐TBNA for intrathoracic lymph node metastases in patients with an extrathoracic malignancy were selected. Diagnostic accuracy meta‐analysis was conducted by pooling estimates of sensitivity, specificity, negative likelihood ratio (NLR), positive likelihood ratio (PLR) and diagnostic odds ratios (DOR) derived from a summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) analysis of the original studies. Six studies were included, which provided a dataset of 533 patients. EBUS‐TBNA pooled estimates had 0.85 sensitivity (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.80–0.89), 0.99 specificity (95% CI: 0.95–1.00), PLR 28.63 (95% CI: 11.51–71.22) and NLR 0.16 (95% CI: 0.12–0.21). The overall DOR was 179.77 (95% CI: 66.29–487.50). The area under the SROC curve and the diagnostic accuracy were 0.9247 and 0.8588, respectively. Evidence gathered from studies of moderate quality reveals a high degree of diagnostic accuracy of EBUS‐TBNA for diagnosing intrathoracic lymph node metastases in patients with extrathoracic malignancies.     

Diagnostic value of serum anti-C1q antibodies in patients with lupus nephritis: a meta-analysis

The autoantibodies against C1q (anti-C1q) have been reported in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In the past decade, though there were increasing studies suggesting it is relatively specific in lupus nephritis (LN), its overall diagnostic value in LN has not been evaluated. The meta-analysis was conducted to quantitatively evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of autoantibodies against C1q in patients with LN, and to provide more precise evidence of a correlation between anti-C1q antibodies and activity of LN. We searched Medline, Embase and Cochrane databases and contacted authors if necessary. A total of 25 studies including 2,502 patients with SLE and 1,317 with LN met our inclusion criteria for this meta-analysis. Among all 25 studies, 22 studies were available for comparison between SLE with and without LN, and 9 studies compared anti-C1q between patients with active and inactive LN. Summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve was used to summarize comprehensive test performance. The QUADAS tool was used to assess the quality of the studies. For the diagnosis of LN, the pooled sensitivity and specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) of anti-C1q were 0.58 (0.56-0.61, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]), 0.75 (0.72-0.77, 95% CI), 2.60 (2.06-3.28, 95% CI), 0.51 (0.41-0.63, 95% CI), and 6.08 (3.91-9.47, 95% CI) respectively. The area under the SROC curve (AUC) was 0.7941. For comparison between active and inactive LN, the weighted sensitivity, specificity, PLR, NLR and DOR were 0.74 (0.68-0.79, 95% CI), 0.77 (0.71-0.82, 95% CI), 2.91 (1.83-4.65, 95% CI), 0.33 (0.19-0.56, 95% CI), and 10.56 (4.56-24.46, 95% CI) respectively. The AUC was 0.8378. In conclusion, this meta-analysis indicates that anti-C1q antibodies have relatively fair sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of LN, suggesting that the presence of anti-C1q antibodies may be a valuable adjunct for predicting LN and assessing renal activity.     

CT-Base Pulmonary Artery Measurementin the Detection of Pulmonary Hypertension: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review

To summarize the performance of CT-based main pulmonary artery diameter or pulmonary artery to aorta ratio (PA:A ratio) measurement in detection of pulmonary hypertension by a systematic review and meta-analysis.A comprehensive literature search was performed to identify studies determining diagnostic accuracy of main pulmonary artery diameter or PA:A ratio measurement for pulmonary hypertension. The Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies tool was used to assess the quality of the included studies. A bivariate random-effects model was used to pool sensitivity, specificity, positive/negative likelihood ratio (PLR/NLR), and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR). Summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curves and area under the curve (AUC) were used to summarize overall diagnostic performance.This meta-analysis included 20 publications involving 2134 subjects. Summary estimates for main pulmonary artery diameter measurement in the diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension were as follows: sensitivity, 0.79 (95% CI 0.72–0.84); specificity, 0.83 (95% CI 0.75–0.89); PLR, 4.68 (95% CI 3.13–6.99); NLR, 0.26 (95% CI 0.20–0.33); DOR, 18.13 (95% CI 10.87–30.24); and AUC 0.87. The corresponding summary performance estimates for using the PA:A ratio were as follows: sensitivity, 0.74 (95% CI 0.66–0.80); specificity, 0.81 (95% CI 0.74–0.86); PLR, 3.83 (95% CI, 2.70–5.43); NLR, 0.33 (95% CI 0.24–0.44); DOR, 11.77 (95% CI 6.60–21.00); and AUC 0.84.Both main pulmonary artery diameter and PA:A ratio are helpful for diagnosing pulmonary hypertension. Nevertheless, the results of pulmonary artery measurement should be interpreted in parallel with the results of traditional tests such as echocardiography.     

Diagnostic accuracy of dual‐source computed tomography angiography for the detection of coronary in‐stent restenosis: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

We sought to perform a meta‐analysis to comprehensively evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of dual‐source computed tomography angiography (DSCTA) in detecting coronary in‐stent restenosis (CISR) when compared to invasive coronary angiography. The stent‐based research studies in which DSCTA was used as diagnostic tool for CISR, as recent as of October 2017, from several reputed scientific libraries (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, The Cochrane Library, and Web of Science) were evaluated. Study inclusion, data extraction, and risk bias assessment were conducted by two researchers independently. Pooled sensitivity (SEN), specificity (SPE), positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and area under summary receiver operator characteristics (SROC) curve (AUC) were calculated to assess the diagnostic value. In addition, heterogeneity and subgroup analysis were also carried out. A total of 13 studies with a total of 894 patients and 1384 assessable stents were included. The pooled results of DSCTA diagnosing CISR were as follows: SEN 0.92 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.87–0.96), SPE 0.91 (95% CI 0.87–0.94), PLR 9.83 (95% CI 6.93–13.94), NLR 0.09 (95% CI 0.05–0.15), DOR 114.73 (95% CI 64.12–205.28), and AUC 0.97 (95% CI 0.95–0.98), respectively. The subgroup analysis result suggested that DSTCA performed significantly better in CISR detection when the stent diameter was ≥3 mm compared with the stent diameter <3 mm: (0.98 [0.97–0.99] vs 0.82 [0.79–0.86]) with P < .05. This study revealed that DSCTA has excellent diagnostic performance for detecting CISR and may serve as an alternative for further patient evaluation with CISR, especially for stent diameter ≥3 mm.     

Diagnostic value of the soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells‐1 in lower respiratory tract infections: A meta‐analysis

The soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells‐1 (sTREM‐1) is a promising diagnostic marker for many types of infections. A bivariate meta‐analysis was performed to evaluate its diagnostic value for lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI). We searched PubMed, Cochrane Library and Web of Science (from January 1966 to August 2013) for all trials assessing diagnostic value of sTREM‐1 for LRTI. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio(PLR), negative likelihood ratio(NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), the area under summary receiver operator characteristic (SROC) curve and the Q* were calculated. Thirteen studies with 1138 patients were included in our meta‐analysis. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of sTREM‐1 for diagnosis of LRTI was 0.84 and 0.77. The PLR, NLR and DOR were 3.6, 0.21 and 17. The area under SROC curve was 0.88 and the Q* was 0.82. The univariate meta‐regression analysis demonstrated that the assay method for sTREM‐1 significantly affected sensitivity for LRTI. The Q* of sTREM‐1 for diagnosis of community‐acquired LRTI was 0.82, and the area under SROC curve was 0.88. The Q* of sTREM‐1 in diagnosis of hospital‐acquired LRTI was 0.83, and the area under SROC curve was 0.90. The Q* of sTREM‐1 for distinguishing culture‐positive LRTI from culture‐negative diseases was 0.79, and the area under SROC curve was 0.86. Current evidence suggests that sTREM‐1 is an accurate marker of LRTI. The overall diagnostic value of sTREM‐1 for LRTI, community‐acquired LRTI and hospital‐acquired LRTI is similar.     

Does cytotechnician training influence the accuracy of EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration of pancreatic masses?

Background/aimThe presence of on-site cytopathologists improves the diagnostic yield of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) of pancreatic masses; however, on-site cytopathologists are not available to all endoscopic units. We hypothesized that experienced cytotechnicians can accurately assess whether an on-site pancreatic mass fine needle aspiration specimen is adequate. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of formal cytotechnician training on the diagnostic accuracy of EUS-FNA of pancreatic masses.MethodsSingle-centre, prospective study. The cytotechnician made an on-site assessment of specimen adequacy with immediate evaluation of smears over a 12-month period (pre-training period) then over another 12-month period (post-training period), with a year's intermediate training when the cytopathologist and the cytotechnician worked together in the room. The gold standard used to establish the final diagnosis was based on a non-equivocal fine needle aspiration biopsy reviewed by the same expert cytopathologist. The main outcome measurements were the cytotechnician diagnostic accuracy before and after the training period.ResultsA total of 107 patients were enrolled in the pre-training period. Cytotechnician in-room adequacy was 68.2% (73/107). The diagnostic accuracy was 74.8%. The adequacy for the blind-review pathologist was 93.4% (100/107), significantly higher (p = 0.008) than the cytotechnician's results. During the post-training period, 95 EUS-FNA were performed and reviewed. Cytotechnician in-room adequacy was 87.4% (83/95). The diagnostic accuracy was 90.5%. The adequacy for the blinded pathologist was 95.8% (91/95), not significantly different from the cytotechnician (p = 0.23).ConclusionsAn adequate training period with an expert pathologist significantly improves the cytotechnician skill in terms of judging adequacy and diagnostic accuracy.