Helminth infections and allergic diseases: systematic review and meta-analysis of the global literature

IntroductionChildhood infections, particularly those caused by helminths are considered to be important environmental exposures influencing the development of allergic diseases. However, epidemiological studies focusing on the relationship between helminth infections and risk of allergic diseases, performed worldwide, show inconsistent findings. Previous systematic reviews of observational studies published 10 or more years ago showed conflicting findings for effects of helminths on allergic diseases. Over the past 10 years there has been growing literature addressing this research area and these need to be considered in order to appreciate the most contemporary evidence. The objective of the current systematic review will be to provide an up-to-date synthesis of findings of observational studies investigating the influence of helminth infections on atopy, and allergic diseases.Methods and analysisThis systematic review protocol was registered at PROSPERO. We will search Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, AMED, ISI Web of Science, WHO Global Health Library, Scielo, IndMed, PakMediNet, KoreaMed, Ichushi for published studies from 1970 to January 2020. Bibliographies of all eligible studies will be reviewed to identify additional studies. Unpublished and ongoing research will also be searched in key databases. There will be no language or geographical restrictions regarding publications. Critical Appraisal Skills Programme quality assessment tool will be used to appraise methodological quality of included studies. A descriptive summary with data tables will be constructed, and if adequate, meta-analysis using random-effects will be performed. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses checklist will be followed for reporting of the systematic review.Ethics and disseminationSince this systematic review will be only based on published and retrievable literature, no ethics approval will be sought. The multidisciplinary team performing this systematic review will participate in relevant dissemination activities. Findings will be presented at scientific meetings and publish the systematic review in international, peer-reviewed, open-access journals.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020167249.

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Helminth infections and micronutrients in school-age children: a systematic review and meta-analysis

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition ◽

10.3945/ajcn.113.069955 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 99 (6) ◽

pp. 1499-1509 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Brechje de Gier ◽

Maiza Campos Ponce ◽

Margot van de Bor ◽

Colleen M Doak ◽

Katja Polman

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

School Age Children ◽

School Age ◽

Helminth Infections

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Anxiety and depression risk in patients with allergic rhinitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Rhinology Journal ◽

10.4193/rhin21.087 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 0 (0) ◽

pp. 0-0

Author(s):

J. Rodrigues ◽

F. Franco-Pego ◽

B. Sousa-Pinto ◽

J. Bousquet ◽

K. Raemdonck ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Allergic Rhinitis ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Allergic Diseases ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Depression Risk ◽

Mental Comorbidities ◽

Multivariable Regression ◽

Multivariable Regression Models

Background: Allergic diseases appear to be associated with mood disorders. However, particularly regarding allergic rhinitis (AR), such association has not been adequately systematically reviewed. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to quantify the association between AR and depression and anxiety. Methodology: We performed an electronic search of PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus for observational studies assessing the association between AR and depression and anxiety. Such association was quantified by means of random-effects meta-analysis, with estimation of pooled odds ratio (OR). Sources of heterogeneity were explored by subgroup analysis. Results: We included a total of 24 primary studies, of which 23 assessed depression and 11 assessed anxiety. Of these, 12 studies presented OR from multivariable regression models and were included in our meta-analysis. AR was associated with higher odds of depression and anxiety. Conclusions: AR appears to be associated with high risk of depression and anxiety. While our results point to the importance of mental comorbidities among patients with AR, longitudinal studies are needed adopting uniform definitions and presenting results stratified by AR severity.

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