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Pituitary Aug 2020Surgery in patients with non-functioning pituitary macroadenomas (NFMA) is effective in ameliorating visual function. The urgency for decompression, and preferred timing...
Quality of care evaluation in non-functioning pituitary adenoma with chiasm compression: visual outcomes and timing of intervention clinical recommendations based on a systematic literature review and cohort study.
PURPOSE
Surgery in patients with non-functioning pituitary macroadenomas (NFMA) is effective in ameliorating visual function. The urgency for decompression, and preferred timing of surgery related to the preoperative severity of dysfunction is unknown.
METHODS
Systematic review for evidence to provide clinical guidance for timing of surgical decompression of the optic chiasm, and a cohort study of 30 NFMA patients, in whom mean deviation (MD), and severity of visual dysfunction was assessed.
RESULTS
Systematic review 44 studies were included with a total of 4789 patients. Postoperatively, visual field defects improved in 87.0% of patients, stabilized in 12.8% and worsened in 1.0%. Specific protocols regarding timing of surgery were not reported. Only seven studies (16.7%) reported on either the duration of visual symptoms, or diagnostic, or treatment delay. Cohort study 30 NFMA patients (50% female, 60 eyes, mean age 58.5 ± 14.8 years), had a median MD of - 5.3 decibel (IQR - 3.1 to - 10.1). MD was strongly correlated with clinical severity (r = - 0.94, P < 0.0001), and were used for severity of defects cut-off values: (1) normal > - 2 dB, (2) mild - 2 dB to - 4 dB, (3) moderate - 4 to - 8 dB, (4) severe - 8 to - 17 dB, (5) very severe < - 17 dB.
CONCLUSION
Surgical decompression is highly effective in improving visual function. Uniform, quantitative grading of visual dysfunction was lacking. MD is a promising quantitative outcome measure. We provide recommendations for the evaluation of timing of surgery, considering severity of visual impairment, which will need further validation based on expert clinical practice.
Topics: Adenoma; Cohort Studies; Decompression, Surgical; Female; Hemianopsia; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Optic Chiasm; Pituitary Neoplasms; Quality of Health Care; Recovery of Function; Severity of Illness Index; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome; Tumor Burden; Vision Disorders; Visual Acuity; Visual Field Tests
PubMed: 32419072
DOI: 10.1007/s11102-020-01044-0 -
Medicine May 2020To investigate the efficacy and safety of acupoint injection of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin polysaccharide nucleic acid (BCG-PSN) in the treatment of chronic urticaria (CU).
BACKGROUND
To investigate the efficacy and safety of acupoint injection of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin polysaccharide nucleic acid (BCG-PSN) in the treatment of chronic urticaria (CU).
METHODS
The following databases will be searched from their inception: Medline, Embase, Pubmed, Web of Science, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database, China Biomedical Literature Database, China Science Journal Database, and Wanfang Database. All databases will be searched from the date of creation until October 2019. In addition, we will manually search the list of medical journals as a supplement. The scope of the search included randomized controlled clinical studies related to acupoint injection of BCG-PSN for CU. The primary outcome is the disease activity control. Secondary outcomes include response rate, adverse events, and recurrence rates. The Cochrane RevMan V5.3 Deviation Assessment Tool will be used to assess bias assessment risk, data integration risk, meta-analysis risk, and subgroup analysis risk (if conditions are met). The average difference, standard mean difference and binary data will be used to represent continuous results.
RESULTS
This study will comprehensively review the existing evidence on the treatment of CU by acupoint injection of BCG-PSN.
CONCLUSION
This systematic review will provide a judgment basis for the effectiveness and safety of acupoint injection of BCG-PSN in the treatment of CU.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION
PROSPERO, CRD42019139885.
Topics: Acupuncture Points; Chronic Urticaria; Humans; Medicine, Chinese Traditional; Mycobacterium bovis; Nucleic Acids; Polysaccharides, Bacterial; Recurrence; Research Design
PubMed: 32358360
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000019924 -
International Journal of Surgery... 2020The complexities and risks inherent to the field of surgery and surgical interventions present unique challenges to the design and analysis of surgical randomized...
INTRODUCTION
The complexities and risks inherent to the field of surgery and surgical interventions present unique challenges to the design and analysis of surgical randomized controlled trials (RCT). Prior studies have investigated the practical and methodologic challenges posed by surgical RCTs. To date, however, a comprehensive analysis of the contemporary literature across multiple surgical subspecialties does not exist. In this descriptive analysis, we set out to characterize surgical RCTs over the past 10 years across six major surgical specialties.
METHODS AND ANALYSIS
A literature search by a medical librarian will be performed to identify all surgical randomized clinical trials published between January 2009 and December 2019 in the two journals with the highest impact factor for six surgical specialties as well as two large general medicine journals. Two reviewers will independently screen the citations retrieved from the literature search and extract data according to a previously described protocol via a pre-defined data collection form. Categorical variables will be reported as counts and percentages. Following assessment of normality, continuous variables will be reported as mean (standard deviation) or median (inter-quartile range). Based on normality of data, independent t-test or the Mann-Whitney U test will be used to compare continuous variables and chi-square and Fisher's exact tests to compare categorical variables. Comparisons across multiple sets will be performed using ANOVA or Kruskak-Wallis tests. Two-sided significance testing will be used and a p-value <0.05 will be considered significant without adjustment for multiple testing. All analyses will be performed using SPSS version 24 and R within RStudio. PROSPERO (ID number: 162797).
ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION
There are no ethical concerns directly pertinent to this systematic review. The retrieved data will be made available upon request. The study will be written in English and submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.
PubMed: 32258836
DOI: 10.1016/j.isjp.2020.03.002 -
Environmental Health Perspectives Mar 2020Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have become popular, in part because they are perceived as a safer alternative to tobacco cigarettes. An increasing number of...
BACKGROUND
Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have become popular, in part because they are perceived as a safer alternative to tobacco cigarettes. An increasing number of studies, however, have found toxic metals/metalloids in e-cigarette emissions.
OBJECTIVE
We summarized the evidence on metal/metalloid levels in e-cigarette liquid (e-liquid), aerosols, and biosamples of e-cigarette users across e-cigarette device systems to evaluate metal/metalloid exposure levels for e-cigarette users and the potential implications on health outcomes.
METHODS
We searched PubMed/TOXLINE, Embase®, and Web of Science for studies on metals/metalloids in e-liquid, e-cigarette aerosols, and biosamples of e-cigarette users. For metal/metalloid levels in e-liquid and aerosol samples, we collected the mean and standard deviation (SD) if these values were reported, derived mean and SD by using automated software to infer them if data were reported in a figure, or calculated the overall mean (mean ± SD) if data were reported only for separate groups. Metal/metalloid levels in e-liquids and aerosols were converted and reported in micrograms per kilogram and nanograms per puff, respectively, for easy comparison.
RESULTS
We identified 24 studies on metals/metalloids in e-liquid, e-cigarette aerosols, and human biosamples of e-cigarette users. Metal/metalloid levels, including aluminum, antimony, arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, nickel, selenium, tin, and zinc, were present in e-cigarette samples in the studies reviewed. Twelve studies reported metal/metalloid levels in e-liquids (bottles, cartridges, open wick, and tank), 12 studies reported metal/metalloid levels in e-cigarette aerosols (from cig-a-like and tank devices), and 4 studies reported metal/metalloid levels in human biosamples (urine, saliva, serum, and blood) of e-cigarette users. Metal/metalloid levels showed substantial heterogeneity depending on sample type, source of e-liquid, and device type. Metal/metalloid levels in e-liquid from cartridges or tank/open wicks were higher than those from bottles, possibly due to coil contact. Most metal/metalloid levels found in biosamples of e-cigarette users were similar or higher than levels found in biosamples of conventional cigarette users, and even higher than those found in biosamples of cigar users.
CONCLUSION
E-cigarettes are a potential source of exposure to metals/metalloids. Differences in collection methods and puffing regimes likely contribute to the variability in metal/metalloid levels across studies, making comparison across studies difficult. Standardized protocols for the quantification of metal/metalloid levels from e-cigarette samples are needed. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP5686.
Topics: Aerosols; Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems; Humans; Metalloids; Metals; Saliva
PubMed: 32186411
DOI: 10.1289/EHP5686 -
BMC Psychiatry Mar 2020This paper is a systematic review and meta-analysis of the efficacy of available medications for the treatment of restricted/repetitive behavior (RRBs) in Autism... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
This paper is a systematic review and meta-analysis of the efficacy of available medications for the treatment of restricted/repetitive behavior (RRBs) in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
METHOD
We searched MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, The Cochrane Library (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDRS), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE)), Scopus, Epistimonikos, Clinicaltrials.gov, and included all randomized controlled trials published after 1993 that were directed at RRBs in patients with ASD of all ages. We extracted the relevant data from the published studies with a predefined data extraction form and assessed the risk of bias. The primary outcomes were change in restricted/repetitive behavior. We performed a meta-analysis using the random effect model and included studies with given mean and standard deviation. This study is registered with PROSPERO number CRD42018092660).
RESULTS
We identified 14 randomized controlled trials that met initial inclusion criteria. After closer inspection, nine trials - involving 552 patients in total - were included in the final analysis. The meta-analysis found no significant difference between medications (including fluvoxamine, risperidone, fluoxetine, citalopram, oxytocin, N-Acetylcysteine, buspirone) and placebo in the treatment of RRBs in ASD (P = 0.20). Similarly, the sub-group meta-analysis also showed no significant difference between Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRIs) and placebo in the treatment of RRBs in ASD (P = 0.68). There was no evidence of publication bias.
CONCLUSION
This meta-analysis finds little support for the routine use of medications to treat restricted/repetitive behaviors in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Further research of large, balanced trials with precise assessment tools and long-term follow-up are needed.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
The study protocol is registered in PROSPERO (Reference number: CRD42018092660).
Topics: Autism Spectrum Disorder; Behavior; Humans; Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors
PubMed: 32164636
DOI: 10.1186/s12888-020-2477-9 -
Journal of Lasers in Medical Sciences 2020High-intensity laser therapy (HILT) has been used more recently in the therapeutic protocols of pain managements. Adding therapeutic interventions to laser therapy is... (Review)
Review
High-intensity laser therapy (HILT) has been used more recently in the therapeutic protocols of pain managements. Adding therapeutic interventions to laser therapy is usual in clinical practice. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of HILT and beneficial effects of adding cointerventions to HILT in musculoskeletal pain management. The following databases were searched up to August 2018: Medline, PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, Google Scholar, Springer and ISI. The keywords of pain, HILT, high power laser therapy, laser therapy, photobiomodulation, physical therapy and rehabilitation were searched. The quality of the articles was assessed using the PEDro scale. The primary measure was pain severity expected to be reported in all studies. Effect size was calculated as standardized mean differences divided by the standard deviation of either the treatment or other group. Initially 52 potential studies were found. Eighteen of these studies were excluded based on title and abstract. The full text of 34 remaining articles was screened and 15 of the studies were excluded. All included studies had high quality (PEDro ≥7). Approximately, 94% of included articles (n=18) revealed positive effects of HILT on pain. The effect sizes for HILT and placebo/comparator groups were 0.9-9.11 and 0.21-11.22 respectively. Also, the differences of effect size between two groups were between 0.03 to 5.85. It is early to determine that HILT may be an effective non-invasive agent in the management of musculoskeletal pain, as few studies have shown its clinical efficacy. Adding related co-interventions to HILT may enhance the beneficial effects of laser therapy. The variability of the study methods and outcomes suggests that further long-term follow-up, randomized controlled clinical trials with appropriate methodological design are needed regarding the effectiveness of HILT on pain.
PubMed: 32099632
DOI: 10.15171/jlms.2020.14 -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Jan 2020Infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are subjected to stress, including sound of high intensity. The sound environment in the NICU is louder than most home... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are subjected to stress, including sound of high intensity. The sound environment in the NICU is louder than most home or office environments and contains disturbing noises of short duration and at irregular intervals. There are competing auditory signals that frequently challenge preterm infants, staff and parents. The sound levels in NICUs often exceed the maximum acceptable level of 45 decibels (dB), recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Hearing impairment is diagnosed in 2% to 10% of preterm infants versus 0.1% of the general paediatric population. Noise may cause apnoea, hypoxaemia, alternation in oxygen saturation, and increased oxygen consumption secondary to elevated heart and respiratory rates and may, therefore, decrease the amount of calories available for growth. Elevated levels of speech are needed to overcome the noisy environment in the NICU, thereby increasing the negative impacts on staff, newborns, and their families. High noise levels are associated with an increased rate of errors and accidents, leading to decreased performance among staff. The aim of interventions included in this review is to reduce sound levels to 45 dB or less. This can be achieved by lowering the sound levels in an entire unit, treating the infant in a section of a NICU, in a 'private' room, or in incubators in which the sound levels are controlled, or reducing the sound levels that reaches the individual infant by using earmuffs or earplugs. By lowering the sound levels that reach the neonate, the resulting stress on the cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, and endocrine systems can be diminished, thereby promoting growth and reducing adverse neonatal outcomes.
OBJECTIVES
Primary objective To determine the effects of sound reduction on growth and long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes of neonates. Secondary objectives 1. To evaluate the effects of sound reduction on short-term medical outcomes (bronchopulmonary dysplasia, intraventricular haemorrhage, periventricular leukomalacia, retinopathy of prematurity). 2. To evaluate the effects of sound reduction on sleep patterns at three months of age. 3. To evaluate the effects of sound reduction on staff performance. 4. To evaluate the effects of sound reduction in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) on parents' satisfaction with the care.
SEARCH METHODS
We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (The Cochrane Library), MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, abstracts from scientific meetings, clinical trials registries (clinicaltrials.gov; controlled-trials.com; and who.int/ictrp), Pediatric Academic Societies Annual meetings 2000 to 2014 (Abstracts2View), reference lists of identified trials, and reviews to November 2014.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Preterm infants (< 32 weeks' postmenstrual age (PMA) or < 1500 g birth weight) cared for in the resuscitation area, during transport, or once admitted to a NICU or a stepdown unit.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
We performed data collection and analyses according to the Cochrane Neonatal Review Group.
MAIN RESULTS
One small, high quality study assessing the effects of silicone earplugs versus no earplugs qualified for inclusion. The original inclusion criteria in our protocol stipulated an age of < 48 hours at the time of initiating sound reduction. We made a deviation from our protocol and included this study in which some infants would have been > 48 hours old. There was no significant difference in weight at 34 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA): mean difference (MD) 111 g (95% confidence interval (CI) -151 to 374 g) (n = 23). There was no significant difference in weight at 18 to 22 months corrected age between the groups: MD 0.31 kg, 95% CI -1.53 to 2.16 kg (n = 14). There was a significant difference in Mental Developmental Index (Bayley II) favouring the silicone earplugs group at 18 to 22 months corrected age: MD 14.00, 95% CI 3.13 to 24.87 (n = 12), but not for Psychomotor Development Index (Bayley II) at 18 to 22 months corrected age: MD -2.16, 95% CI -18.44 to 14.12 (n =12).
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
To date, only 34 infants have been enrolled in a randomised controlled trial (RCT) testing the effectiveness of reducing sound levels that reach the infants' ears in the NICU. Based on the small sample size of this single trial, we cannot make any recommendations for clinical practice. Larger, well designed, conducted and reported trials are needed.
Topics: Ear Protective Devices; Employee Performance Appraisal; Health Personnel; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Premature; Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; Noise; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Sound; Stress, Physiological
PubMed: 31986231
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD010333.pub3 -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Oct 2019Women who carry a pathogenic mutation in either a BRCA1 DNA repair associated or BRCA2 DNA repair associated (BRCA1 or BRCA2) gene have a high lifetime risk of... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Women who carry a pathogenic mutation in either a BRCA1 DNA repair associated or BRCA2 DNA repair associated (BRCA1 or BRCA2) gene have a high lifetime risk of developing breast and tubo-ovarian cancer. To manage this risk women may choose to undergo risk-reducing surgery to remove breast tissue, ovaries, and fallopian tubes. Surgery should increase survival, but can impact women's lives adversely at the psychological and psychosexual levels. Interventions to facilitate psychological adjustment and improve quality of life post risk-reducing surgery are needed.
OBJECTIVES
To examine psychosocial interventions in female BRCA carriers who have undergone risk-reducing surgery and to evaluate the effectiveness of such interventions on psychological adjustment and quality of life.
SEARCH METHODS
We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) in the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE and Embase via Ovid, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science up to April 2019 and Scopus up to January 2018. We also handsearched abstracts of scientific meetings and other relevant publications.
SELECTION CRITERIA
We included randomised controlled trials (RCT), non-randomised studies (NRS), prospective and retrospective cohort studies and interventional studies using baseline and postintervention analyses in female BRCA carriers who have undergone risk-reducing surgery.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Two review authors independently assessed eligibility studies for inclusion in the review. We used standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane.
MAIN RESULTS
We screened 4956 records from the searches, selecting 34 unique studies for full-text scrutiny, of which two met the inclusion criteria: one RCT and one NRS. The included studies assessed 113 female BRCA carriers who had risk-reducing surgery, but there was attrition, and outcome data were not available for all participants at final study assessments. We assessed the RCT as at a high risk of bias whilst the NRS did not have a control group. Our GRADE assessment of the studies was very low-certainty due to the paucity of data and methodological shortcomings of the studies. The primary outcome of quality of life was only measured in the RCT and that was specific to the menopause. Both studies reported on psychological distress and sexual function. Neither study measured body image, perhaps because this is most often associated with risk-reducing mastectomy rather than oophorectomy.The RCT (66 participants recruited with 48 followed to 12 months) assessed the short- and long-term effects of an eight-week mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) training programme on quality of life, sexual functioning, and sexual distress in female BRCA carriers (n = 34) in a specialised family cancer clinic in the Netherlands compared to female BRCA carriers (n = 32) who received usual care. Measurements on the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (MENQOL) showed some improvement at 3 and 12 months compared to the usual care group. At 3 months the mean MENQOL scores were 3.5 (95% confidence interval (CI) 3.0 to 3.9) and 3.8 (95% CI 3.3 to 4.2) for the MBSR and usual care groups respectively, whilst at 12 months the corresponding values were 3.6 (95% CI 3.1 to 4.0) and 3.9 (95% CI 3.5 to 4.4) (1 study; 48 participants followed up at 12 months). However, these results should be interpreted with caution due to the very low-certainty of the evidence, where a lower score is better. Other outcome measures on the Female Sexual Function Index and the Female Sexual Distress Scale showed no significant differences between the two groups. Our GRADE assessment of the evidence was very low-certainty due to the lack of blinding of participants and personnel, attrition bias and self-selection (as only one-third of eligible women chose to participate in the study) and serious imprecision due to the small sample size and wide 95% CI.The NRS comprised 37 female BRCA carriers selected from three Boston-area hospitals who had undergone a novel sexual health intervention following risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO) without a history of tubo-ovarian cancer. The intervention consisted of targeted sexual-health education, body awareness and relaxation training, and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy strategies, followed by two sessions of tailored telephone counselling. This was a single-arm study without a control group. Our GRADE assessment of the evidence was very low-certainty, and as there was no comparison group in the included study, we could not estimate a relative effect. The study reported change in psychosexual adjustment from baseline to postintervention (median 2.3 months) using measures of Female Sexual Function Index (n = 34), which yielded change with a mean of 3.91, standard deviation (SD) 9.12, P = 0.018 (1 study, 34 participants; very low-certainty evidence). The Brief Symptom Inventory, Global Severity Index yielded a mean change of 3.92, SD 5.94, P < 0.001. The Sexual Self-Efficacy Scale yielded change with a mean of 12.14, SD 20.56, P < 0.001. The Sexual Knowledge Scale reported mean change of 1.08, SD 1.50, P < 0.001 (n = 36). Participant satisfaction was measured by questionnaire, and 100% participants reported that they enjoyed taking part in the psychoeducation group and felt "certain" or "very certain" that they had learned new skills to help them cope with the sexual side effects of RRSO.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
The effect of psychosocial interventions on quality of life and emotional well-being in female BRCA carriers who undergo risk-reducing surgery is uncertain given the very low methodological quality in the two studies included in the review. The absence of such interventions highlights the need for partnership between researchers and clinicians in this specific area to take forward the patient-reported outcomes and develop interventions to address the psychosocial issues related to risk-reducing surgery in female BRCA carriers, particularly in this new era of genomics, where testing may become more mainstream and many more women are identified as gene carriers.
PubMed: 31595976
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD012894.pub2 -
Scandinavian Journal of Pain Dec 2019Background and aims Previous systematic reviews have reported manifestations of pain sensitisation as a feature of painful knee disorders, in particular osteoarthritis,... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Background and aims Previous systematic reviews have reported manifestations of pain sensitisation as a feature of painful knee disorders, in particular osteoarthritis, with moderate evidence for pain sensitisation in patellofemoral pain (PFP). However, despite past studies recruiting female mostly adolescent PFP patients, it is unclear if sex or age plays a role. Investigation is required to determine if altered pain processing is a key feature of PFP and if a subgroup of patients is at an increased risk to help provide targeted management. The primary aim of this systematic review was to examine evidence investigating pain processing in PFP. Secondary aims were to evaluate the relationship between pain processing and (1) sex, (2) age and (3) symptom duration. Methods The protocol was prospectively registered with PROSPERO (CRD42019129851). PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science and EMBASE were systematically searched from inception to April 2019 for studies investigating pain processing in PFP patients compared to controls using quantitative sensory testing. Each included paper was assessed for methodological quality using a modified version of Downs and Black. Means and standard deviations were extracted to calculate standardised mean differences (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Where possible meta-analysis and meta-regression were performed using a random effects model. Results Eleven studies were identified, two medium and nine high quality. Meta-analysis indicates moderate evidence for decreased pressure pain thresholds (SMD -0.68, 95% CI -0.93 to -0.43), increased tactile detection thresholds (SMD 1.35, 95% CI 0.49-2.22) and increased warmth detection thresholds (SMD 0.61, 95% CI 0.30-0.92) in PFP patients compared to controls. Secondary analysis indicates moderate evidence for decreased pressure pain thresholds in female compared to male patients (SMD -0.75, 95% CI -1.34 to -0.16). Meta-regression indicates a moderate correlation between decreasing local and distal pressure pain thresholds and decreasing patient age (local R2 = 0.556, p = 0.0211; distal R2 = 0.491, p = 0.0354) but no correlation with symptom duration (p > 0.05). Conclusions Evidence from this systematic review with meta-analysis and meta-regression appears to suggest the presence of altered pain processing and sensitisation in patients with PFP with increased sensitivity indicated in female patients and younger patients. Implications With evidence of altered pain processing and sensitisation in PFP, it may be beneficial for clinicians to consider management approaches that aim specifically at adressing neuropathic pain, for example neuroscience education, to improve patients outcomes. With female patients and younger patients indicated as experiencing greater degree of sensitivity, this may be a good demographic to start screening for sensitisation, in order to better identify and treat those most affected.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Knee Joint; Osteoarthritis; Pain; Pain Measurement; Pain Threshold; Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
PubMed: 31560652
DOI: 10.1515/sjpain-2019-0079 -
Sports Medicine - Open Sep 2019There is abundant and mounting information related to the molecular and biological structure and function of the Aquaporin-1 (AQP1) gene and the AQP1-Aquaporin channel.... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
There is abundant and mounting information related to the molecular and biological structure and function of the Aquaporin-1 (AQP1) gene and the AQP1-Aquaporin channel. Regulation of water flow across cell membranes is essential for supporting inter- and intracellular fluid balance, which is critical for health and exercise performance. The transmembrane water channel AQP1 is important for cardiorespiratory endurance (CE) because it influences fluid transfers in erythrocytes, endothelial, and pulmonary cells and is vital for transport of ammonium, bicarbonate, carbon dioxide, glycerol, nitric oxide, potassium ion, water, and trans-epithelial and renal water. Very recent publications suggest the association between a DNA sequence variant, rs1049305 (C > G), in the 3'-untranslated region of the AQP1 gene and CE performance. Other reports indicate further significant associations between AQP1 channel and CE phenotypes. The purposes of this systematic review were to examine the extent of the associations between the AQP1 rs1049305 genotype and CE exercise performance and body fluid loss in long-distance runners and AQP1 channel associations with other CE phenotypes.
METHODS
Data sources: A comprehensive review was conducted using PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Cochrane electronic databases. The search ranged from January 1, 1988, to December 31, 2018. Studies reported in English, French, and Spanish were considered. Eligibility criteria: The criteria for inclusion in the review were (a) case-control study; (b) unequivocal definition of cases and controls; (c) CE was defined as performance in endurance events, laboratory tests, and/or maximal oxygen consumption; (d) exclusion criteria of known causes; (e) genotyping performed by PCR or sequencing; (f) genotype frequencies reported; and (g) no deviation of genotype frequencies from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in the control group. Study appraisal: The systematic review included studies examining the AQP1 gene and AQP1 channel structure and function, associations between the AQP1 gene sequence variant rs1049305 (C > G) and CE performance, body fluid loss in long-distance runners, and other studies reporting on the AQP1 gene and channel CE phenotype associations. Synthesis methods: For each selected study, the following data were extracted: authors, year of publication, sample size and number of cases and controls, CE definition, exclusion criteria, inclusion criteria for cases and controls, methods used for genotyping, genotype, allele frequencies and HWE for genotype frequencies in cases and control groups, and method of AQP1 gene and AQP1 channel analysis.
RESULTS
The initial databases search found 172 pertinent studies. Of those, 46 studies were utilized in the final synthesis of the systematic review. The most relevant findings were (a) the identification of an independent replication of the association between AQP1 gene sequence variant rs1049305 (C > G) and CE performance; (b) the association of the rs1049305 C-allele with faster CE running performance; (c) in knockout model, using a linear regression analysis of distance run as a function of Aqp1 status (Aqp1-null vs. wild-type mice) and conditions of hypoxia (ambient [O] = 16%), normoxia (21%), and hyperoxia (40%) indicated that the Aqp1 knockout ran less distance than the wild-type mice (p < 0.001); (d) in vitro, a reduced AQP1 expression was associated with the presence of the rs1049305 G-allele; (e) AQP1 null humans led normal lives and were entirely unaware of any physical limitations. However, they could not support fluid homeostasis when exposed to chronic fluid overload. The limited number of studies with "adequate sample sizes" in various racial and ethnic groups precluding to perform proper in-depth statistical analysis.
CONCLUSIONS
The AQP1 gene and AQP1 channel seems to support homeostatic mechanisms, yet to be totally understood, that are auxiliary in achieving an advantage during endurance exercise. AQP1 functions are vital during exercise and have a profound influence on endurance running performance. AQP1s are underappreciated structures that play vital roles in cellular homeostasis at rest and during CE endurance running exercise. The outcome of the present systematic review provide support to the statement of hypotheses and further research endeavors on the likely influence of AQP1 gene and AQP1 channel on CE performance. Registration: The protocol is not registered.
PubMed: 31486928
DOI: 10.1186/s40798-019-0213-0