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Imaging Science in Dentistry Jun 2023This systematic review aimed to investigate the correlation between chronological age and dental pulp volume in cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
This systematic review aimed to investigate the correlation between chronological age and dental pulp volume in cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The literature was searched in 4 databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar). Within each study, the outcome of interest was the correlation (r) between chronological age and pulp volume. A random-effect meta-analysis was conducted. Subgroup analysis was carried out according to sex and tooth type.
RESULTS
Of 5693 identified studies, 27 fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were selected for meta-analysis. These articles focused on single-rooted teeth (n=21), multi-rooted teeth (n=6), maxillary teeth (n=14), mandibular teeth (n=6), and maxillary and mandibular teeth (n=12). The relationship between chronological age and dental pulp volume was examined in the entire population (r=-0.67), men (r=-0.75), and women (r=-0.77) in single- and multi-rooted teeth. The results of the total population analysis showed a relatively strong negative relationship between age and pulp volume.
CONCLUSION
This study suggested that CBCT is a reliable and repeatable tool for dental age estimation. A strong inverse relationship was observed between pulp chamber volume and age. Further studies on the correlation between chronological age and pulp volume of multi-rooted teeth may be beneficial.
PubMed: 37405204
DOI: 10.5624/isd.20221226 -
World Neurosurgery Nov 2023Recently, intervention with endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) for patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) has emerged as a potential minimally... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Recently, intervention with endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) for patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) has emerged as a potential minimally invasive alternative to traditional treatments (ventriculoperitoneal shunting). The clinical response to these interventions is variable and unclear. The objective of this review was to assess the efficacy of endoscopic third ventriculostomy in treating patients with iNPH. A systematic review of PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar was conducted using search terms relevant to ETV and iNPH. Included studies met consistent, predetermined diagnostic criteria for iNPH, implemented ETV in subjects greater than 40 years of age, and assessed all 3 components of Hakim's triad (gait impairment, dementia, and incontinence). Data extraction included dichotomization of successful ETV clinical outcomes and a subgroup meta-analysis of ETV success rates across binarized age groups. Meta-analysis was conducted using a Mantel-Haenszel fixed-effects model. The outcomes presented include generalized ETV success rates across all 12 studies. Age-specific individual data was measured with odds ratios, with a pooled statistic measured using the Mantel-Haenszel test. Overall, 2294 studies were identified in this search, of which 12 were selected for inclusion in this systematic review. Of these, 3 studies were utilized for age-specific meta-analyses. Preliminary synthesis of ETV clinical outcomes across all 12 studies revealed a success rate of 60.2%. Additionally, meta-analysis revealed that iNPH patients younger than or equal to 65 years of age were significantly more likely to respond successfully to ETV intervention. Heterogeneity was inconsequential in this analysis.
Topics: Humans; Ventriculostomy; Hydrocephalus, Normal Pressure; Neuroendoscopy; Third Ventricle; Hydrocephalus; Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt; Treatment Outcome; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 37625638
DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2023.08.071 -
Biological Reviews of the Cambridge... Dec 2023Various biological attributes associated with individual fitness in animals change predictably over the lifespan of an organism. Therefore, the study of animal ecology... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Various biological attributes associated with individual fitness in animals change predictably over the lifespan of an organism. Therefore, the study of animal ecology and the work of conservationists frequently relies upon the ability to assign animals to functionally relevant age classes to model population fitness. Several approaches have been applied to determining individual age and, while these methods have proved useful, they are not without limitations and often lack standardisation or are only applicable to specific species. For these reasons, scientists have explored the potential use of biological clocks towards creating a universal age-determination method. Two biological clocks, tooth layer annulation and otolith layering have found universal appeal. Both methods are highly invasive and most appropriate for post-mortem age-at-death estimation. More recently, attributes of cellular ageing previously explored in humans have been adapted to studying ageing in animals for the use of less-invasive molecular methods for determining age. Here, we review two such methods, assessment of methylation and telomere length, describing (i) what they are, (ii) how they change with age, and providing (iii) a summary and meta-analysis of studies that have explored their utility in animal age determination. We found that both attributes have been studied across multiple vertebrate classes, however, telomere studies were used before methylation studies and telomere length has been modelled in nearly twice as many studies. Telomere length studies included in the review often related changes to stress responses and illustrated that telomere length is sensitive to environmental and social stressors and, in the absence of repair mechanisms such as telomerase or alternative lengthening modes, lacks the ability to recover. Methylation studies, however, while also detecting sensitivity to stressors and toxins, illustrated the ability to recover from such stresses after a period of accelerated ageing, likely due to constitutive expression or reactivation of repair enzymes such as DNA methyl transferases. We also found that both studied attributes have parentally heritable features, but the mode of inheritance differs among taxa and may relate to heterogamy. Our meta-analysis included more than 40 species in common for methylation and telomere length, although both analyses included at least 60 age-estimation models. We found that methylation outperforms telomere length in terms of predictive power evidenced from effect sizes (more than double that observed for telomeres) and smaller prediction intervals. Both methods produced age correlation models using similar sample sizes and were able to classify individuals into young, middle, or old age classes with high accuracy. Our review and meta-analysis illustrate that both methods are well suited to studying age in animals and do not suffer significantly from variation due to differences in the lifespan of the species, genome size, karyotype, or tissue type but rather that quantitative method, patterns of inheritance, and environmental factors should be the main considerations. Thus, provided that complex factors affecting the measured trait can be accounted for, both methylation and telomere length are promising targets to develop as biomarkers for age determination in animals.
Topics: Humans; Animals; Aging; Biological Clocks; Ecology; Karyotyping
PubMed: 37356823
DOI: 10.1111/brv.12992 -
International Journal of Obesity (2005) Aug 2022To understand the sex difference in age at adiposity rebound (AR), integrate the prevalence of early AR (EAR), and provide a quantitative association between early age... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
OBJECTIVES
To understand the sex difference in age at adiposity rebound (AR), integrate the prevalence of early AR (EAR), and provide a quantitative association between early age at AR and overweight/obesity.
METHODS
Literature review was conducted in different databases, including the Web of Science, PubMed, EMBASE, Wiley, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, and ScienceDirect databases up to August 2021. Studies that reported data related to AR were considered for inclusion. Pooled effect sizes and their respective 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using random effects models, depending on the size of heterogeneity. Heterogeneity was tested by using the I statistics.
RESULTS
28 studies with a combined sample size of 106,397 people were included in the final meta-analysis. Girls had a significantly earlier age of AR than boys (mean difference = 3.38 months; 95% CI 2.14-4.63). The overall prevalence of EAR was 40% (95% CI 31% to 50%), and the prevalence in girls was 5% higher than that in boys based on the definition of age at AR < 5.0-5.1 years. The overall pooled prevalence of EAR showed an increasing trend by child's birth year [1934-1973]: 29% (95% CI 22% to 37%), 1991-2001: 35% (95% CI 26% to 44%), and 2002-2009: 52% (95% CI 40-63%). Early age at AR (age at AR < 5.0-5.1 years) was associated with a significantly increased risk of overweight/obesity (OR = 5.07; 95% CI 3.60-7.12), overweight (OR = 3.10; 95% CI 1.69-5.70), and obesity (OR = 6.97; 95% CI 4.32-11.26) from the preschool period to adulthood.
CONCLUSIONS
The overall prevalence of EAR is increasing, and girls experience AR earlier than boys. The early age at AR in children may be an early and effective marker of obesity.
Topics: Adiposity; Adult; Body Mass Index; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Humans; Infant; Male; Obesity; Overweight; Prevalence
PubMed: 35437004
DOI: 10.1038/s41366-022-01120-4 -
Environment International Aug 2023Maternal pesticide exposure might be associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes through triggering inflammation and oxidative stress and disrupting endocrine functions.... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Maternal pesticide exposure might be associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes through triggering inflammation and oxidative stress and disrupting endocrine functions. Yet the association between prenatal pesticide exposure and risk of preterm birth remains inconclusive.
OBJECTIVES
To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of human observational studies using the Office of Health Assessment and Translation (OHAT) framework to explore the association of per ten-fold increase of pesticide concentrations in maternal biological samples during pregnancy with risk of preterm birth and length of gestational age at birth.
DATA SOURCE
Five English (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and Scopus) and 3 Chinese databases (China national knowledge infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM)) were searched till Jan 18th, 2023.
STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA, PARTICIPANTS, AND INTERVENTIONS
To be included, pesticide exposure should be measured in maternal biological samples during pregnancy and in log-transformed forms. The primary outcome was preterm birth and the secondary outcome was gestational age at birth.
STUDY APPRAISAL, SYNTHESIS METHODS AND CONFIDENCE ASSESSMENT
Quality of studies was evaluated using OHAT Risk of Bias Tool. Evidence was quantitatively synthesized with Correlated and Hierarchical Effects (CHE) model. The confidence rating in the body of evidence was done using OHAT.
RESULTS
A total of 21 studies reported by 18 papers were included, with 7 studies for preterm birth and 19 for gestational age at birth. The meta-analysis found a ten-fold increase of pesticide concentrations was potentially associated with risk of preterm birth (pooled OR = 1.28; 95%CI: 0.93, 1.78) and shortened gestational age at birth (β = -0.10; 95%CI: -0.21, 0.01). Sampling biospecimens in different trimesters was identified as a potential modifier in the association between pesticide exposure and length of gestational age (F = 2.77, P < 0.05). For studies that collected samples at any time during pregnancy, pesticide exposure was found to be associated with shortened length of gestational age (β = -0.43; 95%CI: -0.81, -0.06). The confidence rating in the body of evidence was "moderate" and "very low" for preterm birth and gestational age at birth, respectively.
CONCLUSION
Our result suggested moderate evidence of an association between pesticide exposure and higher risk of preterm birth. Yet more studies are still needed with larger sample size and careful considerations of confounders and accuracy of outcome measurements. Attention is also required on other pesticide compounds in addition to organochlorine and organophosphorus pesticides, and on windows of susceptibility.
Topics: Pregnancy; Female; Infant, Newborn; Humans; Premature Birth; Pesticides; Organophosphorus Compounds; Pregnancy Outcome; Gestational Age
PubMed: 37364307
DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108043 -
Ageing Research Reviews Sep 2023Telomere attrition is a proposed hallmark of aging. To evaluate the association of telomere length (TL) with chronological age across the human lifespan, we conducted a... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Telomere attrition is a proposed hallmark of aging. To evaluate the association of telomere length (TL) with chronological age across the human lifespan, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 414 study samples comprising 743,019 individuals aged 0-112 years. We examined both cross-sectional and longitudinal data, and evaluated the impact of various biological and methodological factors including sex, health status, tissue types, DNA extraction procedures, and TL measurement methods. The pooled corrected correlation between TL and age from cross-sectional samples was -0.19 (95%CI: -0.22 to -0.15), which weakened with increased chronological age (β = 0.003, p < 0.001). Z-score change rates of TL across the lifespan showed a gradual decrease in shortening rate until around age 50 and remained at a relatively stable rate towards the elderly period. A greater attrition rate was observed in longitudinal than cross-sectional evaluations. For TL measured in base pairs, the median change rate of TL was -23 bp/year in cross-sectional samples and -38 bp/year in longitudinal samples. Methodological factors including TL measurement methods and tissue types impacted the TL-age correlation, while sex or disease status did not. This meta-analysis revealed the non-linear shortening trend of TL across the human lifespan and provides a reference value for future studies. Results also highlight the importance of methodological considerations when using TL as an aging biomarker.
Topics: Aged; Humans; Longevity; Cross-Sectional Studies; Telomere Shortening; Aging; Telomere
PubMed: 37567392
DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2023.102031 -
The Journal of Infectious Diseases Nov 2023There is no immunization campaign that currently exist for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Seroprevalence studies are critical for assessing epidemiological dynamics...
BACKGROUND
There is no immunization campaign that currently exist for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Seroprevalence studies are critical for assessing epidemiological dynamics before and during an immunization program. A systematic literature review was conducted to summarize the evidence from seroprevalence studies on RSV.
METHODS
A systematic search of age-dependent RSV seroprevalence was conducted using the PubMed database and EMBASE. Age-dependent force of infections (FoI) and the decay rate of immunity were estimated. A mixture finite model was used, estimating the age-dependent disease state and the antibody concentrations in susceptible and infected or recovered populations.
RESULTS
Twenty-one studies were identified from 15 countries, with studies using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay being the most represented. Using a catalytic model, the age-dependent force of infection was estimated to be the lowest in infants aged 6 months to 1 year and increased in older age groups. The proportion ever-infected/recovered was estimated to be above 90% by 3 years of age.
CONCLUSIONS
The number of seroprevalence studies covering a broad range of ages are limited. The age-dependent FoI indicated that the risk of infection was greatest among those aged >5 years. Additional data using valid assays are required to describe the transmission dynamics of RSV infection.
Topics: Infant; Humans; Aged; Child, Preschool; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human; Antibodies, Viral; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
PubMed: 37161934
DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiad147 -
Forensic Science International Jan 2023Age estimation is a fundamental competence of Forensic Anthropologists and Odontologists. The London Atlas is a dental development chart by AlQahtani et al. (2010) that... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Age estimation is a fundamental competence of Forensic Anthropologists and Odontologists. The London Atlas is a dental development chart by AlQahtani et al. (2010) that gained recent notoriety due to its applicability in forensic scenarios. This study aimed to answer, by a systematic review of literature and meta-analysis, the following question: "on average, what is the deviation between real and estimated ages, when applying the London Atlas method in sub-adults?". This study was carried out according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO). Five electronic databases were screened (PubMed, SciELO, Scopus, Web of Science, and LILACS), and active search was carried out. The quality assessment was performed by means of Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Tools for Systematic Reviews. The initial search resulted in 1021 studies, from which 24 filled the inclusion criteria. For the meta-analysis, 17 studies provided sufficient data. Out of these, eleven studies enabled meta-analysis of mean absolute difference values. Standardized mean differences were 0.02 years for MD and 0.78 for MAD. Analysis of subgroups was also accomplished by sex, and did not indicated heterogeneity between males and females. The London Atlas is an accurate age estimation method, presenting acceptable error and bias values worldwide. Despite the high heterogeneity of the studies, majority of studies presented a low risk of bias. Meta-analysis showed a non-significant and slight tendency of overestimating age, in total. Sub-group analysis showed modestly better results for boys than girls.
Topics: Female; Humans; Male; London; Forensic Dentistry
PubMed: 36462471
DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2022.111532 -
Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Feb 2023Perceived age is defined as how old a person looks to external evaluators. It reflects the underlying biological age, which is a measure based on physical and...
INTRODUCTION
Perceived age is defined as how old a person looks to external evaluators. It reflects the underlying biological age, which is a measure based on physical and physiological parameters reflecting a person's aging process more accurately than chronological age. People with a higher biological age have shorter lives compared to those with a lower biological age with the same chronological age. Our review aims to find whether increased perceived age is a risk factor for overall mortality risk or comorbidities.
METHODS
A literature search of three databases was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines for studies analyzing perceived age or isolated facial characteristics of old age and their relationship to mortality risk or comorbidity outcomes. Data on the number of patients, type and characteristics of evaluation methods, evaluator characteristics, mean chronologic age, facial characteristics studied, measured outcomes, and study results were collected.
RESULTS
Out of 977 studies, 15 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. These studies found an increase in mortality risk of 6-51% in older-looking people compared to controls (HR 1.06-1.51, p < 0.05). In addition, perceived age and some facial characteristics of old age were also associated with cardiovascular risk and myocardial infarction, cognitive function, bone mineral density, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
CONCLUSION
Perceived age promises to be a clinically useful predictor of overall mortality and cardiovascular, pulmonary, cognitive, and osseous comorbidities.
LEVEL OF EVIDENCE III
This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .
Topics: Aged; Humans; Comorbidity; Age Factors; Mortality
PubMed: 35650301
DOI: 10.1007/s00266-022-02932-5 -
BMC Cancer Jul 2023Associations between reproductive factors and breast cancer (BC) risk vary by molecular subtype (i.e., luminal A, luminal B, HER2, and triple negative/basal-like... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Associations between reproductive factors and breast cancer (BC) risk vary by molecular subtype (i.e., luminal A, luminal B, HER2, and triple negative/basal-like [TNBC]). In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we summarized the associations between reproductive factors and BC subtypes.
METHODS
Studies from 2000 to 2021 were included if BC subtype was examined in relation to one of 11 reproductive risk factors: age at menarche, age at menopause, age at first birth, menopausal status, parity, breastfeeding, oral contraceptive (OC) use, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), pregnancy, years since last birth and abortion. For each reproductive risk factor, BC subtype, and study design (case-control/cohort or case-case), random-effects models were used to estimate pooled relative risks and 95% confidence intervals.
RESULTS
A total of 75 studies met the inclusion criteria for systematic review. Among the case-control/cohort studies, later age at menarche and breastfeeding were consistently associated with decreased risk of BC across all subtypes, while later age at menopause, later age of first childbirth, and nulliparity/low parity were associated with increased risk of luminal A, luminal B, and HER2 subtypes. In the case-only analysis, compared to luminal A, postmenopausal status increased the risk of HER2 and TNBC. Associations were less consistent across subtypes for OC and HRT use.
CONCLUSION
Identifying common risk factors across BC subtypes can enhance the tailoring of prevention strategies, and risk stratification models can benefit from subtype specificity. Adding breastfeeding status to current BC risk prediction models can enhance predictive ability, given the consistency of the associations across subtypes.
Topics: Female; Pregnancy; Humans; Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms; Risk Factors; Reproductive History; Parity; Breast
PubMed: 37430191
DOI: 10.1186/s12885-023-11049-0