Magnetic resonance imaging for evaluation of bowel inflammation and disease activity in Crohn's disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundThe aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine the performance of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis of bowel inflammation and disease activity in Crohn's disease (CD).MethodsMEDLINE, Embase and Web of Science databases of biomedical literature were systematically searched to identify studies that investigated the diagnostic accuracy of MRI in diagnosing bowel inflammation and disease activity in CD by comparing it with reference standards. Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 tool was used to assess study quality. The summary sensitivity and specificity were estimated using the bivariate model, and hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic (HSROC) parameters were calculated and plotted.ResultsOf 5492 citations of interest, 34 articles contained the diagnostic accuracy data. Of these, results for the small bowel and the colorectum were reported separately in 19 studies and jointly by 21 studies. The meta-analytic summary sensitivity and specificity under the bivariate model were 90.9% (95% CI, 85.8%–94.2%) and 90.2% (95% CI, 81.9%–95.0%), respectively. The sensitivities and specificities of individual studies ranged from 55% to 100% and 51% to 100%, respectively. Substantial heterogeneity was observed in both sensitivity (I² = 84.9%) and specificity (I² = 78.8%). The HSROC curve also showed considerable heterogeneity between studies.ConclusionAlthough the meta-analytic summary accuracy of MRI was high for the diagnosis of bowel inflammation in CD, the summary estimates might be unreliable due to the presence of high heterogeneity.     

Hepatitis C prevalence among the migrant population in Spain: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction

Spain, which has one of the largest migrant populations in Europe, has committed to eliminating the hepatitis C virus (HCV). The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of HCV among migrant groups in Spain, a country of 46 million people, with an estimated HCV-antibody prevalence of 1.7%.

Diagnostic accuracy of red blood cell distribution width to platelet ratio for predicting liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B: A meta-analysis

ObjectiveThis study aims to systematically review the performance of red blood cell distribution width to platelet ratio (RPR) in the diagnosis of significant or advanced fibrosis, and cirrhosis associated with hepatitis B virus (HBV).MethodsThe relevant studies were comprehensively searched in English databases such as Web of Science, PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, as well as Chinese databases such as China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data from the inception to March 2021. Accuracy of RPR in diagnosing significant or advanced fibrosis and liver cirrhosis was assessed by area under the curve (AUC), pooled sensitivity and specificity, as well as positive and negative likelihood ratios. Stata 15.0 software was applied to analyze the data.ResultsIn total, 13 literature met the requirements, including patients with significant fibrosis (n = 1890), advanced fibrosis (n = 645), and cirrhosis (n = 499). The prevalence rates of significant fibrosis, advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis were 49.31% (range: 17.25–84.21%), 37.07% (range: 9.60–58.20%) and 2.18% (range: 2.78–44.19%), respectively. The AUCs for predicting significant fibrosis, advanced fibrosis, and cirrhosis by RPR were 0.73 (95%CI: 0.69–0.76), 0.80 (95%CI: 0.77–0.84) and 0.80 (95%CI: 0.76–0.83), respectively.ConclusionRPR is of some diagnostic value to the prediction of HBV-related significant fibrosis, advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis. This conclusion is urgently needed to be verified by further multi-center studies of large sample size and rigorous design.     

The outcomes of interventional treatment for Budd-Chiari Syndrome complicated by inferior vena cava thrombosis: Systematic review and meta-analysis

PurposeThe aim of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the safety and efficacy of interventional treatment for Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) complicated by Inferior Vena Cava thrombosis (IVCT) patients.MethodsWe evaluated the published studies on interventional treatment for BCS complicated by IVCT. Meta-analysis was used to calculate the combined effect size and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) based on random effect. The publication bias was assessed by Begg's test.ResultsSixteen studies on interventional treatment for BCS complicated by IVCT patient were selected for meta-analysis, a total of 767 BCS complicated by IVCT patients were included. The combined effect size (95% CI) were 99% (98–100%) for the total successful rate of IVC recanalization, 15% (11–21%) for the rate of IVC restenosis after initial operation, 92.0% (86–97%) for the rate of clinical improvement, 76% (68–84%) for the rate of thrombus clearance and 0.00% (0–1%) for the incidence of pulmonary embolism (PE). Through subgroup meta-analysis about the rate of thrombus clearance, we got the pooled results (95% CI) of individualized treatment strategy (ITS) group and non-individualized treatment strategy (non-ITS) group, were 81% (71–92%) and 73% (63–83%), respectively.ConclusionsThe interventional treatment for BCS complicated by IVCT patients is safe and effective with low incidence of PE, high thrombus clearance rate, high technically successful rate, good patency, and high clinical improvement rate. Moreover, subgroup analysis indicated that management based on the type and extent of the thrombus is proposed.     

The association between interleukin-6 promoter polymorphisms and rheumatoid arthritis by ethnicity: A meta-analysis of 33 studies

ObjectiveWe performed a meta-analysis to determine the effect Interleukin-6 (IL-6) promoter polymorphism (−174 G>C, −572 G>C, and −597 G>A) have on the development rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by ethnicity.Material and methodsPubMed, EBSCO, LILACS, and Scopus databases were searched for studies exploring the association between any IL6 polymorphisms and RA until November 2018. Genotype distributions were extracted and, depending on the level heterogeneity, determined by the ψ²-based Q test and the Inconsistency Index (I²), fixed-effects or random-effects models were used to calculate pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) for the heterozygous, homozygous, dominant, recessive, and allelic genetic models.ResultsFrom 708 identified publications, 33 were used in this analysis. For the −174 polymorphism, Asians (OR_heterozygous = 7.57, 95%CI: 2.28–25.14, OR_homozygous = 5.84, 95%CI: 2.06–16.56, OR_dominant = 7.21, 95%CI: 2.30–22.63, OR_recessive = 5.04, 95%CI: 1.78–14.28, OR_allelic = 6.60, 95%CI: 2.26–19.28, p < .05) and Middle East countries (OR_heterozygous = 2.30, 95%CI: 1.10–4.81, OR_dominant = 2.27, 95%CI: 1.22–4.22, OR_allelic = 2.29, 95%CI: 1.24–4.23, p < .05) were associated with a significant risk of developing RA. Whereas, for Latinos, the C-allele was associated with a benefit (OR_homozygous = 0.26, 95%CI: .08–.82, OR_recessive = .25, 95%CI: .08–.80, p < .05). For the −572 polymorphism, Asians demonstrated a significant association for the homozygous and recessive genetic models (8 studies, OR_homozygous = 1.56, 95%CI: 1.16–2.09, OR_recessive = 1.63, 95%CI: 1.08–2.45, p < .05). For the −597 polymorphism, no association was observed.ConclusionsHere, the −174 G>C polymorphism increased the risk of developing RA in Asians and Middle East populations. Interestingly, for Latinos, the polymorphism was associated with a benefit. For the −572 polymorphism, only the Asian population showed an increased risk of developing RA for the CC genotype.     

A comparison of cyclophosphamide versus tacrolimus in terms of treatment effect for idiopathic membranous nephropathy: A meta-analysis

Background and aims

Idiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN), which is considered one of the most common causes of nephrotic syndrome in adult patients, is frequently managed with immunosuppressive agents. Both tacrolimus (TAC) and cyclophosphamide (CTX) are recommended as immunosuppressive agents in the management of IMN. However, profound effects and moderate evidence on the two drugs remains poorly defined at this period. The meta-analysis aims to summarize current best evidence on the efficacy as well as safety of TAC and CTX among IMN patients.

Efficacy and Safety of Tenofovir in the Prevention of Perinatal Transmission of Hepatitis B,a Meta-Analysis

BackgroundTenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) is recommended for the prevention of perinatal transmission of the hepatitis B virus (HBV). This study aimed to systematically assess the efficacy and safety of TDF in pregnant women with chronic HBV and their infants.Material and methodsDatabase searches were performed to identify studies blocking the mother-to-child transmission of the hepatitis B virus with tenofovir. The search included pregnant women with chronic HBV infection administered with TDF compared to the no treatment controls, and data from individual studies were pooled using RevMan v5.3 for meta-analysis.ResultsSeven studies with a total of 911 patients met the inclusion criteria: 433 patients in the TDF group and 478 patients in the non-TDF group. The HBV mother-to-child transmission rate in the tenofovir group was effectively reduced compared to the control group (RR: 0.18, 95% CI: 0.08-0.40). HBV-DNA positivity was also significantly low in infants from TDF group (RR: 0.17, 95% CI: 0.10-0.30) and the TDF treatment resulted in significantly higher anti-HBs production (RR: 1.11, 95% CI: 1.04-1.18). Similarly, maternal HBV-DNA was suppression was significantly high in the TDF group (RR: 34.16, 95% CI: 16.40-71.13). Women treated with TDF and their infants did not result in serious adverse events that are statistically different as compared to the women who did not receive any treatment.ConclusionTreatment of HBV infected pregnant women with TDF can effectively and safely prevent the perinatal transmission of chronic hepatitis B.     

A meta-analysis of efficacy of topical steroids in eosinophilic esophagitis: From the perspective of histologic,clinical, and endoscopic outcome

BackgroundSwallowed topical steroids are a mainstay drug therapy for eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), studies have demonstrated good histologic response, but with enormous discrepancy in clinical and endoscopic improvement. We conducted this meta-analysis to investigate the efficacy of topical steroids in EoE in histological, clinical and endoscopic improvement.MethodsSeveral databases were searched from inception to August 1, 2019 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing topical steroids with placebo for EoE in the short-term. The outcomes of interest mainly included basic characteristics of the studies, histologic, clinical, endoscopic response rate and adverse events. The results were pooled together using Reviewer Manager 5.3.5 software, and inconsistency was quantified using I² statistics.ResultsNine studies were eventually selected. The results showed that topical steroids were effective in inducing histologic response compared with placebo for both complete (OR 35.82, 95% CI 14.98–85.64, P < 0.0001; I² = 0, P = 0.72) and partial response (OR 28.44, 95% CI 8.56–94.47, P < 0.0001; I² = 70%, P = 0.0009). Moreover, topical steroids were useful in gaining clinical response (OR 2.53, 95% CI 1.14–5.60, P = 0.02; I² = 60%, P = 0.02) and endoscopic response (OR 3.51, 95% CI 1.47–8.36, P = 0.005; I² = 0, P = 0.57). Generally, topical steroids are well tolerated. The most common adverse events are infections and infestations (59 cases).ConclusionTopical steroids were effective in inducing histological, clinical and endoscopic response in the short-term, and the adverse events were almost tolerable; however, we should interpret the result of clinical and endoscopic response with caution.     

Reduced E-cadherin expression as a prognostic factor in non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction and objectivesThe exact role of E-cadherin in non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is still unknown, and the aims of this study were to prove whether reduced E-cadherin expression can be a prognostic factor in patients with NMIBC.Materials and methodsA meta-analysis was conducted to assess the prognostic value of reduced E-cadherin expression in NMIBC. The PubMed, Embase and Web of Science databases were included in the study search.ResultsFifteen studies with a total of 1538 NMIBC patients were included. The results showed that reduced E-cadherin expression was significantly associated with poor recurrence-free survival (RFS) (pooled HR 2.16, 95% CI 1.22–3.85) and progression-free survival (PFS) (pooled HR 1.91, 95% CI 1.52–2.40) in NMIBC patients.ConclusionE-cadherin can be a prognostic factor for patients with NMIBC.     

Pharmacological interventions for preventing complications in patients with idiopathic hypercalciuria: A systematic review

ObjectiveTo assess the effects of pharmacological interventions in patients with idiopathic hypercalciuria.MethodsWe performed a search of multiple databases, trial registries, grey literature and conference proceedings up to October 2019. We included randomized and quasi-randomized controlled trials that examined any pharmacological intervention for preventing complications of idiopathic hypercalciuria (given for at least four months and six of follow-up). The primary outcomes were stone-free patients, urinary symptoms and severe adverse events.ResultsWe included five RCTs (n = 446 patients, all adults, 4 in individuals with kidney stones and 1 in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis). Diuretics were likely to increase the number of stone-free patients (RR 1.61, 95% CI 1.33–1.96, moderate quality of evidence (QoE)); 274 more stone-free patients/1000 patients treated (95% CI: 148–432) and produced a slight decrease in the stone formation rate (mean difference ?0.18, 95% CI ?0.30 to ?0.06, low QoE); 180 fewer stones/year/1000 patients treated (95% CI: 300 r to 60). No data on urinary symptoms were reported. The association between diuretic use and severe adverse events was uncertain (RR 5.00, 95% CI 0.60–41.88, very low QoE); 4 more severe adverse events/1000 patients treated (95% CI: 0 fewer to 39 more).ConclusionsThe addition of diuretics to a normal or modified diet probably reduces the number of stone recurrences and may decrease the stone formation rate. It is uncertain whether diuretics increase the occurrence of severe adverse events. There were no studies investigating other outcomes or in children.     

A Comparative Trial of the Effectiveness of Nasal Interfaces Used to Deliver Continuous Positive Airway Pressure for a Brief Period in Infants With Transient Tachypnea of the Newborn

IntroductionThere is insufficient data on the effectiveness of the interfaces used for nasal continuous airway pressure (nCPAP) in newborn infants. Transpulmonary pressure (PTP) calculated from a measured esophageal pressure (Pes) could be used as a surrogate for the pressure transmitted to the distal airways during nCPAP. We aimed to compare the effectiveness of two nasal interfaces, the nasal mask and bi-nasal short prongs, during a relatively brief period of respiratory support by calculated PTP (cPTP) in infants with transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN).MethodsNewborns with TTN who needed respiratory assistance with nCPAP were randomized to use either bi-nasal short prongs or a nasal mask. Esophageal pressure measurements were done in order to calculate PTP with either interface. The primary outcome was the cPTP transmitted with each nasal interface. Esophageal pressure measurements were recorded and PTP values were calculated from Pes measurements at the 1st, 6th, 12th and 24th hours in each patient as long as the respiratory support lasted.ResultsSixty-two newborns with TTN and on nCPAP were randomized into two groups: Group 1 to use bi-nasal short prongs (n: 31) and Group 2 to use a nasal mask (n: 31). Inspiratory and expiratory Pes and cPTP values at the 1st, 6th, 12th and 24th hours were similar with the two interfaces (P < .05).ConclusionsA nasal mask is similarly effective and safe as bi-nasal short prongs during a brief period of non-invasive respiratory support with nCPAP in late preterm and term neonates with TTN.     

Allicin as add-on therapy for Helicobacter pylori infection: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Allicin(2-propene-1-sulfinothioic acid S-2-propenyl ester, diallyl thiosulfinate)extracted from garlic, has proven activity against Helicobacter pylori(H. Pylori)infection. In recent years, clinical trials have explored its utility as an add-on therapy with variable outcomes reported.AIM To perform a systemic review of allicin as an add-on treatment for H. Pylori infection and assess its efficacy in randomized controlled trials(RCTs).METHODS Electronic databases including MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Web of Science, the Cochrane Database, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database,Chinese VIP Information Databases, Chinese Medical Databases, and the WanFang Database were searched for keywords including "allicin", "Helicobacter pylori", "randomized clinical trials", and their synonyms. A meta-analysis was performed using the fixed-effects model for low heterogeneity and the randomeffects model for high heterogeneity with sensitivity analysis. Bias was evaluated using Egger's tests. Trial sequential analysis(TSA) was used to evaluate information size and treatment benefits. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation(GRADE) was used to assess the level of quality, and studies were classed as "high quality", "moderate quality", "low quality", and "very low quality".RESULTS A total of eight RCTs consisting of 867 participants(435 from the allicin group and 432 from the control group) were included. Eradication rate in the allicin group(93.33%, 406/435) was significantly higher than that of the control group(83.56%, 361/432) [I~2 = 0%, odds ratio(OR) = 2.75, 95% confidence interval(CI):1.74-4.35, P 0.001]. The healing rate of ulcers following H. pylori therapy in the allicin group(86.17%, 349/405) was significantly higher than that of the control group(75.87%, 305/402) [I~2 = 0%, OR = 2.05, 95%CI: 1.39-3.03, P 0.001]. The total remission rate of peptic ulcers across all allicin groups was 95.99%, which was significantly higher than that of controls [95.99%(359/374) vs 89.25%(332/372), I~2 = 0, heterogeneity P = 0.84, OR = 3.13, 95%CI: 1.51-6.51, P =0.002].No significant differences in side effects were observed. TSA suggested that the trials were of sufficient standard to draw reliable conclusions. The quality of outcomes including eradication rates and side effects was graded as "very low"due to downgrades for "risk of bias" and "indirectness". Other outcomes such as ulcer healing rates and total ulcer remission rates were graded as "low" due to downgrades for "risk of bias".CONCLUSION Allicin as an add-on therapy improves H. pylori eradication, healing of ulcers, and remission of symptoms. These results are suggested to be treated with caution due to limited quality.     

Hybrid,sequential and concomitant therapies for Helicobacter pylori eradication: A systematic review and meta-analysis

AIM: To compare hybrid therapy(HT) with traditional sequential therapy(ST) and concomitant therapy(CT) for Helicobacter pylori(H. pylori) eradication.METHODS: We performed an electronic search of Pub Med, Embase, and the CENTRAL database. Randomized controlled trials(RCTs) of HT were included in the meta-analysis. The primary outcome was the eradication rate of H. pylori. The secondary outcomes included the compliance rate and adverse event rate. Effect estimates were pooled using the random-effects model.RESULTS: Twelve studies were included. Pooled results showed no significant differences in eradication rate between HT and ST in per-protocol(PP) analysis(RR = 1.03, 95%CI: 0.94-1.12, P = 0.59) or in intention-totreat(ITT) analysis(RR = 1.00, 95%CI: 0.89-1.12, P = 0.94). HT and ST showed similarly high compliance rate(96% vs 98%, P = 0.55) and acceptable adverse event rate(30.3% vs 28.2%, P = 0.63). No significant results were seen in the eradication rate between HT and CT in PP analysis(RR = 1.01, 95%CI: 0.96-1.05, P = 0.76) or in ITT analysis(RR = 0.99, 95%CI: 0.95-1.03, P = 0.47). HT displayed a slightly higher compliance rate than CT(95.8% vs 93.2%, P 0.05). The adverse event rates of HT and CT were similar(39.5% vs 44.2%, P = 0.24).CONCLUSION: Compared with ST or CT, HT yields a similar eradication rate, high compliance rate, and acceptable safety profiles.     

The impact of diastolic dysfunction as a predictor of cardiovascular events: A systematic review and meta-analysis

IntroductionDiastolic dysfunction is highly prevalent and a key pathophysiological contributor to several cardiovascular diseases, especially heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. In addition, some evidence suggests diastolic dysfunction is a risk factor for major adverse cardiovascular events. This study aimed to systematically review the evidence and to quantify the association between diastolic dysfunction and risk of cardiovascular events and death.MethodsMEDLINE was systematically searched from 1974 up to October 2017. We included cohort studies that assessed diastolic function in adults in the community, providing a definition of diastolic dysfunction regarding the occurrence of any cardiovascular event or mortality. For the quantitative analysis, relative risk estimates comparing individuals with versus without diastolic dysfunction were combined using a random effects model.ResultsNineteen studies were identified for inclusion in the systematic review, assessing a total of 63 802 participants. Nine studies were included in the meta-analysis. Diagnostic criteria and classification of diastolic dysfunction differed substantially between studies. The median prevalence of diastolic dysfunction in studies including individuals with and without diastolic dysfunction was 35.1% (range 5.3-65.2%). Comparing diastolic dysfunction with normal diastolic function, the summary relative risk estimate for cardiovascular events or mortality was 3.53 (95% CI: 2.75-4.53; I²=85.5%; nine studies).ConclusionsAlthough the definitions found in the literature differ, the diagnosis of diastolic dysfunction is associated with a 3.53-fold increased risk of cardiovascular events or death. This finding highlights the importance of developing easily applicable and consensual diagnostic criteria, as well as fostering research on effective treatment strategies when diastolic dysfunction is identified in the subclinical stage.     

Histological changes of gastric mucosa after Helicobacter pylori eradication:a systematic review and meta-analysis

AIM:To systematically review pathological changes of gastric mucosa in gastric atrophy(GA)and intestinal metaplasia(IM)after Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)eradication.METHODS:A systematic search was made of PubMed,Web of Science,EMBASE,ClinicalTrials.gov,OVID and the Cochran Library databases for articles published before March 2013 pertaining to H.pylori and gastric premalignant lesions.Relevant outcomes from articles included in the meta-analysis were combined using Review Manager 5.2 software.A Begg’s test was applied to test for publication bias using STATA 11software.χ2 and I2 analyses were used to assess heterogeneity.Analysis of data with no heterogeneity(P>0.1,I2<25%)was carried out with a fixed effects model,otherwise the causes of heterogeneity were first analyzed and then a random effects model was applied.RESULTS:The results of the meta-analysis showed that the pooled weighted mean difference(WMD)with 95%CI was 0.23(0.18-0.29)between eradication and non-eradication of H.pylori infection in antral IM with a significant overall effect(Z=8.19;P<0.00001)and no significant heterogeneity(χ2=27.54,I2=16%).The pooled WMD with 95%CI was-0.01(-0.04-0.02)for IM in the corpus with no overall effect(Z=0.66)or heterogeneity(χ2=14.87,I2=0%)(fixed effects model).In antral GA,the pooled WMD with 95%CI was 0.25(0.15-0.35)with a significant overall effect(Z=4.78;P<0.00001)and significant heterogeneity(χ2=86.12,I2=71%;P<0.00001).The pooled WMD with 95%CI for GA of the corpus was 0.14(0.04-0.24)with a significant overall effect(Z=2.67;P=0.008)and significant heterogeneity(χ2=44.79,I2=62%;P=0.0003)(random effects model).CONCLUSION:H.pylori eradication strongly correlates with improvement in IM in the antrum and GA in the corpus and antrum of the stomach.