scholarly journals BCG Vaccination in Early Childhood and Risk of Atopic Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Keyu Zhao ◽  
Phoebe Miles ◽  
Xinyu Jiang ◽  
Qiongyan Zhou ◽  
Chao Cao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Protective Efficacy ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Atopic Disease ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Bcg Vaccine ◽  
Asthma Prevalence ◽  
Atopic Diseases ◽  
Bcg Vaccination

Background. Several large-scale studies suggest that Bacille Calmette–Guerin (BCG) vaccination in early childhood may reduce the risk of atopic diseases, but the findings remain controversial. Here, we aimed to investigate the potential correlation between early childhood BCG vaccination and the risk of developing atopic diseases. Methods. Eligible studies published on PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane CENTRAL were systematically sourced from 1950 to July 2021. Studies with over 100 participants and focusing on the association between BCG vaccine and atopic diseases including eczema, asthma, and rhinitis were included. Preliminary assessment of methods, interventions, outcomes, and study quality was performed by two independent investigators. Odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated. Random effects of the meta-analysis were performed to define pooled estimates of the effects. Results. Twenty studies with a total of 222,928 participants were selected. The quantitative analysis revealed that administering BCG vaccine in early childhood reduced the risk of developing asthma significantly (OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.63 to 0.93), indicating a protective efficacy of 23% against asthma development among vaccinated children. However, early administration of BCG vaccine did not significantly reduce the risk of developing eczema (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.76 to 1.16) and rhinitis (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.81 to 1.21). Further analysis revealed that the effect of BCG vaccination on asthma prevalence was significant especially in developed countries (OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.58 to 0.92). Conclusion. BCG vaccination in early childhood is associated with reduced risk of atopic disease, especially in developed countries.

scholarly journals Modeling the Impact of Nationwide BCG Vaccine Recommendations on COVID-19 Transmission, Severity, and Mortality

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nita H Shah ◽  
Ankush Suthar ◽  
Moksha H Satia ◽  
Yash Shah ◽  
Nehal Shukla ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health System ◽  
Equilibrium Point ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Bcg Vaccine ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Bcg Vaccination ◽  
Vaccine Recommendations ◽  
Incidence And Mortality ◽  
The Impact

COVID-19 was declared as pandemic on 11th March 2020 by WHO. There are apparent dissimilarities in incidence and mortality of COVID-19 cases in different parts of world. Developing countries in Asia and Africa with fragile health system have shown lower incidence and mortality compared to developed countries with superior health system in Europe and America. Most countries in Asia and Africa have national BCG vaccination program while Europe and America do not have such program, or have ceased it. At present, there is no known therapy to treat COVID-19 disease. There is no vaccine available currently to prevent COVID- 19 disease. As mathematical modelling is ideal for predicting the rate of disease transmission as well as evaluating efficacy of possible public health prevention measures, we have created a mathematical model with seven compartments to understand nationwide BCG vaccine recommendation on COVID-19 transmission, severity and mortality. We have computed two basic reproduction number, one at vaccine free equilibrium point and other at non-vaccine free equilibrium point and carried out local stability, sensitivity and numerical analysis. Our result showed that individuals with BCG vaccinations have lower risk of getting COVID-19 infection, shorter hospital stays, and increased rate of recovery. Furthermore, countries with long-standing universal BCG vaccination policies have reduced incidence, mortality, and severity of COVID-19. Further research will focus on exploring the immediate benefits of vaccination to healthcare workers and patients as well as benefits of BCG re-vaccination.

scholarly journals Are prenatal anxiety or depression symptoms associated with asthma or atopic diseases throughout the offspring’s childhood? An updated systematic review and meta-analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuguang Chen ◽  
Sheng Chen
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Atopic Dermatitis ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Childhood Asthma ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Atopic Disease ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
Atopic Diseases ◽  
Random Effects Models

Abstract Background Asthma is the most common respiratory disease among children, while atopic diseases such as atopic dermatitis affect about 20% of infants under 2 years of age. Studies suggested that these conditions might be related to prenatal depression or anxiety. This study aimed to explore the association between prenatal mental disorders and childhood asthma or atopic disease in a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched up to May 2020. The primary outcome was childhood asthma and childhood atopic dermatitis. Random-effects models were used because of high heterogeneity indicated by I2 > 50% and Q-test P < 0.10. Results A total of 598 studies were initially identified, but nine studies met the inclusion criteria. Prenatal mental disorder was associated with childhood asthma (n = 6 studies; ES = 1.146, 95%CI: 1.054–1.245, P = 0.001; I2 = 93.5%, Pheterogeneity < 0.001) whereas no significant association was found for childhood atopic dermatitis (n = 4 studies; ES = 1.211, 95%CI: 0.982–1.494, P = 0.073; I2 = 78.5%, Pheterogeneity < 0.001). Childhood asthma seems to be related more to depression (n = 1 study; ES = 1.170, 95%CI: 1.061–1.291, P = 0.002) and anxiety/depression (n = 4 studies; ES = 1.157, 95%CI: 1.050–1.275, P = 0.073; I2 = 95.3%, Pheterogeneity < 0.001). Conclusion This meta-analysis demonstrated that prenatal mental disorders increase the risk of childhood asthma. We limited the included samples to pregnant women to investigate the association between prenatal psychological factors and offspring’s physical health. Future studies should include large high-quality cohort studies to investigate the behavioral, environmental, and genetic causes for this association.

scholarly journals Does prenatal anxiety or depression symptoms are associated with asthma or atopic diseases throughout the offspring’s childhood? An updated systematic review and meta-analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuguang Chen ◽  
Sheng Chen
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Atopic Dermatitis ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Childhood Asthma ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Atopic Disease ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
Atopic Diseases ◽  
Random Effects Models

Abstract BackgroundAsthma is the most common respiratory disease among children, while atopic diseases such as atopic dermatitis affect about 20% of infants under 2 years old. Recently, studies suggest that they may all be related to prenatal depression or anxiety, but further research and analysis are needed. This study aimed to explore the association between prenatal mental disorders and childhood asthma or atopic disease in a systematic review and meta-analysis of nine studies. MethodsPubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched up to May 2020. The primary outcome was childhood asthma and childhood atopic dermatitis. Random-effects models were used because of high heterogeneity indicated by I2 >50% and Q-test P<0.10. ResultsA total of 598 studies were initially identified, but nine studies met the inclusion criteria. Prenatal mental disorder was associated with childhood asthma (n=6 studies; ES=1.146, 95%CI: 1.054-1.245, P=0.001; I2=93.5%, Pheterogeneity<0.001) whereas no significant association was found for childhood atopic dermatitis (n=4 studies; ES=1.211, 95%CI: 0.982-1.494, P=0.073; I2=78.5%, Pheterogeneity<0.001). Childhood asthma seems to be related more to depression (n=1 study; ES=1.170, 95%CI: 1.061-1.291, P=0.002) and anxiety/depression (n=4 studies; ES=1.157, 95%CI: 1.050-1.275, P=0.073; I2=95.3%, Pheterogeneity<0.001). ConclusionThis meta-analysis demonstrated that prenatal mental disorders increase the risk of childhood asthma. We limited the included samples to pregnant women to investigate the association between prenatal psychological factors and offspring’s physical health. Future studies should include large high-quality cohort studies to investigate the behavioral, environmental, and genetic causes for this association.

scholarly journals Relationship between Bacillus Calmette Guerin Vaccination Policy and Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) Incidence

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soheila Alyasin ◽  
Zahra Kanannejad ◽  
Hossein Esmaeilzadeh ◽  
Hesamedin Nabavizadeh ◽  
Mohammad Amin Ghatee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trial ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Bcg Vaccine ◽  
Confounding Factors ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
Bacillus Calmette Guerin ◽  
Vaccination Policy ◽  
Bcg Vaccination

Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG) was designed for protecting children against tuberculosis. Also, it can protect against other infectious diseases through the induction of trained immunity. Due to its heterologous protective effects, the BCG vaccine has been proposed as a treatment option for coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Epidemiological studies have found that countries without BCG vaccination policy have experienced higher mortality rates related to COVID-19 infection than those with BCG vaccination policy. However, there are some confounding factors such as age, population intensity, immigration, the pandemic phase, and data accuracy that may affect these results. Therefore, this hypothesis should be evaluated by clinical trial studies. Large-scale clinical trials are in progress to investigate if the BCG vaccine could be used as a useful tool for protection against COVID-19 infection.

scholarly journals A multiple T cell epitope comprising DNA vaccine boosts the protective efficacy of Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) against Mycobacterium tuberculosis

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sudeep Kumar Maurya ◽  
Mohammad Aqdas ◽  
Deepjyoti Kumar Das ◽  
Sanpreet Singh ◽  
Sajid Nadeem ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Dna Vaccine ◽  
Protective Efficacy ◽  
Cell Epitope ◽  
Cd8 T Cell ◽  
Bcg Vaccine ◽  
T Cell Epitopes ◽  
Bcg Vaccination

Abstract Background Approximately 80% - 90% of individuals infected with latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) remain protected throughout their life-span. The release of unique, latent-phase antigens are known to have a protective role in the immune response against Mtb. Although the BCG vaccine has been administered for nine decades to provide immunity against Mtb, the number of TB cases continues to rise, thereby raising doubts on BCG vaccine efficacy. The shortcomings of BCG have been associated with inadequate processing and presentation of its antigens, an inability to optimally activate T cells against Mtb, and generation of regulatory T cells. Furthermore, BCG vaccination lacks the ability to eliminate latent Mtb infection. With these facts in mind, we selected six immunodominant CD4 and CD8 T cell epitopes of Mtb expressed during latent, acute, and chronic stages of infection and engineered a multi-epitope-based DNA vaccine (C6). Result BALB/c mice vaccinated with the C6 construct along with a BCG vaccine exhibited an expansion of both CD4 and CD8 T cell memory populations and augmented IFN-γ and TNF-α cytokine release. Furthermore, enhancement of dendritic cell and macrophage activation was noted. Consequently, illustrating the elicitation of immunity that helps in the protection against Mtb infection; which was evident by a significant reduction in the Mtb burden in the lungs and spleen of C6 + BCG administered animals. Conclusion Overall, the results suggest that a C6 + BCG vaccination approach may serve as an effective vaccination strategy in future attempts to control TB.

scholarly journals Gender Issues in Mathematics: An Ontario Perspective

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Hall
Keyword(s):  
Gender Gap ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Gender Issues ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
School Level ◽  
Mathematics Assessments ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Students Attitudes ◽  
Statistics Canada

In many developed countries, including Canada, it is often perceived that gender issues in mathematics have been ‘solved’ and are no longer a relevant and timely issue. In this article, I challenge this perception by providing an overview of gender issues in mathematics in three domains – achievement, attitude, and participation – ranging from the elementary school level to the university level. My analysis of several sources of data from Ontario is compared to a meta-analysis of research involving data from culturally similar countries to Canada (e.g., Australia, United Kingdom). The data primarily arise from large-scale mathematics assessments (e.g., PISA, EQAO) and national statistics databases (e.g., Statistics Canada, National Center for Education Statistics). Counter to the aforementioned perception, this analysis indicates that gender issues still exist in mathematics in developed countries, including Canada. The gender gap is particularly wide in terms of students’ attitudes and participation: Males have substantially more positive attitudes toward mathematics and higher levels of participation in non-mandatory levels of mathematics than do females. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of the findings and suggestions of possible steps that may be taken to help ameliorate the current situation.

scholarly journals Atopy, asthma, and risk of bladder cancer: Systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
pp. 205873922110161
Author(s):  
Suoyi Feng ◽  
Ziqi Shao ◽  
Longzhu Ju ◽  
Yiting Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Bladder Cancer ◽  
Allergic Rhinitis ◽  
Cohort Studies ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Random Effect ◽  
Random Effect Model ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Atopic Disease ◽  
Atopic Diseases

The relationship between atopic diseases and cancer at various sites has been extensively studied. Previous epidemiological studies have investigated the association between atopic diseases and bladder cancer; however, the results remain inconclusive. In this study, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies published thus far to evaluate the association between atopy and the risk of bladder cancer. We conducted a systematic search in PubMed, Embase, ISI Web of Science, and Scopus to identify potentially relevant studies. The pooled risk ratio (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated using a random-effect model considering the heterogeneity among studies. On the basis of our selection criteria, a total of 10 cohort studies were included in our meta-analysis involving 2,341,005 participants, of whom 1720 were patients with bladder cancer. The pooled RR of bladder cancer in the group with atopic disease versus the group without atopic disease was 1.31 (95% CI: 1.10–1.56, p < 0.01), indicating a positive association between overall atopy and bladder cancer risk. In subgroup analysis, the pooled RR of bladder cancer was 1.46 (95% CI: 1.18–1.80, p < 0.001) for asthma and 1.03 (95% CI: 0.74–1.44, p = 0.86) for allergic rhinitis. The risk of bladder cancer is positively associated with overall atopy and asthma, but is not associated with allergic rhinitis.

Relationship between total plasma homocysteine and the risk of aneurysms – a meta-analysis

VASA ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Hanji Zhang ◽  
Dexin Yin ◽  
Yue Zhao ◽  
Yezhou Li ◽  
Dejiang Yao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Total Plasma ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Randomized Controlled Studies ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Healthy Participants

Summary: Our meta-analysis focused on the relationship between homocysteine (Hcy) level and the incidence of aneurysms and looked at the relationship between smoking, hypertension and aneurysms. A systematic literature search of Pubmed, Web of Science, and Embase databases (up to March 31, 2020) resulted in the identification of 19 studies, including 2,629 aneurysm patients and 6,497 healthy participants. Combined analysis of the included studies showed that number of smoking, hypertension and hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) in aneurysm patients was higher than that in the control groups, and the total plasma Hcy level in aneurysm patients was also higher. These findings suggest that smoking, hypertension and HHcy may be risk factors for the development and progression of aneurysms. Although the heterogeneity of meta-analysis was significant, it was found that the heterogeneity might come from the difference between race and disease species through subgroup analysis. Large-scale randomized controlled studies of single species and single disease species are needed in the future to supplement the accuracy of the results.

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