scholarly journals Sex Disparities in Efficacy in COVID-19 Vaccines: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 825
Author(s):  
Alessia Bignucolo ◽  
Lucia Scarabel ◽  
Silvia Mezzalira ◽  
Jerry Polesel ◽  
Erika Cecchin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Sex Differences ◽  
Vaccine Efficacy ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Clinical Trial Design ◽  
Pooled Analysis ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Innate Immune Responses ◽  
Sex Disparities

Sex differences in adaptive and innate immune responses have been shown to occur and anecdotal reports suggest that vaccine efficacy and safety may be sex-dependent. We investigated the influence of sex on the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines through a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials on COVID-19 vaccines. The safety profile of COVID-19 vaccines was also investigated. A systematic review included eligible articles published in three databases and three websites. A meta-analysis of available data, stratified by sex, was conducted. Statistical analysis was performed using the Hartung–Knapp–Sidik–Jonkman method, as well as influence and heterogeneity analysis. Pooled analysis showed significantly higher efficacy, measured as the rate of new COVID-19 cases, in men compared to women in the vaccine group (OR = 0.67, 95% CI 0.48–0.94). No sex differences were found in the rate of new cases in the control group (OR = 0.92, 95% CI 0.78–1.09). Safety profiles derived from pharmacovigilance reports appear to indicate increased toxicity in women. In conclusion, evidence of a potential role of sex in COVID-19 vaccine efficacy was described. It strengthens the need to include sex as a core variable in the clinical trial design of COVID-19 vaccines.

Effect of Exposure to Cats and Dogs on the Risk of Asthma and Allergic Rhinitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 703-714
Author(s):  
Xiaoping Gao ◽  
Mei Yin ◽  
Pei Yang ◽  
Xia Li ◽  
Lingling Di ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Allergic Rhinitis ◽  
Cohort Studies ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Pooled Analysis ◽  
Protective Role ◽  
Case Control ◽  
Favorable Effect ◽  
Case Control Studies

Background Controversies persist regarding whether exposure to cat or dog increases the risk of asthma and allergic rhinitis. Objective This meta-analysis aimed to assess the associations between exposure to cats or dogs and the development of asthma and allergic rhinitis. Methods A systematic review was performed to identify case-control and cohort studies before May 2019, evaluating the association between exposure to cats and dogs and the risk of asthma and rhinitis. The risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. The odds ratios (ORs) and risk ratios (RRs) were pooled for case-control and cohort studies, respectively. Subgroup analyses were performed on prespecified study-level characteristics. Results The meta-analysis of 34 cohort studies showed a protective role of exposure to cats [RR: 0.88, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.77–0.99] or dogs (RR: 0.85, 95% CI: 0.73–0.97) in the development of asthma. The subgroup analysis of birth cohort (RR: 0.74, 95% CI: 0.56–0.93) and children population (RR: 0.83, 95% CI: 0.70–0.96) also suggested a favorable role of exposure to dogs in the development of asthma. Pooled evidence from 13 case-control studies indicated no significant impact of cats (OR: 1.66, 95% CI: 0.39–2.94) and dogs (OR: 1.22, 95% CI: 0.92–1.52) on the development of asthma. A pooled analysis of five cohort studies showed a favorable effect of exposure to cats (RR: 0.60, 95% CI: 0.33–0.86) or dogs (RR: 0.68, 95% CI 0.44–0.90) on the development of allergic rhinitis. Conclusion The findings indicated a protective effect of exposure to cats and dogs, especially ownership, on the development of asthma and allergic rhinitis.

scholarly journals Does periodontitis represent a risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis? A systematic review and meta-analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 1759720X1985851 ◽  
Author(s):  
Railson de Oliveira Ferreira ◽  
Raíra de Brito Silva ◽  
Marcela Baraúna Magno ◽  
Anna Paula Costa Ponte Sousa Carvalho Almeida ◽  
Nathália Carolina Fernandes Fagundes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Risk Factor ◽  
Quantitative Analysis ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Pooled Analysis ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Case Group ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
Inflammatory Profile

Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease of dental supporting tissues (gingiva, periodontal ligament, and bone) and it has been suggested as a possible etiology for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In this systematic review, we aim to verify if periodontitis represents a risk factor for RA. Electronic databases were consulted until March 2018 considering eligibility criteria focusing on: (P, participants) adults; (E, exposure) with periodontitis; (C, comparison) without periodontitis; and (O, outcome) development of RA. Quality assessment of studies and risk-of-bias evaluation were also performed. To undertake a quantitative analysis, the number of persons with RA and a total number of participants for the case group (with periodontitis) and control group (without periodontitis) were used to calculate the odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). A total of 3888 articles were identified, and nine studies were considered eligible. Seven of 9 articles suggested an association among diseases by the common pro-inflammatory profiles. The pooled analysis of 3 articles showed a higher RA prevalence for persons with periodontitis ( n = 1177) than controls ( n = 254) (OR 1.97; CI 1.68–2.31; p < 0.00001). However, considerable heterogeneity among studies was verified (I2 = 96%, p < 0.00001). Periodontitis may represent a risk factor for RA by heredity, bacterial infection, and the pro-inflammatory profile shared between both diseases. Although most of the elective studies report an association between periodontitis and RA, the quantitative analysis showed a high heterogeneity, leading to the need for further studies.

Strength training for throwing velocity enhancement in overhead throw: A systematic review and meta-analysis

2021 ◽  
pp. 174795412110029
Author(s):  
D Martínez-García ◽  
LJ Chirosa Ríos ◽  
A Rodriguez-Perea ◽  
D Ulloa-Díaz ◽  
D Jerez-Mayorga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Female Athletes ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Pooled Analysis ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Minimum Duration ◽  
Overhead Sports ◽  
Velocity Enhancement

The overhead throw is a fundamental technical-tactical ability for overhead sports. The purposes of this review are to assess the effect of resistance training (RT) in enhancing throwing velocity in athletes and to investigate the relationships between age or gender in this effect. Control group trials were identified through looking up electronic databases with a search span of 10th December 2020. Only studies which have control groups within research design, subjects randomly assigned to groups, healthy athletes with experience in the sport, an intervention consisting of a supervised RT program of a minimum duration of 4 weeks, and assessment of sport-specific throwing velocity were taken into account for this meta-analysis. A total of 16 studies with 424 subjects were deemed eligible per the inclusion criteria. The overall pooled analysis demonstrated that a large effect was observed for throwing velocity outcomes (ES 1.10; 95% CI 0.64–1.57; p < 0.00001). Differences were due to gender, with male (ES 1.12; 95% CI 0.55–1.78; p < 0.0001) and female athletes (ES 1.22; 95% CI 0.25–2.20; p < 0.00001). And due to age, with teenager athletes (ES 0.49; 95% CI -0.18–1.17; p = 0.04) and adult athletes (ES 1.34; 95% CI 0.64–1.92; p < 0.00001). Throwing velocity enhancement after RT was greater for women than for men, and for adults more than underage subjects. RT should last at least four weeks, with 2–3 sessions each week, and with any available implement.

scholarly journals Circulating Nesfatin-1 Levels and Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ting Zhai ◽  
Shi-Zhen Li ◽  
Xin-Tong Fan ◽  
Zhao Tian ◽  
Xiao-Qing Lu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Newly Diagnosed ◽  
Antidiabetic Treatment ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Diabetes Patients

The role of nesfatin-1 in glucose homeostasis has been investigated previously. However, although numerous studies have examined the relationships between circulating nesfatin-1 levels and type 2 diabetes, the conclusions are contradictory. We aimed to probe the relationship between circulating nesfatin-1 levels and type 2 diabetes by meta-analysis. Seven studies including 328 type 2 diabetes patients and 294 control subjects were included. Although there was no obvious difference in circulating nesfatin-1 levels between patients with type 2 diabetes and the control group (MD = −0.04; 95% CI = −0.32 to −0.23), subgroup analysis showed higher nesfatin-1 levels in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients (MD = 0.59; 95% CI = 0.45 to 0.74) and significantly lower nesfatin-1 levels in type 2 diabetes patients receiving antidiabetic treatment (MD = −0.26; 95% CI = −0.33 to −0.20). In conclusion, the analysis supports a relationship between circulating nesfatin-1 levels and type 2 diabetes, where newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes was associated with an elevated Nesfatin-1 level, and type 2 diabetes patients receiving antidiabetic treatment showed lower circulating nesfatin-1 levels.

scholarly journals Does post mastectomy radiotherapy reduce loco-regional recurrence rates in all clinical stages of breast cancer following a complete pathological response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. BMT38
Author(s):  
Reena Shah ◽  
Alison Emma Hunter-Smith ◽  
Azel Botes ◽  
Zenon Rayter
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Pooled Analysis ◽  
Pathological Response ◽  
Regional Recurrence ◽  
Complete Pathological Response ◽  
Recurrence Rates

The role of post-mastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) has not been qualified in contemporary cohorts that have achieved complete pathological response (pCR) following neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). This systematic review evaluated loco-regional recurrence (LRR) rates following PMRT for patients with pCR or pathologically lymph node negative disease (ypN0) after NAC. We identified seven papers that described LRR in 415 patients with pCR following NAC. Pooled analysis demonstrated clear benefit of PMRT on LRR (OR: 0.2 [95% CI: 0.06–0.58; p = 0.003]) and this was most pronounced in stage III/IV disease (OR: 0.12 [95% CI: 0.04–0.44; p = 0.0012]), as well as of benefit in ypN0 disease. PMRT appears to be effective in reducing LRR following pCR or ypN0 in advanced breast cancer but requires further investigation.

scholarly journals Is fibromyalgia associated with a unique cytokine profile? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Rheumatology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luke Furtado O’Mahony ◽  
Arnav Srivastava ◽  
Puja Mehta ◽  
Coziana Ciurtin
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Pooled Analysis ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Systematic Analysis ◽  
Pain Syndromes ◽  
Tnf Α ◽  
Cytokine Levels ◽  
Analysis Models

Abstract Objectives The aetiology of primary chronic pain syndromes (CPS) is highly disputed. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis aiming to assess differences in circulating cytokine levels in patients with diffuse CPS (fibromyalgia) vs healthy controls (HC). Methods Human studies published in English from the PubMed, MEDLINE/Scopus and Cochrane databases were systematically searched from inception up to January 2020. We included full text cross-sectional or longitudinal studies with baseline cytokine measurements, reporting differences in circulating cytokine levels between fibromyalgia patients and HC. Random-effects meta-analysis models were used to report pooled effects and 95% CIs. This study is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020193774). Results Our initial search yielded 324 papers and identified 29 studies (2458 participants) eligible for systematic review and 22 studies (1772 participants) suitable for meta-analysis. The systematic analysis revealed reproducible findings supporting different trends of cytokine levels when fibromyalgia patients were compared with HC, while the chemokine eotaxin, was consistently raised in fibromyalgia. Meta-analysis showed significantly increased TNF-α [standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.12, 0.60, P = 0.0034; I2 = 71%, Q2  P = 0.0002], IL-6 (SMD = 0.15, 95% CI: 0.003, 0.29, P = 0.045; I2 = 39%, Q2  P = 0.059), IL-8 (SMD = 0.26, 95% CI: 0.05, 0.47, P = 0.01; I2 = 61%, Q2  P = 0.005) and IL-10 (SMD = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.34, 0.89, P &lt; 0.001; I2 = 10%, Q2  P = 0.34) in fibromyalgia patients compared with HC. Conclusion We found evidence of significant differences in the peripheral blood cytokine profiles of fibromyalgia patients compared with HC. However, the distinctive profile associated with fibromyalgia includes both pro-inflammatory (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10) cytokines in pooled analysis, as well as chemokine (eotaxin) signatures. Further research is required to elucidate the role of cytokines in fibromyalgia.

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

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.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document