Elevated De Ritis Ratio Is Associated With Poor Prognosis in COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objective: This meta-analysis aims to assess whether elevated De Ritis ratio is associated with poor prognosis in patients with coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19).Methods: A systematic literature search was performed using PubMed, Embase, and EuropePMC databases up until September 17, 2021. De Ritis ratio is also known as Aspartate aminotransferase/alanine transaminase (AST/ALT) ratio. The main outcome was poor prognosis, a composite of mortality, severity, the need for ICU care, and intubation. The effect measure was odds ratios (ORs) and mean differences. We generated sensitivity and specificity, negative and positive likelihood ratio (NLR and PLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and area under curve (AUC).Results: There were eight studies with 4,606 patients. De Ritis ratio was elevated in 44% of the patients. Patients with poor prognosis have higher De Ritis ratio [mean difference 0.41 (0.31, 0.50), p < 0.001; I2: 81.0%] and subgroup analysis showed that non-survivors also have higher De Ritis Ratio [mean difference 0.47 (0.46, 0.48), p < 0.001; I2: 0%]. Elevated De Ritis ratio was associated with poor prognosis [OR 3.28 (2.39, 4.52), p < 0.001; I2: 35.8%]. It has a sensitivity of 55% (36–73), specificity of 71% (52–85), PLR 1.9, NLR.63, DOR of 3 (2–4), and AUC of.67 (0.63–0.71). The posterior probability of poor prognosis was 38% if De Ritis is elevated, while 17% if De Ritis is not elevated.Conclusion: Elevated De Ritis ratio is associated with poor prognosis in patients with COVID-19.Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO ID: CRD42020216634.

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Protective Treatments against Endothelial Glycocalyx Degradation in Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app11156994 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (15) ◽

pp. 6994

Author(s):

Hasnain Q. R. B. Khan ◽

Gwendolen C. Reilly

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Randomised Controlled Trials ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Mean Difference ◽

The Body ◽

Endothelial Glycocalyx ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

Post Operation ◽

Mean Differences ◽

Randomised Controlled

The aim was to explore the body of literature focusing on protective treatments against endothelial glycocalyx degradation in surgery. A comprehensive systematic review of relevant articles was conducted across databases. Inclusion criteria: (1) treatments for the protection of the endothelial glycocalyx in surgery; (2) syndecan-1 used as a biomarker for endothelial glycocalyx degradation. Outcomes analysed: (1) mean difference of syndecan-1 (2) correlation between glycocalyx degradation and inflammation; (3) correlation between glycocalyx degradation and extravasation. A meta-analysis was used to present mean differences and 95% confidence intervals. Seven articles with eight randomised controlled trials were included. The greatest change from baseline values in syndecan-1 concentrations was generally from the first timepoint measured post-operatively. Interventions looked to either dampen the inflammatory response or fluid therapy. Methylprednisolone had the highest mean difference in plasma syndecan-1 concentrations. Ulinastatin showed correlations between alleviation of degradation and preserving vascular permeability. In this systematic review of 385 patients, those treated were more likely than those treated with placebo to exhibit less shedding of the endothelial glycocalyx. Methylprednisolone has been shown to specifically target the transient increase of glycocalyx degradation immediately post-operation and has displayed anti-inflammatory effects. We have proposed suggestions for improved uniformity and enhanced confidence for future randomised controlled trials.

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Melatonin and Cardioprotection in Humans: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine ◽

10.3389/fcvm.2021.635083 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Alberto Domínguez-Rodríguez ◽

Pedro Abreu-González ◽

Néstor Báez-Ferrer ◽

Russel J. Reiter ◽

Pablo Avanzas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Randomized Controlled Trials ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Mean Difference ◽

Left Ventricular Ejection ◽

Favorable Effect ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

Weighted Mean ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Mean Differences

Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (IR) injury represents a critical problem associated with interventional approaches for coronary reperfusion. Pharmacological cardioprotective interventions are advocated to ameliorate IR injury. Melatonin is an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent with a wide range of therapeutic properties that may contribute to its cardioprotective effects. No systematic review or meta-analysis has compared melatonin vs. placebo as a cardioprotective agent in humans. The present study, based on a systematic review and meta-analysis, was carried out to assess melatonin's efficacy as a cardioprotective treatment. We performed a systematic review of the available literature. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were identified and information was extracted using predefined data extraction forms. The primary outcomes were (a) left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and (b) blood troponin levels in patients who underwent myocardial revascularization and were randomized to melatonin or placebo. The inverse-variance random-effects method was used to pool the estimates. Heterogeneity and publication bias were assessed. Weighted mean differences or standardized mean differences were calculated. A total of 283 records were screened and seven RCTs met all the inclusion criteria. After the pooled analysis, the results on LVEF were consistent across all studies, and a significant heterogeneity was found in the results on troponin levels. The melatonin-treated patients had on average higher LVEF than the placebo-treated individuals with a weighted mean difference = 3.1% (95% CI 0.6–5.5, p = 0.01). Five works compared the levels of troponin after melatonin or placebo treatment. The melatonin-treated patients had lower levels of troponin with a standardized mean difference = −1.76 (95% CI −2.85 to −0.67, p = 0.002). The findings of this meta-analysis revealed that melatonin administration in humans as a cardioprotective agent attenuated heart dysfunction with a favorable effect on the LVEF.

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Prognostic Value of N-terminal Probrain Natriuretic Peptide for Patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2020/3472615 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Qi Ni ◽

Chaoqian Li ◽

Hua Lin

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome ◽

Likelihood Ratio ◽

Odds Ratio ◽

Distress Syndrome ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Positive Likelihood Ratio ◽

Negative Likelihood Ratio ◽

Diagnostic Odds Ratio ◽

Sensitivity Specificity

Objectives. The mortality rate of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is high. Hence, it is crucial to identify a reliable biomarker with wide clinical applications for predicting the prognosis of patients with ARDS. This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the value of plasma N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) for predicting mortality in patients with ARDS. Methods. An electronic search of databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure was conducted up to May 31, 2019, without language restrictions. The quality of the included studies was evaluated using QUADAS-2. Data were extracted and analyzed to obtain pooled estimates of sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, and diagnostic odds ratio. A forest graph was used to evaluate heterogeneity. Potential causes of heterogeneity were further explored by subgroup analysis based on the testing day, testing method, observation endpoint, or cut-off points. A summary receiver operating characteristic curve was drawn to obtain the pooled area under the curve. Results. A total of 7 studies involving 581 patients with ARDS were included. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, and diagnostic odds ratio were as follows: 0.79 (95% CI: 0.72–0.84), 0.79 (95% CI: 0.66–0.88), 3.68 (95% CI: 2.16–6.28), 0.27 (95% CI: 0.20–0.38), and 13.58 (95% CI: 6.17–29.90), respectively. The results of subgroup analysis showed that the testing day influenced the summary sensitivity and that the cut-off points influenced the summary sensitivity and specificity. Conclusion. Our results indicate that elevated plasma NT-proBNP levels have a moderate value for predicting the mortality of patients with ARDS.

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Clinical value of thoracic ultrasonography in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Medical Ultrasonography ◽

10.11152/mu-3049 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Wu Chen ◽

Kun Xu ◽

Yiying Li ◽

Meifang Hao ◽

Yongsheng Yang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Pulmonary Embolism ◽

Likelihood Ratio ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Positive Likelihood Ratio ◽

Negative Likelihood Ratio ◽

Diagnostic Odds Ratio ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Clinical Value ◽

Sensitivity Specificity

Aims: The present study investigated and evaluated the accuracy of thoracic ultrasonography (TUS) in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE) by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis. Material and methods: The PubMed, Em-base and the Cochrane library databases were searched till March 2019 to retrieve relevant articles and the overall diagnostic accuracy of TUS in PE diagnosis was evaluated by meta-analysis. Results: Overall, 16 studies including 1,916 patients were enrolled in this meta-analysis. Of these, 762 (39.8%) had confirmed PE. The overall sensitivity, specificity, and area under the ROC curve (AUC) of TUS for PE were 82% (95% confidence interval (CI), 72%–88%), 89% (95% CI, 79%–95%), and 0.91 (95% CI, 0.88–0.93), respectively. Other efficacy parameters assessed demonstrated a positive likelihood ratio (PLR) of (7.6; 95% CI, 4.0–14.5), negative likelihood ratio of (NLR) (0.21; 95% CI, 0.14–0.30), and diagnostic odds’ ratio (DOR) of (36.86; 95% CI, 21.41–63.48). Conclusions: The current study suggested that although TUS cannot safely rule out PE, it is likely to be used as an aid or guidance to establish procedures and help to improve the diagnostic deficits in patients with PE.

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Vasculogenic mimicry as a poor diagnostic and prognostic indicator in patients with malignant‎ melanoma: A ‎systematic review and meta-analysis

10.21203/rs.2.11912/v1 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Zhenhua Zhang ◽

Saber Imani ◽

Marzieh Dehghan Shasaltaneh ◽

Hossein Hosseinifard ◽

Zou Linglin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Likelihood Ratio ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Vasculogenic Mimicry ◽

Positive Likelihood Ratio ◽

Negative Likelihood Ratio ◽

Prognostic Indicator ◽

Diagnostic Odds Ratio ◽

P Value ◽

Summary Receiver Operating Characteristic

Abstract Background Vasculogenic mimicry (VM), a brand-new tumor microvascular model of non-endothelial cells, is proposed as an important therapeutic target in malignant melanoma (MM). We performed a systematic review to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostics accuracy of VM for overall survival of MM patients. Methods The quality of the included studies was assessed by QUADAS-2 tool. Diagnostic capacity of VM variables were pooled by the Meta-Disc software in term of sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and area under the summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC). Results A retrospective observational study was conducted based on ‎ten studies including 978 clinically melanoma patients with proportion (P). VM+ melanoma cells are associated with poor prognosis in 38% of MM group (P = 0.35, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.27-0.42, P-value < 0.001). The pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.82 (95% CI: 0.79-0.84) and 0.69 (95% CI: 0.66-0.71), respectively. Furthermore, the pooled PLR, NLR, and DOR were 2.56 (95% CI: 1.94-3.93), 0.17 (95% CI: 0.07-0.42), and 17.75 (95% CI: 5.30-59.44), respectively. Also, the AUC of SROC was 0.63, indicating the highly conserving of VM as a biomarker‎. Importantly, subgroup results suggested that VM+ tumor was significantly accurate prognostics biomarkers when diagnosed by CD31-/PAS+ staining methods in Asian MM samples (P-value > 0.001). Conclusions Our finding supports the VM+ tumor as a promising prognostic biomarker and effective adjuvant therapeutic strategy in prognostics of Asian MM patients.

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Fecal fusobacterium nucleatum for detecting colorectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The International Journal of Biological Markers ◽

10.1177/1724600818781301 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 33 (4) ◽

pp. 345-352 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Qian Huang ◽

Yonghai Peng ◽

Fangwei Xie

Keyword(s):

Colorectal Cancer ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Likelihood Ratio ◽

Odds Ratio ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Area Under The Curve ◽

Positive Likelihood Ratio ◽

Negative Likelihood Ratio ◽

Fusobacterium Nucleatum ◽

Diagnostic Odds Ratio

Objective: The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the efficacy of fecal Fusobacterium nucleatum ( Fn) for detecting colorectal cancer. It is the first systematic review and meta-analysis to focus exclusively on fecal Fn for colorectal cancer. Materials and methods: Comprehensive searches of several databases before January 2018 were conducted. Fecal Fn for detecting colorectal cancer was evaluated via pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, diagnostic odds ratio, and area under the curve. Heterogeneity was explored using meta-regression and subgroup analyses. The publication bias and the overall quality of evidence were also analyzed. Results: Our analysis included six papers containing seven case-control studies in the systematic review and meta-analysis. Overall sensitivity and specificity were 0.68 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.64, 0.72) and 0.78 (95% CI 0.75, 0.81), respectively. The positive likelihood ratio and negative likelihood ratio in detecting colorectal cancer were 2.87 (95% CI 1.62, 5.10) and 0.40 (95% CI 0.30, 0.54) respectively. The diagnostic odds ratio (OR) was 8.75 (95% CI 4.86, 15.78) and the area under the curve was 0.80. A subgroup analysis showed that in Asia, the colorectal cancer sample size ⩾50 had higher specificity (specificity 0.85, 95% CI 0.80, 0.88). No publication bias existed. The GRADEpro showed a moderate level of the available evidence. Conclusions: Compared to other examinations, the fecal Fn test seems a good choice for detecting colorectal cancer. It also has better diagnostic performance in Asians. However, more clinical trials with large sample sizes and strict randomization are needed to further verify the evidence.

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A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: The Effectiveness of Probiotics for Viral Gastroenteritis

Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology ◽

10.2174/1389201021666200416123931 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 21 (11) ◽

pp. 1042-1051 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Fereshteh Ansari ◽

Fariba Pashazadeh ◽

Elaheh Nourollahi ◽

Sakineh Hajebrahimi ◽

Zachary Munn ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Human Subjects ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Mean Difference ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Viral Gastroenteritis ◽

Random Effects Models ◽

Study Selection ◽

Duration Of Hospitalization ◽

Mean Differences

Background: Probiotics can be used for the treatment of viral gastroenteritis. Objective: This systematic review is to evaluate the evidence regarding the effect of probiotics on human cases of viral gastroenteritis. Methods: The objective of this review is to evaluate the effectiveness of probiotics against placebo or standard treatment for viral gastroenteritis. A comprehensive search of Cochrane Library, EMBASE, MEDLINE via PubMed and Ovid databases, and unpublished studies (till 27 January 2018) was conducted followed by a process of study selection and critical appraisal by two independent reviewers. Randomized controlled trials assessing probiotic administration in human subjects infected with any species of gastroenteritis viruses were considered for inclusion. Only studies with a confirmed viral cause of infection were included. This study was developed using the JBI methodology for systematic reviews, which is in accordance with the PRISMA guideline. Meta-analysis was conducted where feasible. Data were pooled using the inverse variance method with random effects models and expressed as Mean Differences (MDs) with 95% Confidence Intervals (CIs). Heterogeneity was assessed by Cochran Q statistic and quantified by the I2 statistic. We included 17 RCTs, containing 3,082 patients. Results: Probiotics can improve symptoms of viral gastroenteritis, including the duration of diarrhea (mean difference 0.7 days, 95% CI 0.31 to 1.09 days, n = 740, ten trials) and duration of hospitalization (mean difference 0.76 days, 95% CI 0.61 to 0.92 days, n = 329, four trials). Conclusion: The results of this review show that the administration of probiotics in patients with viral gastroenteritis should be considered.

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Copper Concentrations in Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Current Medicinal Chemistry ◽

10.2174/0929867326666190918120209 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 27 (37) ◽

pp. 6373-6383 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Leila Jouybari ◽

Faezeh Kiani ◽

Farhad Islami ◽

Akram Sanagoo ◽

Fatemeh Sayehmiri ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Breast Tissue ◽

Reference Lists ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Cancer Risks ◽

Hair Samples ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Mean Differences ◽

Very High

: Breast cancer is the most common neoplasm, comprising 16% of all women's cancers worldwide. Research of Copper (Cu) concentrations in various body specimens have suggested an association between Cu levels and breast cancer risks. This systematic review and meta-analysis summarize the results of published studies and examine this association. We searched the databases PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar and the reference lists of relevant publications. The Standardized Mean Differences (SMDs) between Cu levels in cancer cases and controls and corresponding Confidence Intervals (CIs), as well as I2 statistics, were calculated to examine heterogeneity. Following the specimens used in the original studies, the Cu concentrations were examined in three subgroups: serum or plasma, breast tissue, and scalp hair. We identified 1711 relevant studies published from 1984 to 2017. There was no statistically significant difference between breast cancer cases and controls for Cu levels assayed in any studied specimen; the SMD (95% CI) was -0.01 (-1.06 - 1.03; P = 0.98) for blood or serum, 0.51 (-0.70 - 1.73; P = 0.41) for breast tissue, and -0.88 (-3.42 - 1.65; P = 0.50) for hair samples. However, the heterogeneity between studies was very high (P < 0.001) in all subgroups. We did not find evidence for publication bias (P = 0.91). The results of this meta-analysis do not support an association between Cu levels and breast cancer. However, due to high heterogeneity in the results of original studies, this conclusion needs to be confirmed by well-designed prospective studies.

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Puerarin for OVX-Induced Postmenopausal Osteoporosis in Murine Model: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Current Stem Cell Research & Therapy ◽

10.2174/1574888x14666190703143946 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

pp. 37-42 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Xiaobin Yang ◽

Haishi Zheng ◽

Yuan Liu ◽

Dingjun Hao ◽

Baorong He ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Bone Mass ◽

Postmenopausal Osteoporosis ◽

Murine Model ◽

Weighted Mean Difference ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Mean Difference ◽

Weighted Mean ◽

Enhancing Effect ◽

Searching Strategy

Aims/Background: Ovariectomy (OVX)-induced murine model is widely used for postmenopausal osteoporosis study. Our current study was conducted to systematically review and essentially quantified the bone mass enhancing effect of puerarin on treating OVX-induced postmenopausal osteoporosis in murine model. Methods: Literatures from PUBMED, EMBASE, and CNKI were involved in our searching strategy by limited the inception date to January 9th, 2019. Moreover, the enhancing effect of puerarin on bone mass compared to OVX-induced rats is evaluated by four independent reviewers. Finally, all the data were extracted, quantified and analyzed via RevMan, besides that in our current review study, we assessed the methodological quality for each involved study. Results: Based on the searching strategy, eight randomization studies were finally included in current meta-analysis and systematic review. According to the data analysis by RevMan, puerarin could improve bone mineral density (BMD); (eight studies, n=203; weighted mean difference, 0.05; 95% CI, 0.03-0.07; P<0.0001) using a random-effects model. There is no significant difference between puerarin and estrogen (seven studies, n=184; weighted mean difference, 0.00; 95% CI, -0.01 to 0.00; P=0.30). Conclusions: Puerarin showed upregulating effects on bone mass in OVX-induced postmenopausal osteoporosis in murine model. More studies of the effect of puerarin on bone density in OVX animals are needed.

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miR-224 is an early-stage biomarker of hepatocellular carcinoma with miR-224 and miR-125b as prognostic biomarkers

Biomarkers in Medicine ◽

10.2217/bmm-2020-0099 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 14 (15) ◽

pp. 1485-1500

Author(s):

Lichao Yang ◽

Chunmeng Wei ◽

Yasi Li ◽

Xiao He ◽

Min He

Keyword(s):

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Survival Analysis ◽

Sensitivity And Specificity ◽

Poor Prognosis ◽

Early Stage ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Benign Lesion ◽

Diagnostic Efficiency ◽

Low Expression

Aim: The aim was to systematically investigate the miRNA biomarkers for early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Materials & methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of miRNA expression in HCC were performed. Results: A total of 4903 cases from 30 original studies were comprehensively analyzed. The sensitivity and specificity of miR-224 in discriminating early-stage HCC patients from benign lesion patients were 0.868 and 0.792, which were superior to α-fetoprotein. Combined miR-224 with α-fetoprotein, the sensitivity and specificity were increased to 0.882 and 0.808. Prognostic survival analysis showed low expression of miR-125b and high expression of miR-224 were associated with poor prognosis. Conclusion: miR-224 had a prominent diagnostic efficiency in early-stage HCC, with miR-224 and miR-125b being valuable in the prognostic diagnosis.

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