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Reviews in Medical Virology Nov 2022To understand epidemiological characteristics of norovirus outbreaks in China from 2000 to 2018 the literature on norovirus outbreaks was identified by searching... (Review)
Review
To understand epidemiological characteristics of norovirus outbreaks in China from 2000 to 2018 the literature on norovirus outbreaks was identified by searching WANFANG, CNKI, PubMed, and Web of Science databases before 31 December 2018. Statistical analyses were performed using Statistical Product Service Solutions software. RStudio1.4.1717 and ArcGIS trial version were used for plotting bar graphs and maps. A total of 419 norovirus outbreaks were reported in the 394 included articles, which occurred between June 2000 and October 2018, showing an overall increasing trend. The majority of outbreaks occurred in schools (52.28%, 218/417) and kindergartens (55/417, 13.19%). Person-to-person transmission (41.64%, 137/329) was most common, followed by food-borne transmission (75/329, 22.80%) and water-borne transmission (72/329, 21.88%). GII was the most predominant norovirus genogroup, with GII.4, GII.17 and GII.2 being the dominant genotypes in 2007-2013, 2014-2015, 2016-2017, respectively. Increased outbreaks were associated with the prevalence of new variants. Most norovirus outbreaks were reported in the southeast of the country. The number of norovirus outbreaks was positively associated with the per capita gross domestic product and the year-end resident population. Norovirus outbreaks have become an important public health problem in China. It is necessary to establish surveillance in hospitals and nursing homes. Genotyping of noroviruses is important for monitoring the circulating strains and improving the vaccine design, so it should be carried out in more regions.
Topics: Humans; Norovirus; Caliciviridae Infections; Gastroenteritis; Molecular Epidemiology; Disease Outbreaks; Genotype; Phylogeny; China; RNA, Viral
PubMed: 35946340
DOI: 10.1002/rmv.2382 -
American Journal of Kidney Diseases :... Dec 2016We evaluated current evidence associating thyroid function test result derangements with risk for mortality in patients with chronic kidney failure treated by long-term... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
We evaluated current evidence associating thyroid function test result derangements with risk for mortality in patients with chronic kidney failure treated by long-term dialysis.
STUDY DESIGN
Systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies.
SETTING & POPULATION
Dialysis patients.
SELECTION CRITERIA FOR STUDIES
We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Science Citation Index, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases from inception through December 2015.
PREDICTORS
Hypothyroidism (thyrotropin level greater than reference range) and low triiodothyronine (T) and thyroxine (T) levels.
OUTCOMES
All-cause and cardiovascular mortality.
RESULTS
12 studies involving 14,766 participants (4,450 deaths) were identified. Of those, 6 studies provided data for cardiovascular mortality (2,772 participants with 327 cardiovascular deaths). Overall, confidence in the available evidence was moderate. Pooled adjusted HRs for all-cause mortality associated with hypothyroidism, low T level, and low T level were 1.24 (95% CI, 1.14-1.34), 1.67 (95% CI, 1.23-2.27), and 2.40 (95% CI, 1.47-3.93), respectively. Pooled adjusted HRs for cardiovascular mortality associated with low T and T levels were 1.84 (95% CI, 1.24-2.74) and 3.06 (95% CI, 1.29-7.24), respectively.
LIMITATIONS
Fewer studies reporting on T and thyrotropin outcomes.
CONCLUSIONS
In patients treated with long-term dialysis, (cardiovascular) mortality is consistently higher in the presence of thyroid function test result derangements.
Topics: Cohort Studies; Humans; Renal Dialysis; Thyroid Diseases; Thyroid Function Tests; Thyroid Gland
PubMed: 27596516
DOI: 10.1053/j.ajkd.2016.06.023 -
Journal of Affective Disorders Mar 2018Aripiprazole is used relatively frequently in women with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia in childbearing years, owing to its efficacy and relatively favorable side... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Aripiprazole is used relatively frequently in women with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia in childbearing years, owing to its efficacy and relatively favorable side effect profile. As is the case for other psychotropic medications, for ethical reasons, no prospective randomized placebo controlled trial to assess aripiprazole safety during pregnancy has ever been conducted. However, animal data are available and the amount of exposure and outcome data for human fetuses and infants has recently increased, providing published prospective safety data in relatively large numbers of pregnant women treated with aripiprazole. The aim of this study was to perform a systematic literature search and review to critically evaluate the available data on the use of aripiprazole during pregnancy, peripartum and lactation.
METHODS
PubMed, PsychInfo, and Cochrane Library were searched using the following search builder: (pregnancy OR pregnant OR gestation OR malformations OR perinatal OR reproduction OR organogenesis OR delivery OR breast-feeding OR lactation or peripartum or obstetric) AND aripiprazole. Reports that met the following pre-defined criteria were included in the present review: (1) published in English language in a peer-reviewed journal; (2) clearly defined use of aripiprazole during pregnancy and/or lactation and/or postpartum; (3) case report, case series, prospective, retrospective or cross-sectional studies. United States and European Medicine Agency prescribing information for aripiprazole were consulted as well and all the references of selected papers were cross checked for information pertaining to the use of aripiprazole during pregnancy, peripartum and lactation.
RESULTS
A total of 549 items published in a period ranging from 1995 to 2017, were retrieved from the search databases and reference cross check. One-hundred-fifty-three duplicate items were removed, 176 titles were deemed as not pertinent, 220 abstracts and 122 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility and 93 titles were included for qualitative synthesis. United States and European Medicine Agency prescribing information for aripiprazole were consulted and the selected manuscript references were cross checked. No randomized placebo controlled trial was found but relatively large prospective studies, large database studies, and several case reports and case studies were identified and summarized.
CONCLUSIONS
As is the case for other antipsychotics, definitive evidence on aripiprazole reproductive safety is lacking, but newer safety data are relatively reassuring. In many cases, the potential benefits of aripiprazole for patients with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia outweigh the potential risks.
Topics: Adult; Antipsychotic Agents; Aripiprazole; Bipolar Disorder; Breast Feeding; Female; Humans; Infant; Lactation; Peripartum Period; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications; Prospective Studies; Psychotropic Drugs; Retrospective Studies; Schizophrenia
PubMed: 29275156
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2017.12.021 -
European Journal of Clinical... Jan 2016Histoplasmosis is a systemic mycosis caused by Histoplasma capsulatum, a dimorphic fungal pathogen that can infect both humans and animals. This disease has worldwide... (Review)
Review
Histoplasmosis is a systemic mycosis caused by Histoplasma capsulatum, a dimorphic fungal pathogen that can infect both humans and animals. This disease has worldwide distribution and affects mainly immunocompromised individuals. In the environment, H. capsulatum grows as mold but undergoes a morphologic transition to the yeast morphotype under special conditions. Molecular techniques are important tools to conduct epidemiologic investigations for fungal detection, identification of infection sources, and determination of different fungal genotypes associated to a particular disease symptom. In this study, we performed a systematic review in the PubMed database to improve the understanding about the molecular epidemiology of histoplasmosis. This search was restricted to English and Spanish articles. We included a combination of specific keywords: molecular typing [OR] genetic diversity [OR] polymorphism [AND] H. capsulatum; molecular epidemiology [AND] histoplasmosis; and molecular epidemiology [AND] Histoplasma. In addition, we used the specific terms: histoplasmosis [AND] outbreaks. Non-English or non-Spanish articles, dead links, and duplicate results were excluded from the review. The results reached show that the main methods used for molecular typing of H. capsulatum were: restriction fragment length polymorphism, random amplified polymorphic DNA, microsatellites polymorphism, sequencing of internal transcribed spacers region, and multilocus sequence typing. Different genetic profiles were identified among H. capsulatum isolates, which can be grouped according to their source, geographical origin, and clinical manifestations.
Topics: Animals; Genetic Markers; Genotype; Histoplasma; Histoplasmosis; Humans; Molecular Epidemiology; Molecular Typing; Mycological Typing Techniques
PubMed: 26589702
DOI: 10.1007/s10096-015-2508-5 -
Theranostics 2022In recent decades, extracellular vesicles (EVs), as bioactive cell-secreted nanoparticles which are involved in various physiological and pathological processes... (Review)
Review
In recent decades, extracellular vesicles (EVs), as bioactive cell-secreted nanoparticles which are involved in various physiological and pathological processes including cell proliferation, immune regulation, angiogenesis and tissue repair, have emerged as one of the most attractive nanotherapeutics for regenerative medicine. Herein we provide a systematic review of the latest progress of EVs for regenerative applications. Firstly, we will briefly introduce the biogenesis, function and isolation technology of EVs. Then, the underlying therapeutic mechanisms of the native unmodified EVs and engineering strategies of the modified EVs as regenerative entities will be discussed. Subsequently, the main focus will be placed on the tissue repair and regeneration applications of EVs on various organs including brain, heart, bone and cartilage, liver and kidney, as well as skin. More importantly, current clinical trials of EVs for regenerative medicine will also be briefly highlighted. Finally, the future challenges and insightful perspectives of the currently developed EV-based nanotherapeutics in biomedicine will be discussed. In short, the bioactive EV-based nanotherapeutics have opened new horizons for biologists, chemists, nanoscientists, pharmacists, as well as clinicians, making possible powerful tools and therapies for regenerative medicine.
Topics: Extracellular Vesicles; Kidney; Nanoparticles; Regenerative Medicine; Wound Healing
PubMed: 35836815
DOI: 10.7150/thno.72812 -
Cancer Letters Feb 2024Cancer is considered as the second leading cause of mortality, and cancer incidence is still growing rapidly worldwide, which poses an increasing global health burden.... (Review)
Review
Cancer is considered as the second leading cause of mortality, and cancer incidence is still growing rapidly worldwide, which poses an increasing global health burden. Although chemotherapy is the most widely used treatment for cancer, its effectiveness is limited by drug resistance and severe side effects. Mitophagy is the principal mechanism that degrades damaged mitochondria via the autophagy/lysosome pathway to maintain mitochondrial homeostasis. Emerging evidence indicates that mitophagy plays crucial roles in tumorigenesis, particularly in cancer therapy. Mitophagy can exhibit dual effects in cancer, with both cancer-inhibiting or cancer-promoting function in a context-dependent manner. A variety of natural compounds have been found to affect cancer cell death and display anticancer properties by modulating mitophagy. In this review, we provide a systematic overview of mitophagy signaling pathways, and examine recent advances in the utilization of natural compounds for cancer therapy through the modulation of mitophagy. Furthermore, we address the inquiries and challenges associated with ongoing investigations concerning the application of natural compounds in cancer therapy based on mitophagy. Overcoming these limitations will provide opportunities to develop novel interventional strategies for cancer treatment.
Topics: Humans; Autophagy; Cell Death; Mitochondria; Mitophagy; Neoplasms
PubMed: 38097131
DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2023.216590 -
Nature Communications Feb 2021The COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020 with major health consequences. While a need to disseminate information to the medical community and general public was...
The COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020 with major health consequences. While a need to disseminate information to the medical community and general public was paramount, concerns have been raised regarding the scientific rigor in published reports. We performed a systematic review to evaluate the methodological quality of currently available COVID-19 studies compared to historical controls. A total of 9895 titles and abstracts were screened and 686 COVID-19 articles were included in the final analysis. Comparative analysis of COVID-19 to historical articles reveals a shorter time to acceptance (13.0[IQR, 5.0-25.0] days vs. 110.0[IQR, 71.0-156.0] days in COVID-19 and control articles, respectively; p < 0.0001). Furthermore, methodological quality scores are lower in COVID-19 articles across all study designs. COVID-19 clinical studies have a shorter time to publication and have lower methodological quality scores than control studies in the same journal. These studies should be revisited with the emergence of stronger evidence.
Topics: Animals; COVID-19; Clinical Studies as Topic; Data Accuracy; Humans; Pandemics; Peer Review, Research; Periodicals as Topic; Research Design; Time Factors
PubMed: 33574258
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21220-5 -
PloS One 2018Wide-ranging evidence on the occurrence of fluoroquinolone (FQ) resistance genetic determinants in African Salmonella strains is not available. The main objectives of... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Wide-ranging evidence on the occurrence of fluoroquinolone (FQ) resistance genetic determinants in African Salmonella strains is not available. The main objectives of this study were to assess the heterogeneity, estimate pooled proportions and describe the preponderance of FQ-resistance determinants in typhoidal and non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) isolates of Africa.
METHODS
Genetic and phenotypic data on 6103 Salmonella isolates were considered. Meta- and frequency analyses were performed depending on the number of studies by category, number of isolates and risks of bias. A random effects model was used to assess heterogeneity and estimate pooled proportions. Relative and cumulative frequencies were calculated to describe the overall preponderance of FQ-resistance determinants in quinolone resistant isolates.
RESULTS
The pooled proportion of gyrA mutants (Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, and Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis) was estimated at 5.7% (95% Confidence interval (CI) = 2.6, 9.8; Tau squared (T2) = 0.1105), and was higher in S. Typhi than in S. Typhimurium (odds ratio (OR) = 3.3, 95%CI = 2, 5.7). The proportions of each of gyrB and parC mutants, and strains with Plasmid Mediated Quinolone Resistance genes (qnrA, qnrB and qnrS) were low (≤ 0.3%). Overall, 23 mutant serotypes were identified, and most strains had mutations at codons encoding Ser83 and Asp87 of gyrA (82%, 95%CI = 78, 86).
CONCLUSIONS
Mutations at gyrA appear to account for ciprofloxacin non-susceptibility in most clinical Salmonella strains in Africa. The estimates could be harnessed to develop a mismatch-amplification mutation-assay for the detection of FQ-resistant strains in Africa.
Topics: Africa; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Fluoroquinolones; Molecular Epidemiology; Mutation; Salmonella
PubMed: 29432492
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0192575 -
Journal of the National Cancer Institute Sep 2016Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is associated with an increased risk of gastric adenocarcinoma and gastric mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma and a... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is associated with an increased risk of gastric adenocarcinoma and gastric mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma and a decreased risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. We aimed to assess how eradication therapy for H. pylori influences the risk of developing these cancers.
METHODS
This was a systematic review and meta-analysis. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library and selected articles that examined the risk of gastric cancer, MALT lymphoma, or esophageal cancer following eradication therapy, compared with a noneradicated control group.
RESULTS
Among 3629 articles that were considered, nine met the inclusion criteria. Of these, eight cohort studies assessed gastric cancer while one randomized trial assessed esophageal cancer. Out of 12 899 successfully eradicated patients, 119 (0.9%) developed gastric cancer, compared with 208 (1.1%) out of 18 654 noneradicated patients. The pooled relative risk of gastric cancer in all eight studies was 0.46 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.32 to 0.66, I(2) = 32.3%) favoring eradication therapy. The four studies adjusting for time of follow-up and confounders showed a relative risk of 0.46 (95% CI = 0.29 to 0.72, I(2) = 44.4%).
CONCLUSIONS
This systematic review and meta-analysis indicates that eradication therapy for H. pylori prevents gastric cancer. There was insufficient literature for meta-analysis of MALT lymphoma or esophageal cancer.
Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Cohort Studies; Esophageal Neoplasms; Helicobacter Infections; Helicobacter pylori; Humans; Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone; Odds Ratio; Stomach Neoplasms
PubMed: 27416750
DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djw132 -
The American Journal of Clinical... Oct 2015The role of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) that contain free or bound fructose in the pathogenesis of hypertension remains unclear. (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
The role of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) that contain free or bound fructose in the pathogenesis of hypertension remains unclear.
OBJECTIVE
We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies to quantify the association between fructose-containing SSBs and risk of hypertension.
DESIGN
MEDLINE, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and the Cochrane registry were searched from conception through 11 November 2014. Two independent reviewers extracted data and assessed the quality of studies (with the use of the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale). Risk estimates of extreme quantiles of SSB intake (lowest compared with highest) for hypertension incidence were generated with the use of generic inverse-variance methods with random-effects models and expressed as risk ratios with 95% CIs. Heterogeneity was assessed with the Cochran Q statistic and quantified with the I(2) statistic.
RESULTS
Six prospective cohort studies (n = 240,508) with 79,251 cases of hypertension observed over ≥3,197,528 person-years of follow-up were included. SSB consumption significantly increased the risk of developing hypertension by 12% (risk ratio: 1.12; 95% CI: 1.06, 1.17) with evidence of significant heterogeneity (I(2) = 62%, P = 0.02) when highest [≥1 serving (6.7, 8, or 12 oz)/d] and lowest (none) quantiles of intake were compared. With the use of a dose-response analysis, a significant 8.2% increase in risk of every additional SSB per day from none to ≥1 SSB/d (β = 0.0027, P < 0.001) was identified. Limitations include unexplained heterogeneity and residual confounding. The results may also have been subject to collinearity effects from aspects of a Western dietary pattern.
CONCLUSIONS
SSBs were associated with a modest risk of developing hypertension in 6 cohorts. There is a need for high-quality randomized trials to assess the role of SSBs in the development of hypertension and its complications. This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01608620.
Topics: Beverages; Databases, Factual; Fructose; Humans; Hypertension; Incidence; Nutritive Sweeteners; Risk Factors
PubMed: 26269365
DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.115.107243