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Reproductive Biomedicine Online Aug 2015The p53 tumour suppressor gene plays an important role in angiogenesis and apoptosis. The association between Arg72Pro polymorphism and recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL)... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
The p53 tumour suppressor gene plays an important role in angiogenesis and apoptosis. The association between Arg72Pro polymorphism and recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) has been studied but with inconsistent results. A meta-analysis was conducted to examine whether p53 Arg72Pro polymorphism is a risk factor for RPL. Electronic searches of PubMed, Embase and Web of Knowledge were conducted to identify relevant studies. The final meta-analysis included six published articles with 730 RPL cases and 613 controls. The pooled results suggested that the variant genotype was associated with the RPL risk in additive model (Pro versus Arg; odds ratio [OR] = 1.28; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.06 to 1.54) and recessive model (Pro/Pro versus Arg/Pro + Arg/Arg; OR = 1.82; 95% CI: 1.21 to 2.73). In the stratified analysis by ethnicity, for white people the results were consistent. The Egger's regression asymmetry test suggested a lack of publication bias. Results of this meta-analysis suggest that p53 codon 72 polymorphism is associated with RPL, especially in white people. Identification of p53 codon 72 mutation would have some implication for primary prevention of RPL and screening of high-risk individuals. Large well-designed studies are needed to fully describe the association between this polymorphism and RPL.
Topics: Abortion, Habitual; Arginine; Codon; Female; Humans; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Proline; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53
PubMed: 26099444
DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2015.05.003 -
Pharmacological Research May 2020The effect of roxadustat (FG-4592) on individuals with chronic kidney diseases (CKD) patients receiving or not receiving the dialysis was unclear. The aim of this study... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Roxadustat (FG-4592) treatment for anemia in dialysis-dependent (DD) and not dialysis-dependent (NDD) chronic kidney disease patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
The effect of roxadustat (FG-4592) on individuals with chronic kidney diseases (CKD) patients receiving or not receiving the dialysis was unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of roxadustat for the treatment of anemia in patients who are dialysis dependent (DD) or dialysis independent (NDD) CKD. We performed a systematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing treatment with roxadustat versus placebo or epoetin alfa up to November 2019. We investigated the efficacy of roxadustat in the levels of hemoglobin and other clinical parameters in renal anemia in patients with NDD and DD-CKD. We estimated weighted-mean difference (WMD) using random effect models. We included six RCTs comprising 1001 patients of whom 70.6 % were treated with roxadustat and 294 controls. The control group for studies of NDD-CKD patients was placebo whereas an active control of epoetin-alfa was used in studies of DD-CKD patients. Median follow-up time was 8 weeks. All trials were industry-sponsored. Overall, roxadustat increased hemoglobin levels by 1.20 g/dl (95 % CI:0.66, 1.75,P < 0.0001,I = 99.3 %). Hemoglobin levels increased by 1.99 g/dl in NDD-CKD patients versus placebo and 0.52 g/dl in DD-CKD patients versus epoetin-alfa. Roxadustat was associated with a decrease the levels of hepcidin by -49.3 ng/dl (-38.5 ng/dl in NDD patients versus placebo and -27.7 ng/dl in DD patients versus epoetin alfa), a decrease in ferritin of -49.7 μmol/l (-52.2 μmol/l in NDD patients versus placebo and -7.3 μmol/l in DD patients versus epoetin alfa), and increase in total iron-binding capacity of 32.2 μmol/l (14.1 μmol/l in NDD patients versus placebo and 13.6 μmol/l in DD patients versus epoetin alfa). The percentage change in the transferrin saturation levels was -2.07 % (-6%, NDD patients versus placebo, and +3.7 % in DD patients versus epoetin alfa) in anemia associated CKD patients. This review found roxadustast increases the levels of hemoglobin, serum transferrin, intestinal iron absorption, and reduces hepcidin in both NDD and DD-CKD patients. Safety data is still emerging.
Topics: Anemia; Glycine; Humans; Isoquinolines; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Renal Dialysis; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic
PubMed: 32171893
DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2020.104747 -
International Journal of Obesity (2005) Feb 2024Overweight and obesity are the consequence of a sustained positive energy balance. Twin studies show high heritability rates pointing to genetics as one of the principal... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Overweight and obesity are the consequence of a sustained positive energy balance. Twin studies show high heritability rates pointing to genetics as one of the principal risk factors. By 2022, genomic studies led to the identification of almost 300 obesity-associated variants that could help to fill the gap of the high heritability rates. The endocannabinoid system is a critical regulator of metabolism for its effects on the central nervous system and peripheral tissues. Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) is a key enzyme in the inactivation of one of the two endocannabinoids, anandamide, and of its congeners. The rs324420 variant within the FAAH gene is a nucleotide missense change at position 385 from cytosine to adenine, resulting in a non-synonymous amino acid substitution from proline to threonine in the FAAH enzyme. This change increases sensitivity to proteolytic degradation, leading to reduced FAAH levels and increased levels of anandamide, associated with obesity-related traits. However, association studies of this variant with metabolic parameters have found conflicting results. This work aims to perform a systematic review of the existing literature on the association of the rs324420 variant in the FAAH gene with obesity and its related traits.
METHODS
A literature search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus. A total of 645 eligible studies were identified for the review.
RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS
After the identification, duplicate elimination, title and abstract screening, and full-text evaluation, 28 studies were included, involving 28 183 individuals. We show some evidence of associations between the presence of the variant allele and higher body mass index, waist circumference, fat mass, and waist-to-hip ratio levels and alterations in glucose and lipid homeostasis. However, this evidence should be taken with caution, as many included studies did not report a significant difference between genotypes. These discordant results could be explained mainly by the pleiotropy of the endocannabinoid system, the increase of other anandamide-like mediators metabolized by FAAH, and the influence of gene-environment interactions. More research is necessary to study the endocannabinoidomic profiles and their association with metabolic diseases.
Topics: Humans; Endocannabinoids; Obesity; Phenotype; Amidohydrolases; Arachidonic Acids; Polyunsaturated Alkamides
PubMed: 38114812
DOI: 10.1038/s41366-023-01428-9 -
Frontiers in Plant Science 2020Soil salinity often hinders plant productivity in both natural and agricultural settings. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) symbionts can mediate plant stress...
Soil salinity often hinders plant productivity in both natural and agricultural settings. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) symbionts can mediate plant stress responses by enhancing salinity tolerance, but less attention has been devoted to measuring these effects across plant-AMF studies. We performed a meta-analysis of published studies to determine how AMF symbionts influence plant responses under non-stressed vs. salt-stressed conditions. Compared to non-AMF plants, AMF plants had significantly higher shoot and root biomass ( < 0.0001) both under non-stressed conditions and in the presence of varying levels of NaCl salinity in soil, and the differences became more prominent as the salinity stress increased. Categorical analyses revealed that the accumulation of plant shoot and root biomass was influenced by various factors, such as the host life cycle and lifestyle, the fungal group, and the duration of the AMF and salinity treatments. More specifically, the effect of on plant shoot biomass was more prominent as the salinity level increased. Additionally, under stress, AMF increased shoot biomass more on plants that are dicots, plants that have nodulation capacity and plants that use the C3 plant photosynthetic pathway. When plants experienced short-term stress (<2 weeks), the effect of AMF was not apparent, but under longer-term stress (>4 weeks), AMF had a distinct effect on the plant response. For the first time, we observed significant phylogenetic signals in plants and mycorrhizal species in terms of their shoot biomass response to moderate levels of salinity stress, i.e., closely related plants had more similar responses, and closely related mycorrhizal species had similar effects than distantly related species. In contrast, the root biomass accumulation trait was related to fungal phylogeny only under non-stressed conditions and not under stressed conditions. Additionally, the influence of AMF on plant biomass was found to be unrelated to plant phylogeny. In line with the greater biomass accumulation in AMF plants, AMF improved the water status, photosynthetic efficiency and uptake of Ca and K in plants irrespective of salinity stress. The uptake of N and P was higher in AMF plants, and as the salinity increased, the trend showed a decline but had a clear upturn as the salinity stress increased to a high level. The activities of malondialdehyde (MDA), peroxidase (POD), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) as well as the proline content changed due to AMF treatment under salinity stress. The accumulation of proline and catalase (CAT) was observed only when plants experienced moderate salinity stress, but peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were significantly increased in AMF plants irrespective of salinity stress. Taken together, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi influenced plant growth and physiology, and their effects were more notable when their host plants experienced salinity stress and were influenced by plant and fungal traits.
PubMed: 33362816
DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.588550 -
Clinics and Research in Hepatology and... Mar 2022Biofilm-producing bacteria are relatively resistant to antibiotics, as the penetration of antibiotics into the endopolysaccharide envelope is incomplete. N Acetyl... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Biofilm-producing bacteria are relatively resistant to antibiotics, as the penetration of antibiotics into the endopolysaccharide envelope is incomplete. N Acetyl cysteine (NAC) is known to destabilize the biofilms, as it cleaves the disulfide bonds of mucus glycoproteins, reducing the viscosity and thickness of mucus. This allows NAC to act synergistically with antibiotics for the eradication of H Pylori. The meta-analysis evaluates the evidence of the efficacy of adjuvant N acetyl cysteine (NAC) compared to standard therapies in the eradication of H. Pylori infections.
METHODS
We searched randomized clinical trials in MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Clinical Trials (CENTRAL), EBSCO, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE), and Google Scholar. We included trials comparing standard treatment protocols plus adjuvant NAC and the same regimen without NAC. These studies included adults with a diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection. Our primary outcome was the successful eradication of H. Pylori. The results were pooled using a random-effects model, and data were analyzed using RevMan 5.0 software. Cochrane collaboration's tool was used to assess the risk of bias. Publication bias and other inconsistencies were assessed. Sensitivity analyses and grading of evidence were performed.
FINDINGS
Eight studies, comprising 1167 patients, were included in the meta-analysis, the pooled outcomes of patients on adjuvant NAC+ standard eradication therapy noted an eradication rate of 76.1% (n=581) compared to the patients in standard eradication therapy with a rate of 72.18% (n=586), RR 1.17 [95% CI (0.99, 1.39); I2= 64%; p value=0.07]. Moderate to severe heterogeneity was noted. These pooled results show that adjuvant NAC plus standard treatment protocols are not superior to standard treatment protocols for H pylori eradication. Similar results were seen in the use of adjuvant NAC with 'currently used standard treatment protocols' (78.3% versus 76.3%, RR 1.08, [95% CI 0.94 to 1.25]; I2=55%; p=0.28; n= 829 patients], as well as in the treatment of naïve patients (79.8% versus 80.9%, RR 1.00[95% CI 0.87 to 1.15]; i2=27%; P=-0.98; n= 775 patients].
CONCLUSION
Adjuvant NAC plus standard treatment protocols are not superior to standard treatment protocols for H. pylori eradication. These findings are consistent with the use of adjuvant NAC with 'currently used standard treatment protocols' (clarithromycin-based triple therapies) and also with adjuvant NAC used in the treatment of naïve patients. We are moderately certain of these findings. Future studies could explore the use of NAC as a pretreatment before using the current standard therapies in the eradication of H. Pylori rather than NAC as adjuvant therapy.
FUNDING
None.
Topics: Adult; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Clarithromycin; Cysteine; Drug Therapy, Combination; Helicobacter Infections; Helicobacter pylori; Humans; Proton Pump Inhibitors; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
PubMed: 34775122
DOI: 10.1016/j.clinre.2021.101832 -
Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics Nov 2019Galectin-3 is a M 31,000 protein that belongs to a family of carbohydrate-binding proteins. Galectin-3 has already been associated with protection against apoptosis...
PURPOSE
Galectin-3 is a M 31,000 protein that belongs to a family of carbohydrate-binding proteins. Galectin-3 has already been associated with protection against apoptosis through cell to cell or cell to matrix adhesion processes. It seems that galectin-3 plays an important role in tumor progression, cell growth, invasion and metastasis. Galectin-3 is the only member of the chimeric galectins that has an N-terminal glycine and proline domain and a C-terminal carbohydrate recognition domain that allows galectin-3 to accommodate larger structures such us polylactosaminoglycans and intervene to DNA damage repair process. In this systematic review, our primary goal is to identify the effect of galectin-3 expression in association with drug resistance and apoptosis inhibition in breast cancer.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Scopus and PubMed databases were searched on 26 November 2018 using the following combination of keywords: (galectin-3 OR gal-3 OR LGALS3) AND (breast cancer) AND (chemoresistance OR (drug resistance) OR chemosensitivity). All the articles in English, regardless the time of publication, text availability and species included were initially accepted.
RESULTS
In the majority of the included studies, the expression of galectin-3 had a protective role in cell survival via different pathways such as the response to DNA damage and repair or the inhibition of apoptosis after treatment with a chemotherapeutic agent.
CONCLUSION
Galectin-3 expression in breast tumors might be an important factor in the selection of the most suitable treatment.
Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Apoptosis; Blood Proteins; Breast Neoplasms; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; Female; Galectin 3; Galectins; Humans
PubMed: 31502061
DOI: 10.1007/s00404-019-05292-9 -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Jun 2015Sickle cell disease is a group of disorders characterized by deformation of erythrocytes. Renal damage is a frequent complication in sickle cell disease as a result of... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Sickle cell disease is a group of disorders characterized by deformation of erythrocytes. Renal damage is a frequent complication in sickle cell disease as a result of long-standing anemia and disturbed circulation through the renal medullary capillaries. Due to the improvement in life expectancy of people with sickle cell disease, there has been a corresponding significant increase in the incidence of renal complications. Microalbuminuria and proteinuria are noted to be a strong predictor of subsequent renal failure. There is extensive experience and evidence with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors over many years in a variety of clinical situations for patients who do not have sickle cell disease, but their effect in people with this disease is unknown. It is common practice to administer ACE inhibitors for sickle nephropathy due to their renoprotective properties; however, little is known about their effectiveness and safety in this setting. This is an update of a Cochrane Review first published in 2013.
OBJECTIVES
To determine the effectiveness of ACE inhibitor administration in people with sickle cell disease for decreasing intraglomerular pressure, microalbuminuria and proteinuria and to to assess the safety of ACE inhibitors as pertains to their adverse effects.
SEARCH METHODS
The authors searched the Cochrane Cystic Fibrosis and Genetic Disorders Group's Hameoglobinopathies Trials Register comprising references identified from comprehensive electronic database searches and handsearches of relevant journals and abstract books of conference proceedings.Date of the most recent search: 03 June 2015.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Randomized or quasi-randomized controlled trials of ACE inhibitors designed to reduce microalbuminuria and proteinuria in people with sickle cell disease compared to either placebo or standard treatment regimen.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Three authors independently applied the inclusion criteria in order to select studies for inclusion in the review. Two authors assessed the risk of bias of studies and extracted data and the third author verified these assessments.
MAIN RESULTS
Five studies were identified through the searches, only one met our inclusion criteria. The included study randomized 22 participants (seven males and 15 females) having proteinuria or microalbuminuria with sickle cell disease and treated the participants for six months (median length of follow up of three months) with captopril or placebo. The overall quality of the outcomes reported was high, since most aspects that may contribute to bias were regarded to be of low risk, although allocation concealment was not reported. At six months, the study reported no significant difference in urinary albumin excretion between the captopril group and the placebo group, although the mean urinary albumin excretion in the captopril group was lower by a mean difference of -49.00 (95% confidence interval -124.10 to 26.10) compared to that of placebo. However, our analysis on the absolute change score showed significant changes between the two groups by a mean difference of -63.00 (95% confidence interval -93.78 to -32.22). At six months albumin excretion in the captopril group was noted to decrease from baseline by a mean of 45 ± 23 mg/day and the placebo group was noted to increase by 18 ± 45 mg/day. Serum creatinine and potassium levels were reported constant throughout the study. The potential for inducing hypotension should be highlighted; the study reported a decrease of 8 mmHg in systolic pressure and 5 mmHg in diastolic and mean blood pressure.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
There is not enough evidence to show that the administration of ACE inhibitors is associated with a reduction of microalbuminuria and proteinuria in people with sickle cell disease, although a potential for this was seen. More long-term studies involving multiple centers and larger cohorts using a randomized-controlled design are warranted, especially among the pediatric age group. Detailed reporting of each outcome measure is necessary to allow a clear cut interpretation in a systematic review. One of the difficulties encountered in this review was the lack of detailed data reported in the included study.
Topics: Albuminuria; Anemia, Sickle Cell; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; Captopril; Creatinine; Female; Humans; Male; Potassium; Proteinuria; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Renal Insufficiency
PubMed: 26041152
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD009191.pub3 -
Nutrients Oct 2020Different amino acids (AAs) may exert distinct effects on postprandial glucose and insulin concentrations. A quantitative comparison of the effects of AAs on glucose and...
Different amino acids (AAs) may exert distinct effects on postprandial glucose and insulin concentrations. A quantitative comparison of the effects of AAs on glucose and insulin kinetics in humans is currently lacking. PubMed was queried to identify intervention studies reporting glucose and insulin concentrations after acute ingestion and/or intravenous infusion of AAs in healthy adults and those living with obesity and/or type 2 diabetes (T2DM). The systematic literature search identified 55 studies that examined the effects of l-leucine, l-isoleucine, l-alanine, l-glutamine, l-arginine, l-lysine, glycine, l-proline, l-phenylalanine, l-glutamate, branched-chain AAs (i.e., l-leucine, l-isoleucine, and l-valine), and multiple individual l-AAs on glucose and insulin concentrations. Oral ingestion of most individual AAs induced an insulin response, but did not alter glucose concentrations in healthy participants. Specific AAs (i.e., leucine and isoleucine) co-ingested with glucose exerted a synergistic effect on the postprandial insulin response and attenuated the glucose response compared to glucose intake alone in healthy participants. Oral AA ingestion as well as intravenous AA infusion was able to stimulate an insulin response and decrease glucose concentrations in T2DM and obese individuals. The extracted information is publicly available and can serve multiple purposes such as computational modeling.
Topics: Administration, Oral; Adult; Amino Acids; Blood Glucose; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Female; Glucose; Humans; Infusions, Intravenous; Insulin; Kinetics; Male; Obesity; Postprandial Period
PubMed: 33096658
DOI: 10.3390/nu12103211 -
Frontiers in Psychiatry 2021The neuropeptide-Y (NPY) is involved in the development of alcoholism through NPY receptors. A T>C mutation causes substitution of leucine to proline at codon 7 (L7P;...
The neuropeptide-Y (NPY) is involved in the development of alcoholism through NPY receptors. A T>C mutation causes substitution of leucine to proline at codon 7 (L7P; rs16139) in the signal peptide of neuropeptide Y is known to cause a 42% increase in plasma NPY levels. Studies that analyzed the association between rs16139 and alcoholism risk did not demonstrate conclusive evidence for this relationship. The present study aims to evaluate the association between gene rs16139 variant and alcohol dependence. An electronic search of databases including PubMed and Google Scholar was performed to retrieve studies investigating the association between rs16139 and alcoholism. The pooled odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated in allelic and dominant genetic models. Sensitivity analyses and publication bias were assessed in our meta-analysis. The meta-analysis was conducted using the MetaGenyo web tool. Significant heterogeneity was observed across studies ( < 0.001). Our results have shown that there is no significant association between rs16139 variant and the risk of alcoholism in allelic (OR = 0.98, 95% CI 0.70-1.38, = 0.921) and dominant models (OR = 0.98, 95% CI 0.69-1.40, = 0.919). Begg's funnel plot and Egger's test have not shown publication bias ( = 0.332). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first meta-analysis that evaluates the relationship between the rs16139 polymorphism and the risk of alcoholism. Our large-scale meta-analysis suggests that rs16139 polymorphism is not associated with alcoholism. However, further studies are needed to increase our understanding of the relationship between variants in alcoholism.
PubMed: 34777047
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.737440 -
International Urology and Nephrology Jun 2021HIF-PHI (hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor) was developed to improve renal anemia. This study was to evaluate the efficiency and safety of HIF-PHI in... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Efficacy and safety of hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor (HIF-PHI) on anemia in non-dialysis-dependent chronic kidney disease (NDD-CKD): a systematic review and meta-analysis.
PURPOSE
HIF-PHI (hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor) was developed to improve renal anemia. This study was to evaluate the efficiency and safety of HIF-PHI in patients with non-dialysis-dependent chronic kidney disease (NDD-CKD).
METHODS
The literature was extracted from PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and the Wanfang database. Statistical tests and forest plots were depicted by Review Manager Version 5.3. The primary outcome was a change in hemoglobin level from baseline (ΔHb). Secondary outcomes were changes in ferritin (ΔFerritin), hepcidin (ΔHepcidin), and transferrin saturation from baseline (ΔTSAT), and adverse events (AEs). This study is registered with PROSPERO (registration number CRD42020199656).
RESULTS
Ten trials were included. The results showed that HIF-PHI improved the ΔHb [SMD 3.03 (95% CI 2.10, 3.96), P < 0.00001] in NDD patients. HIF-PHI reduced hepcidin levels in the NDD patients [SMD - 1.44 (95% CI - 2.19-0.70), P = 0.0002]. ΔFerritin values were reduced significantly in the HIF-PHI group [SMD - 1.08 (95% CI - 1.63-0.53), P = 0.0001]. However, ΔTSAT values showed no significant difference in the HIF-PHI group compared to the placebo group [SMD - 0.23 (95% CI - 0.66-0.21), P = 0.31]. In the safety assessment, HIF-PHI did not increase adverse events significantly [RR 0.98 (95% CI 0.88-1.10), P = 0.74].
CONCLUSION
HIF-PHI improves renal anemia and iron utilization disorder in NDD-CKD patients, without significantly more adverse events.
Topics: Anemia; Humans; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-Proline Dioxygenases; Renal Dialysis; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 33026571
DOI: 10.1007/s11255-020-02671-z