-
Urologic Oncology May 2024Early detection, diagnosis, and treatment take on critical significance in preventing and treating bladder cancer. As indicated by numerous studies, survivin can serve... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Early detection, diagnosis, and treatment take on critical significance in preventing and treating bladder cancer. As indicated by numerous studies, survivin can serve as a biomarker of bladder cancer, whereas the results of a wide variety of studies have been controversial. This paper is to assess the accuracy of survivin in the diagnosis of bladder cancer by a meta-analysis. The studies regarding the diagnosis of bladder cancer using survivin were systematically retrieved from the CNKI, WanFang, CBM, VIP, Web of science, cochrane library and pubmed were extracted, and the literature quality was assessed. Meta-analysis was conducted using STATA 16.0 MP. 2,082 relevant studies were searched, and 40 studies were finally covered for meta-analysis. The pooled specificity and pooled sensitivity of survivin mRNA was 0.95 (95%CI: 0.91, 0.97) and 0.94 (95%CI: 0.88, 0.97). The pooled specificity and pooled sensitivity of survivin protein reached 0.95 (95%CI: 0.90, 0.97) and 0.87 (95%CI: 0.78, 0.92). The pooled positive likelihood ratio, pooled negative likelihood ratio, the area under the curve, and diagnostic odds ratio for survivin mRNA reached 17.7 (95%CI: 10.3, 30.6), 0.07 (95%CI: 0.04, 0.12), 0.98 (95%CI: 0.97, 0.99) and 266 (95%CI: 114, 621), respectively. For survivin protein was 16.4 (95%CI: 7.9, 33.9), 0.14 (95%CI: 0.08, 0.24), 0.97 (95%CI: 0.95, 0.98) and 117 (95%CI: 38, 357), respectively. Survivin takes on great significance in diagnosing bladder cancer. However, due to some limitations in the number and quality of covered studies, this conclusion should be validated through additional higher quality clinical studies.
Topics: Humans; Survivin; Biomarkers; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms; RNA, Messenger; Odds Ratio
PubMed: 38418270
DOI: 10.1016/j.urolonc.2024.01.018 -
Clinical and Experimental Vaccine... Jan 2024Conduct a systematic review of case reports and case series regarding the development of acute abdomen following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination, to...
PURPOSE
Conduct a systematic review of case reports and case series regarding the development of acute abdomen following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination, to describe the possible association and the clinical and demographic characteristics in detail.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
This study included case report studies and case series that focused on the development of acute abdomen following COVID-19 vaccination. Systematic review studies, literature, letters to the editor, brief comments, and so forth were excluded. PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases were searched until June 15, 2023. The Joanna Briggs Institute tool was used to assess the risk of bias and the quality of the study. Descriptive data were presented as frequency, median, mean, and standard deviation.
RESULTS
Seventeen clinical case studies were identified, evaluating 17 patients with acute abdomen associated with COVID-19 vaccination, which included acute appendicitis (n=3), acute pancreatitis (n=9), diverticulitis (n=1), cholecystitis (n=2), and colitis (n=2). The COVID-19 vaccine most commonly linked to acute abdomen was Pfizer-BioNTech (messenger RNA), accounting for 64.71% of cases. Acute abdomen predominantly occurred after the first vaccine dose (52.94%). All patients responded objectively to medical (88.34%) and surgical (11.76%) treatment and were discharged within a few weeks. No cases of death were reported.
CONCLUSION
Acute abdomen is a rare complication of great interest in the medical and surgical practice of COVID-19 vaccination. Our study is based on a small sample of patients; therefore, it is recommended to conduct future observational studies to fully elucidate the underlying mechanisms of this association.
PubMed: 38362368
DOI: 10.7774/cevr.2024.13.1.42 -
Health Science Reports Feb 2024Coronavirus has burdened considerable expenditures on the different health systems. Vaccination programs, the critical solution against pandemic diseases, are known as...
BACKGROUND AND AIMS
Coronavirus has burdened considerable expenditures on the different health systems. Vaccination programs, the critical solution against pandemic diseases, are known as safe and effective interventions to prevent and control epidemics. We aimed to perform a systematic review to provide economic evidence of the value of different types of vaccines available to combat the Covid-19 to all health policymakers worldwide.
METHODS
Electronic searches conducted on Medline/PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, and other economic evaluation databases. Related and published articles searched up to March 2022 by using keywords such as "Vaccination," "Covid-19," "Cost-benefit," "Cost-utility," "Cost-effectiveness," "Economic Assessment," and "Economic evaluation." Followed by choosing the most suitable articles according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, data captured and the results extracted. The quality assessment of the articles performed by the checklist of CHEERS 2022. Finally, 13 articles included in the review.
RESULTS
All messenger RNA vaccines were dominant with approximately 70% coverage against no vaccination in the primary vaccination program except in one study that looked at booster effects. From a payer's perspective, a dollar invested in a vaccine would be less profitable than from a societal perspective. Therefore, primary mass vaccination can be considered a cost-effective intervention in primary vaccination to save more lives and produce more positive externalities. However, the cost-benefit ratio for all vaccines increases when statistical lifetime value and global economic and educational disadvantages are considered.
CONCLUSION
The COVID-19 primary vaccination programs in regional outbreaks, from a long-term perspective, will demonstrate substantial cost-effectiveness. It is suggested that due to the positive externalities of vaccination, primary mass vaccination, with the help of COVAX-19TM, could be considered a reliable way to combat viral epidemics compared to the loss of individual lives and economic and educational disturbances around the world.
PubMed: 38332928
DOI: 10.1002/hsr2.1871 -
Reviews in Medical Virology Jan 2024The Omicron variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 is a new variant of concern (VOC) and an emerging subvariant that exhibits heightened infectivity,... (Review)
Review
The Omicron variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 is a new variant of concern (VOC) and an emerging subvariant that exhibits heightened infectivity, transmissibility, and immune evasion, escalating the incidence of moderate to severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). It resists monoclonal antibodies and diminishes vaccine efficacy. Notably, new sublineages have outpaced earlier predominant sublineages. Although the primary vaccination series and initial boosters were robust against previous VOCs, their efficacy waned against Omicron and its subvariants. In this systematic review, we assessed real-world evidence on the immunogenicity, clinical efficacy, and safety of a second booster or fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose against the Omicron VOC and its subvariants. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in Medline/PubMed, Google Scholar, bioRxiv, and medRxiv, and relevant studies published between 2022 and 30 May 2023 were reviewed. We found a total of 40 relevant articles focusing on a second booster dose for COVID-19, including clinical trials and observational studies, involving 3,972,856 patients. The results consistently revealed that an additional second booster dose restored and prolonged waning immunity, activating both humoral and cellular responses against Omicron and its subvariants. A second booster treatment correlated with enduring protection against COVID-19, notably preventing substantial symptomatic disease and mortality associated with severe Omicron infection. Both monovalent messenger RNA (mRNA) and nonmRNA vaccines demonstrated similar efficacy and safety, with bivalent mRNA vaccines exhibiting broader protection against emerging subvariants of Omicron. The safety profiles of second booster were favourable with only mild systemic and local symptoms reported in some recipients. In conclusion, this systematic review underscores the additional COVID-19 vaccine boosters, particularly with bivalent or multivalent mRNA vaccines, for countering the highly infectious emerging subvariants of Omicron.
Topics: Humans; COVID-19; COVID-19 Vaccines; mRNA Vaccines; SARS-CoV-2; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 38282403
DOI: 10.1002/rmv.2515 -
Acta Physiologica (Oxford, England) Mar 2024This review aims to systematically analyze the effect of exercise on muscle MCT protein levels and mRNA expression of their respective genes, considering exercise... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
This review aims to systematically analyze the effect of exercise on muscle MCT protein levels and mRNA expression of their respective genes, considering exercise intensity, and duration (single-exercise session and training program) in humans and rodents, to observe whether both models offer aligned results. The review also aims to report methodological aspects that need to be improved in future studies. A systematic search was conducted in the PubMed and Web of Science databases, and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist was followed. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 41 studies were included and evaluated using the Cochrane collaboration tool for risk of bias assessment. The main findings indicate that exercise is a powerful stimulus to increase MCT1 protein content in human muscle. MCT4 protein level increases can also be observed after a training program, although its responsiveness is lower compared to MCT1. Both transporters seem to change independently of exercise intensity, but the responses that occur with each intensity and each duration need to be better defined. The effect of exercise on muscle mRNA results is less defined, and more research is needed especially in humans. Moreover, results in rodents only agree with human results on the effect of a training program on MCT1 protein levels, indicating increases in both. Finally, we addressed important and feasible methodological aspects to improve the design of future studies.
Topics: Humans; Symporters; Muscle, Skeletal; Exercise; Muscle Proteins; RNA, Messenger
PubMed: 38240467
DOI: 10.1111/apha.14083 -
Molecular Biology Reports Jan 2024Various viruses cause viral infection, and these viruses have different microscopic sizes, genetic material, and morphological forms. Due to a viral infection, the host... (Review)
Review
Various viruses cause viral infection, and these viruses have different microscopic sizes, genetic material, and morphological forms. Due to a viral infection, the host body induces defense mechanisms that activate the innate and adaptive immune system. sncRNAs are involved in various biological processes and play an essential role in antiviral response in viruses including ZIKV, HCV, DENV, SARS-CoV, and West Nile virus, and regulate the complex interactions between the viruses and host cells. This review discusses the role of miRNAs, siRNAs, piRNAs, and tiRNAs in antiviral response. Cellular miRNAs bind with virus mRNA and perform their antiviral response in multiple viruses. However, the chemical modifications of miRNA necessary to avoid nuclease attack, which is then involved with intracellular processing, have proven challenging for therapeutic replacement of miRNAs. siRNAs have significant antiviral responses by targeting any gene of interest along the correct nucleotide of targeting mRNA. Due to this ability, siRNAs have valuable characteristics in antiviral response for therapeutic purposes. Additionally, the researchers noted the involvement of piRNAs and tiRNAs in the antiviral response, yet their findings were deemed insignificant.
Topics: Humans; RNA, Small Untranslated; Piwi-Interacting RNA; Zika Virus Infection; Zika Virus; MicroRNAs; RNA, Small Interfering; RNA, Messenger; Antiviral Agents
PubMed: 38227137
DOI: 10.1007/s11033-023-09141-6 -
Health Science Reports Dec 2023The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-infected population has been increasing during the last 3 years worldwide. Moreover, simultaneously, COVID-19 vaccine clinical...
BACKGROUND AND AIMS
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-infected population has been increasing during the last 3 years worldwide. Moreover, simultaneously, COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials were launched. By the end of 2020, the Food and Drug Administration had authorized the emergency use of two messenger RNA vaccines against COVID-19. These fast-track vaccine approvals have produced controversy about their safety and efficacy. The purpose of this research was to discover attitudes and perceptions regarding vaccination against COVID-19 disease among vulnerable groups such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients.
METHODS
Between June 2, 2021 and March 4, 2022, we conducted a cross-sectional study through a survey of high-risk patients with severe COVID-19, such as HIV-infected patients in the Infectious Diseases Unit (Hospital Clínico Universitario San Juan, Alicante). For the data collection strategy, a nonprobabilistic snowball sampling was adopted. A structured, anonymous, self-administered questionnaire was developed in which questions and statements were designed to evaluate their attitudes and perceptions about COVID-19 vaccination. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were performed for the obtained data.
RESULTS
Forty-eight participants were recruited with a mean age of 51.5 ± 11.9 years. Thirty-nine of them (81.3%) were male. The acceptance rate of COVID-19 vaccination was extremely high (95.7%). Bivariate analysis showed older patients significantly received a higher proportion of vaccine doses at the time of the survey ( = 0.047). Older patients were more aware of the vaccine safety controversy (61.1%) compared to younger patients ( = 0.054). There were no other significant differences between groups among questions regarding safety, efficacy, or attitudes about COVID-19 vaccination.
CONCLUSION
An extremely high degree of acceptance for COVID-19 vaccination was reported. Older patients were more aware of the vaccine safety controversy. Medical staff is the most trustworthy source of information, far above all other sources. Social networks and opinion leaders have not been shown to significantly influence our population.
PubMed: 38098974
DOI: 10.1002/hsr2.1653 -
Journal of Assisted Reproduction and... Feb 2024Although significant improvements in assisted reproductive technology (ART) outcomes have been accomplished, a critical question remains: which embryo is most likely to... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
Although significant improvements in assisted reproductive technology (ART) outcomes have been accomplished, a critical question remains: which embryo is most likely to result in a pregnancy? Embryo selection is currently based on morphological and genetic criteria; however, these criteria do not fully predict good-quality embryos and additional objective criteria are needed. The cumulus cells are critical for oocyte and embryo development. This systematic review assessed biomarkers in cumulus-oocyte complexes and their association with successful IVF outcomes.
METHODS
A comprehensive search was conducted using PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science from inception until November 2022. Only English-language publications were included. Inclusion criteria consisted of papers that evaluated genetic biomarkers associated with the cumulus cells (CCs) in humans and the following three outcomes of interest: oocyte quality, embryo quality, and clinical outcomes, including fertilization, implantation, pregnancy, and live birth rates.
RESULTS
The search revealed 446 studies of which 42 met eligibility criteria. Nineteen studies correlated genetic and biochemical biomarkers in CCs with oocyte quality. A positive correlation was reported between oocyte quality and increased mRNA expression in CCs of genes encoding for calcium homeostasis (CAMK1D), glucose metabolism (PFKP), extracellular matrix (HAS2, VCAN), TGF-β family (GDF9, BMP15), and prostaglandin synthesis (PTGS2). Nineteen studies correlated genetic and biochemical biomarkers in CCs with embryo quality. A positive correlation was reported between embryo quality and increased mRNA expression in CCs of genes encoding for extracellular matrix (HAS2), prostaglandin synthesis (PTGS2), steroidogenesis (GREM1), and decreased expression of gene encoding for hormone receptor (AMHR2). Twenty-two studies assessed genetic and biochemical biomarkers in CCs with clinical outcomes. Increased expression of genes encoding for extracellular matrix (VCAN), and TGF-β family (GDF9, BMP15) were positively correlated with pregnancy rate.
CONCLUSION
Genetic biomarkers from cumulus cells were associated with oocyte quality (CAMK1D, PFKP, HAS2, VCAN, GDF-9, BMP-15, PTGS2), embryo quality (GREM1, PTGS2, HAS2), and pregnancy rate (GDF9, BMP15, VCAN). These results might help guide future studies directed at tests of cumulus cells to devise objective criteria to predict IVF outcomes.
Topics: Pregnancy; Female; Humans; Cumulus Cells; Cyclooxygenase 2; Oocytes; Fertilization in Vitro; Reproductive Techniques, Assisted; Genetic Markers; RNA, Messenger; Transforming Growth Factor beta; Prostaglandins
PubMed: 37947940
DOI: 10.1007/s10815-023-02984-9 -
Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical... Dec 2023During eukaryotic gene expression, alternative splicing of messenger RNA precursors is critical in increasing protein diversity and regulatory complexity. Multiple... (Review)
Review
During eukaryotic gene expression, alternative splicing of messenger RNA precursors is critical in increasing protein diversity and regulatory complexity. Multiple transcript isoforms could be produced by alternative splicing from a single gene; they could eventually be translated into protein isoforms with deleted, added, or altered domains or produce transcripts containing premature termination codons that could be targeted by nonsense-mediated mRNA decay. Alternative splicing can generate proteins with similar, different, or even opposite functions. Increasingly strong evidence indicates that abnormal RNA splicing is a prevalent and crucial occurrence in cellular differentiation, tissue advancement, and the development and progression of cancer. Aberrant alternative splicing could affect cancer cell activities such as growth, apoptosis, invasiveness, drug resistance, angiogenesis, and metabolism. This systematic review provides a comprehensive overview of the impact of abnormal RNA alternative splicing on the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma.
Topics: Humans; Alternative Splicing; RNA; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; RNA, Messenger; Liver Neoplasms; Protein Isoforms; RNA Splicing
PubMed: 37898981
DOI: 10.1007/s00432-023-05474-8 -
Risk Management and Healthcare Policy 2023Early studies showed that the risks of mRNA vaccine-associated myocarditis and pericarditis are low but with substantial variation across studies. Study characteristics,... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
Early studies showed that the risks of mRNA vaccine-associated myocarditis and pericarditis are low but with substantial variation across studies. Study characteristics, ethnicity, vaccine types, dose intervals, and SARS-CoV-2 infection prevalence may influence the rates of myocarditis and pericarditis after mRNA vaccination in population-based studies.
METHODS
We comprehensively searched MEDLINE for relevant articles published before November 30, 2022. We also searched the websites of health authorities in several countries for unpublished surveillance data on myocarditis and pericarditis after mRNA vaccination. The outcome of interest was the incidence of myocarditis and pericarditis developed after mRNA vaccination for COVID-19.
RESULTS
A total of 17 studies form 10 countries were included for review. We noted that considerable heterogeneity in study characteristics, including surveillance method, case definition, and observation period, may partially be responsible for the widely varied reported rates. Studies from countries that adopted active surveillance reported higher rates than those using passive surveillance. Compared to BNT162b2 vaccine, mRNA-1273 may have a higher risk of myocarditis only in young men after the second dose. Our comparison of sex-, age-, vaccine type-, and dose-specific rates of myocarditis across countries did not support the hypothesis that individuals with recent SARS-CoV-2 infection and young Asian males were at higher risk. We also could not find sufficient evidence to conclude whether extending the between-dose interval could reduce myocarditis incidence following mRNA vaccination.
CONCLUSION
Differences in the study characteristics must be fully considered when comparing the risks of mRNA vaccine-related myocarditis and pericarditis in different countries.
PubMed: 37841076
DOI: 10.2147/RMHP.S422372