Probiotics for Preventing Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Preterm Infants: A Network Meta-Analysis

Background: Recent evidence supports a role of probiotics in preventing necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in preterm infants. Methods: A systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the role of probiotics in preventing NEC in preterm infants, focusing on the differential effect of type of feeding, was performed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A random-effects model was used; a subgroup analysis on exclusively human milk (HM)-fed infants vs. infants receiving formula (alone or with HM) was performed. Results: Fifty-one trials were included (10,664 infants, 29 probiotic interventions); 31 studies (19 different probiotic regimens) were suitable for subgroup analysis according to feeding. In the overall analysis, Lactobacillus acidophilus LB revealed the most promising effect for reducing NEC risk (odds ratio (OR), 0.03; 95% credible intervals (CrIs), 0.00–0.21). The subgroup analysis showed that Bifidobacterium lactis Bb-12/B94 was associated with a reduced risk of NEC stage ≥2 in both feeding type populations, with a discrepancy in the relative effect size in favour of exclusively HM-fed infants (OR 0.04; 95% CrIs <0.01–0.49 vs. OR 0.32; 95% CrIs 0.10–0.36). Conclusions: B. lactis Bb-12/B94 could reduce NEC risk with a different size effect according to feeding type. Of note, most probiotic strains are evaluated in few trials and relatively small populations, and outcome data according to feeding type are not available for all RCTs. Further trials are needed to confirm the present findings.

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Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Synbiotics for the Prevention of Necrotizing Enterocolitis

Frontiers in Nutrition ◽

10.3389/fnut.2021.667188 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Kiera Murphy ◽

R. Paul Ross ◽

C. Anthony Ryan ◽

Eugene M. Dempsey ◽

Catherine Stanton

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiota ◽

Preterm Infants ◽

Necrotizing Enterocolitis ◽

Early Life ◽

Observational Studies ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Routine Administration ◽

Gut Microbiota Composition

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in preterm infants. The exact mechanism by which NEC develops is poorly understood however there is growing evidence to suggest that perturbations in the early-life gut microbiota composition increase the risk for NEC. Modulation of the gut microbiota with probiotics, prebiotics, or in combination (synbiotics) is an area which has attracted intense interest in recent years. In this narrative review, we present an overview of the role of the gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of NEC. We also examine the evidence currently available from randomized controlled trials, observational studies, systematic reviews, and meta-analysis examining the role of probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics in reducing the risk of or preventing NEC. Current clinical practice guidelines with recommendations on the routine administration of probiotics to preterm infants for NEC are also explored.

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Systematic review and meta-analysis of Altruistic and Game-playing Love

10.31234/osf.io/fd7j8 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Hossein Dabiriyan Tehrani ◽

Sara Yamini

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Subgroup Analysis ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Game Playing ◽

Love Styles ◽

Collectivistic Culture ◽

Meta Regression ◽

Collectivistic Cultures ◽

The Relationship

This systematic review aimed to find attitudes toward Altruistic and Game-playing love styles across individualistic and collectivistic cultures. Addressing major moderators concerning Altruistic and Game-playing love styles are the secondary objectives of this review. This review included 102 articles comprising samples from 37 countries (N = 41997). The findings of this meta-analysis show that there is a collectivistic and individualistic difference in Game-playing but not in the Altruistic love style. Collectivistic and individualistic cultures, on average, demonstrate the same perception concerning the Altruistic love style, whereas collectivistic culture shows the Game-playing love style more strongly. To explain the role of moderators in key measures, the subgroup analysis and meta-regression show that both Game-playing and Altruistic love styles decline by increasing the length of the relationship. Likewise, having children affects these love styles such that the Altruistic love style is improved, and the Game-playing love style is reduced by the presence of children in families.

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Role of pemetrexed in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, with histology subgroup analysis

Current Oncology ◽

10.3747//co.19.891 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

K. Alsaleh ◽

C. Quinton ◽

P. M. Ellis

Keyword(s):

Lung Cancer ◽

Small Cell Lung Cancer ◽

Randomized Controlled Trials ◽

Subgroup Analysis ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Small Cell ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

Small Cell Lung ◽

Randomized Controlled

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A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Human Milk Feeding and Short-Term Growth in Preterm and Very Low Birth Weight Infants

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13062089 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 2089

Author(s):

Machiko Suganuma ◽

Alice R. Rumbold ◽

Jacqueline Miller ◽

Yan Fong Chong ◽

Carmel T. Collins

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Birth Weight ◽

Human Milk ◽

Preterm Infants ◽

Very Low Birth Weight ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Poor Quality ◽

Low Birth Weight Infants ◽

Preterm Formula ◽

Meta Analyses

Human milk (HM) is the gold standard for feeding infants but has been associated with slower growth in preterm infants compared with preterm formula. This systematic review and meta-analysis summarises the post-1990 literature to examine the effect of HM feeding on growth during the neonatal admission of preterm infants with birth weight ≤1500 g and/or born ≤28 weeks’ gestation. Medline, PubMed, CINAHL, and Scopus were searched, and comparisons were grouped as exclusive human milk (EHM) vs. exclusive preterm formula (EPTF), any HM vs. EPTF, and higher vs. lower doses of HM. We selected studies that used fortified HM and compared that with a PTF; studies comparing unfortified HM and term formula were excluded. Experimental and observational studies were pooled separately. The GRADE system was used to evaluate risk of bias and certainty of evidence. Forty-four studies were included with 37 (n = 9963 infants) included in the meta-analyses. In general, due to poor quality studies, evidence of the effect of any HM feeds or higher versus lower doses of HM was inconclusive. There was a possible effect that lower doses of HM compared with higher doses of HM improved weight gain during the hospital admission, and separately, a possible effect of increased head circumference growth in infants fed EPTF vs. any HM. The clinical significance of this is unclear. There was insufficient evidence to determine the effects of an exclusive HM diet on any outcomes.

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Bifidobacterium may benefit the prevention of necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants: A systematic review and meta-analysis

International Journal of Surgery ◽

10.1016/j.ijsu.2018.11.026 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 61 ◽

pp. 17-25 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Xiu-Li Zhu ◽

Xiao-Gang Tang ◽

Fan Qu ◽

Yu Zheng ◽

Wen-Hao Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Preterm Infants ◽

Necrotizing Enterocolitis ◽

Meta Analysis

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Prognostic Role of MicroRNAs in Human Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Disease Markers ◽

10.1155/2018/8309015 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2018 ◽

pp. 1-17 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Shree Ram Lamichhane ◽

Thanuja Thachil ◽

Paolo De Ieso ◽

Harriet Gee ◽

Simon Andrew Moss ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lung Cancer ◽

Overall Survival ◽

Small Cell Lung Cancer ◽

Cell Lung Cancer ◽

Subgroup Analysis ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Small Cell ◽

Cancer Tissue ◽

Small Cell Lung

Background. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been found to play an important role in the development and outcomes for multiple human cancers. Their role as a prognostic biomarker in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains unclear. This meta-analysis aims to clarify the role of various miRNAs in the survival of NSCLC patients. Materials and Methods. All studies were identified through medical database search engines. A meta-analysis was conducted to assess the correlation between miRNAs expressions and overall survival among those NSCLC studies. Relevant data were extracted from each eligible study regarding baseline characteristics and key statistics such as hazard ratio (HR), 95% confidence interval (CI), and P value, which were utilized to calculate a pooled effect size. Result. Thirty-two studies were included in the meta-analysis. Using a random effect model, the combined HR and 95% CI for overall survival (OS) was calculated as 1.59 (1.39–1.82), predicting a poor overall survival. Five miRNAs (miR-21, miR-155, miR-let-7, miR-148a, and miR-148b) were found to be of significance for predicting OS in at least two studies, hence, selected for subgroup analysis. Subgroup analysis disclosed that elevated levels of miR-21 and miR-155 in both cancer tissue and blood samples were associated with worse OS. Compared to American studies (I-squared: <0.001% and P value: 0.94), Asian and European studies exhibited greater heterogeneity in miRNA expression and relationship to OS (I-squared, P values were approximately 78.85%, <0.001 and 61.28%, 0.006, respectively). These subgroup analyses also highlighted that elevated expression of miR-21 and miR-155 and low levels of expression of miR-148a, miR-148b, and miR-let-7 were associated with poor prognosis in NSCLC. Conclusion. miR-21, miR-155, miR-148a, miR-148b, and miR-let-7 are consistently up- or downregulated in NSCLC and are associated with poor OS. These miRNAs show potential as useful prognostic biomarkers in the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of NSCLC.

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Outcome of tantalum rod insertion in the treatment of osteonecrosis of the femoral head with minimum follow-up of 1 year: a meta-analysis and systematic review

Journal of Hip Preservation Surgery ◽

10.1093/jhps/hnaa020 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 329-339

Author(s):

James Randolph Onggo ◽

Mithun Nambiar ◽

Jason Derry Onggo ◽

Guan Tay ◽

Parminder J Singh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Femoral Head ◽

Subgroup Analysis ◽

Bone Grafting ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Degenerative Joint Disease ◽

Joint Disease ◽

Safe Alternative ◽

Meta Analyses ◽

Marginal Risk

Abstract Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a debilitating disease that can cause deformity and collapse of the femoral head, thus leading to the development of degenerative joint disease that can incapacitate the patient with pain and reduction in hip mobility. This study aims to determine the safety and efficacy of tantalum rod insertion in the treatment of ONFH with a minimum follow-up period of 1 year. A multi-database search was performed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Data from studies assessing the clinical and radiological outcomes as well as complications of tantalum rod insertion in the treatment of ONFH with a minimum follow-up period of 1 year were extracted and analyzed. Ten studies were included in this meta-analysis, consisting of 550 hips. There was a statistically significant increase in HHS (MD = 30.35, 95% CI: 20.60–40.10, P < 0.001) at final follow-up versus pre-operative scores. The weighted pooled proportion (PP) of radiographic progression of ONFH was 0.221 (95% CI: 0.148–0.316), while that of progression into femoral head collapse was 0.102 (95% CI: 0.062–0.162). Conversion to total hip arthroplasty (THA) had a PP of 0.158 (95% CI: 0.107–0.227) with a mean weighted period of 32.4 months (95% CI: 24.9–39.9 months). Subgroup analysis of conversion to THA when tantalum rods were used in conjunction with bone grafting (PP = 0.150, 95% CI: 0.092–0.235) showed a marginal risk reduction than when compared with subgroup analysis of tantalum rods being used alone (PP = 0.154, 95% CI: 0.078–0.282). Tantalum rod is a safe alternative option to the current joint-preserving procedures available in the treatment of ONFH. However, more studies are needed to investigate and identify the most appropriate patients who would benefit most and the synergistic effect brought on by the use of complementary biological augmentation of bone grafting or stem cells with tantalum rods.

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Clinical course of pain and disability following primary lumbar discectomy: systematic review and meta-analysis

European Spine Journal ◽

10.1007/s00586-019-06272-y ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 29 (7) ◽

pp. 1660-1670 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

A. Rushton ◽

N. R. Heneghan ◽

M. W. Heymans ◽

J. B. Staal ◽

P. Goodwin

Keyword(s):

Back Pain ◽

Clinical Course ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

A Priori ◽

Random Effect ◽

Outcome Data ◽

Lumbar Discectomy ◽

Risk Of Bias ◽

Leg Pain ◽

Meta Analyses

Abstract Purpose To conduct a meta-analysis to describe clinical course of pain and disability in adult patients post-lumbar discectomy (PROSPERO: CRD42015020806). Methods Sensitive topic-based search strategy designed for individual databases was conducted. Patients (> 16 years) following first-time lumbar discectomy for sciatica/radiculopathy with no complications, investigated in inception (point of surgery) prospective cohort studies, were included. Studies including revision surgery or not published in English were excluded. Two reviewers independently searched information sources, assessed eligibility at title/abstract and full-text stages, extracted data, assessed risk of bias (modified QUIPs) and assessed GRADE. Authors were contacted to request raw data where data/variance data were missing. Meta-analyses evaluated outcomes at all available time points using the variance-weighted mean in random-effect meta-analyses. Means and 95% CIs were plotted over time for measurements reported on outcomes of leg pain, back pain and disability. Results A total of 87 studies (n = 31,034) at risk of bias (49 moderate, 38 high) were included. Clinically relevant improvements immediately following surgery (> MCID) for leg pain (0–10, mean before surgery 7.04, 50 studies, n = 14,910 participants) and disability were identified (0–100, mean before surgery 53.33, 48 studies, n = 15,037). Back pain also improved (0–10, mean before surgery 4.72, 53 studies, n = 14,877). Improvement in all outcomes was maintained (to 7 years). Meta-regression analyses to assess the relationship between outcome data and a priori potential covariates found preoperative back pain and disability predictive for outcome. Conclusion Moderate-level evidence supports clinically relevant immediate improvement in leg pain and disability following lumbar discectomy with accompanying improvements in back pain. Graphic abstract These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.

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