-
PloS One 2024To establish the effects of anterior chamber inflammation (ACI) on the corneal endothelium parameters and central corneal thickness (CCT). (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
PURPOSE
To establish the effects of anterior chamber inflammation (ACI) on the corneal endothelium parameters and central corneal thickness (CCT).
METHODS
We conducted a comprehensive literature review using medical databases (PubMed, EMBASE, VHL, and medRxiv) on March 8, 2023, for studies that included patients with ACI who had undergone specular microscopy or pachymetry. Case series with >10 patients, cross-sectional, case-control, and cohort studies were included. The risk of bias was assessed using CLARITY tools and validated scales such as those by Hassan Murad et al. and Hoy et al. A narrative synthesis and a quantitative standardized mean difference meta-analysis, I2 heterogeneity assessment, and publication bias tests were conducted. The study was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023420148) and approved by the Universidad del Rosario ethical committee (DVO005 2277- CV1712).
RESULTS
Thirty-four studies, encompassing 1,388 eyes with ACI, were included. Compared with healthy controls, overall, ACI eyes show significant mean differences in endothelial parameters (endothelial cell density (ECD), coefficient of variation (CV), and hexagonality (HEX)) (P < 0.05). In the subgroup analysis compared with healthy controls, both active and chronic-recurrent ACI demonstrated a reduced ECD. An increased CV was observed in active, inactive, and chronic-recurrent ACI. Lower HEX was evident in inactive, acute, and chronic-recurrent ACI, while both active and acute ACI exhibited high CCT.
CONCLUSION
ACI leads to significant alterations in endothelial parameters and CCT. The primary contributors to these changes are increased IOP, uveitis duration, and intraocular surgeries. Further studies are needed to explore the impact of ACI etiology on the endothelium, potential biases in IOP measurements during acute ACI episodes, and the potential necessity for monitoring the endothelial parameters and CCT in patients with chronic ACI.
Topics: Humans; Endothelium, Corneal; Cross-Sectional Studies; Anterior Chamber; Inflammation; Correlation of Data
PubMed: 38181008
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296784 -
European Journal of Clinical... Aug 2022Behçet disease (BD) is a systemic vasculitis. In addition to the mucocutaneous lesions, the vascular injury of pathophysiology in BD is theoretically correlated with... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Behçet disease (BD) is a systemic vasculitis. In addition to the mucocutaneous lesions, the vascular injury of pathophysiology in BD is theoretically correlated with cardiovascular diseases. This study aimed to elucidate the association of BD with ischaemic heart diseases (IHDs) and stroke.
METHODS
A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane Library databases was performed for all relevant observational studies from database inception until 10 July 2021. No language restriction was applied. A random-effects model was used for meta-analysis.
RESULTS
A total of six observational studies consisting of three cohort studies, two cross-sectional studies and one study with both study designs were adopted in the meta-analysis. The numbers of patients with BD and healthy controls were 9,813 and 41,802, respectively. The pooled analysis demonstrated no significant association between BD and IHD. By contrast, we found that patients with BD had a significantly higher risk of stroke (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.083; 95% confidence interval, 1.339-3.240; p = 0.001) than healthy controls. We observed substantial heterogeneity across studies in few meta-analyses, but no significant publication bias was detected in any of the meta-analyses.
CONCLUSIONS
BD was significantly associated with stroke but not IHD. Physicians should be aware of possible vascular and neurological complications during care of patients with BD.
Topics: Behcet Syndrome; Cross-Sectional Studies; Humans; Myocardial Ischemia; Risk Factors; Stroke
PubMed: 35342952
DOI: 10.1111/eci.13778 -
International Journal of Molecular... Feb 2023Urinary and serological markers play an essential role in the diagnostic process of autoimmune diseases. However, to date, specific and reliable biomarkers for... (Review)
Review
Urinary and serological markers play an essential role in the diagnostic process of autoimmune diseases. However, to date, specific and reliable biomarkers for diagnosing Behçet's disease (BD) are still lacking, negatively affecting the management of these patients. To analyze the currently available literature on serological and urinary BD biomarkers investigated in the last 25 years, we performed a systematic literature review using the Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcomes (PICO) strategy. One hundred eleven studies met the eligibility criteria (6301 BD patients, 5163 controls). Most of them were retrospective, while five (5%) were prospective. One hundred ten studies (99%) investigated serological biomarkers and only two (2%) focused on urinary biomarkers. One hundred three studies (93%) explored the diagnostic potential of the biomolecules, whereas sixty-two (56%) tested their effect on disease activity monitoring. Most articles reported an increase in inflammatory markers and pro-oxidant molecules, with a decrease in antioxidants. Promising results have been shown by the omics sciences, offering a more holistic approach. Despite the vast number of investigated markers, existing evidence indicates a persistent gap in BD diagnostic/prognostic indices. While new steps have been taken in the direction of pathogenesis and disease monitoring, international efforts for the search of a diagnostic marker for BD are still needed.
Topics: Humans; Behcet Syndrome; Retrospective Studies; Prospective Studies; Case-Control Studies; Biomarkers
PubMed: 36769366
DOI: 10.3390/ijms24033041 -
Current Rheumatology Reviews 2022Behcet's disease (BD) is a chronic multisystem inflammatory disease classified as Variable Vessel Vasculitis with unclear etiology. We designed this systematic review... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
OBJECTIVE
Behcet's disease (BD) is a chronic multisystem inflammatory disease classified as Variable Vessel Vasculitis with unclear etiology. We designed this systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate vitamin D status in Behcet's disease patients with this background.
METHODS
We performed this systematic review and meta-analysis according to PRISMA guidelines. We included all observational studies in humans published in English, evaluating the association of 25(OH)D concentrations in Behcet's patients. Two reviewers (HRK and AE) independently searched the databases and screened articles based on their titles and abstracts. A third reviewer resolved all disagreements. We performed analysis using Cochrane Program Review Manager Version 5.3. The protocol for this review was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42020197426).
RESULTS
A total of 341 publications were initially identified according to the search strategy. Finally, 12 publications were included in the meta-analysis. We performed this meta-analysis on 1265 participants from different studies with a sample size ranging from 63 to 224 individuals. In studies comparing active and inactive subgroups of patients with Behcet's disease, we found a significantly lower serum level of vitamin D in patients with Active BD (-0.4; 95% CI: -0.61, -0.25; p<0.001). We found that the serum level of vitamin D in Behcet's disease is significantly higher than in health controls (0.5; 95% CI: 0.15, 0.50; p=0.001).
CONCLUSION
We demonstrated that the existing evidence is consistent with the hypothesis that an increased serum level of vitamin D would be associated with a substantially lower risk of active Behcet's disease.
Topics: Behcet Syndrome; Humans; Vasculitis; Vitamin D
PubMed: 35184713
DOI: 10.2174/1573397118666220218112841 -
Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology Sep 2022Behçet's syndrome (BS) has been reported with cardiovascular involvement. It's still unclear that BS is associated with the increased risk of ischaemic heart disease... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
OBJECTIVES
Behçet's syndrome (BS) has been reported with cardiovascular involvement. It's still unclear that BS is associated with the increased risk of ischaemic heart disease (IHD). We aimed to conduct a meta-analysis concerning the incidence of IHD in BS and identify the relationship between IHD and BS.
METHODS
We performed a comprehensive literature search based on PubMed and Embase databases up to 7 July, 2021. Incidence of IHD was calculated by metaproportion. Pooled risk ratio and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using a random-effect, generic inverse variance method of DerSimonian and Laird.
RESULTS
Four studies with 9237 patients with IHD in BS and 40353 controls were identified and included in our meta-analysis. The pooled risk ratio of IHD in patients with BS was 1.30 and achieved statistical significance (95% CI 1.04-1.64). The statistical heterogeneity was low with an I2 of 39% (p=0.18).
CONCLUSIONS
In this meta-analysis the presence of BS was associated with an increased risk of IHD. Prospective researches should be done to determine the pathophysiological and prognostic implications of increased IHD in BS.
Topics: Behcet Syndrome; Coronary Artery Disease; Humans; Incidence; Myocardial Ischemia; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors
PubMed: 35699061
DOI: 10.55563/clinexprheumatol/1shqmz -
Reumatologia Clinica 2023To describe the demographic and clinical features, as well as the frequency of the HLA-B*51 allele in Behçet disease (BD) patients in Latin American countries. (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
OBJECTIVE
To describe the demographic and clinical features, as well as the frequency of the HLA-B*51 allele in Behçet disease (BD) patients in Latin American countries.
METHODS
A systematic literature review of PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) guidelines was conducted without performing a meta-analysis. We included observational studies (cross-sectional or cohort) of BD patients fulfilling the International Study Group for BD classification criteria and reported the demographic, clinical, and laboratory features of the disease in adult patients.
RESULTS
Twelve studies were included in the SLR. Information from 532 patients across 5 Latin American countries was included for the analysis. Mean age at disease diagnosis was 33 years, 58.3% were female and 41.7% male; most patients were non-Caucasian. The most common clinical manifestations were recurrent oral ulcers and genital ulcers, followed by skin, eye, joint, neurological, gastrointestinal, vascular, and cardiac involvement. The prevalence of BD was described in 2 studies, 1 conducted in Brazil that reported a prevalence of .3/100,000 inhabitants, and another in Colombia with a prevalence of 1.1/100,000 inhabitants. The frequency of HLA-B*51 allele in BD patients was 38%, 30.1%, and 9% in Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of BD in the Latin American countries seems to be low, as well as the frequency of HLA-B*51 allele. However, the strength of association between HLA-B*51 and BD remains high in our population. The key clinical features of BD are like those reported in countries/regions where BD is endemic.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Male; Female; Behcet Syndrome; Cross-Sectional Studies; Latin America; HLA-B Antigens; Prevalence
PubMed: 37661116
DOI: 10.1016/j.reumae.2022.12.005 -
Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism Feb 2022Mouth and genital ulcers with inflamed cartilage (MAGIC) syndrome is characterized by overlapping features of relapsing polychondritis (RP) and Behcet's disease (BD). To...
OBJECTIVE
Mouth and genital ulcers with inflamed cartilage (MAGIC) syndrome is characterized by overlapping features of relapsing polychondritis (RP) and Behcet's disease (BD). To date, no studies have defined the clinical spectrum of disease in a cohort of patients with MAGIC syndrome.
METHODS
Adult patients within an ongoing prospective, observational cohort study in RP were clinically assessed for MAGIC syndrome. A systematic review was conducted to identify additional cases of MAGIC syndrome by searching four databases: PubMed (US National Library of Medicine), Embase (Elsevier), Scopus (Elsevier) and Web of Science: Core Collection (Clarivate Analytics). The inclusion criteria used were: [1] patients of any age or gender who were diagnosed with MAGIC syndrome, or both RP and BD; [2] case report or case series study; [3] published from 1985 - July 2020; and [4] in English language. Risk of bias was assessed using a checklist developed by the authors and based on the Consensus-based Clinical Case Reporting (CARE) Guidelines. Search results screening, article inclusion, data extraction and risk of bais assessment was performed independently by two investigators. Clinical characteristics, particularly BD-related features, were compared between patients with MAGIC syndrome and cases of non-MAGIC RP. The performance characteristics of different criteria to classify MAGIC syndrome were also evaluated.
RESULTS
Out of 96 patients with RP, 13 (14%) patients were diagnosed with MAGIC syndrome. For the systematic review, 380 articles were retrieved of which 90 were screened at title and abstract levels. Of these screened, 60 were excluded and 30 proceeded to full text review where an additional 8 were excluded. Twenty-two articles were included in our review and from which 27 additional cases of MAGIC syndrome were identified. Pooling all 40 cases together and comparing them with non-MAGIC RP, there was a significantly higher prevalence of ocular involvement (28% vs 4%, p<0.01), cutaneous involvement (35% vs 1%, p<0.01), GI involvement (23% vs 4%, p<0.01), and CNS involvement (8% vs 0, p = 0.04) in MAGIC syndrome. A higher prevalence of aortitis (23% vs 1%, p<0.01), Raynaud's phenomenon (54% vs 11%, p<0.01), and elevated anti-collagen II antibodies (50% vs 9%, p = 0.04) were observed in MAGIC syndrome. Fulfillment of either McAdam's or Damiani's Criteria for RP plus the International Criteria for Behçet's Disease had excellent sensitivity (98%) to classify cases of MAGIC syndrome.
CONCLUSION
A substantial proportion of patients with RP can be clinically diagnosed with MAGIC syndrome. These patients have features of RP, BD, and other unique features including aortitis, Raynaud's phenomenon and elevated anti-collagen II antibodies.
Topics: Adult; Behcet Syndrome; Cartilage; Genitalia; Humans; Mouth; Observational Studies as Topic; Prospective Studies; Ulcer; United States
PubMed: 34972595
DOI: 10.1016/j.semarthrit.2021.10.007 -
Nutrients Dec 2020Patients with Behçet's disease often use complementary and alternative medicine for treating their symptoms, and herbal medicine is one of the options. This systematic... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Patients with Behçet's disease often use complementary and alternative medicine for treating their symptoms, and herbal medicine is one of the options. This systematic review provides updated clinical evidence of the effectiveness of herbal medicine for the treatment of Behçet's disease (BD). We searched eleven electronic databases from inception to March 2020. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or quasi-RCTs of BD treatment with herbal medicine decoctions were included. We used the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions to assess the risk of bias and the grading of recommendations assessment, development and evaluation (GRADE) approach to assess the certainty of evidence (CoE). Albatross plot was also used to present the direction of effect observed. Eight studies were included. The risk of bias was unclear or low. The methodological quality was low or very low. Seven RCTs showed significant effects of herbal medicine on the total response rate (Risk ratio, RR 1.26, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.45, seven studies, very low CoE). Four RCTs showed favorable effects of herbal medicine on the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) level compared with drug therapy. Herbal medicine favorably affected the ESR (MD -5.56, 95% CI -9.99 to -1.12, = 0.01, I = 96%, five studies, very low CoE). However, herbal medicine did not have a superior effect on CRP. Two RCTs reported that herbal medicine significantly decreased the recurrence rate after three months of follow-up (RR 0.23, 95% CI 0.09 to 0.63, two studies, low CoE). Our findings suggest that herbal medicine is effective in treating BD. However, the included studies had a poor methodological quality and some limitations. Well-designed clinical trials with large sample sizes are needed.
Topics: Behcet Syndrome; Blood Sedimentation; C-Reactive Protein; Complementary Therapies; Humans; Medicine, Chinese Traditional; Phytotherapy; Plants, Medicinal; Recurrence; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 33375705
DOI: 10.3390/nu13010046 -
Clinical and Experimental Medicine Oct 2023The present meta-analysis aimed to elucidate the association of Behçet's disease (BD) with the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components. Observational... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
The present meta-analysis aimed to elucidate the association of Behçet's disease (BD) with the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components. Observational cohort studies were searched from the Embase, Web of Science, Medline, and Cochrane Library databases. The primary outcome was the association of BD with the risk of MetS and its relevant components. Effect estimates with odds ratios (ORs) were pooled using either the random-effects or fixed-effects models, according to heterogeneity. Leave-one-out sensitivity analyses were used to determine the stability of the results. Twenty-three studies, comprising 42,834 patients with BD, were included. Overall, a significant association between BD and the risk of MetS was found (pooled OR 2.26; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.61-3.17; P < 0.0001). Among the components of MetS, significant associations were found between BD and diabetes mellitus (OR 1.21; 95% CI 1.10-1.33; P < 0.0001), BD and hypertension (OR 1.39; 95% CI 1.13-1.70; P = 0.002), and BD and dyslipidemia (OR 1.21; 95% CI 1.01-1.45; P = 0.04). Our study indicated an association between BD and the risk of MetS and some of its components (diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and dyslipidemia). Physician should consider these associations so that specific treatments are available for patients with comorbidities. Moreover, patients with BD should regularly monitor their blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, and blood lipid levels.
Topics: Humans; Metabolic Syndrome; Behcet Syndrome; Odds Ratio; Hypertension
PubMed: 36939969
DOI: 10.1007/s10238-023-01044-x -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Feb 2021Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness. Minimally invasive surgical techniques, such as ab interno trabecular bypass surgery, have been introduced to...
BACKGROUND
Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness. Minimally invasive surgical techniques, such as ab interno trabecular bypass surgery, have been introduced to prevent glaucoma from progressing. OBJECTIVES: In light of the potential benefits for people with open-angle glaucoma and the widespread uptake of the technique, it is important to critically evaluate the evidence for whether treatment with ab interno trabecular bypass surgery with Trabectome is both efficacious and safe.
SEARCH METHODS
We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; which contains the Cochrane Eyes and Vision Trials Register; 2020, Issue 7); Ovid MEDLINE; Ovid Embase; the ISRCTN registry; ClinicalTrials.gov and the WHO ICTRP. The date of the search was 17 July 2020.
SELECTION CRITERIA
We searched for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of ab interno trabecular bypass surgery with Trabectome compared to other surgical treatments (other minimally invasive glaucoma device techniques, trabeculectomy), laser treatment, or medical treatment. We also included trials in which these devices were combined with phacoemulsification compared to phacoemulsification in combination with other glaucoma surgery or alone.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
We used the standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane. Our primary outcome was proportion of participants who were medication-free (not using eye drops). Secondary outcomes included mean change in intraocular pressure (IOP), proportion of participants who required further glaucoma surgery, mean change in quality of life, proportion of participants who achieved an IOP of 21 mmHg or less, 17 mmHg or less, or 14 mmHg or less and rate of visual field progression. Adverse effects were the proportion of participants experiencing intra- and postoperative complications. All outcomes were measured in the short term (6 to 18 months), medium term (18 to 36 months), and long term (36 months or longer).
MAIN RESULTS
In this update, we included one RCT which had previously been identified as an ongoing study in our 2016 publication. This trial was a single-centre, single-surgeon RCT set in Canada with 19 participants. Participants were adults who had open-angle glaucoma, open angles, and had inadequately controlled IOP that required surgical intervention. The study was terminated before the intended sample size was reached 'due to slow recruitment and increasing lack of clinical equipoise over time'. This reduced the power of the study to detect clinically important effects. We assessed the trial as being at high risk of attrition, reporting, and other potential sources of biases. The risks of performance and detection bias are unclear. The intervention group of 10 people had Trabectome ab interno trabeculotomy combined with cataract extraction (phaco-AIT) and the comparator group of 9 people had trabeculectomy with mitomycin C combined with cataract extraction (phaco-Trab), one of whom was lost to follow-up. Seven of 10 participants in the phaco-AIT group and 4 of 8 in the phaco-Trab group were medication-free (not using drops) at 12 months (odds ratio (OR) 2.33, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.34 to 16.2; very low-certainty evidence). At 12 months, the mean change in IOP was worse for phaco-AIT than for phaco-Trab, but this evidence was very uncertain (mean difference (MD) 3.70 mmHg, 95% CI -1.44 to 8.84; very low-certainty evidence) in the phaco-AIT group, as was the difference in the mean number of IOP-lowering drops taken per day (MD -0.41, 95% CI -1.22 to 0.40; very low-certainty evidence). Only one participant in the phaco-AIT group required further glaucoma surgery. The study protocol declared that quality of life and visual field progression were measured, but they were not reported All 8 participants with complete data in the phaco-Trab group and 8 of 10 in the phaco-AIT had at least one early or late postoperative complication (e.g. day 1 IOP spike, hypotony, choroidal effusion, bleb leak or encapsulation, uveitis, or peripheral anterior synechiae). The evidence was very low-certainty due to high risk of bias for several domains for this study and for large imprecision of all estimates. We also identified one ongoing study, identified from the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP): a multicentre, open, RCT comparing Trabectome to ab interno trabeculectomy using microhook. The study investigators plan to recruit 120 adults between 20 and 90 years of age. The primary outcome is duration of treatment success. Secondary outcomes include postoperative IOP, number of anti-glaucoma medications, and adverse events.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
There is currently no high-quality evidence for the outcomes of ab interno trabecular bypass surgery with Trabectome for open-angle glaucoma. Properly designed RCTs are needed to assess the long-term efficacy and safety of this technique.
Topics: Bias; Glaucoma, Open-Angle; Humans; Phacoemulsification; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Trabecular Meshwork; Trabeculectomy
PubMed: 33580495
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD011693.pub3