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Nutrients Aug 2023β-alanine does not have an ergogenic effect by itself, but it does as a precursor for the synthesis of carnosine in human skeletal muscle. β-alanine and carnosine... (Review)
Review
β-Alanine Supplementation in Combat Sports: Evaluation of Sports Performance, Perception, and Anthropometric Parameters and Biochemical Markers-A Systematic Review of Clinical Trials.
β-alanine does not have an ergogenic effect by itself, but it does as a precursor for the synthesis of carnosine in human skeletal muscle. β-alanine and carnosine together help improve the muscles' functionality, especially in high-intensity exercises such as combat sports. Therefore, β-alanine could be considered a nutritional ergogenic aid to improve sports performance in combat athletes. We aimed to critically review clinical trial evidence on the impact of β-alanine supplementation on sports performance, perception, and anthropometric parameters, as well as circulating biochemical markers in combat athletes. This systematic review was conducted following the specific methodological guidelines of the Preferred Report Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines (PRISMA), the PICOS question model, the Critical Review Form of McMaster, and the PEDro scale. Furthermore, the Cochrane risk-of-bias assessment tool was used. The search was carried out in the SCOPUS, Web of Science (WOS), and Medline (PubMed) databases for studies published from the beginning of the database until July 31, 2023. Of the 41 registers identified, only 7 met the established criteria and were included in this systematic review. Overall, performance parameters related to strength, power, total exercise work capacity, and combat-specific parameters were significantly improved ( < 0.05). Perception parameters increased non-significantly ( > 0.05). Regarding biochemical parameters, carnosine increased significantly ( < 0.05), pH decreased non-significantly ( > 0.05), and the results for blood bicarbonate and blood lactate were heterogeneous. Finally, there was a non-significant ( > 0.05) improvement in the anthropometric parameters of lean mass and fat mass. β-alanine supplementation appears to be safe and could be a suitable nutritional ergogenic aid for combat athletes.
Topics: Humans; Athletes; Athletic Performance; Carnosine; Dietary Supplements; Perception; Performance-Enhancing Substances; Clinical Trials as Topic
PubMed: 37686787
DOI: 10.3390/nu15173755 -
International Journal of Molecular... Aug 2023Muscular dystrophy is a heterogenous group of hereditary muscle disorders caused by mutations in the genes responsible for muscle development, and is generally defined... (Review)
Review
Muscular dystrophy is a heterogenous group of hereditary muscle disorders caused by mutations in the genes responsible for muscle development, and is generally defined by a disastrous progression of muscle wasting and massive loss in muscle regeneration. is closely associated with myogenesis, which is governed by various signaling pathways throughout a lifetime and is frequently used as an indicator in muscle research. In this review, an extensive literature search adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines was performed to identify research that examined signaling pathways in living models, while quantifying expression in myogenesis. A total of 247 articles were retrieved from the Web of Science (WoS), PubMed and Scopus databases and were thoroughly examined and evaluated, resulting in 19 articles which met the inclusion criteria. Admittedly, we were only able to discuss the quantification of carried out in research affecting various type of genes and signaling pathways, rather than the expression of itself, due to the massive differences in approach, factor molecules and signaling pathways analyzed across the research. However, we highlighted the thorough evidence for the alteration of the muscle stem cell precursor in multiple signaling pathways described in different living models, with an emphasis on the novel approach that could be taken in manipulating expression itself in dystrophic muscle, towards the discovery of an effective treatment for muscular dystrophy. Therefore, we believe that this could be applied to the potential gap in muscle research that could be filled by tuning the well-established marker expression to improve dystrophic muscle.
Topics: Humans; Muscular Dystrophies; Muscles; Databases, Factual; Muscle Development; Signal Transduction; PAX7 Transcription Factor
PubMed: 37685856
DOI: 10.3390/ijms241713051 -
Journal of Pediatric Surgery Nov 2023Nephrogenic rests (NR) may represent precursor lesions for Wilms tumor (WT), but their clinical course is not fully understood and no guidelines for treatment exist.... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Nephrogenic rests (NR) may represent precursor lesions for Wilms tumor (WT), but their clinical course is not fully understood and no guidelines for treatment exist. This study sought to evaluate the outcomes of pediatric patients with NRs related to traditional chemotherapy and surgery.
METHODS
A PRISMA-P-compliant literature search was conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, COCHRANE, and SCOPUS from inception to June 2021. Clinical questions regarding the treatment of NRs, including chemotherapy and surgery, were developed in the population, intervention, comparison, and outcome format.
RESULTS
Twenty-five studies including 1445 patients met inclusion criteria for evaluating chemotherapy compared to observation for NRs. Eighteen studies including 1392 patients met inclusion criteria for evaluating the role of surgery for NRs. Patients with isolated NRs who underwent observation progressed to WT 33% of the time; chemotherapy reduced the rate of WT to 3.9%. Observation of multiple NRs and diffuse hyperplastic perilobar nephroblastomatosis (DHPLN) led to progression to WT 50% and 100% of the time, respectively. Chemotherapy reduced the rate of WT to 34% for multiple NRs and 46% for DHPLN. Surgery for isolated NRs reduced the risk of WT development from 23.7% in patients with incomplete excision to 3.3% with complete excision; however, 96% of patients with incompletely excised NRs had bilateral disease.
CONCLUSIONS
Observation with close surveillance for isolated NRs is safe. Treatment with chemotherapy is recommended for patients with multiple NRs and DHPLN. Surgical management of NRs should focus on renal function preservation.
LEVEL OF EVIDENCE
Treatment study, Level III.
PubMed: 37625940
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2023.07.011 -
EClinicalMedicine Aug 2023Anal cancer prevention has two critical points: the incidence rate is several fold higher for some groups, such as people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)...
BACKGROUND
Anal cancer prevention has two critical points: the incidence rate is several fold higher for some groups, such as people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and men who have sex with men (MSM), and there is not a well-defined guideline for its screening. This systematic review evaluates the accuracy of DNA HRHPV (high-risk human papillomavirus), mRNA HPV, DNA HPV16 isolated and p16 staining biomarkers in anal canal smears for identifying anal intraepithelial neoplasia (AIN) 2 or 3, summarised as anal high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (aHSIL), and cancer.
METHODS
We searched the MEDLINE, Cochrane Library and Embase electronic databases as well as Grey literature to identify eligible papers published up to 31st July 2022. This systematic review and meta-analysis included observational studies comparing biomarker tests to histopathology after HRA (High-resolution Anoscopy) as a reference standard. We (ACM, TF) analysed studies in which patients of both sexes were screened for anal cancer using DNA HRHPV, mRNA HPV, DNA HPV16 and/or p16 biomarkers. The analysis was performed in pairs, for instance AIN2 or worse (AIN2+) vs. AIN1, HPV infection and normal (AIN1-). PROSPERO CRD42015024201.
FINDINGS
We included 21 studies with 7445 patients. DNA HR HPV showed a higher sensitivity 92.4% (95% CI 84.2-96.5), specificity 41.7% (95% CI 33.9-44.9) and AUC 0.67, followed by the mRNA HPV test, with a sensitivity 77.3% (95% CI 73.2%-80.9%), specificity 61.9% (95% CI 56.6-66.9) and AUC 0.78. DNA HPV16 showed higher specificity 71.7% (95% CI 55.3-83.8), followed by p16 test, 64.1% (95% CI 51.0-75.4); Sensitivity of DNA HPV16 was 53.3% (95% CI 35.4-70.3) and AUC 0.69, while p16 had a sensitivity of 68.8% (95% CI 47.9-84.1) and AUC 0.74. Subgroup analysis of MSM with HIV, with 13 studies and 5123 patients, showed similar accuracy, with a bit higher sensitivities and lower specificities. Considering the measure of the total between-study variability, mRNA HPV tests showed the smallest area of the 95% prediction ellipse, 6.0%, influenced by the low logit sensitivity, 0.011. All other groups of tests exceed 50% prediction ellipse area, which represent a high heterogeneity.
INTERPRETATION
Our findings suggested that DNA HR HPV can be a useful tool for screening for aHSIL and anal cancer if followed by biomarker with a higher specificity. As an isolated test, mRNA HPV had better performance.
FUNDING
There was no funding source for this study.
PubMed: 37588624
DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.102128 -
Advances in Nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) Nov 2023Accumulation of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage diminishes cellular health, increases risk of developmental and degenerative diseases, and accelerates aging.... (Review)
Review
Protective Effects of Micronutrient Supplements, Phytochemicals and Phytochemical-Rich Beverages and Foods Against DNA Damage in Humans: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials and Prospective Studies.
Accumulation of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage diminishes cellular health, increases risk of developmental and degenerative diseases, and accelerates aging. Optimizing nutrient intake can minimize accrual of DNA damage. The objectives of this review are to: 1) assemble and systematically analyze high-level evidence for the effect of supplementation with micronutrients and phytochemicals on baseline levels of DNA damage in humans, and 2) use this knowledge to identify which of these essential micronutrients or nonessential phytochemicals promote DNA integrity in vivo in humans. We conducted systematic literature searches of the PubMed database to identify interventional, prospective, cross-sectional, or in vitro studies that explored the association between nutrients and established biomarkers of DNA damage associated with developmental and degenerative disease risk. Biomarkers included lymphocyte chromosome aberrations, lymphocyte and buccal cell micronuclei, DNA methylation, lymphocyte/leukocyte DNA strand breaks, DNA oxidation, telomere length, telomerase activity, and mitochondrial DNA mutations. Only randomized, controlled interventions and uncontrolled longitudinal intervention studies conducted in humans were selected for evaluation and data extraction. These studies were ranked for the quality of their study design. In all, 96 of the 124 articles identified reported studies that achieved a quality assessment score ≥ 5 (from a maximum score of 7) and were included in the final review. Based on these studies, nutrients associated with protective effects included vitamin A and its precursor β-carotene, vitamins C, E, B1, B12, folate, minerals selenium and zinc, and phytochemicals such as curcumin (with piperine), lycopene, and proanthocyanidins. These findings highlight the importance of nutrients involved in (i) DNA metabolism and repair (folate, vitamin B, and zinc) and (ii) prevention of oxidative stress and inflammation (vitamins A, C, E, lycopene, curcumin, proanthocyanidins, selenium, and zinc). Supplementation with certain micronutrients and their combinations may reduce DNA damage and promote cellular health by improving the maintenance of genome integrity.
Topics: Humans; Prospective Studies; Selenium; Lycopene; Cross-Sectional Studies; Curcumin; Proanthocyanidins; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Vitamins; Vitamin A; Micronutrients; Folic Acid; Zinc; Beverages; Phytochemicals; DNA; DNA Damage; Biomarkers; Dietary Supplements
PubMed: 37573943
DOI: 10.1016/j.advnut.2023.08.004 -
Interactive Journal of Medical Research Jul 2023Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the common causes of chronic liver disease globally. Obesity, metabolic diseases, and exposure to some environmental... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the common causes of chronic liver disease globally. Obesity, metabolic diseases, and exposure to some environmental agents contribute to NAFLD. NAFLD is commonly considered a precursor for some types of cancers. Since the leading causes of death in people with NAFLD are cardiovascular disease and extrahepatic cancers, it is important to understand the mechanisms of the progression of NAFLD to control its progression and identify its association with extrahepatic cancers. Thus, this review aims to estimate the global prevalence of NAFLD in association with the risk of extrahepatic cancers.
OBJECTIVE
We aimed to determine the prevalence of various cancers in NAFLD patients and the association between NAFLD and cancer.
METHODS
We searched PubMed, ProQuest, Scopus, and Web of Science from database inception to March 2022 to identify eligible studies reporting the prevalence of NAFLD and the risk of incident cancers among adult individuals (aged ≥18 years). Data from selected studies were extracted, and meta-analysis was performed using random effects models to obtain the pooled prevalence with the 95% CI. The quality of the evidence was assessed with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.
RESULTS
We identified 11 studies that met our inclusion criteria, involving 222,523 adults and 3 types of cancer: hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), breast cancer, and other types of extrahepatic cancer. The overall pooled prevalence of NAFLD and cancer was 26% (95% CI 16%-35%), while 25% of people had NAFLD and HCC (95% CI 7%-42%). NAFLD and breast cancer had the highest prevalence out of the 3 forms of cancer at 30% (95% CI 14%-45%), while the pooled prevalence for NAFLD and other cancers was 21% (95% CI 12%-31%).
CONCLUSIONS
The review suggests that people with NAFLD may be at an increased risk of cancer that might not affect not only the liver but also other organs, such as the breast and bile duct. The findings serve as important evidence for policymakers to evaluate and recommend measures to reduce the prevalence of NAFLD through lifestyle and environmental preventive approaches.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
PROSPERO CRD42022321946; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=321946.
PubMed: 37467012
DOI: 10.2196/40653 -
Annals of Medicine Dec 2023Mid-regional pro-adrenomedullin (MR-proADM) is useful for risk stratification in patients with sepsis and respiratory infections. The study's purpose was to assess the... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Mid-regional pro-adrenomedullin (MR-proADM) is useful for risk stratification in patients with sepsis and respiratory infections. The study's purpose was to assess the available data and determine the association between MR-proADM levels and mortality in COVID-19 participants.
METHODS
A comprehensive literature search of medical electronic databases was performed including PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane, and grey literature for relevant data published from 1 January 2020, to 20 November 2022. Mean differences (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated.
RESULTS
Fourteen studies reported MR-proADM levels in survivors vs. non-survivors of COVID-19 patients. Pooled analysis showed that MR-proADM level in the survivor group was 0.841 ± 0.295 nmol/L for patients who survive COVID-19, compared to 1.692 ± 0.761 nmol/L for non-survivors (MD = -0.78; 95%CI: -0.92 to -0.64; < 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS
The main finding of this study is that mortality of COVID-19 is linked to MR-proADM levels, according to this meta-analysis. The use of MR-proADM might be extremely beneficial in triaging, assessing probable therapy escalation, predicting potential complications during therapy or significant clinical deterioration of patients, and avoiding admission which may not be necessary. Nevertheless, in order to confirm the obtained data, it is necessary to conduct large prospective studies that will address the potential diagnostic role of MR-proADM as a marker of COVID-19 severity.KEY MESSAGESSeverity of COVID-19 seems to be linked to MR-proADM levels and can be used as a potential marker for predicting a patient's clinical course.The use of MR-proADM might be beneficial in triaging, assessing probable therapy escalation, predicting potential complications during therapy or significant clinical deterioration of patients, and avoiding admission which may not be necessary.For patients with COVID-19, MR-proADM may be an excellent prognostic indicator because it is a marker of endothelial function that may predict the precise impact on the equilibrium between vascular relaxation and contraction and lowers platelet aggregation inhibitors, coagulation inhibitors, and fibrinolysis activators in favor of clotting factors.
Topics: Humans; Prognosis; Biomarkers; Prospective Studies; Protein Precursors; Adrenomedullin; Clinical Deterioration; COVID-19
PubMed: 36607317
DOI: 10.1080/07853890.2022.2162116