scholarly journals Is Culture Expansion Necessary in Autologous Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Therapy to Obtain Superior Results in the Management of Knee Osteoarthritis?—Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 220
Author(s):  
Sathish Muthu ◽  
Randhi Rama Kartheek ◽  
Naveen Jeyaraman ◽  
Ramya Lakshmi Rajendran ◽  
Manish Khanna ◽  
...  

Study Design: Meta-analysis. Objectives: We aimed to analyze the impact of cultured expansion of autologous mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) in the management of osteoarthritis of the knee from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) available in the literature. Materials and Methods: We conducted independent and duplicate electronic database searches including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library until August 2021 for RCTs analyzing the efficacy and safety of culture-expanded compared to non-cultured autologous MSCs in the management of knee osteoarthritis. The Visual Analog Score (VAS) for pain, Western Ontario McMaster University’s Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), Lysholm score, Knee Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), and adverse events were the analyzed outcomes. Analysis was performed in R-platform using OpenMeta [Analyst] software. Results: Overall, 17 studies involving 767 patients were included for analysis. None of the studies made a direct comparison of the culture expanded and non-cultured MSCs, hence we pooled the results of all the included studies of non-cultured and cultured types of MSC sources and made a comparative analysis of the outcomes. At six months, culture expanded MSCs showed significantly better improvement (p < 0.001) in VAS outcome. Uncultured MSCs, on the other hand, demonstrated significant VAS improvement in the long term (12 months) in VAS (p < 0.001), WOMAC (p = 0.025), KOOS score (p = 0.016) where cultured-expanded MSCs failed to demonstrate a significant change. Culturing of MSCs did not significantly increase the complications noted (p = 0.485). On sub-group analysis, adipose-derived uncultured MSCs outperformed culture-expanded MSCs at both short term (six months) and long term (12 months) in functional outcome parameters such as WOMAC (p < 0.001, p = 0.025), Lysholm (p < 0.006), and KOOS (p < 0.003) scores, respectively, compared to their controls. Conclusions: We identified a void in literature evaluating the impact of culture expansion of MSCs for use in knee osteoarthritis. Our indirect analysis of literature showed that culture expansion of autologous MSCs is not a necessary factor to obtain superior results in the management of knee osteoarthritis. Moreover, while using uncultured autologous MSCs, we recommend MSCs of adipose origin to obtain superior functional outcomes. However, we urge future trials of sufficient quality to validate our findings to arrive at a consensus on the need for culture expansion of MSCs for use in cellular therapy of knee osteoarthritis.

Cartilage ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 194760352090659 ◽  
Author(s):  
Davide Previtali ◽  
Giulia Merli ◽  
Giorgio Di Laura Frattura ◽  
Christian Candrian ◽  
Stefano Zaffagnini ◽  
...  

Objectives To quantify the placebo effect of intraarticular injections for knee osteoarthritis in terms of pain, function, and objective outcomes. Factors influencing placebo effect were investigated. Design Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials; Level of evidence, 2. PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and grey literature databases were searched on January 8, 2020, using the string: (knee) AND (osteoarthritis OR OA) AND (injections OR intra-articular) AND (saline OR placebo). The following inclusion criteria were used: double-blind, randomized controlled trials on knee osteoarthritis, including a placebo arm on saline injections. The primary outcome was pain variation. Risk of bias was assessed using the RoB 2.0 tool, and quality of evidence was graded following the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) guidelines. Results Out of 2,363 records, 50 articles on 4,076 patients were included. The meta-analysis showed significant improvements up to the 6-month follow-up: Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)-pain −13.4 mean difference (MD) (95% confidence interval [CI]: −21.7/−5.1; P < 0.001), Western Ontario and McMaster Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC)-pain −3.3 MD (95% CI: −3.9/−2.7; P < 0.001). Other significant improvements were WOMAC-stiffness −1.1 MD (95% CI: −1.6/−0.6; P < 0.001), WOMAC-function −10.1 MD (95% CI: −12.2/−8.0; P < 0.001), and Evaluator Global Assessment −21.4 MD (95% CI: −29.2/−13.6; P < 0.001). The responder rate was 52% (95% CI: 40% to 63%). Improvements were greater than the “minimal clinically important difference” for all outcomes (except 6-month VAS-pain). The level of evidence was moderate for almost all outcomes. Conclusions The placebo effect of knee injections is significant, with functional improvements lasting even longer than those reported for pain perception. The high, long-lasting, and heterogeneous effects on the scales commonly used in clinical trials further highlight that the impact of placebo should not be overlooked in the research on and management of knee osteoarthritis.


Author(s):  
Jaza Rizvi ◽  
◽  
Abid Khan ◽  
Sumaira Imran Farooqui ◽  
Bashir Ahmed Soomro ◽  
...  

Virtual Reality (VR) is an approach in stroke rehabilitation with ever-improving technological advancement for targeted motor rehabilitation by providing a user interface in a simulated environment with proprioceptive and visual feedback. This meta-analysis intended to evaluate the impact of immersive and non-immersive VR-based interventions compared to conventional rehabilitation in sensorimotor recovery following stroke. Randomized Controlled Trials based on the impact of VR, either immersive or non-immersive type in comparison to conventional rehabilitation on post-stroke patients (>18 years) sensorimotor recovery were searched on six databases including Google Scholar, PEDro, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and Web of Science from August to November 2020. A total of 17 randomized controlled trials on VR based intervention showed significant improvement in sensorimotor recovery following a stroke in overall FMA outcomes in comparison to the control group with pool effects in terms of SMD in a random effect model showed an impact of 0.498 at 95% CI (p<0.001) depicts a moderate effect size. An immersive and non-immersive emerging VR trend appears to be a promising therapeutic tool in sensorimotor recovery following stroke.


2021 ◽  
pp. 026921552110656
Author(s):  
Yu Wu ◽  
Feilong Zhu ◽  
Wei Chen ◽  
Ming Zhang

Objective To evaluate the effects of Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation (TENS) on pain, function, walking ability and stiffness in people with Knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Design Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Methods We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), clinicaltrials.gov and Web of Science (last search November 2021) for randomized controlled trials. The Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool was used for the included studies, and Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations (GRADE) was used to interpret the certainty of results. Standardized Mean Differences (SMDs) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated for meta-analysis. Results Twenty-nine studies were found (1398 people, age range 54-85, 74% are female) and fourteen were included in this review. Intervention duration was divided as short term (immediately after intervention), medium term (<four weeks) and long term (≥ four weeks). Active TENS showed greater improvement in Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) than sham TENS.Combining TENS with other interventions produced superior outcomes compared with other interventions for VAS in all the terms. In the meanwhile, TENS combined with other interventions was superior to other interventions for the pain subgroup of Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index in the medium term and long term. TENS combined with other interventions was superior to other interventions for function in the medium term and long term. Conclusion TENS could significantly relieve pain, decrease dysfunction and improve walking ability in people with KOA, but it is not effective for stiffness.


2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (05) ◽  
pp. 965-985 ◽  
Author(s):  
Na Chen ◽  
Jing Wang ◽  
Attilio Mucelli ◽  
Xu Zhang ◽  
Changqing Wang

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a common chronic degenerative disease of the elderly. Electro-acupuncture (EA) is considered as a beneficial treatment for KOA, but the conclusion is controversial. This systematic review compiled the evidence from 11 randomized controlled trials to objectively assess the effectiveness and safety of EA for KOA. Eight databases including PubMed, Cochrane Library, Clinic trials, Foreign Medical Literature Retrial Service (FMRS), Science Direct, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP), and Wanfang Data were extensively searched up to 5 July 2016. The outcomes included the evaluation of effectiveness, pain and physical function. Risk of bias was evaluated according to the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Eleven RCTs with 695 participants were included. Meta-analysis indicated that EA was more effective than pharmacological treatment (RR [Formula: see text] 1.14; 95% CI [Formula: see text] 1.01,1.28; [Formula: see text]) and manual acupuncture (RR [Formula: see text] 1.12; 95% CI [Formula: see text] 1.02,1.22; [Formula: see text]). Also, EA had a more significant effect in reducing the pain intensity (SMD [Formula: see text]; 95% CI [Formula: see text]; [Formula: see text]) and improving the physical function in the perspective of WOMAC (MD [Formula: see text]; 95% CI [Formula: see text], 5.56; [Formula: see text]) and LKSS (pharmacological treatment: MD [Formula: see text]; 95% CI [Formula: see text], 6.64; [Formula: see text]). Furthermore, these studies implied that EA should be performed for at least 4 weeks. Conclusively, the results indicate that EA is a great opportunity to remarkably alleviate the pain and improve the physical function of KOA patients with a low risk of adverse reaction. Therefore, more high quality RCTs with rigorous methods of design, measurement and evaluation are needed to confirm the long-term effects of EA for KOA.


2021 ◽  
Vol 82 (02) ◽  
pp. 161-165
Author(s):  
Ming Deng ◽  
Hui Huang ◽  
Yong-gang Ma ◽  
Yan Zhou ◽  
Qing Chen ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction Intradiskal injection of methylene blue has some potential in alleviating discogenic back pain. This meta-analysis aims to explore the impact of intradiskal injection of methylene blue for discogenic back pain. Methods Several databases such as PubMed, EMbase, Web of Science, EBSCO, and Cochrane Library databases have been searched through November 2019, and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effect of intradiskal injection of methylene blue for discogenic back pain are included. Results Three RCTs are included in the meta-analysis. Overall, compared with control group for discogenic back pain, intradiskal injection of methylene blue remarkably decreased pain scores at 3 months (mean difference [MD] = –0.71; 95% confidence interval [CI] = –0.96 to –0.46; p < 0.00001) and 6 months (MD = –13.92; 95% CI = –22.31 to –5.54; p = 001) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) at 4 to 6 weeks (MD = –10.39; 95% CI = –16.95 to –3.83; p = 0.002) and 3 months (MD = –3.66; 95% CI = –4.85 to –2.48; p < 0.00001), but demonstrated no obvious effect on ODI at 6 months (MD = –11.76; 95% CI = –33.33 to 9.80; p = 0.28). Conclusions Intradiskal injection of methylene blue can substantially decrease pain scores and improve function for discogenic back pain.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 232596712097328
Author(s):  
Liu-yan Nie ◽  
Kun Zhao ◽  
Jiaqi Ruan ◽  
Jing Xue

Background: The effectiveness of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections for knee osteoarthritis and the effects of leukocyte-poor PRP (LP-PRP) versus leukocyte-rich PRP (LR-PRP) are still controversial. Purpose: To assess the effectiveness of different PRP injections through a direct and indirect meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Study Design: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 1. Methods: A systematic literature search of electronic databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE) was performed to locate randomized controlled trials published through March 2019 that compared PRP with control treatment. A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted to synthesize the evidence, and meta-regression analyses were conducted to determine the influence of trial characteristics. An indirect comparison was performed to assess the effects of LP-PRP and LR-PRP compared with hyaluronic acid (HA). Results: A total of 21 trials were included. A clinically important benefit for pain relief was seen for intra-articular PRP compared with intra-articular saline (standardized mean difference [SMD] = –1.38 [95% CI, –2.07 to –0.70]; P < .0001; I 2 = 37%) and corticosteroid solution injection (SMD = –2.47 [95% CI, –3.34 to –1.61]; P < .00001; I 2 = 47%). As a result of heterogeneity ( I 2 = 89%), there was no conclusive effect compared with HA, even though the pooling effect provided clinically relevant pain relief (SMD = –0.59 [95% CI, –0.97 to –0.21]; P = .003). Indirect meta-analysis showed that there was no significant difference between LR-PRP and LP-PRP. Conclusion: PRP injections are beneficial for pain relief and functional improvement in knee osteoarthritis. Larger, randomized high-quality studies are needed to compare the effects of LP-PRP and LR-PRP.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chengjun Song ◽  
Quan Lu

Abstract Introduction: The efficacy of dexmedetomidine for thoracoscopic surgery remains controversial. We conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to explore the impact of dexmedetomidine for thoracoscopic surgery.Methods: We have searched PubMed, EMbase, Web of science, EBSCO, and Cochrane library databases through September 2020 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effect of dexmedetomidine on thoracoscopic surgery. This meta-analysis is performed using the random-effect model.Results: Six RCTs involving 510 patients are included in the meta-analysis. Overall, compared with control group for thoracoscopic surgery, dexmedetomidine results in significantly reduced pain scores (SMD=-1.50; 95% CI=-2.63 to -0.37; P=0.009), anesthetic consumption (SMD=-3.91; 95% CI=-6.76 to -1.05; P=0.007), mean heart rate (SMD=-0.41; 95% CI=-0.65 to -0.18; P=0.0007), and the number of ICU stay (RR=0.39; 95% CI=0.19 to 0.80; P=0.01), but showed no obvious effect on mean blood pressure (SMD=-0.07; 95% CI=-0.45 to 0.31; P=0.72) or hospital stay (SMD=-0.61; 95% CI=-1.30 to 0.08; P=0.08). Conclusions: Dexmedetomidine supplementation can substantially improve the analgesic efficacy for thoracoscopic surgery.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Benjian Gao ◽  
Jia Luo ◽  
Ying Liu ◽  
Furui Zhong ◽  
Xiaoli Yang ◽  
...  

<b><i>Background:</i></b> The effect of immunonutrition in patients undergoing hepatectomy remains unclear. This meta-analysis aimed to assess the impact of immunonutrition on postoperative clinical outcomes in patients undergoing hepatectomy. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> A literature search of PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Embase databases was performed to identify all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) exploring the effect of perioperative immunonutrition in patients undergoing hepatectomy until the end of March 10, 2020. Quality assessment and data extraction of RCTs were conducted independently by 3 reviewers. Mean difference (MD) and odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using a fixed-effects or random-effects model. The meta-analysis was performed with RevMan 5.3 software. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Nine RCTs involving a total of 966 patients were finally included. This meta-analysis showed that immunonutrition significantly reduced the incidences of overall postoperative complications (OR = 0.57, 95% CI: 0.34–0.95; <i>p</i> = 0.03), overall postoperative infectious complications (OR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.37–0.75; <i>p</i> = 0.0003), and incision infection (OR = 0.50, 95% CI: 0.28–0.89; <i>p</i> = 0.02), and it shortened the length of hospital stay (MD = −3.80, 95% CI: −6.59 to −1.02; <i>p</i> = 0.007). There were no significant differences in the incidences of pulmonary infection (OR = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.32–1.12; <i>p</i> = 0.11), urinary tract infection (OR = 1.30, 95% CI: 0.55–3.08; <i>p</i> = 0.55), liver failure (OR = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.23–1.24; <i>p</i> = 0.15), and postoperative mortality (OR = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.26–1.83; <i>p</i> = 0.46). <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Given its positive impact on postoperative complications and the tendency to shorten the length of hospital stay, perioperative immunonutrition should be encouraged in patients undergoing hepatectomy.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sung Min Lim ◽  
Junghee Yoo ◽  
Euiju Lee ◽  
Hyun Jung Kim ◽  
Seungwon Shin ◽  
...  

The aim of this systematic review was to determine how effective acupuncture or electroacupuncture (acupuncture with electrical stimulation) is in treating poststroke patients with spasticity. We searched publications in Medline, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library in English, 19 accredited journals in Korean, and the China Integrated Knowledge Resources Database in Chinese through to July 30, 2013. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with no language restrictions that compared the effects of acupuncture or electroacupuncture with usual care or placebo acupuncture. The two investigators assessed the risk of bias and statistical analyses were performed. Three RCTs in English, 1 in Korean, and 1 in Chinese were included. Assessments were performed primarily with the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS). Meta-analysis showed that acupuncture or electroacupuncture significantly decreased spasticity after stroke. A subgroup analysis showed that acupuncture significantly decreased wrist, knee, and elbow spasticity in poststroke patients. Heterogeneity could be explained by the differences in control, acupoints, and the duration after stroke occurrence. In conclusion, acupuncture could be effective in decreasing spasticity after stroke, but long-term studies are needed to determine the longevity of treatment effects.


Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 1712
Author(s):  
Kun-xiang Ding ◽  
Tian-lin Gao ◽  
Rui Xu ◽  
Jing Cai ◽  
Hua-qi Zhang ◽  
...  

Aims: The effect of algae and its extract supplementation on glycolipid metabolism has not been finalized. Therefore, the purpose of the meta-analyses was to assess the effects of its supplementation on glycolipid metabolism concentration. Methods: We have systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library and Embase to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that investigated the impact of algae and its extracts supplementation on glycolipid metabolism. Effect size analysis was performed using weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% CI between the methods of the experiment group and the control group. Subgroup analyses were performed to explore the possible influences of study characteristics. Publication bias and sensitivity analysis were also performed. Results: A total of 27 RCTs (31 trials) with 1221 participants were finally selected for the meta-analysis. The algae and its extract intervention significantly decreased glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c, WMD = −0.18%; 95% CI: −0.27 to −0.10; p < 0.001), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C, WMD = −0.22 mmol/L; 95% CI: −0.38 to −0.06; p = 0.008), and triglycerides (TC, WMD = −0.31 mmol/L; 95% CI: −0.37 to −0.25; p < 0.001) levels and increased insulin (WMD = 6.05 pmol/mL; 95% CI: 4.01 to 8.09; p < 0.001) levels. It did not significantly change the blood glucose, homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR), 2-h post-meal blood glucose (2hPBG) and other lipid profiles. Subgroup analyses based on the duration of intervention and subjects demonstrated that the intervention of algae and its extracts for 10 weeks or fewer and more than 40 subjects decreased TC levels (p < 0.05). Moreover, the intervention reduced TC and 2hPBG concentrations for East Asians (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Our findings provided evidence that algae and its extract interventions were beneficial for the regulation of human glycolipid metabolism. More precise RCTs on subjects are recommended to further clarify the effect of algae, seaweed polysaccharide, seaweed polypeptide, algae polyphenol and its products intervention on glycolipid metabolism.


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