A systematic review on papers that study on Single Nucleotide Polymorphism that affects coronavirus 2019 severity

Background COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2 has become the most threatening issue to all populations around the world. It is, directly and indirectly, affecting all of us and thus, is an emerging topic dealt in global health. To avoid the infection, various studies have been done and are still ongoing. COVID-19 cases are reported all over the globe, and among the millions of cases, genetic similarity may be seen. The genetical common features seen within confirmed cases may help outline the tendency of infection and degree severity of the disease. Here, we reviewed multiple papers on SNPs related to SARS-CoV-2 infection and analyzed their results. Methods The PubMed databases were searched for papers discussing SNPs associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection and severity. Clinical studies with human patients and statistically showing the relevance of the SNP with virus infection were included. Quality Assessment of all papers was done with Newcastle Ottawa Scale. Results In the analysis, 21 full-text literature out of 2956 screened titles and abstracts, including 63,496 cases, were included. All were human-based clinical studies, some based on certain regions gathered patient data and some based on big databases obtained online. ACE2, TMPRSS2, and IFITM3 are the genes mentioned most frequently that are related to SARS-CoV-2 infection. 20 out of 21 studies mentioned one or more of those genes. The relevant genes according to SNPs were also analyzed. rs12252-C, rs143936283, rs2285666, rs41303171, and rs35803318 are the SNPs that were mentioned at least twice in two different studies. Conclusions We found that ACE2, TMPRSS2, and IFITM3 are the major genes that are involved in SARS-CoV-2 infection. The mentioned SNPs were all related to one or more of the above-mentioned genes. There were discussions on certain SNPs that increased the infection and severity to certain groups more than the others. However, as there is limited follow-up and data due to a shortage of time history of the disease, studies may be limited.

Antimicrobial Resistance Following Prolonged Use of Hand Hygiene Products: A Systematic Review

Background: This systematic review aimed to establish whether antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs following prolonged use of antimicrobial hand hygiene (HH) products, and, if so, in what magnitude. Methods: Key bibliographic databases were searched to locate items on HH use and AMR development from database inception to December 2020. Records were screened and full texts of all potentially eligible articles were retrieved and checked for inclusion. The following data from the included studies were abstracted: type of HH product used, including the name of antimicrobial agent, study setting, country, study year, duration of use and development of AMR including the organisms involved. Quality assessment was done using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Results: Of 339 full-text articles assessed for eligibility, only four heterogeneous United States (US) studies conducted in the period between 1986 and 2015 were found eligible, and included. One hospital-based study showed evidence of AMR following long term use of HH products, two studies conducted in household settings showed no evidence of AMR, and another experimental study showed partial evidence of AMR. The overall certainty of the evidence was moderate. Conclusion: Prolonged use of HH products may cause AMR in health care settings, but perhaps not in other settings.

The Carcinogenic Effects of Formaldehyde Occupational Exposure: A Systematic Review

Background: Formaldehyde, classified as a carcinogen in 2004, as of today is widely used in many work activities. From its classification, further studies were performed to evaluate its carcinogenicity. The aim of the systematic review is to update the evidence on occupational exposure to formaldehyde and cancer onset. Methods: The review, in accordance with the PRISMA statement, includes articles in English reporting original results of studies conducted on workers exposed to formaldehyde, considering all types of cancer, published from 1 January 2000 to 30 July 2021 and selected from the Pubmed and Scopus databases. The studies’ quality was assessed by the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Results: A total of 21 articles were included, conducted in different European, American, and Asian countries. The most investigated occupational areas are those characterized by a deliberate use of formaldehyde. Some studies evaluated all types of cancer, whereas others focused on specific sites such as thyroid and respiratory, lymphohematopoietic, or central nervous systems. The results showed weak associations with lung cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer, leukemia, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Conclusions: The results demonstrate the need for further original studies carried out on representative samples of workers exposed to measured levels of FA. These studies should be designed to reduce the bias due to co-exposure to other carcinogens.

Efficacy of Instruments for Professional Oral Hygiene on Dental Implants: A Systematic Review

Professional oral hygiene is fundamental to prevent peri-implant disease. Appropriate instruments should be used in patients with restorations supported by dental implants: they should be effective in deposits removal without damaging the implant components surface. The aim of the present study is to investigate and summarize the results regarding the efficacy of oral hygiene techniques described in the literature in the last 10 years in patients rehabilitated with dental implants not affected by perimplantitis. The present systematic review was conducted according to guidelines reported in the indications of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA). The focused question was: “Which are the most effective instruments for professional oral hygiene on implants not affected by perimplantitis?”. The initial database search yielded a total of 934 entries found in PubMed®/MEDLINE and Cochrane Library. After full text review and application of the eligibility criteria, the final selection consisted of 19 articles. The risk of bias of included studies was assessed using the Newcastle Ottawa scale (NOS) and the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Curette, scalers and air polishing were the devices most frequently investigated in the included studies. In particular, glycine powder air polishing appeared to be significantly effective in reducing peri-implant inflammation and plaque around implants. The application of the more recent erythritol powder air polishing also yielded good clinical outcomes. Further studies are needed to improve the knowledge on the topic in order to develop standardized protocols and understand the specific indications for different types of implant-supported rehabilitations.

Indicadores de obesidade e resistência à insulina: uma revisão sistemática

O objetivo deste estudo foi verificar os indicadores de obesidade associados à resistência à insulina, através de uma revisão sistemática. Dois revisores independentes realizaram uma busca nas bases de dados Medline, Pubmed, LILACS, IBECS-ES e MedCarib até abril de 2019, incluindo estudos caso-controle, coorte ou delineamento transversal, em adultos. A qualidade dos artigos foi avaliada por meio do Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Foram adotadas as normas do PRISMA para a condução da revisão, com protocolo registrado no PROSPERO. Foram incluídos na revisão 12 artigos. Associação positiva entre indicador de obesidade e HOMA-IR foi observada em todos os estudos. O indicador de obesidade que mais esteve positivamente associado ao HOMA-IR foi o IMC, seguido da circunferência da cintura. Os indicadores de obesidade estão associados ao HOMA-IR podendo ser uma ferramenta útil no rastreio da resistência à insulina.

Detection of Cytomegalovirus Infection in Infants with Biliary Atresia: A Meta-analysis

Objectives Biliary atresia (BA) is the most common indication of liver transplantation in children. Several reports attributed BA to both prenatal and perinatal etiologies, including a viral infection-induced autoimmune response that targets the bile ducts. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) remains the most common virus being linked to BA. This meta-analysis aimed to estimate to what extent CMV infection is detected in patients with BA. Methods This study was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The databases of MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, WHO-Virtual Health Library (VHL), ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar were used for the systematic search. The risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa scale. Random effects model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence estimate with the corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Software version 3.3. Results A total of 19 studies that fulfilled the eligibility criteria were included in the meta-analysis. The total number of infants with BA was 630 patients, and the pooled overall prevalence of CMV infection among them was 25.4% (95% CI: 15.9%–38.0%). There was high heterogeneity among studies (I2 = 85.1%, p < .001), and subgroup analyses showed significant regional differences (X2 = 48.9, p <.001). Data on the prognosis of CMV-associated BA were scarce and obtainable from few studies that suggested an association between detection of CMV infection and poor prognosis of BA. Conclusions The limited available data demonstrates that the rate of detection of CMV infection is high in infants with BA. There is still a need for large studies with appropriate controls for obtaining more reliable results about the various aspects of the association between CMV infection and BA.

Internalizing and Externalizing Correlates of Parental Overprotection as Measured by the EMBU: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Aspects of parenting including overprotection explain individual differences in child adjustment. This review and meta-analysis summarizes studies on parental overprotection and internalizing and externalizing problems. To ensure that findings could be compared as systematically as possible, the focus is on studies that used the overprotection scale of the Egna Minnen Beträffande Uppfostran (“Memories of my Parents’ Upbringing”) (EMBU) questionnaire, a popular instrument to measure parental overprotection. In total, we extracted 176 effects from 29 studies. A modified version of the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to perform quality assessments for the included studies. Parental overprotection was positively associated with offspring internalizing and externalizing problems, with overall estimates ranging from r = .14 to .18. Moderator analyses suggested that effects of maternal were larger than effects of paternal overprotection. Other factors that moderated the strength of the association between overprotection and maladjustment included whether outcomes were self-reported or parent-reported, the design was cross-sectional or longitudinal, and publication year. Cultural context, age at exposure, and child sex did not explain differences between effect sizes. Most findings were based on cross-sectional studies and therefore do not constitute proof of causal relations. Many studies were of less-than-satisfactory quality regarding representativeness of the sample, descriptions of the data collection, and statistical analyses. There is a clear need for well-powered longitudinal studies to strengthen inferences about associations between parental overprotection and internalizing and externalizing problems.

Global prevalence of persistent neuromuscular symptoms and the possible pathomechanisms in COVID-19 recovered individuals: A systematic review and meta-analysis

This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of prolonged neuromuscular symptoms, including fatigue, anosmia, headache, myalgia, and joint pain in COVID-19 survivors hospitalized with mild, moderate, or severe infections worldwide. The search was conducted up to January 30th, 2021 using three databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) to identify potentially eligible studies. Data on study characteristics, follow-up characteristics, and severity of COVID-19 during hospitalization were collected in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. The Newcastle-Ottawa scale was used to assess the quality of relevant articles. The estimated prevalence of specific prolonged neuromuscular symptoms and the association between COVID-19 severity and occurrence of prolonged neuromuscular symptoms was analyzed wherever appropriate. Database search yielded 4,050 articles and 22 articles were included for meta-analysis. The estimated prevalence of prolonged fatigue was recorded in 21.2% (95%CI: 11.9%–34.8%) of 3,730 COVID-19 survivors. Persistent anosmia was recorded in 239 of 2,600 COVID-19 survivors (9.7%, 95%CI: 6.1%–15.2%). In 84 out of 2,412 COVID-19 survivors (8.9%, 95%CI: 3.2%–22.6%), prolonged headache was observed. A total of 53 out of 1,125 COVID-19 patients (5.6%, 95%CI: 2.1%–14.2%) complained of persistent myalgia even after being discharged from the hospital. The prevalence of prolonged joint pain was in 15.4% (95%CI: 8.2%–27.2%) of subjects. Due to data scarcity on COVID-19 severity and prolonged neuromuscular symptoms, association analysis could not be conducted. Widespread concern regarding long-term impacts of COVID-19 was raised after several studies reported prolonged symptoms in COVID-19 survivors. Numerous theories have been proposed to address this concern; however, as the research on this pandemic is still ongoing, no explanation is definitive yet. Therefore, follow-up studies in COVID-19 survivors after recovery from COVID-19 are warranted to determine the pathogenesis of prolonged symptoms. PROSPERO registration: CRD42021242332.

Prognostic Role of TIGIT Expression in Patients with Solid Tumors: A Meta-Analysis

Background. T cell immunoglobulin and ITIM domain (TIGIT) is a recently identified immunosuppressive receptor. The expression levels of TIGIT affect the prognosis of patients with solid tumors. To fully comprehend the role of TIGIT on the prognosis of patients with solid tumors, we conducted a meta-analysis. Methods. We performed an online search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science (WOS), and MEDLINE databases for literature published till March 31, 2021. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to evaluate the quality of the literature, and Stata 16.0 and Engauge Digitizer 4.1 software were used for data analysis. Results. Our literature search identified eight papers comprising 1426 patients with solid tumors. Increased expression of TIGIT was associated with poor prognosis. High expression of TIGIT was a risk factor for overall survival (OS) { hazard ratio HR = 1.66 , 95% confidence interval (CI) [1.26, 2.20], P < 0.001 } and progression-free survival (PFS) ( HR = 1.44 , 95% CI [1.15, 1.81], P = 0.01 ). We performed subgroup analysis to explore the source of heterogeneity, colorectal cancer ( HR = 2.07 , 95% CI [0.23, 18.82], P = 0.518 ), lung cancer ( HR = 1.29 , 95% CI [0.96, 1.72], P = 0.094 ), esophageal cancer ( HR = 1.70 , 95% CI [1.20, 2.40], P = 0.003 ), and other cancers ( HR = 1.83 , 95% CI [1.25, 2.68], P = 0.002 ). In addition to cancer type, expression location, sample size, and different statistical analysis methods are also considered the possible causes of heterogeneity between studies. Funnel plots suggested no publication bias for OS ( P = 0.902 ), and Egger’s test supported this conclusion ( P = 0.537 ). Conclusion. TIGIT expression was associated with OS and PFS in patients with solid tumors. Patients with elevated TIGIT expression have a shorter OS and PFS, and TIGIT expression could be a novel biomarker for prognosis prediction and a valuable therapeutic target for solid tumors.

Long-Term Nightshift Work and Breast Cancer Risk: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis with Special Attention to Menopausal Status and to Recent Nightshift Work

This systematic review discusses long-term NSW and female BC risk, with special attention to differences between pre- and postmenopausal BC, to test the association with recent NSW. The review follows PRISMA guidelines (Prospero registry: CRD42018102515). We searched PubMed, Embase, and WOS for case–control, nested case–control, and cohort studies addressing long-term NSW (≥15 years) as risk exposure and female BC as outcome until 31 December 2020. Risk of bias was evaluated with the Newcastle–Ottawa scale. Eighteen studies were finally included (eight cohorts; five nested case–control; five case–control). We performed meta-analyses on long-term NSW and BC risk; overall and by menopausal status; a subanalysis on recent long-term NSW, based on studies involving predominantly women below retirement age; and a dose–response meta-analysis on NSW duration. The pooled estimate for long-term NSW and BC was 1.13 (95%CI = 1.01–1.27; 18 studies, I2 = 56.8%, p = 0.002). BC risk increased 4.7% per 10 years of NSW (95%CI = 0.94–1.09; 16 studies, I2 = 33.4%, p = 0.008). The pooled estimate for premenopausal BC was 1.27 (95%CI = 0.96–1.68; six studies, I2 = 32.0%, p = 0.196) and for postmenopausal BC 1.05 (95%CI = 0.90–1.24,I2 = 52.4%; seven studies, p = 0.050). For recent long-term exposure, the pooled estimate was 1.23 (95%CI = 1.06–1.42; 15 studies; I2 = 48.4%, p = 0.018). Our results indicate that long-term NSW increases the risk for BC and that menopausal status and time since exposure might be relevant.