Bisphosphonates in the Treatment of Patients With Metastatic Breast,Lung, and Prostate Cancer: A Meta-Analysis

The purpose of this meta-analysis was to investigate whether bisphosphonates are a key therapy for bone metastases in lung cancer, breast cancer, and prostate cancer by comparing all randomized controlled trials that appraised the effects of bisphosphonates on risk of skeletal-related events (SREs).PubMed, Embase, and Medline databases (up to December 2014) were used to search all related articles. Using the data from 19 available publications, the authors examined the efficacy in treating or reducing the risk of SREs in lung cancer, breast cancer, and prostate cancer by meta-analysis.Bisphosphonates have demonstrated efficacy in treating or reducing the risk of SREs in lung cancer [odds ratio (OR) = 0.81, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.69–0.95, P = 0.008], breast cancer (OR = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.54–0.71, P = 0.000), and prostate cancer (OR = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.45–0.86, P = 0.004).This meta-analysis suggests that bisphosphonates have demonstrated efficacy in treating or reducing the risk of SREs in lung cancer, breast cancer, and prostate cancer.     

Genetic Variations in Key MicroRNAs are Associated With the Survival of Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small, noncoding RNA molecules involved in carcinogenesis. It has been identified that genetic variations in miRNAs contribute to cancer risk, prognosis, and survival. In the present study, we investigated whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of several key miRNAs (miR-184, miR-218, and miR-124) were associated with the prognosis of nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in a clinical cohort study including 1001 cases. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We found that 5 SNPs were associated with NSCLC survival (rs919968, rs3775815, rs4867902, and rs6122390 in an additive model: adjusted HR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.02–1.29; adjusted HR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.67–0.91, adjusted HR = 1.24, 95% CI = 1.09–1.41; adjusted HR = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.07–1.36, respectively; rs298206 in a dominant model: HR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.05–1.49). Even after the Bonferroni correction, 3 SNPs remained significant (adjusted P = 0.010, 0.010, and 0.032 for rs3775815, rs4867902, and rs6122390, respectively). Additionally, the combined analysis of these 5 SNPs showed a significant locus-dosage effect between number of unfavorable alleles (rs919968-A, rs3775815-C, rs4867902-G, rs6122390-A, and rs298206-T) and death risk of NSCLC (P for trend < 0.001). A statistically significant multiplicative interaction was found between the genotypes of rs4867902 and surgical operation status (P_int = 0.013). These findings indicated that genetic variations in miRNAs (miR-184, miR-218, and miR-124) might be prognostic markers for NSCLC patients.     

Meta-Analysis of Prognostic and Clinical Significance of CD44v6 in Esophageal Cancer

CD44v6 is a cell adhesion molecule that plays an important role in the development and progression of esophageal cancer. However, the prognostic value and clinical significance of CD44v6 in esophageal cancer remains controversial. In the present study, we aimed to clarify these relationships through a meta-analysis.We performed a comprehensive search of studies from PubMed, EMBASE, Ovid library database, Google scholar, and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure databases that were published before June 2015. The odds ratio (OR) and pooled hazard ratio (HR) with the 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to estimate the effects.Twenty-one studies including 1504 patients with esophageal cancer were selected to assess the prognostic value and clinical significance of CD44v6 in these patients. The results showed that the expression of CD44v6 was higher in esophageal cancer tissue than in normal colorectal tissue (OR = 9.19, 95% CI = 6.30–13.42). Moreover, expression of CD44v6 was higher in patients with lymphoid nodal metastasis, compared to those without (OR = 6.91, 95% CI = 4.81–9.93). The pooled results showed that CD44v6 was associated with survival in patients with esophageal cancer (HR = 2.47, 95% CI = 1.56–3.92). No significant difference in CD44v6 expression was found in patients with different histological types and tumor stages (both P > 0.05). Moreover, no publication bias was found among the studies (all P > 0.05).This meta-analysis demonstrates that CD44v6 is associated with the metastasis of esophageal cancer and a poor prognosis, but is not associated with the histological types and tumor stages.     

Digestive system symptoms and function in children with COVID-19: A meta-analysis

The prevalence of children exhibiting coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with digestive system involvement remains unknown. Therefore, we aimed to quantify the impact of COVID-19 on the digestive system of children.In this meta-analysis, we searched PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science from January 1, 2020, to June 31, 2020. We also searched for COVID-19 publications in specific journals for more comprehensive results. We included studies that reported the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of COVID-19, and we excluded duplicate publications, reviews, animal studies, case reports, publications without the full text, studies with incomplete information, and studies from which data extraction was impossible.We conducted a meta-analysis of the incidence of gastrointestinal symptoms and changes in liver function involving 19 studies. The pooled prevalence of diarrhea was 10% (95% CI: 7–14; I² = 84%), that of nausea or vomiting was 7% (95% CI: 5–11; I² = 77%), and that of abdominal pain was 4% (95% CI: 2–9; I² = 79%). In addition, the pooled incidence of increased alanine aminotransferase was 8% (95% CI: 5–15; I² = 46%), and the pooled incidence of increased AST was 15% (95% CI: 9–26; I² = 66%). The pooled rate of recovery was 97% (95% CI: 94–100; I² = 86%), and the pooled rate of death, which was 1% (95% CI: 1–4; I² = 48%), was much smaller than the recovery rate.Our research shows that digestive system symptoms and function in children with COVID-19 are not uncommon. More attention should be paid to this unique group of patients.     

The efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant nimotuzumab for gastric cancer: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies

Introduction:The efficacy of neoadjuvant nimotuzumab for gastric cancer remained controversial. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to explore the efficacy of neoadjuvant nimotuzumab plus chemotherapy vs chemotherapy for gastric cancer.Methods:We have searched PubMed, EMbase, Web of science, EBSCO, and Cochrane library databases through May 2019, and included randomized controlled trials assessing the efficacy of neoadjuvant nimotuzumab plus chemotherapy vs chemotherapy for gastric cancer. This meta-analysis was performed using the random-effect model.Results:Four randomized controlled trials were included in the meta-analysis. There were 128 patients included in intervention group and 131 patients included in control group. Overall, compared with chemotherapy for gastric cancer, neoadjuvant nimotuzumab plus chemotherapy showed no substantial influence on response rate (risk ratio [RR] = 1.22; 95% CI = 0.78–1.89; P = .38), disease control rate (RR = 2.22; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.32–15.40; P = .42), rash (RR = 1.26; 95% CI = 0.96–1.66; P = .10), neutropenia (RR = 1.26; 95% CI = 0.96–1.66; P = .10), anemia (RR = 1.08; 95% CI = 0.62–1.89; P = .78), or nausea (RR = 1.19; 95% CI = 0.96–1.48; P = .12), but might improve the incidence of vomiting (RR = 1.60; 95% CI = 1.03–2.50; P = .04).Conclusions:Neoadjuvant nimotuzumab might provide no additional benefits to the treatment of gastric cancer.     

Diagnostic and Prognostic Value of Serum Interleukin-6 in Colorectal Cancer

The application of serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the diagnosis and prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) has been evaluated in many studies, whereas the results were contradictive.The aim of this study was to systematically evaluate this issue.An original study was conducted to explore the diagnostic value of serum IL-6 in CRC. Pubmed, Embase, and Cochrane library databases were searched for eligible studies.For diagnostic meta-analysis, aggregate data (AD) and individual participant data (IPD) meta-analyses were both adopted. The sensitivity and specificity were pooled and a summary receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed. For prognostic meta-analysis, study-specific hazard ratios (HRs) of IL-6 for survival were summarized. Secondary analysis of survival data was performed to synthesize the Kaplan–Meier curves.Total 17 studies (including our study) were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and area under curve (AUC) of serum IL-6 were 0.72 (95% CI: 0.46–0.88), 0.74 (95% CI: 0.56–0.86), and 0.79 (95% CI: 0.75–0.82) in CRC diagnosis, respectively. Further, IPD meta-analysis strengthened the diagnostic value of serum IL-6 (the AUC, sensitivity, and specificity were 0.794, 0.606, and 0.839, respectively). For prognostic analysis, the high serum level of IL-6 was inversely associated with overall survival (OS) (pooled HR = 1.76, 95% CI: 1.42–2.19, P < 0.001) and disease-free survival (DFS) (pooled HR = 2.97, 95% CI: 1.76–5.01, P < 0.001). The synthesized Kaplan–Meier curves indicated that CRC patients with higher serum IL-6 level had a worse OS (P = 0.0027) and DFS (P < 0.001), which further support the prognostic value of serum IL-6 in CRC patients.The present study confirmed that serum IL-6 may be a potential biomarker for CRC diagnosis, and the high serum IL-6 level was associated with poor prognosis for both CRC overall survival and disease-free survival.The study has been registered in an international registry of systematic reviews PROSPERO (CRD42013006485).     

Long-Term Coffee Consumption and Risk of Gastric Cancer: A PRISMA-Compliant Dose–Response Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies

Association between coffee consumption and gastric cancer risk remains controversial. Hence, we performed a meta-analysis to investigate and quantify the potential dose–response association between long-term coffee consumption and risk of gastric cancer.Pertinent studies were identified by searching PubMed and Embase from January 1996 through February 10, 2015 and by reviewing the reference lists of retrieved publications. Prospective cohort studies in which authors reported effect sizes and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of gastric cancer for 3 or more categories of coffee consumption were eligible. Results from eligible studies were aggregated using a random effect model. All analyses were carried out using the STATA 12.0 software.Nine studies involving 15 independent prospective cohorts were finally included. A total of 2019 incident cases of gastric cancer were ascertained among 1,289,314 participants with mean follow-up periods ranging from 8 to 18 years. No nonlinear relationship of coffee consumption with gastric cancer risk was indentified (P for nonlinearity = 0.53; P for heterogeneity = 0.004). The linear regression model showed that the combined relative risk (RR) of every 3 cups/day increment of total coffee consumption was 1.07 (95% CI = 0.95–1.21). Compared with the lowest category of coffee consumption, the RR of gastric cancer was 1.18 (95% CI = 0.90–1.55) for the highest (median 6.5 cups/day) category, 1.06 (95% CI = 0.85–1.32) for the second highest category (median 3.5 cups/day), and 0.97 (95% CI = 0.79–1.20) for the third highest category (median 1.5 cups/day). Subgroup analysis showed an elevated risk in the US population (RR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.06–1.75) and no adjustment for smoking (RR = 1.67, 95% CI = 1.08–2.59) for 6.5 cups/day.Current evidence indicated there was no nonlinear association between coffee consumption and gastric cancer risk. However, high coffee consumption (more than 6.5 cups/day) might increase the risk of gastric cancer in the US population. More high quality studies were warranted to further investigate the association.     

Diagnostic utility of CT for abdominal injury in the military setting: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background:It is critical to accurately identify patients with abdominal injury who truly need to undergo laparotomy during the war in timely fashion. The diagnostic utility of computed tomography (CT) for evaluating abdominal injury in the military setting remains uncertain.Methods:PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases were searched. Meta-analyses were performed by using a random-effect model. We pooled the area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curves with standard errors, the Q indexes with standard errors, the sensitivities with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), the specificities with 95% CIs, the positive likelihood ratios with 95% CIs, the negative likelihood ratios with 95% CIs, and the diagnostic odds ratios with 95% CIs. The heterogeneity among studies were evaluated by the I² and P value.Results:Overall, 5 retrospective studies were included. The area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.9761 ± 0.0215 and the Q index was 0.9302 ± 0.0378. The pooled sensitivity was 0.97 (95% CI = 0.92–0.99) without a significant heterogeneity among studies (I² = 0%, P = .4538). The pooled specificity was 0.95 (95% CI = 0.93–0.97) with a significant heterogeneity among studies (I² = 90.6%, P < .0001). The pooled positive likelihood ratio was 10.71 (95% CI: 2.91–39.43) with a significant heterogeneity among studies (I² = 89.2%, P < .0001). The pooled negative likelihood ratio was 0.07 (95% CI = 0.02–0.27) with a significant heterogeneity among studies (I² = 57.5%, P = .0516). The pooled diagnostic odds ratio was 177.48 (95% CI = 18.09–1741.31) with a significant heterogeneity among studies (I² = 75.9%, P = .0023).Conclusion:Diagnostic accuracy of CT for abdominal injury is excellent in the military setting. Further work should explore how to shrink CT equipment for a wider use in wartime.     

Lack of association between BDNF rs6265 polymorphism and risk of type 2 diabetes: A protocol for meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis

Background:Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) rs6265 polymorphism has been previously suggested to be associated with the susceptibility of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but results remained controversial. We aim to provide a more reliable conclusion about the association between BDNF rs6265 polymorphism and T2DM risk by using a meta-analysis.Methods:Electronic databases such as Pubmed, Embase, CNKI, and Wanfang were searched for relevant articles published up to May 06, 2020. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to evaluate the strength of the associations. Subgroup analysis was carried out according to source of controls and quality score of included studies. A trial sequential analysis was conducted to reduce the risk of type I error.Results:A total of 8 case-control studies (7 conducted in China) with 1576 T2DM patients and 1866 controls were included. Overall, our results indicated no significant association between BDNF rs6265 polymorphism and T2DM risk with the random-effects model (allele model: pooled OR = 1.14, 95% CI = 0.79–1.65, homozygote model: pooled OR = 1.13, 95% CI = 0.57–2.21, heterozygote model: pooled OR = 1.07, 95% CI = 0.78–1.48, dominant model: pooled OR = 1.14, 95% CI = 0.74–1.75 and recessive model: pooled OR = 1.10, 95% CI = 0.67–1.80). Subgroup analysis by source of controls and quality score also showed no significant association between BDNF rs6265 polymorphism and T2DM risk. Trial sequential analysis results confirmed the null association and further studies were unnecessary.Conclusion:This meta-analysis study indicated that no significant association between BDNF rs6265 polymorphism and T2DM risk.     

Role of Endoglin Insertion and rs1800956 Polymorphisms in Intracranial Aneurysm Susceptibility: A Meta-Analysis

Endoglin is an essential molecule during angiogenesis, vascular development, and integrity. Till now, many studies have investigated the association between endoglin polymorphisms and intracranial aneurysm (IA) risk, with the results remained inconclusive. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to summarize the possible association.We searched PubMed and Embase until June 2015 to identify studies addressing the association between endoglin polymorphisms and IA risk. The summary odds ratios (ORs) and their corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated to assess the strength of the association.Eleven studies with a total of 1501 cases and 2012 controls were finally included in this meta-analysis, with 10 studies investigating endoglin 6-bp insertion (6bINS) polymorphism and 4 studies investigating 1800956 polymorphism. No significant association between endoglin 6bINS polymorphism and IA risk was detected in overall estimation (I/I vs wt/I + wt/wt: OR = 1.21, 95% CI = 0.87–1.69) or in the subgroup analysis by ethnicity, control source, or ruptured status. However, we observed an association with borderline significance of 6bINS with IA occurrence (I/I vs wt/I + wt/wt: OR = 1.49, 95% CI = 0.99–2.25, P = 0.058) in studies applying matched controls. Furthermore, we detected a significant association for 6bINS polymorphism of endoglin with increased risk of familial IA (I vs wt, OR = 1.64, 95% CI = 1.10–2.42) but not sporadic IA (I vs wt, OR = 1.09, 95% CI = 0.68–1.45). With regard to rs1800956, our pooled results indicated a significantly decreased IA risk in individuals carrying C allele (C/C vs G/C + G/G: OR = 0.65; 95% CI = 0.45–0.94).This meta-analysis provided no evidence for the association between 6bINS polymorphism with overall IA risk. However, we detected a significant association of 6bINS allele with increased risk of familial IA. Also, we found that rs1800956 was significantly related to IA occurrence. Further, well-designed studies with large sample size are warranted and updated meta-analysis is needed to verify our findings.     

Prognostic and clinicopathological significance of miR-638 in cancer patients: A meta-analysis

Introduction:MiR-638 is believed to be involved in human cancers. However, the prognostic value of miR-638 in human carcinomas is controversial and inconclusive. Therefore, we conducted this meta-analysis to investigate the association between miR-638 expression and clinical outcomes in the patients with various cancers.Methods:We searched Pubmed, Embase, Wanfang, and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) up to September 1, 2020 to identify relevant studies. Hazard ratios (HRs) and odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to correlate expression of miR-638 with prognosis and clinicopathological features.Results:A total of 18 studies involving 1886 patients were included in the meta-analysis. The results revealed that low miR-638 expression was significantly correlated with poor overall survival (OS) (HR = 2.09, 95% CI: 1.46–2.98, P < .001), but not with disease-free survival (DFS) (HR = 1.71, 95% CI: 0.31–9.56, P = .540). Subgroup analysis found that low miR-638 expression was associated with worse OS in patients with digestive system cancer (HR = 2.47, 95% CI: 1.85–3.30, P < .001), the reported directly from articles group (HR = 2.12, 95% CI: 1.34–3.33, P < .001), survival curves group (HR = 2.02, 95% CI: 1.07–3.80, P = .029), in studies with sample size ≥100 (HR = 2.12, 95% CI: 1.34–3.35, P = .001), and in studies with sample size <100 (HR = 2.02, 95%CI: 1.09–3.75, P = .025). Moreover, cancer patients with low miR-638 expression were prone to tumor size (OR = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.03–2.09, P = .035), earlier lymph node metastasis (present vs absent, OR = 2.26, 95% CI: 1.63–3.14, P < .001), earlier distant metastasis (present vs absent, OR = 2.60, 95% CI: 1.45–4.67, P < .001), TNM stage (III-IV vs I-II, OR = 2.01, 95% CI: 1.35–2.99, P = .001), and portal vein invasion (present vs absent, OR = 4.39, 95% CI:2.23–8.64, P < .001), but not associated with age, gender, tumor differentiation, and vascular invasion.Conclusions:MiR-638 may serve as a promising indicator in the prediction of prognosis and clinicopathological features in patients with different kinds of cancers.     

Genetic Association Between Angiotensinogen Polymorphisms and Lung Cancer Risk

Earlier published studies investigating the association between polymorphisms in the angiotensinogen gene and lung cancer risk showed no consistent results. In this study, we have summarized all currently available data to examine the correlation by meta-analysis.Case–control studies addressing the association being examined were identified through Embase, the Cochrane Library, ISI Web of Science (Web of Knowledge), Google Scholar, PubMed, and CNKI databases. Risk of lung cancer (odds ratio [OR] and 95% confidence interval [CI]) was estimated with the fixed or the random effects model assuming homozygous, allele, heterozygous, dominant, and recessive models for all angiotensinogen polymorphisms.We identified a total of 10 articles in this meta-analysis, including 7 for Leu84Phe, 4 for Ile143Val, and 3 for Leu53Leu. In the meta-analysis of Leu84Phe polymorphism, the homozygous model provided an OR of 1.44 (Phe/Phe vs Ile/Ile: OR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.04–1.99, P values for heterogeneity test (Q-test) [P_Het] = 0.382). The significantly increased risk was similarly indicated in the recessive model (Phe/Phe vs Phe/Ile + Ile/Ile: OR = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.02–1.95, P_Het = 0.381). We also observed a positive association in the Caucasian subgroup. The heterozygous model and the dominant model tested for the Ile143Val polymorphism showed a marginally increased risk (Ile/Val vs Ile/Ile: OR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.00–1.36, P_Het = 0.323; Val/Val + Ile/Val vs Ile/Ile: OR = 1.15, 95% CI = 0.99–1.34, P_Het = 0.253).These data suggest that Leu84Phe and Ile143Val polymorphisms in the angiotensinogen gene may be useful biomarkers for lung cancer in some specific populations.     

The effect of folate intake on ovarian cancer risk: A meta-analysis of observational studies

Background:Previous publications studied the correction about folate intake and ovarian cancer risk, with inconsistent results. This meta-analysis aimed to explore the association between folate intake and ovarian cancer risk using the existing published articles.Method:We searched for relevant studies in electronic databases of PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane, and Wanfang databases from inception to May 31, 2020. The overall relative risk (RR) and its 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were pooled using a random-effect model.Results:A total of 12 articles with 6304 ovarian cancer cases were suitable for the inclusion criteria. The evaluated of the ovarian cancer risk with total folate intake and dietary folate intake were reported in 6 articles and 10 articles, respectively. Overall, highest category of dietary folate intake compared with lowest category had nonsignificant association on the risk of ovarian cancer (RR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.77–1.06). The association was not significant between total folate intake and ovarian cancer risk (RR = 1.06, 95% CI = 0.89–1.27). The results in subgroup analyses by study design and geographic location were not changed either in dietary folate intake analysis or in total folate intake analysis.Conclusion:Our meta-analysis demonstrates that folate intake had no significant association on the risk of ovarian cancer. Study design and geographic location were not associated with ovarian cancer while some other related factors were not investigated due to the limited information provided in each included study. Therefore, further studies are needed to verify our results.     

The Polymorphism of CYP2E1 Rsa I/Pst I Gene and Susceptibility to Respiratory System Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 34 Studies

The purpose of this articles is to determine whether the cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) Rsa I/Pst I gene polymorphism is correlated with respiratory system cancers.Respiratory system cancers included lung cancer, laryngeal cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer, and cancers of other respiratory organs, which are the most common malignant tumors worldwide; the significant relationship between CYP2E1 Rsa I/Pst I gene polymorphism and some respiratory system cancer have been reported, but results of some other studies are controversial. The pooled odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated to assess the association.PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library Databases, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang Database (up to July 20, 2014) were searched for all case–control studies those mainly studied the relationship between CYP2E1 Rsa I/Pst I gene polymorphism and the susceptibility of respiratory system cancer.A total of 332 articles were collected, among which 34 studies that involved 7028 cases and 9822 controls fulfilled the inclusion criteria after being assessed by 2 reviewers. When stratified by cancer site, the C2/C2 polymorphism could increase the risk of nasopharyngeal cancer under the homozygote model (C2C2 vs C1C1: OR = 1.85, 95% CI = 1.20–2.85, P = 0.005) and recessive model (C2C2 vs C1C2/C1C1: OR = 1.89, 95% CI = 1.23–2.89, P = 0.003). Protection effect was found in lung cancer in heterozygote model (C1C2 vs C1C1: OR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.74–0.91, P < 0.001), dominant model (C1C2/C2C2 vs C1C1: OR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.76–0.90, P < 0.001), and allele contrast model (C2 vs C1: OR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.73–1.00, P = 0.045). With regard to ethnicity subgroup analysis, there was significant association in Asian population in heterozygote model (C1C2 vs C1C1: OR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.78–0.94, P = 0.001), dominant model (C1C2/C2C2 vs C1C1: OR = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.81–0.95, P = 0.001), and recessive model (C2C2 vs C1C2/C1C1: OR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.01–1.53, P = 0.036).CYP2E1 Rsa I/Pst I gene polymorphism may reduce the risk of respiratory system cancer. Furthermore, significant association was also found in Asian populations.     

Anlotinib,a novel TKI,as a third-line or further-line treatment in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer in China: A systemic review and meta-analysis of its efficacy and safety

Purpose:In this meta-analysis and systemic review, we focused on the effectiveness and safety of anlotinib in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC).Methods:The databases of PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang, and CBM were searched by 2 investigators up to April 2020. Titles and abstracts of all records were screened and eligible publications were retrieved in full. Review Manager (version 5.2, Cochrane Library) was used for data analysis. The outcomes of interest were disease control rate (DCR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and treatment-related adverse event (TRAE). Data was pooled for quantitative analysis and the effect size was reported as hazard ratio for survival outcomes and odds ratio (OR) for safety outcomes, both with a random-effects model.Results:A sum of 1480 patients were included in 11 trials ranging from 2018 to 2020. Substantial improvements of PFS, OS, and DCR were observed in patients treated with anlotinib alone or in combination with other conventional treatment. Accompanied TRAE included statistically significant higher risk for hypertension (OR = 11.05, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 7.85–15.55, P < .001), hepatic dysfunction (OR = 1.96, 95% CI = 1.29–2.68, P < .001), diarrhea (OR = 2.20, 95% CI = 1.17–4.16, P < .05), and hemoptysis (OR = 2.59, 95% CI = 1.71–3.93, P < .01).Conclusions:Our study suggested that anlotinib as maintenance therapy for advanced NSCLC patients is associated with prolonged PFS and OS as well as DCR improvement, but it was accompanied by increased risk of TRAE, such as hypertension, hepatic dysfunction, diarrhea and hemoptysis. Although much effort has been made to clinical trials of anlotinib, further studies are warranted to provide more convincing evidence.     

Perioperative omega-3 fatty acids for liver surgery: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Introduction:The effect of perioperative omega-3 fatty acids for liver surgery remained controversial. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to explore the influence of omega-3 fatty acids versus placebo in patients undergoing liver surgery.Methods:We have searched PubMed, EMbase, Web of science, EBSCO, and Cochrane library databases through May 2020, and included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effect of omega-3 fatty acids versus placebo for liver surgery. This meta-analysis was performed using the random-effect model.Results:Five RCTs were included in the meta-analysis. Overall, compared with control group for liver surgery, omega-3 fatty acids were associated with substantially reduced incidence of infection (odd ratio [OR]=0.56; 95% confidence interval [CI] =0.34–0.91; P = .02), but revealed no remarkable influence on complications (OR = 0.60; 95% CI = 0.29–1.24; P = .17), mortality (OR = 0.76; 95% CI = 0.06–9.37; P = .83), liver failure (OR = 0.72; 95% CI = 0.10 to 5.00; P = 0.74), biliary leakage (OR=1.24; 95% CI = 0.41 to 3.76; P = .70), bleeding (OR = 1.76; 95% CI = 0.63–4.95; P = .28), or ileus (OR = 0.39; 95% CI = 0.07–2.05; P = .27).Conclusion:Perioperative omega-3 fatty acids may be beneficial to reduce the incidence of infection after liver surgery.     

Association Between 3 IL-10 Gene Polymorphisms and Cardiovascular Disease Risk: Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis and Trial Sequential Analysis

Previous studies have yielded controversial results related to the contribution of interleukin 10 (IL-10) gene polymorphisms (IL-10 -592C/A, IL-10 -1082G/A, and IL-10 -819C/T) in the progression of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Thus, we performed a meta-analysis to summarize this situation.Eligible studies were retrieved by searching PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library with the last search up to July 7, 2015. Data were pooled by odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). False-positive report probability (FPRP) analysis was conducted for all significant findings. Genotype-based mRNA expression analysis was also performed using data from 270 individuals with different ethnicities.Finally, 19 studies for IL-10 -592C/A polymorphism (7284 cases and 7469 controls), 21 studies for IL-10 -1082G/A polymorphism (8263 cases and 5765 controls), and 12 studies for IL-10 -819C/T polymorphism (4502 cases and 3190 controls) were included in the meta-analyses. With respect to IL-10 -819C/T polymorphism, statistically significant decreased CVD risk was found when all studies were pooled into the meta-analysis (T vs C: OR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.84–0.98; TT + TC vs CC: OR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.81–1.00). Subgroup analyses stratified by disease subtype suggested the -819C/T polymorphism was significantly associated with a decreased CAD risk (T vs C: OR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.83–0.97; TT vs CC: OR = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.66–1.00; TT vs TC + CC: OR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.69–0.98; TT + TC vs CC: OR = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.80–0.99), which was noteworthy finding as evaluated by FPRP. However, with regard to IL-10 -592C/A and IL-10 -1082G/A polymorphisms, no significant association with CVD risk was observed in the overall and subgroup analyses.In conventional meta-analyses, the results suggested that IL-10 -819C/T polymorphism was associated with decreased risk of CVD, especially CAD outcome, whereas IL-10 -592C/A and IL-10 -1082G/A polymorphisms might have no influence on the susceptibility of CVD. However, trial sequential analysis does not allow us to draw any solid conclusion for the association between IL-10 -592C/A or IL-10 -1082G/A polymorphism and CVD risk. Further large and well-designed studies are still needed.