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BMC Endocrine Disorders Jun 2024There is equivocal evidence that psyllium can prevent or attenuate increases in fasting blood sugar. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis sought to... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
There is equivocal evidence that psyllium can prevent or attenuate increases in fasting blood sugar. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis sought to investigate the influence of psyllium on hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c), fasting blood sugar (FBS), insulin, and Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA IR). We searched PubMed, ISI Web of Science (WOS), and Scopus for eligible publications, up to 15 July 2022, including randomized controlled trials (RCT) assessing the effect of psyllium on HbA1c, FBS, insulin, and HOMA IR levels in adults. Using a random effects model, we report the weighted mean differences (WMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). In this article, 19 RCT studies, consisting of 962 participants, were included. Psyllium significantly decreased FBS, HbA1c, and HOMA IR levels, but not insulin levels, as compared to placebo (FBS: WMD): -6.89; 95% CI: -10.62, -3.16; p < .001), HbA1c: (WMD: -0.75; 95% CI: -1.21, -0.29; p < .001), HOMA IR: (WMD: -1.17; 95% CI: -2.11, -0.23; p < .05), and insulin: (WMD: -2.08; 95% CI: -4.21, -0.035; p > .05)). Subgroup analyses illustrated differences in the effects of psyllium on FBS: dosages less than and more than 10 g/d showed significant differences (p value < 0.05). However, it was not significant in intervention durations less than 50 days (p value > 0.05). For HbA1c: psyllium consumption less than 10 g/d (p value > 0.05) was non-significant. For HOMA IR and insulin: no significant changes were noted with psyllium consumption less than vs. more than 10 g/d. In conclusion, we found that psyllium could significantly decrease FBS, HbA1c, and HOMA IR levels, but not insulin levels, as compared to placebo.
Topics: Humans; Psyllium; Insulin Resistance; Glycated Hemoglobin; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Insulin; Blood Glucose; Fasting
PubMed: 38844885
DOI: 10.1186/s12902-024-01608-2 -
PloS One 2024Postpartum hypogalactia (PH) is prominent during lactation and may negatively impact the mother's or infant's health. Acupuncture is widely used to increase maternal... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Postpartum hypogalactia (PH) is prominent during lactation and may negatively impact the mother's or infant's health. Acupuncture is widely used to increase maternal breast milk production. However, the effects of acupuncture on PH remain unclear. Therefore, this review aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in individuals with PH.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Articles on potentially eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on acupuncture for PH published from database inception to October 2023 were retrieved from the PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, EBSCO, Scopus, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, WanFang, and VIP databases. Two reviewers independently screened the records, extracted essential information, and evaluated the methodological quality of the RCTs using the revised Cochrane risk-of-bias (RoB) tool. The primary outcome was a change in serum prolactin (PRL) levels before and after treatment. Secondary outcomes included milk secretion volume (MSV), total effective rate (TER), mammary fullness degree (MFD), and exclusive breastfeeding rate (EBR). Meta-analyses were performed using RevMan v5.4. Finally, the quality of evidence was evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation tool.
RESULTS
This study included 19 RCTs involving 2,400 participants. The included studies were classified as having an unclear to high RoB. Our findings indicated that, overall, acupuncture showed a significant effect in increasing serum PRL levels (standardized mean differences [SMDs] = 1.09, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.50, 1.68), MSV (SMD = 1.69, 95% CI: 0.53, 2.86), TER (relative risk [RR] = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.10, 1.42), and EBR (RR = 2.01, 95% CI: 1.07, 3.78) compared to that in the control group; however, no difference in MFD (SMD = 1.17, 95% CI: -0.09, 2.42) was observed. In the subgroup analysis, acupuncture combined with Chinese herbs or conventional treatment was significantly more effective in increasing serum PRL levels, MSV, and TER than did Chinese herbs or conventional treatment alone. Moreover, acupuncture alone resulted in significantly higher serum PRL levels compared to Chinese herbs; however, this benefit was not observed for TER and MFD. The quality of evidence was critically low.
CONCLUSION
Acupuncture may effectively increase milk secretion in women with PH. However, owing to the low quality of evidence, further rigorously designed studies are warranted to confirm our findings.
Topics: Humans; Acupuncture Therapy; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Female; Postpartum Period; Lactation; Prolactin; Breast Feeding; Treatment Outcome; Galactorrhea; Milk, Human
PubMed: 38843204
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0303948 -
Journal of Sports Science & Medicine Jun 2024Breast cancer survivors with obesity are at a high risk of cancer recurrence, comorbidity, and mortality. This review aims to systematically evaluate the effects of... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Combined Aerobic and Resistance Training Improves Body Composition, Alters Cardiometabolic Risk, and Ameliorates Cancer-Related Indicators in Breast Cancer Patients and Survivors with Overweight/Obesity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Breast cancer survivors with obesity are at a high risk of cancer recurrence, comorbidity, and mortality. This review aims to systematically evaluate the effects of combined aerobic and resistance training (CART) on body composition, lipid homeostasis, inflammation, adipokines, cancer-related fatigue, sleep, and quality of life in breast cancer patients and survivors with overweight/obesity. An electronic search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct, Cochrane, and Google Scholar databases from inception up to January 8, 2024. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) meeting the inclusion criteria were selected for the analysis. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used to assess eligible studies, and the GRADE method to evaluate the quality of evidence. A random-effects model was used, and data were analyzed using mean (MD) and standardized mean differences (SMD) for continuous variables with 95% confidence intervals (CI). We assessed the data for risk of bias, heterogeneity, sensitivity, reporting bias, and quality of evidence. A total of 17 randomized controlled trials were included in the systematic review involving 1,148 female patients and survivors (mean age: 54.0 ± 3.4 years). The primary outcomes showed significant improvements in body mass index (SMD -0.57 kg/m, = 0.04), body fat (SMD -0.50%, = 0.02), fat mass (SMD -0.63 kg, = 0.04), hip circumference (MD -3.14 cm, = 0.02), and fat-free mass (SMD 1.03 kg, < 0.001). The secondary outcomes indicated significant increases in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (MD -0.05 mmol/L, = 0.008), natural killer cells (SMD 0.42%, = 0.04), reductions in triglycerides (MD -81.90 mg/dL, < 0.01), total cholesterol (SMD -0.95 mmol/L, < 0.01), tumor necrosis factor α (SMD -0.89 pg/mL, = 0.03), and leptin (SMD -0.63 ng/mL, = 0.03). Also, beneficial alterations were found in cancer-related fatigue (SMD -0.98, = 0.03), sleep (SMD -1.17, < 0.001), and quality of life (SMD 2.94, = 0.02) scores. There was very low to low confidence in the estimated effect of most of the outcomes. The present findings reveal that CART could be considered an adjunct therapy in supporting the conventional clinical approach observed following exercise. However, further high-quality research is needed to evaluate whether CART would be a valuable intervention to lower aggressive pharmacologic use in breast cancer patients with overweight/obesity.
Topics: Humans; Breast Neoplasms; Female; Resistance Training; Cancer Survivors; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Body Composition; Obesity; Quality of Life; Cardiometabolic Risk Factors; Adipokines; Exercise; Fatigue; Sleep; Overweight
PubMed: 38841642
DOI: 10.52082/jssm.2024.366 -
The Pan African Medical Journal 2024Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is commonly complicated by anemia. Treating dialysis-dependent patients with anemia, including daprodustat and other inhibitors of prolyl... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Comparative Study Review
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is commonly complicated by anemia. Treating dialysis-dependent patients with anemia, including daprodustat and other inhibitors of prolyl hydroxylase of hypoxia-inducible factor, recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO), and iron supplements. We conducted this study to test our postulation; daprodustat is superior to rhEPO and other conventional treatments respecting efficacy and safety parameters. We made systematic search through PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane. Seven unique trials were eventually included for systematic review; six of them with a sample size of 759 patients entered our network meta-analysis (NMA). Daprodustat 25-30 mg was associated with the greatest change in serum hemoglobin (MD=1.86, 95%CI= [1.20; 2.52]), ferritin (MD= -180.84, 95%CI= [-264.47; -97.20]), and total iron binding capacity (TIBC) (MD=11.03, 95%CI= [3.15; 18.92]) from baseline values. Dialysis-dependent patients with anemia had a significant increment in serum Hemoglobin and TIBC and a reduction in serum ferritin, in a dose-dependent manner, when administered daprodustat.
Topics: Humans; Anemia; Renal Dialysis; Hemoglobins; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic; Glycine; Ferritins; Barbiturates; Network Meta-Analysis; Erythropoietin; Recombinant Proteins; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Iron
PubMed: 38828426
DOI: 10.11604/pamj.2024.47.114.37278 -
Systematic Review of the First 40 Cases of Lu-PSMA Therapy in the Treatment of Non-prostatic Cancer.Anticancer Research Jun 2024The current systematic review aimed to collect and analyze all available published and unpublished cases in which prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeted...
BACKGROUND/AIM
The current systematic review aimed to collect and analyze all available published and unpublished cases in which prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeted radioligand therapy (Lu-PSMA) was used to treat non-prostatic cancer.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Literature search and evidence acquisition through contacts with organizations that use Lu-PSMA were employed. PubMed/Medline, SCOPUS, and ScienceDirect searches were performed following PRISMA recommendations. The search strategy was to screen all articles describing Lu-PSMA radioligand therapy published to date with the key word "Lu-PSMA". These articles were collected and screened for non-prostatic cancer cases. Quality assessment was performed using the GRADE criteria.
RESULTS
A total of 713 articles were screened, and the search revealed 15 eligible records. Forty patients with a mean age of 51.2±18.5 years were treated with Lu-PSMA for non-prostatic cancer. Of them, 30 cases were published, and 10 were found in medical institution records. Cancers of the salivary glands were most often targeted (13/40), followed by various brain cancer types (8/40), and osteosarcoma (6/40). The authors used previously established protocols for castration-resistant prostate cancer with the dose per cycle as 6.0-7.4 GBq and the number of cycles between one and four. Toxicity was estimated as low, and 21 out of 28 patients with reported outcomes survived to the time of the publication.
CONCLUSION
PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy was infrequently used to treat different non-prostatic cancer types in various target organs. These pioneering efforts indicate that Lu-PSMA can be used to treat non-prostatic cancer with PSMA expression. The toxicity of such treatment was low, and the outcome was relatively good.
Topics: Humans; Lutetium; Middle Aged; Radiopharmaceuticals; Male; Neoplasms; Dipeptides; Female; Glutamate Carboxypeptidase II; Aged; Radioisotopes; Antigens, Surface; Adult; Heterocyclic Compounds, 1-Ring; Prostate-Specific Antigen
PubMed: 38821587
DOI: 10.21873/anticanres.17037 -
BMJ Open May 2024To systematically assess the diagnostic accuracy of CXCL13 testing of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for neurosyphilis diagnosing. (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
OBJECTIVE
To systematically assess the diagnostic accuracy of CXCL13 testing of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for neurosyphilis diagnosing.
DESIGN
Systematic review and meta-analysis.
DATA SOURCES
PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and Web of Science databases from their inception until 1 May 2023.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Both cross-sectional and case-control diagnostic test studies evaluating the diagnostic value of CSF CXCL13 in diagnosing neurosyphilis were included, with no language restrictions.
DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS
Two researchers extracted data independently from all finally included articles. The updated Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies tool was used to assess the quality of the included studies. Quantitative synthesis was done using a bivariate random-effects model.
RESULTS
This meta-analysis included seven eligible studies involving a total of 1152 patients with syphilis and 430 patients with neurosyphilis. The pooled sensitivity, specificity and summary area under the curve (AUC) of CSF CXCL13 testing for the diagnosis of neurosyphilis were 0.76 (95% CI 0.64 to 0.85; I=82%), 0.83 (95% CI 0.80 to 0.85; I=32.29%) and 0.84 (95% CI 0.81 to 0.87), respectively. Sensitivity analysis confirmed the stability of the combined results. Meta-regression analysis revealed that the heterogeneity of pooled sensitivity was related to different study regions; subgroup analysis indicated that the diagnostic value of CSF CXCL13 testing reported in studies from China was superior to that reported in non-Chinese studies (pooled sensitivity, specificity and summary AUC values were 0.84 I=0) vs 0.64 (I=79.53%), 0.83 (I=42.03%) vs 0.83 (I=32.87%) and 0.87 vs 0.83, respectively). The diagnostic value reported in studies with a sample size ≥200, unclassified neurosyphilis and HIV-negative subgroups was superior to the total combined value.
CONCLUSIONS
This meta-analysis has demonstrated a reasonable level of accuracy for diagnosis of neurosyphilis with CSF CXCL13 testing. Further multicentre, prospective diagnostic studies, especially in asymptomatic neurosyphilis and HIV-infected patients, are needed to provide more evidence for evaluation before clinical application.
PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER
CRD42023414212.
Topics: Humans; Neurosyphilis; Chemokine CXCL13; Sensitivity and Specificity; Biomarkers
PubMed: 38821573
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-078527 -
Systematic Reviews May 2024Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is a significant health burden in China, affecting a sizable portion of the population. Conventional pharmacological treatments frequently... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
OBJECTIVE
Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is a significant health burden in China, affecting a sizable portion of the population. Conventional pharmacological treatments frequently fall short of desirable outcomes. Therefore, exploring alternative therapies is crucial. Remote ischemic postconditioning (RIPostC) is a noninvasive and cost-effective adjunctive therapy. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of RIPostC as an adjunctive therapy for AIS to inform clinical practice.
METHODS
A comprehensive search was conducted across the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), WanFang, Weipu (VIP), and China Biology Medicine disc (CBM) databases up to October 2023. All included studies underwent bias risk assessment using the Cochrane risk-of-bias assessment tool. The primary outcome measure was the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), with secondary outcomes including the Barthel index (BI), D-dimer, C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen (FIB), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), modified Rankin scale (mRS), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels. The data were analyzed using fixed-effects and random-effects models in Review Manager, with mean differences (MDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) calculated for each outcome. The grading of recommendations, assessment, development, and evaluations (GRADE) approach was used to evaluate the level of evidence for each outcome measure.
RESULTS
This meta-analysis included 38 studies, encompassing 4334 patients. Compared with the control group, the RIPostC group had significantly lower NIHSS scores, serum CRP, D-dimer, IL-6, TNF-α, and FIB levels, and increased BDNF levels. Moreover, it improved the patient's BI and mRS scores. According to the GRADE approach, the quality of evidence for mRS was deemed "moderate," while the NIHSS, BI, and CRP were rated as "low" quality. IL-6, TNF-α, FIB, D-dimer, and BDNF received "very low" quality ratings.
CONCLUSION
The findings suggest that RIPostC activates endogenous protective mechanisms, providing benefits to patients with AIS.
Topics: Humans; Ischemic Stroke; Ischemic Postconditioning; China; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
PubMed: 38816852
DOI: 10.1186/s13643-024-02568-3 -
Revista Clinica Espanola 2024The care of patients with a suspected infectious process in hospital emergency departments (ED) accounts for 15%-35% of all daily care in these healthcare areas in Spain... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE
The care of patients with a suspected infectious process in hospital emergency departments (ED) accounts for 15%-35% of all daily care in these healthcare areas in Spain and Latin America. The early and adequate administration of antibiotic treatment (AB) and the immediate making of other diagnostic-therapeutic decisions have a direct impact on the survival of patients with severe bacterial infection. The main objective of this systematic review is to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of PCT to predict bacterial infection in adult patients treated with clinical suspicion of infection in the ED, as well as to analyze whether the different studies manage to identify a specific value of PCT as the most relevant from the diagnostic point of view of clinical decision that can be recommended for decision making in ED.
METHOD
A systematic review is carried out following the PRISMA regulations in the database of PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Lilacs, Cochrane, Epistemonikos, Tripdatabase and ClinicalTrials.gov from January 2005 to May 31, 2023 without language restriction and using a combination of MESH terms: "Procalcitonin", "Infection/Bacterial Infection/Sepsis", "Emergencies/Emergency/Emergency Department", "Adults" and "Diagnostic". Observational cohort studies (diagnostic performance analyses) were included. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to assess the quality of the method used and the risk of bias of the included articles. Observational cohort studies were included. No meta-analysis techniques were performed, but results were compared narratively.
RESULTS
A total of 1,323 articles were identified, of which 21 that met the inclusion criteria were finally analyzed. The studies include 10,333 patients with 4,856 bacterial infections (47%). Eight studies were rated as high, 9 as moderate, and 4 as low. The AUC-ROC of all studies ranges from 0.68 (95% CI: 0.61-0.72) to 0.99 (95% CI: 0.98-1). The value of PCT 0.2-0.3 ng/ml is the most used and proposed in up to twelve of the works included in this review whose average estimated performance is an AUC-ROC of 0.79. If only the results of the 5 high-quality studies using a cut-off point of 0.2-0.3 ng/ml PCT are taken into account, the estimated mean AUC-COR result is 0.78 with Se:69 % and Es:76%.
CONCLUSIONS
PCT has considerable diagnostic accuracy for bacterial infection in patients treated in ED for different infectious processes. The cut-off point of 0.25 (0.2-0.3) ng/ml has been positioned as the most appropriate to predict the existence of bacterial infection and can be used to help reasonably rule it out.
Topics: Humans; Emergency Service, Hospital; Bacterial Infections; Procalcitonin; Biomarkers; Sensitivity and Specificity; Adult
PubMed: 38815753
DOI: 10.1016/j.rceng.2024.05.006 -
Clinical Nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland) Jul 2024To conduct a randomized controlled trial meta-analysis and provide concise and specific recommendations for clinical practice optimization of gestational diabetes for... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
AIMS
To conduct a randomized controlled trial meta-analysis and provide concise and specific recommendations for clinical practice optimization of gestational diabetes for probiotics.
METHODS
Up until May 2023, we conducted a thorough, systematic search of PubMed, Cochrane Central Controlled Trials, and Embase. Stata software was used to merge the resulting data from the original studies. Cochran's Q and the I statistics were used to evaluate and quantify heterogeneity. The GRADE method was used to evaluate the overall quality of the evidence. Sources of heterogeneity were analyzed through a leave-one-out meta-analysis, a Galbraith plot, and a subgroup analysis.
RESULTS
A meta-analysis of 11 randomized controlled trials with a total of 713 participants was finally conducted. Our findings indicated the administration of probiotics at a median dosage of 6 × 10 CFU/day led to a substantial improvement in fasting glucose levels (MD: -4.16 mg/dL [95% CI: -6.78, -1.54]; P < 0.001), fasting insulin levels (MD: -3.33 μIU/ml [95% CI: -4.92, -1.74]; P < 0.001), homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (MD: -0.71 [95% CI: -0.97, -0.45]; P < 0.001), and quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI) (MD: 0.01 [95% CI: 0.01, 0.02]; P < 0.001). Subgroup analysis indicated that probiotic intervention exerted a more significant reduction in fasting blood glucose in patients with higher baseline BMI and glucose levels, and reduced fasting insulin more markedly in those with elevated baseline insulin. According to the GRADE assessment, the quality of evidence for fasting blood glucose and QUICKI was rated as "high", while the quality for fasting insulin and HOMA-IR was rated as "moderate".
CONCLUSIONS
Probiotic intervention has been shown to significantly decrease levels of fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin, and HOMA-IR, while elevating QUICKI levels in patients with GDM, underscoring the potential utility of probiotics in the adjunctive management of GDM.
Topics: Probiotics; Humans; Diabetes, Gestational; Pregnancy; Female; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Blood Glucose; Insulin Resistance; Insulin; Adult
PubMed: 38815494
DOI: 10.1016/j.clnu.2024.05.020 -
Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine... Jul 2024We aimed to comprehensively assess the safety and efficacy of mavacamten in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients. (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
AIMS
We aimed to comprehensively assess the safety and efficacy of mavacamten in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients.
METHODS
A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted, and efficacy [changes in postexercise left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) gradient, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), peak oxygen consumption (pVO 2 ), Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire Clinical Summary Score (KCCQ CSS), and the proportion of patients exhibiting an improvement of at least one New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class from baseline)], safety (total count of treatment-emergent adverse events and SAEs, as well as the proportion of patients experiencing at least one adverse event or SAE), and cardiac biomarkers (NT-proBNP and cTnI) outcomes were evaluated.
RESULTS
We incorporated data from four randomized controlled trials, namely EXPLORER-HCM, VALOR-HCM, MAVERICK-HCM, and EXPLORER-CN. Mavacamten demonstrated significant efficacy in reducing the postexercise LVOT gradient by 49.44 mmHg ( P = 0.0001) and LVEF by 3.84 ( P < 0.0001) and improving pVO 2 by 0.69 ml/kg/min ( P = 0.4547), KCCQ CSS by 8.11 points ( P < 0.0001), and patients with at least one NYHA functional class improvement from baseline by 2.20 times ( P < 0.0001). Importantly, mavacamten increased 1.11-fold adverse events ( P = 0.0184) 4.24-fold reduced LVEF to less than 50% ( P = 0.0233) and 1.06-fold SAEs ( P = 0.8631). Additionally, mavacamten decreased NT-proBNP by 528.62 ng/l ( P < 0.0001) and cTnI by 8.28 ng/l ( P < 0.0001).
CONCLUSION
Mavacamten demonstrates both safety and efficacy in patients with HCM, suggesting its potential as a promising therapeutic strategy for this condition. Further research is warranted to confirm these results and explore its long-term effects.
Topics: Humans; Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic; Treatment Outcome; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Ventricular Function, Left; Stroke Volume; Middle Aged; Male; Female; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Pyrimidines; Exercise Tolerance; Biomarkers; Adult; Recovery of Function; Oxygen Consumption; Aged; Benzylamines; Uracil
PubMed: 38814051
DOI: 10.2459/JCM.0000000000001638