Linezolid versus vancomycin or teicoplanin for nosocomial pneumonia: meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an important cause of nosocomial pneumonia. Compared with glycopeptide antibiotics, linezolid achieves higher lung epithelial lining fluid concentrations, which may have an advantage in treating nosocomial pneumonia patients. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of linezolid versus vancomycin or teicoplanin for the treatment of nosocomial pneumonia. Data were obtained from the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and the EMBASE and MEDLINE databases. Randomised controlled studies involving the use of linezolid versus vancomycin or teicoplanin in nosocomial pneumonia patients were included in the study. Twelve linezolid trials were included. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in the treatment of nosocomial pneumonia regarding the clinical cure rate [relative risk (RR)?=?1.08, 95 % confidence interval (CI)?=?1.00–1.17, p?=?0.06]. Linezolid was associated with better microbiological eradication rate in nosocomial pneumonia patients compared with glycopeptide antibiotics (RR?=?1.16, 95 % CI?=?1.03–1.31, p?=?0.01). There were no differences in the all-cause mortality (RR?=?0.95, 95 % CI?=?0.83–1.09, p?=?0.46) between the two groups. However, the risks of rash (RR?=?0.41, 95 % CI?=?0.24–0.71, p?=?0.001) and renal dysfunction (RR?=?0.41, 95 % CI?=?0.27–0.64, p?<?0.0001) were higher with glycopeptide antibiotics. Although linezolid was more effective in eradicating microbiology than glycopeptide antibiotics for nosocomial pneumonia patients, it did not demonstrate superiority in clinical cure. The incidences of renal dysfunction and rash are higher in the glycopeptide antibiotics group.     

The Risk Factors of Avascular Necrosis in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: a Meta-analysis

The aim of this study was to determine the risk factors for avascular necrosis (AVN) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Four electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Ovid, and Science Direct) were searched for. The search was performed to identify the articles as to SLE with AVN before September 2013. The clinical and laboratory data were extracted, and a meta-analysis was performed to identify the risk factors for AVN in patients with SLE. Publication bias was assessed with funnel plot and Egger’s test. A total of 995 papers were found from the four databases; 16 studies were finally included. Pooled analysis showed the following result. The result showed that arthritis (odds ratio (OR)?=?2.448, 95 % confidence interval (CI)?=?1.617–3.707), cushingoid (OR?=?3.890, 95 % CI?=?1.591–9.510), gastrointestinal involvement (OR?=?2.054, 95 % CI?=?1.283–3.290), hypertension (OR?=?1.482, 95 % CI?=?1.093–2.008), oral ulcers (OR?=?1.877, 95 % CI?=?1.182–2.979), pleuritis (OR?=?2.302, 95 % CI?=?1.325–4.001), renal disease (OR?=?1.475, 95 % CI?=?1.124–1.936), and vasculitis (OR?=?2.591, 95 % CI?=?1.358–4.944) were relevant with AVN in SLE patients. Cytotoxic drug (OR?=?1.834, 95 % CI?=?1.065–3.156, P?=?0.029), the total cumulative dose (Standard Mean Difference (SMD) = 1.104, 95 % CI = 0.118–2.090, P = 0.028), maximum daily dose (SMD = 0.484, 95 % CI = 0.288–0.678, P < 0.001), and mean daily dose (SMD?=?1.305, 95 % CI?=?0.061–2.549, P?=?0.040) were significantly higher in AVN group. There were no significantly laboratory features that appeared in this pooled analysis. We conclude that arthritic, cushingoid, gastrointestinal involvement, hypertension, oral ulcers, pleuritis, renal disease, vasculitis, cytotoxic drug, and steroid treatment may contribute to AVN in SLE patients.     

Lamivudine versus telbivudine in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of lamivudine (LAM) versus telbivudine (LdT) in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Randomized controlled studies (RCTs) involving the use of LAM versus LdT in CHB patients were included in the study. Data were obtained from the Cochrane-controlled trials register, EMBASE and MEDLINE databases (1/1990 to 12/2011). Two reviewers performed quality assessment and extracted data independently. Eight RCTs were included in the main analysis. Eight eligible trials were included in the analysis. At the end of one-year treatment, LdT was better than LAM at the virological response (RR?=?1.43, 95 % CI?=?1.12–1.84, P?=?0.005), while less than LAM at the viral breakthrough (RR?=?0.34,95 % CI?=?0.25–0.48, P?<?0.00001), viral resistance (RR?=?0.41,95 % CI?=?0.28–0.58, P?<?0.00001), but there was no statistically significant difference in the biochemical response (RR?=?1.13,95 % CI?=?0.99–1.29, P?=?0.06), HBeAg seroconversion (RR?=?1.13,95 % CI?=?0.92–1.39, P?=?0.25), therapeutic response (RR?=?1.22,95 % CI?=?1.00–1.50, P?=?0.05) and adverse events (RR?=?1.07,95 % CI?=?1.00–1.14, P?=?0.05). The creatine kinase (CK) elevation occurred more frequently in the LdT group than in LAM group (RR?=?2.43,95 % CI?=?1.57–3.75, P?<?0.0001). When treatment prolonged to 2 years, LdT was better than LAM at the HBeAg seroconversion (RR?=?1.29,95 % CI?=?1.12–1.50, P?=?0.0007) and therapeutic response (RR?=?1.34,95 % CI?=?1.21–1.49, P?<?0.00001). LdT was more effective in inhibiting HBV replication and promoting HBeAg seroconversion than LAM for CHB patients, whereby adverse effects such as CK elevation must be paid attention to.     

Association of STAT4 rs7574865 with Susceptibility to Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in Iranian Population

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multifactorial autoimmune disease with complex genetic inheritance that affecting different organs and systems. STAT4 has been newly identified as a susceptible gene in the development of SLE. According to recent studies, STAT4 has been associated with SLE in various populations. We investigated whether STAT4 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were associated with susceptibility and clinical features of SLE in Iranian patients. The study group comprised 280 patients with SLE and 281 sex-, age-, and ethnicity-matched healthy controls of Iranian ancestry. Two SNPs (rs7574865 and rs7601754) were genotyped using the TaqMan MGB Allelic Discrimination method. Our results showed a significant association betweenrs7574865 T allele (odds ratio (OR)?=?1.50, 95 % CI?=?1.18–1.92, P?=?0.002) and susceptibility to SLE. The rs7574865TT genotype (P?=?0.02, OR?=?1.94, 95 % CI?=?1.74–3.19) and GT genotype (P?=?0.008, OR?=?1.71, 95 % CI?=?1.19–2.45) showed a significant association with the risk of SLE in the Iranian population. We concluded that STAT4 rs7574865 is associated with SLE susceptibility in the Iranian population and this SNP might be a factor in the pathogenesis of SLE. However, further studies are required to investigate the mechanism by which polymorphisms in this gene lead to SLE.     

The relevance of Tim-3 polymorphisms and F protein to the outcomes of HCV infection

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is one of the major causes of liver inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate the associations of T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-3 (Tim-3) polymorphisms and the alternate reading frame protein (F protein) with the outcomes of HCV infection. Three single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; rs10053538, rs12186731, and rs13170556) of Tim-3 were genotyped in this study, which included 203 healthy controls, 558 hepatitis C anti-F-positive patients, and 163 hepatitis C anti-F-negative patients. The results revealed that the rs12186731 CT and rs13170556 TC and CC genotypes were significantly less frequent in the anti-F-positive patients [odds ratio (OR)?=?0.54, 95 % confidence interval (CI)?=?0.35–0.83, p?=?0.005; OR?=?0.26, 95 % CI?=?0.18–0.39, p?<?0.001; and OR?=?0.19, 95 % CI?=?0.10–0.35, p?<?0.001, respectively), and the rs13170556 TC genotype was more frequent in the chronic HCV (CHC) patients (OR?=?1.70, 95 % CI?=?1.20–2.40, p?=?0.002). The combined analysis of the rs12186731 CT and rs13170556 TC/CC genotypes revealed a locus-dosage protective effect in the anti-F-positive patients (OR?=?0.22, 95 % CI?=?0.14–0.33, p _trend?<?0.001). Stratified analyses revealed that the frequencies of the rs12186731 (CT?+?TT) genotypes were significantly lower in the older (OR?=?0.31, 95 % CI?=?0.15–0.65, p?=?0.002) and female (OR?=?0.30, 95 % CI?=?0.17–0.52, p?<?0.001) subgroups, and rs13170556 (TC?+?CC) genotypes exhibited the same effect in all subgroups (all p?<?0.001) in the anti-F antibody generations. Moreover, the rs13170556 (TC?+?CC) genotypes were significantly more frequent in the younger (OR?=?1.86, 95 % CI?=?1.18–2.94, p?=?0.007) and female (OR?=?2.38, 95 % CI?=?1.48–3.83, p?<?0.001) subgroups of CHC patients. These findings suggest that the rs12186731 CT and rs13170556 TC/CC genotypes of Tim-3 provide potential protective effects with the F protein in the outcomes of HCV infection and that these effects are related to sex and age.     

T-Cell Immunoglobulin- and Mucin-Domain-Containing Molecule 3 Genetic Variants and HIV+ Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas

T cell immunoglobulin- and mucin-domain-containing molecule 3 (TIM-3) has been established as a negative regulatory molecule and plays a critical role in inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, hepatitis B and C, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related inflammation. Recent studies have shown that chronic inflammation may greatly affect the pathogenesis of non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL). The aim of this study was to investigate whether polymorphisms in the TIM-3 gene were associated with susceptibility to non-NHL and HIV-related NHL. Three polymorphisms in TIM-3 gene (?1516G/T, ?574G/T, and +4259T/G) were identified by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism in 434 NHL patients, 62 HIV-related NHL cases, and 512 healthy controls. Results showed that the prevalence of ?574GT genotype and +4259TG genotype were significantly increased in the NHL cases than in controls (odds ratio (OR)?=?2.72, 95 % confidence interval (CI)?=?1.50–4.92, p?=?0.0006 and OR?=?2.59, 95 % CI?=?1.49–4.49, p?=?0.0005, respectively). The ?1516G/T polymorphism did not reveal significant difference between patients and healthy controls. When analyzing the TIM-3 polymorphisms in HIV-related NHL patients, data showed that HIV+ NHL patients had higher prevalence of ?574GT or +4259TG genotypes than those cases without HIV infection (OR?=?3.48, 95 % CI?=?1.67–7.28, p?=?0.0005 and OR?=?2.92, 95 % CI?=?1.42–6.01, p?=?0.0026, respectively). These results suggested polymorphisms in TIM-3 gene could be new risk factors for NHL as well as HIV-related NHL and suggested a possible role of the inflammatory factor in these diseases.     

Maternal and offspring methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene C677T polymorphism: does it influence the prevalence of congenital heart defects in Egyptian neonates?

Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are the most prevalent heart diseases in neonates. There is evidence suggesting that the risk of CHDs may be related to the folate status as well as the genetic variants in folate-related genes. Investigating the relationship between methyltetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T gene polymorphism and CHDs in full-term neonates and considering the possible protective role of folate supplementation were made. This study included 26 cases, 18 controls, and their biological mothers. Echocardiography was performed to all neonates for diagnosis of the type of congenital heart disease. Mothers and their off springs were subjected to DNA analysis for MTHFR C677T using polymerase chain reaction restricted fragment length polymorphism. An association between maternal (p?=?0.044) and infant (p?=?0.001) MTHFR C677T polymorphism and transposition of great vessels (d-TGA) was found. Odds ratio (OR) for the genotypes CT and TT versus CC was 10, with 95 % confidence limits (CI) (1.05–95.23) and OR 26 with 95 % CI (2.60–259.29), respectively. Also for the genotypes CT and TT versus CC, an association was found between infant MTHFR C677T polymorphism and atrial septal defect [p?=?0.000; OR 36.4; 95 % CI (3.7–354.40)], ventricular septal defect [p?=?0.025; OR 5.2; 95 % CI (1.2–23.04)], as well as patent ductus arteriosus [p?=?0.000; OR 33.8; 95 % CI (3.5–330.62)]. Maternal folic acid supplementation proved protective against CHDs. MTHFR C677T polymorphism is associated with certain subgroups of CHDs.     

Factors Related to Non-recovery from Whiplash. The Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT)

Background

Whiplash injuries show a variable prognosis which is difficult to predict. Most individuals experiencing whiplash injuries rapidly recover but a significant proportion develop chronic symptoms and ongoing disability.

Purpose

By employing longitudinal data, we investigated how psychological and physical symptoms, self-rated health, use of health services and medications, health behavior and demographic factors predict recovery from whiplash.

Method

Data from two waves of a large, Norwegian, population-based study (The Nord-Trøndelag Health Study: HUNT2 and HUNT3) were used. Individuals reporting whiplash in HUNT2 (baseline) were identified in HUNT3 11 years later. The characteristics of individuals still suffering from whiplash in HUNT3 were compared with the characteristics of individuals who had recovered using Pearson’s chi-squared test, independent sample t-tests and logistic regression.

Results

At follow-up, 31.6 % of those reporting whiplash at baseline had not recovered. These individuals (n?=?199) reported worse health at baseline than recovered individuals (n?=?431); they reported poorer self-rated health (odds ratio [OR]?=?3.12; 95 % confidence interval [CI], 2.20–4.43), more symptoms of anxiety (OR?=?1.70; 95 % CI, 1.15–2.50), more diffuse somatic symptoms (OR?=?2.38; 95 % CI, 1.61–3.51) and more musculoskeletal symptoms (OR?=?1.21; 95 % CI, 1.13–1.29). Individuals still suffering from whiplash also visited more health practitioners at baseline (OR?=?1.18; 95 % CI, 1.06–1.32) and used more medications (OR?=?1.24; 95 % CI, 1.09–1.40).

Conclusion

Poor self-rated health seems to be a strong risk factor for whiplash injuries becoming chronic. Diffuse somatic symptoms, musculoskeletal symptoms and symptoms of anxiety at baseline are important prognostic risk factors. Knowledge of these maintaining risk factors enables identification of individuals at risk of non-recovery, facilitating adequate treatment for this vulnerable group.     

The PD-1 rs36084323 A > G polymorphism decrease cancer risk in Asian: A meta-analysis

The rs36084323 A?>?G polymorphism in programmed cell death-1(PD-1) gene has been reported to be associated with cancer risk. However, the results of previous studies were inconsistent. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to identify the potential association, by searching the PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and the Chinese CNKI, WANFANG and CBM databases. Data were extracted and odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated to assess the strength of the association. A total of 10 relevant studies involving 4445 cancer cases and 5126 controls were recruited. Overall, the results indicated that the PD-1 rs36084323 A?>?G polymorphism was not statistically associated with cancer risk. However, stratified analysis revealed that there was a statistically reduced cancer risk in Asians(G vs. A, OR?=?0.89, 95%CI:0.81–0.97, P?=?0.008, I²?=?48.8%; GG vs. AA, OR?=?0.79, 95% CI:0.66–0.94, P?=?0.008, I²?=?48.7%; GG/AG vs. AA, OR?=?0.87, 95%CI:0.76–0.98, P?=?0.017, I²?=?34.9%; GG vs. AG/AA, OR?=?0.85, 95%CI:0.75–0.97, P?=?0.027, I²?=?40%) and in the patients with EOC(AG vs. AA, OR?=?0.69, 95%CI:0.54–0.90, P?=?0.005, I²?=?0%; GG/AG vs. AA, OR?=?0.67, 95%CI:0.52–0.85, P?=?0.001, I²?=?0). Meta-regression showed that ethnicity (P?=?0.029) but not cancer types (P?=?0.792), source of controls (P?=?0.207) or ample size (P?=?0.585) were the sources of heterogeneity. This meta-analysis demonstrates the PD-1 rs36084323 A?>?G polymorphism is associated with decreased cancer risk in Asian, and suggests it could potentially serve as a biomarker to screen high-risk individuals. Large-scale and well-designed case-control studies are needed to enrich the evidence of this result.     

Prevalence,continuation, and identification of postpartum depressive symptomatology among refugee,asylum-seeking,non-refugee immigrant,and Canadian-born women: results from a prospective cohort study

This study assessed the prevalence, continuation, and identification of maternal depressive symptomatology over the first 16 weeks postpartum among refugee, asylum-seeking, non-refugee immigrant, and Canadian-born women. A sample of 1125 women (143 refugees, 369 asylum-seekers, 303 non-refugee immigrant, and 310 Canadian-born) completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) at 1 and 16 weeks postpartum. The sensitivity, specificity, and predictive power of the 1-week EPDS to identify women with elevated EPDS scores at 16 weeks were determined. The total number of women with EPDS scores >9 for each group at 1 and 16 weeks, respectively, was 26.6 and 18.2 % for refugees; 25.2 and 24.1 % for asylum-seekers; 22.4 and 14.2 % for non-refugee immigrants, and 14.8 and 7.4 % for Canadian-born. Using the cut-off score of 9/10, the 1-week EPDS accurately classified 77.6 % refugee, 73.4 % asylum-seeking, 76.6 % non-refugee immigrant, and 85.5 % Canadian-born women at 16 weeks with or without postpartum depressive symptomatology. The 1-week EPDS was significantly correlated to the 16-week EPDS (r?=?0.46, p?<?0.01). All groups were significantly more likely to exhibit depressive symptomatology at 16 weeks if they had EPDS scores >9 at 1 week postpartum: refugees (OR?=?6.9, 95 % CI?=?2.8–17.3), asylum-seekers (OR?=?4.0, 95 % CI?=?2.4–6.7), non-refugee immigrants (OR?=?3.8, 95 % CI?=?2.0–7.6), and Canadian-born women (OR?=?8.0, 95 % CI?=?3.3–19.8). Our findings suggest that refugee, asylum-seeking, non-refugee immigrant, and Canadian-born women at risk of postpartum depression may be identified early in the postpartum period such that secondary preventive interventions may be implemented.     

Impact of multidrug resistance on Pseudomonas aeruginosa ventilator-associated pneumonia outcome: predictors of early and crude mortality

The prevalence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa has increased over the past decade and a significant rise in these isolates in ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) has been observed. However, the impact of MDR on VAP outcome has not been analysed in depth. We investigated the risk factors for early and crude mortality in a retrospective study of microbiologically and clinically documented VAP. Ninety-one VAP episodes in 83 patients were included, 31 caused by susceptible P. aeruginosa and 60 by MDR strains, of which 42 (70 %) were extensively drug-resistant (XDR) P. aeruginosa. Thirteen episodes concomitantly presented P. aeruginosa bacteraemia, in seven of which the origin was the respiratory tract. Whereas susceptible P. aeruginosa episodes were more likely than MDR episodes to receive adequate empirical (68 % vs. 30 %; p?<?0.001) and definitive antimicrobial therapy (96 % vs. 50 %; p?<?0.001), susceptible P. aeruginosa VAP presented a trend towards early mortality (29 % vs. 15 %; p?=?0.06). A logistic regression model with early mortality as the dependent variable identified multiorgan dysfunction syndrome (MODS) [odds ratio (OR) 10.4; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.7–63.5; p?=?0.01] and inadequate antibiotic therapy (OR 4.27; 95 % CI 0.98–18.4; p?=?0.052) as independent risk factors for early mortality. A similar analysis identified MODS (OR 4.31; 95 % CI 1.14–16.2; p?=?0.03) as the only independent predictor of crude mortality. The severity of acute illness clinical presentation was the main predictor of mortality. Despite adequate antibiotic therapy, susceptible P. aeruginosa seems to cause major early mortality. Although adequate therapy is essential to treat VAP, the severity of acute illness is a more important factor than drug resistance.     

Impact of Environmental Factors on Efficacy of Glucocorticoids in Chinese Population with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Although glucocorticoids (GCs) are effective in inducing remission in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, there is a significant variation in response to therapeutic GCs, and some patients do not achieve full remission. The aim of this study was to explore the impact of environmental factors on the efficacy of GCs in a Chinese population with SLE. This was a prospective cohort study, and a total of 260 SLE patients treated with GCs (prednisone) were followed up for 12 weeks. The efficacy of GCs was measured with the scores on SLE disease activity index. Environmental factors were collected using a questionnaire. Single-variable analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to discriminate the impact of environmental factors on the efficacy of GCs. Two hundred forty-seven patients (95.00 %) completed the 12-week follow-up. Among these patients, 131 (53.04 %) were classified into sensitive group and 116 (46.96 %) were classified into insensitive group. Results from logistic analysis showed that the following environmental factors were significantly associated with decreased efficacy of GCs: high salt intake (OR?=?3.464, 95%CI?=?1.481–8.102, P?=?0.004), introverted personality (OR?=?3.550, 95%CI?=?1.901–6.628, P?<?0.0001), experience with negative life events (OR?=?5.526, 95%CI?=?1.612–18.946, P?=?0.007), and history of allergy (OR?=?2.966, 95%CI?=?1.312–6.704, P?=?0.009). These results indicate that environmental factors, including salt intake, personality, experience with negative life events, and history of allergy, may play an important role in the efficacy of GCs in the Chinese population with SLE.     

Association of Toll-Like Receptor 4 Polymorphisms with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is characterized by a chronic low-grade inflammatory state. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is a critical mediator of innate immunity. Polymorphisms in TLR4 gene have been shown to be associated with impaired inflammatory response. Here, we investigated the association of TLR4 polymorphisms with T2DM. Four TLR4 polymorphisms (+986A/G, +1196C/T, +3725G/C, and +11367G/C) were genotyped in a total number of 822 T2DM patients and 835 healthy controls. Results showed that the +986A/G and +1196C/T polymorphisms did not exist in the Han Chinese population. The prevalence of TLR4 +3725GC and CC genotypes were significantly decreased in T2DM cases than in controls (odds ratio (OR)?=?0.62, 95 % confidence interval (CI)?=?0.50–0.78, p?=?3.48?×?10^?5, and OR?=?0.36, 95 % CI?=?0.22–0.59, p?=?1.55?×?10^?5, respectively). Also, the frequency of TLR4 +3725C allele was significantly lower in T2DM patients (p?=?2.46?×?10^?9). When analyzing the TLR4 +11367G/C polymorphism, the +11367CC genotype revealed lower numbers in patients compared to healthy controls (OR?=?0.46, 95 % CI?=?0.27–0.78, p?=?0.0032). Analysis of the clinical features on the control subjects demonstrated no correlations between these TLR4 polymorphisms and sex, age, body mass index, etc. (p?>?0.05). In conclusion, these data indicate that TLR4 +3725G/C and +11367G/C polymorphisms may be novel protective factors against T2DM in the Chinese population.     

Association Study of Common Genetic Variants in Pre-microRNAs in Patients with Ulcerative Colitis

Background

Common single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in microRNAs (miRNA) have been shown to be associated with susceptibility to several human diseases. We evaluated the associations of three SNPs (rs11614913, rs2910164, and rs3746444) in pre-miRNAs (miR-196a2, miR-146a, and miR-499) with the risk of ulcerative colitis (UC) in a Japanese population.

Methods

The rs11614913 (T?>?C), rs2910164 (C?>?G), and rs3746444 (A?>?G) SNPs were genotyped in 170 UC and 403 control subjects.

Results

The rs3746444 AG genotype was significantly higher among the UC group (odds ratio (OR)?=?1.51, 95% CI?=?1.03?C2.21, p?=?0.037). The rs3746444 AG genotype was associated with onset at an older age (OR?=?1.70, 95% CI?=?1.04?C2.78, p?=?0.035), left-sided colitis and pancolitis (left-sided colitis, OR?=?2.10, 95% CI?=?1.12?C3.94, p?=?0.024; pancolitis, OR?=?1.81, 95% CI?=?1.09?C3.01, p?=?0.028, left-sided colitis?+?pancolitis, OR?=?1.91, 95% CI?=?1.26?C2.92, p?=?0.003), higher number of times hospitalized (OR?=?2.63, 95% CI?=?1.22?C5.69, p?=?0.017), steroid dependence (OR?=?2.63, 95% CI?=?1.27?C5.44, p?=?0.014), and refractory phenotypes (OR?=?2.76, 95% CI?=?1.46?C5.21, p?=?0.002) while the rs3746444 AA genotype was inversely associated with the number of times hospitalized (2??, OR?=?0.36, 95% CI?=?0.17?C0.79, p?=?0.012), steroid dependence (OR?=?0.42, 95% CI?=?0.21?C0.88, p?=?0.021), and refractory phenotypes (OR?=?0.38, 95% CI?=?0.20?C0.72, p?=?0.003). The rs1161913 TT genotype also held a significantly higher risk of refractory phenotype (T/T vs. T/C?+?C/C, OR?=?2.21, 95% CI?=?1.17?C4.18, p?=?0.016).

Conclusions

Our results provided the first evidence that rs3746444 SNP may influence the susceptibility to UC, and both rs3746444 and rs11614913 SNPs may influence the pathophysiological features of UC.     

A retrospective research of HIV-negative cryptococcal meningoencephalitis patients with acute/subacute onset

Cryptococcal meningoencephalitis (CM) may present as an acute, subacute, or chronic infection. It manifests as a chronic process in over 75 % of cases, but, sometimes, it presents with a more acute onset, mostly in HIV-associated patients. Until now, there has been no study performed on the clinical features of HIV-negative CM patients with acute/subacute onset. We collected 106 HIV-negative patients diagnosed with CM in our hospital during a 15-year period, analyzed their epidemiological and clinical features, as well as the outcomes, and explored the independent prognosis factors and the factors related to the survival time among them. We found that impaired consciousness (23.4 % vs. 3.4 %, p?=?0.017) was more common in CM patients with acute/subacute onset, while decreased cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) glucose (51.9 % vs. 75.9 %, p?=?0.026) was less common. The ratio of CSF glucose/blood glucose [odds ratio (OR) 0.04, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.004–0.262, p?=?0.02], impaired consciousness (OR 5.09, 95 % CI 1.477–17.522, p?=?0.01), and hospitalization length (OR 0.98, 95 % CI 0.977–0.999, p?=?0.04) were indicated to be not only independent prognosis factors in HIV-negative CM patients with acute/subacute onset, but also factors significantly related to the survival time. The results of our study demonstrated that the contact history and potential history risk factors would not affect the onset process of HIV-negative CM patients, and the mortality, hospitalization length, and survival time has not been related to the onset process. However, the ratio of CSF glucose/blood glucose, consciousness level, and hospitalization length of the HIV-negative CM patients with acute/subacute onset should be of greater focus in the clinical work.     

Association between NME1 polymorphisms and cancer susceptibility: A meta-analysis based on 1644 cases and 2038 controls

The association between polymorphisms in the nucleoside diphosphate kinase 1 (NME1) gene and overall risk of cancer remains to be elucidated. Here, we performed a meta-analysis of the association between rs16949649, rs2302254, and rs34214448 polymorphisms in the NME1 gene and cancer risk. PubMed, Web of Science, and CNKI databases (as of June 6, 2017) were searched. Eight studies, encompassing 1644 cases and 2038 controls, were selected. The results revealed no significant relationship between NME1 polymorphisms and overall cancer susceptibility. Interestingly, the rs16949649 polymorphism was associated with increased susceptibility to gynecological cancer (heterozygous model: odds ratio [OR]?=?1.74, 95% confidence interval [CI]?=?1.06–2.86, P?=?0.029). The rs2302254 polymorphism was linked to decreased susceptibility to gastric cancer in the other groups (recessive model: OR?=?0.53, 95% CI?=?0.28–0.98, P?=?0.045). The rs34214448 polymorphism correlated significantly with increased susceptibility to non-small cell lung cancer according to all genetic models (P?<?0.05) and was linked to decreased risk in cervical cancer (recessive model: OR?=?0.51, 95% CI?=?0.27–0.94, P?=?0.031). Thus, our meta-analysis found rs16949649 associated with increased susceptibility to gynecological cancer and rs2302254 was linked to reduced gastric cancer risk; additional, larger studies are required to confirm these findings.     

Effects of vascular endothelial growth factor expression on pathological characteristics and prognosis of osteosarcoma

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been linked with tumor invasion and metastasis. However, the role of VEGF expression in osteosarcoma remains controversial. By searching the PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar databases, we conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the pathological and prognostic significance of VEGF in osteosarcoma. Studies were pooled, and the odds ratio (OR) and its corresponding 95 % confidence interval (CI) were calculated. Nine relevant articles were included in this meta-analysis study. We performed pooled analysis with available data on the association between VEGF expression and age, gender, tumor stages IIB–III versus I–IIA, tumor recurrence, response to chemotherapy, and tumor metastasis. Our results revealed that VEGF expression might be closely associated with metastasis of osteosarcoma (OR 4.74, 95 % CI 2.53–8.87, P < 0.001). Furthermore, our findings also demonstrated that patients with grade IIB–III osteosarcoma showed a higher frequency of VEGF expression than those with grade I–IIA osteosarcoma (OR 5.33, 95 % CI 2.03–13.98, P = 0.001). We failed to find the association between VEGF expression and age (OR 0.82, 95 % CI 0.44–1.53, P = 0.539), gender (OR 1.33, 95 % CI 0.52–3.42, P = 0.553), tumor recurrence (OR 1.47, 95 % CI 0.56–3.86, P = 0.429), and response to chemotherapy (OR 1.26, 95 % CI 0.14–11.72, P = 0.839). In conclusion, VEGF is related to the grade and metastasis of osteosarcoma. It may play a significant role in clinical guidelines for the treatment and prognostic evaluation.     

FOXO3 rs12212067: T &gt; G Association with Active Tuberculosis in Han Chinese Population

It is well known that the human innate immune and adaptive immune response play important role in tuberculosis (TB) infection and progress. Emerging evidence shows that FOXO3 plays an important role in the human immune system. Recent research has shown that the FOXO3 genetic variants are associated malaria infection. In this study, 268 confirmed TB patients, 321 patients with latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI), and 475 TB-free controls were recruited; the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs12212067: T > G in FOXO3 was genotyped using predesigned TaqMan® allelic discrimination assays. The results showed that the G allele of rs12212067 in FOXO3 was more common in health control and the latent TB group compared with the active TB group (p?=?0.048, odds ratio (OR) 95 % confidence intervals (CI)?=?1.37 (1.00–1.89); p?=?0.042, OR 95 % CI?=?1.42 (1.01–1.99), respectively); furthermore, within active TB patients, the G allele of rs12212067 in FOXO3 was more frequent in extra-pulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) group compared to pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) group (p?=?0.035, OR 95 % CI?=?0.57 (0.33–0.97). In conclusion, this study found that rs12212067 in FOXO3 was associated with increased risk of active TB. The minor G allele might be a protection factor which was found more common in latent TB patients and healthy controls than active TB patients.