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Critical Care (London, England) Nov 2023Bacteria are the main pathogens that cause sepsis. The pathogenic mechanisms of sepsis caused by gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria are completely different, and... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Bacteria are the main pathogens that cause sepsis. The pathogenic mechanisms of sepsis caused by gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria are completely different, and their prognostic differences in sepsis remain unclear.
METHODS
The PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases were searched for Chinese and English studies (January 2003 to September 2023). Observational studies involving gram-negative (G (-))/gram-positive (G (+)) bacterial infection and the prognosis of sepsis were included. The stability of the results was evaluated by sensitivity analysis. Funnel plots and Egger tests were used to check whether there was publication bias. A meta-regression analysis was conducted on the results with high heterogeneity to identify the source of heterogeneity. A total of 6949 articles were retrieved from the database, and 45 studies involving 5586 subjects were included after screening according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Twenty-seven high-quality studies and 18 moderate-quality studies were identified according to the Newcastle‒Ottawa Scale score. There was no significant difference in the survival rate of sepsis caused by G (-) bacteria and G (+) bacteria (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.70-1.28). Subgroup analysis according to survival follow-up time showed no significant difference. The serum concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP) (SMD = 0.39, 95% CI 0.02-0.76), procalcitonin (SMD = 1.95, 95% CI 1.32-2.59) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) (MD = 0.31, 95% CI 0.25-0.38) in the G (-) bacterial infection group were significantly higher than those in the G (+) bacterial infection group, but there was no significant difference in IL-6 (SMD = 1.33, 95% CI - 0.18-2.84) and WBC count (MD = - 0.15, 95% CI - 0.96-00.66). There were no significant differences between G (-) and G (+) bacteria in D dimer level, activated partial thromboplastin time, thrombin time, international normalized ratio, platelet count, length of stay or length of ICU stay. Sensitivity analysis of the above results indicated that the results were stable.
CONCLUSION
The incidence of severe sepsis and the concentrations of inflammatory factors (CRP, PCT, TNF-α) in sepsis caused by G (-) bacteria were higher than those caused by G (+) bacteria. The two groups had no significant difference in survival rate, coagulation function, or hospital stay. The study was registered with PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42023465051).
Topics: Humans; Prognosis; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; Sepsis; Bacterial Infections; Gram-Negative Bacteria; C-Reactive Protein; Bacteria; Gram-Positive Bacteria
PubMed: 38037118
DOI: 10.1186/s13054-023-04750-w -
Chemosphere Oct 2023Perchlorate has been categorised as a potential contaminant and researched for years, but there are still many unknowns regarding this anion's contamination impacts. In... (Review)
Review
Perchlorate has been categorised as a potential contaminant and researched for years, but there are still many unknowns regarding this anion's contamination impacts. In this review, the basic information about perchlorate is summarised and evaluated, including the physical-chemical properties, fate and transportation, toxicity, analysis, and remediation. Especially, recent advances on analysis and remediation are emphasised and evaluated, such as in-situ imaging analysis and on-site bio-remediation respectively. The high solubility and persistence of the perchlorate anion mean its contamination is different from others, particularly in terms of analysis and remediation that might lead to secondary contamination. The knowledge gaps are listed for future research.
Topics: Perchlorates; Environmental Restoration and Remediation; Soil; Drug Contamination
PubMed: 37478993
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139562 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Mar 2024The analysis of enantiomers in food has significant implications for food safety and human health. Conventional analytical methods employed for enantiomer analysis, such... (Review)
Review
The analysis of enantiomers in food has significant implications for food safety and human health. Conventional analytical methods employed for enantiomer analysis, such as gas chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography, are characterized by their labor-intensive nature and lengthy analysis times. This review focuses on the development of rapid and reliable biosensors for the analysis of enantiomers in food. Electrochemical and optical biosensors are highlighted, along with their fabrication methods and materials. The determination of enantiomers in food can authenticate products and ensure their safety. Amino acids and chiral pesticides are specifically discussed as important chiral substances found in food. The use of sensors replaces expensive reagents, offers real-time analysis capabilities, and provides a low-cost screening method for enantiomers. This review contributes to the advancement of sensor-based methods in the field of food analysis and promotes food authenticity and safety.
Topics: Humans; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Food; Pesticides; Chromatography, Gas; Biosensing Techniques; Stereoisomerism
PubMed: 38474618
DOI: 10.3390/molecules29051106 -
Journal of Exposure Science &... Jul 2023Non-targeted analysis (NTA) and suspect screening analysis (SSA) are powerful techniques that rely on high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) and computational tools to... (Review)
Review
Non-targeted analysis (NTA) and suspect screening analysis (SSA) are powerful techniques that rely on high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) and computational tools to detect and identify unknown or suspected chemicals in the exposome. Fully understanding the chemical exposome requires characterization of both environmental media and human specimens. As such, we conducted a review to examine the use of different NTA and SSA methods in various exposure media and human samples, including the results and chemicals detected. The literature review was conducted by searching literature databases, such as PubMed and Web of Science, for keywords, such as "non-targeted analysis", "suspect screening analysis" and the exposure media. Sources of human exposure to environmental chemicals discussed in this review include water, air, soil/sediment, dust, and food and consumer products. The use of NTA for exposure discovery in human biospecimen is also reviewed. The chemical space that has been captured using NTA varies by media analyzed and analytical platform. In each media the chemicals that were frequently detected using NTA were: per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and pharmaceuticals in water, pesticides and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil and sediment, volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds in air, flame retardants in dust, plasticizers in consumer products, and plasticizers, pesticides, and halogenated compounds in human samples. Some studies reviewed herein used both liquid chromatography (LC) and gas chromatography (GC) HRMS to increase the detected chemical space (16%); however, the majority (51%) only used LC-HRMS and fewer used GC-HRMS (32%). Finally, we identify knowledge and technology gaps that must be overcome to fully assess potential chemical exposures using NTA. Understanding the chemical space is essential to identifying and prioritizing gaps in our understanding of exposure sources and prior exposures. IMPACT STATEMENT: This review examines the results and chemicals detected by analyzing exposure media and human samples using high-resolution mass spectrometry based non-targeted analysis (NTA) and suspect screening analysis (SSA).
Topics: Humans; Environmental Pollutants; Exposome; Plasticizers; Soil; Dust; Water
PubMed: 37380877
DOI: 10.1038/s41370-023-00574-6 -
Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry Jul 2023This trends article provides an overview of the state of the art in the analysis of intact glycopeptides by proteomics technologies based on LC-MS analysis. A brief... (Review)
Review
This trends article provides an overview of the state of the art in the analysis of intact glycopeptides by proteomics technologies based on LC-MS analysis. A brief description of the main techniques used at the different steps of the analytical workflow is provided, giving special attention to the most recent developments. The topics discussed include the need for dedicated sample preparation for intact glycopeptide purification from complex biological matrices. This section covers the common approaches with a special description of new materials and innovative reversible chemical derivatization strategies, specifically devised for intact glycopeptide analysis or dual enrichment of glycosylation and other post-translational modifications. The approaches are described for the characterization of intact glycopeptide structures by LC-MS and data analysis by bioinformatics for spectra annotation. The last section covers the open challenges in the field of intact glycopeptide analysis. These challenges include the need of a detailed description of the glycopeptide isomerism, the issues with quantitative analysis, and the lack of analytical methods for the large-scale characterization of glycosylation types that remain poorly characterized, such as C-mannosylation and tyrosine O-glycosylation. This bird's-eye view article provides both a state of the art in the field of intact glycopeptide analysis and open challenges to prompt future research on the topic.
Topics: Chromatography, Liquid; Glycopeptides; Glycosylation; Mass Spectrometry; Protein Processing, Post-Translational
PubMed: 36811677
DOI: 10.1007/s00216-023-04592-z -
Journal of the National Cancer Institute Sep 2023Relapse-free survival (RFS) has been considered a primary endpoint to assess the effects of immunotherapy in the adjuvant setting among patients with early-stage... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Relapse-free survival (RFS) has been considered a primary endpoint to assess the effects of immunotherapy in the adjuvant setting among patients with early-stage disease. However, it is not clear whether RFS is a valid surrogate endpoint for overall survival (OS) in this clinical context.
METHODS
Phase II or III clinical trials of adjuvant immunotherapy that reported hazard ratios on OS and RFS were identified. We used a weighted regression analysis at the arm and trial levels to assess the efficacy of RFS as a surrogate for OS, quantified by the weighted coefficient of determination (R2). Strong correlations (R2 ≥ 0.7) at the arm and trial levels indicated valid surrogacy. The surrogate threshold effect was also evaluated.
RESULTS
Fifteen high-quality randomized clinical trials involving 13 715 patients were included. At the arm level, moderate and strong associations were observed between RFS2-year and OS3-year (R2 = 0.58, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.25 to 0.92) and RFS3-year and OS5-year (R2 = 0.72, 95% CI = 0.38 to 1.00), respectively. At the trial level, a moderate association was observed between effect of treatment on RFS and OS (R2 = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.33 to 0.94). The surrogate threshold effect for RFS was 0.86. Consistent results were confirmed in several sensitivity analyses based on different trial phases, experimental arms, cancer types, and treatment strategies.
CONCLUSIONS
Our meta-analysis failed to find a clinically strong association between RFS and OS in randomized clinical trials of adjuvant immunotherapy. Our findings challenge the use of RFS as the primary efficacy endpoint and suggest the use of OS in this clinical context.
Topics: Humans; Proportional Hazards Models; Biomarkers; Regression Analysis; Immunotherapy; Disease-Free Survival; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
PubMed: 37389446
DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djad125 -
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety Sep 2023We aimed to investigate the relationship between oxidative stress indicators and brominated flame retardant (BFR) levels in US adults. Using data from the NHANES...
Association between brominated flame retardants exposure and markers of oxidative stress in US adults: An analysis based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2016.
We aimed to investigate the relationship between oxidative stress indicators and brominated flame retardant (BFR) levels in US adults. Using data from the NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) from 2007 to 2016, 8028 participants aged 18 and over were enrolled in this study. PBDE28, PBDE47, PBDE85, PBDE99, PBDE100, PBDE153, PBDE154, PBDE209, and PBB153, with over 75 % detection rates, were extracted in this study. Survey-weighted linear regression model, weighted quantile sum (WQS) model, and quantile-based g calculation (QGC) model were used to assess the correlation between serum BFRs levels and oxidative stress indicators (serum bilirubin and gamma-glutamyl transferase [GGT]). Besides, the nonlinear association was explored using restricted cubic splines (RCS). Each of the BFRs was confirmed by the survey-weighted linear regression model to be positively associated with GGT after controlling for variables, and BFRs except for PBDE153 were positively associated with serum bilirubin. Except for PBDE153, serum bilirubin in the highest quartile of BFRs was significantly higher than in the lowest high quartile. Additionally, except for PBDE85, serum GGT in the highest quartile of BFRs was higher than in the lowest high quartile. A significant nonlinear association between all BFRs with bilirubin and the PBDE153, PBDE209, and PBB153 with GGT was identified by RCS analysis. By WQS analysis, combined BFR exposure was associated with serum GGT (β: 0.093; 95 % CI = 0.066-0.121; P < 0.0001) and bilirubin (β: 0.090; 95 % CI = 0.068-0.113; P < 0.0001). QGC analysis found a similar correlation between BFR mixtures with serum GGT (β: 0.098; 95 % CI = 0.075-0.120; P < 0.0001) and bilirubin (β: 0.073; 95 % CI = 0.048-0.097; P < 0.0001). Exposure to BFRs is positively associated with markers of oxidative stress (serum bilirubin and GGT) in US adults, which needs further exploration by a large-scale cohort study.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Adolescent; Flame Retardants; Nutrition Surveys; Cohort Studies; Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; gamma-Glutamyltransferase; Bilirubin; Hydrocarbons, Brominated
PubMed: 37478566
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115253 -
Environmental Pollution (Barking, Essex... Jul 2023Excess nitrogen is a pollutant and global problem that harms ecosystems and can severely affect human health. Pollutant nitrogen is becoming more widespread and... (Review)
Review Meta-Analysis
Excess nitrogen is a pollutant and global problem that harms ecosystems and can severely affect human health. Pollutant nitrogen is becoming more widespread and intensifying in the tropics. There is thus a requirement to develop nitrogen biomonitoring for spatial mapping and trend analysis of tropical biodiversity and ecosystems. In temperate and boreal zones, multiple bioindicators for nitrogen pollution have been developed, with lichen epiphytes among the most sensitive and widely applied. However, the state of our current knowledge on bioindicators is geographically biased, with extensive research effort focused on bioindicators in the temperate and boreal zones. The development of lichen bioindicators in the tropics is further weakened by incomplete taxonomic and ecological knowledge. In this study we performed a literature review and meta-analysis, attempting to identify characteristics of lichens that offer transferability of bioindication into tropical regions. This transferability must overcome the different species pools between source information - drawing on extensive research effort in the temperate and boreal zone - and tropical ecosystems. Focussing on ammonia concentration as the nitrogen pollutant, we identify a set of morphological traits and taxonomic relationships that cause lichen epiphytes to be more sensitive, or more resistant to this excess nitrogen. We perform an independent test of our bioindicator scheme and offer recommendations for its application and future research in the tropics.
Topics: Humans; Environmental Biomarkers; Ecosystem; Lichens; Nitrogen; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental Pollutants
PubMed: 37028790
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121575 -
PeerJ 2023The social acceptability of wild freshwater macrophytes as locally consumed vegetables is widespread. Freshwater macrophytes have several uses; for example, they can be...
BACKGROUND
The social acceptability of wild freshwater macrophytes as locally consumed vegetables is widespread. Freshwater macrophytes have several uses; for example, they can be used as food for humans. This study determined the proximate composition and mineral content of three freshwater macrophyte species, , , , and .
METHODS
Young shoots of , , and were collected from shallow channels of Puchong (3°00'11.89″N, 101°42'43.12″E), Ladang 10, Universiti Putra Malaysia (2°58'44.41″N, 101°42'44.45″E), and Kampung Alur Selibong, Langgar (06°5'50.9″N, 100°26'49.8″E), Kedah, Peninsular Malaysia. The nutritional values of these macrophytes were analysed by using a standard protocol from the Association of Official Analytical Chemists. Eight replicates of and and four replicates of were used for the subsequent analyses.
RESULTS
In the proximate analysis, possessed the highest percentage of crude protein (29.61%) and energy content (4,269.65 cal g), whereas had the highest percentage of crude fat (5.75%) and ash (18.31%). The proximate composition trend for each species was different; specifically, all of the species possessed more carbohydrates and fewer crude lipids. All of the species demonstrated a similar mineral trend, with high nitrogen and potassium and lower copper contents. Nitrogen and potassium levels ranged from 12,380-40,380 mg kg and from 11,212-33,276 mg kg, respectively, and copper levels ranged from 16-27 mg kg. The results showed that all three plant species, i.e., , and are plant-based sources of macro- and micronutrient beneficial supplements for human consumption.
Topics: Humans; Copper; Minerals; Vegetables; Potassium; Fresh Water; Nutritive Value; Nitrogen
PubMed: 37456903
DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15496 -
PeerJ 2024Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease caused by bacterial infection in the periodontal support tissue. Visfatin, a hormone secreted mainly by adipocytes and... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease caused by bacterial infection in the periodontal support tissue. Visfatin, a hormone secreted mainly by adipocytes and macrophages, plays an important role in immune regulation and defense. Although studies have indicated that patients with periodontitis have significantly high serum and gingival crevicular fluid levels of visfatin, the relationship between this adipocytokine and periodontal disease remains unclear.
AIM
The aim of this study was to systematically evaluate the association between visfatin levels and periodontitis.
METHODS
The PubMed, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, EBSCO, and Wiley Online Library databases were searched for potential studies, using "periodontitis" and "visfatin" as the keywords in the title and abstract search fields. Standardized mean difference (SMD) values with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were determined from the results of this meta-analysis.
RESULTS
In total, 22 articles involving 456 patients with periodontitis and 394 healthy individuals (controls) were included in the meta-analysis. Visfatin levels were significantly higher in the patients with periodontitis than in the healthy individuals (SMD: 3.82, 95% CI [3.01-4.63]). Moreover, the visfatin levels were significantly lowered after periodontitis treatment (SMD: -2.29, 95% CI [-3.33 to -1.26]).
CONCLUSION
This first-ever meta-analysis comparing visfatin levels between patients with periodontitis and healthy individuals suggests that this adipocytokine can be a diagnostic and therapeutic biomarker for periodontal disease.
Topics: Humans; Adipokines; Case-Control Studies; Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase; Periodontal Diseases; Periodontitis
PubMed: 38560458
DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17187