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The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Dec 2021Bleeding disorders are uncommon but may pose significant bleeding complications during pregnancy, labour and following delivery for both the woman and the foetus. While... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Bleeding disorders are uncommon but may pose significant bleeding complications during pregnancy, labour and following delivery for both the woman and the foetus. While many bleeding disorders in women tend to improve in pregnancy, thus decreasing the haemorrhagic risk to the mother at the time of delivery, some do not correct or return quite quickly to their pre-pregnancy levels in the postpartum period. Therefore, specific measures to prevent maternal bleeding and foetal complications during childbirth, are required. The safest method of delivery to reduce morbidity and mortality in these women is controversial. This is an update of a previously published review.
OBJECTIVES
To assess the optimal mode of delivery in women with, or carriers of, bleeding disorders.
SEARCH METHODS
We searched the Cochrane Cystic Fibrosis and Genetic Disorders Coagulopathies Trials Register, compiled from electronic database searches and handsearching of journals and conference abstract books. We also searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register as well as trials registries and the reference lists of relevant articles and reviews. Date of last search of the Group's Trials Registers: 21 June 2021.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Randomised controlled trials and quasi-randomised controlled clinical trials investigating the optimal mode of delivery in women with, or carriers of, any type of bleeding disorder during pregnancy were eligible for the review.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
No trials matching the selection criteria were eligible for inclusion.
MAIN RESULTS
No trials matching the selection criteria were eligible for inclusion.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
The review did not identify any randomised controlled trials investigating the safest mode of delivery and associated maternal and foetal complications during delivery in women with, or carriers of, a bleeding disorder. In the absence of high quality evidence, clinicians need to use their clinical judgement and lower level evidence (e.g. from observational trials, case studies) to decide upon the optimal mode of delivery to ensure the safety of both mother and foetus. Given the ethical considerations, the rarity of the disorders and the low incidence of both maternal and foetal complications, future randomised controlled trials to find the optimal mode of delivery in this population are unlikely to be carried out. Other high quality controlled studies (such as risk allocation designs, sequential design, and parallel cohort design) are needed to investigate the risks and benefits of natural vaginal and caesarean section in this population or extrapolation from other clinical conditions that incur a haemorrhagic risk to the baby, such as platelet alloimmunisation.
Topics: Blood Coagulation Disorders; Cesarean Section; Female; Fetus; Humans; Infant; Labor, Obstetric; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Hematologic
PubMed: 34881425
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD011059.pub4 -
Influence of , , and genetic polymorphisms on disorders in transplant patients: a systematic review.Drug Metabolism and Personalized Therapy Dec 2021The glutathione-S-transferase (GST) enzymes are phase II isoenzymes responsible for protection against free radicals and xenobiotics. Since these proteins are described...
The glutathione-S-transferase (GST) enzymes are phase II isoenzymes responsible for protection against free radicals and xenobiotics. Since these proteins are described as polymorphic, polymorphisms in genes that encode them may alter enzymatic function and contribute to oxidative stress. In this context, such polymorphisms were already associated with several diseases and multiple therapeutic outcomes. A systematic review was performed to evaluate studies regarding the association between polymorphisms in three genes encoding enzymes of the GST family - , , and - and disorders in transplant patients. A total of 125 articles on which inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied were identified at PubMed database. Thirty-two studies met the target criteria and were included in the review. The mechanisms by which genotypes influence the development of disorders in transplant patients differ by disorder: they may participate in it by decreasing metabolism of drugs administered to patients undergoing transplantation, then exposing them to greater toxicity; by decreasing the repair ability against oxidative stress; or by encoding proteins that may be recognized as foreign, setting of an alloimmune reaction. Although some results are better established - such as null genotype's role in the development of toxicity events in transplant patients - others require further evidences, as influence on the development of pulmonary decline and posttransplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM). The importance of investigating these associations lies in a personalized medicine, in which the high-risk genotype patient has its treatment individualized and its care for prophylaxis and surveillance increased, potentially reducing this population's morbimortality.
Topics: Case-Control Studies; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Genotype; Glutathione S-Transferase pi; Glutathione Transferase; Humans; Polymorphism, Genetic; Risk Factors
PubMed: 34856092
DOI: 10.1515/dmpt-2021-0165 -
BMJ Sexual & Reproductive Health Jul 2022The aim of this review was to systematically review the outcome of routine anti-D administration among unsensitised rhesus (RhD)-negative individuals who have an... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
AIM
The aim of this review was to systematically review the outcome of routine anti-D administration among unsensitised rhesus (RhD)-negative individuals who have an abortion. This review is registered with Prospero.
METHODS
A search for all published and ongoing studies, without restrictions on language or publication status, was performed using the following databases from their inception: EBM Reviews Ovid - Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE Ovid (Epub Ahead of Print, In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations and Daily), Embase.com, Popline and Google Scholar. Study types included: randomised controlled trials, controlled trials, cohort and case-control studies from 1971 onwards. The population included women who undergo an abortion (induced, incomplete, spontaneous or septic abortion), medical or surgical <12 weeks, and isoimmunisation in a subsequent pregnancy. The primary outcomes were: (1) development of a positive Kleihauer-Betke test and (2) development of Rh alloimmunisation in a subsequent pregnancy.
RESULTS
A total of 2652 studies were screened with 105 accessed for full-text review. Two studies have been included with high bias appreciated. Both studies found few women to be sensitised in forming antibodies after an abortion. The limited studies available and heterogeneity prevent the conduction of a meta-analysis.
CONCLUSIONS
Rh immunoglobulin has well-documented safety. However, it is not without risks and costs, is a possible barrier to delivering efficient services, and may have limited availability in some countries. The evidence base and quality of studies are currently limited. There is unclear benefit from the recommendation for Rh testing and immunoglobulin administration in early pregnancy. More research is needed as clinical practice guidelines are varied, based on expert opinions and moving away from testing and administration at time of abortion.
IMPLICATIONS
There is limited evidence surrounding medical benefit of Rh testing and immunoglobulin administration in early pregnancy. Further research is needed to define alloimmunisation and immunoglobulin benefit to update standards of care. Additionally, other factors should be considered in forming clinical policies and guidelines such as costs, feasibility and impact on access to care for patients.
Topics: Abortion, Induced; Abortion, Spontaneous; Cohort Studies; Female; Humans; Pregnancy; Rh Isoimmunization
PubMed: 34819315
DOI: 10.1136/bmjsrh-2021-201225 -
Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology... Dec 2021Noninvasive fetal rhesus D (RhD) blood group genotyping may prevent unnecessary use of anti-D immunoglobulin (RhIG) in non-alloimmunized RhD-negative pregnancies and can... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
Noninvasive fetal rhesus D (RhD) blood group genotyping may prevent unnecessary use of anti-D immunoglobulin (RhIG) in non-alloimmunized RhD-negative pregnancies and can guide management of alloimmunized pregnancies. We conducted a systematic review of the economic literature to determine the cost-effectiveness of this intervention over usual care.
DATA SOURCES
Systematic literature searches of bibliographic databases (Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane) until February 26, 2019, and auto-alerts until October 30, 2020, and of grey literature sources were performed to retrieve all English-language studies.
STUDY SELECTION
We included studies done in serologically confirmed non-alloimmunized or alloimmunized RhD-negative pregnancies, comparing costs and effectiveness of the intervention versus usual care.
DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS
Two reviewers extracted data from the eligible studies and assessed their methodological quality (risk of bias) using the Quality of Health Economic Studies (QHES) and Drummond tools. We narratively synthesized findings. Our review included 8 economic studies that evaluated non-invasive fetal RhD genotyping followed by targeted RhIG prophylaxis in non-alloimmunized pregnancies. Five studies further considered a subsequent alloimmunized pregnancy. The cost-effectiveness of the intervention versus usual care (e.g., universal RhIG or prophylaxis conditional on results of paternal testing) for non-alloiummunized pregnancies was inconsistent. Two studies indicated greater benefits and lower costs for the intervention, and another 2 suggested a trade-off. In 4 studies, the intervention was less effective and costlier than alternatives. Three studies were determined to be of high quality by both tools. Two of these studies favoured the intervention, and one assessed benefits in quality-adjusted life-years. No study clearly examined the cost-effectiveness of repetitive use of fetal genotyping in multiple non-alloimmunized or alloimmunized pregnancies. The cost of genotyping was the most influential parameter.
CONCLUSION
The cost-effectiveness of noninvasive fetal RhD genotyping for non-alloimmunized pregnancies varies between studies. Potential savings from targeted management of alloimmunized pregnancies requires further research.
Topics: Cost-Benefit Analysis; Female; Fetal Blood; Genotype; Humans; Pregnancy; Prenatal Diagnosis; Rh Isoimmunization; Rh-Hr Blood-Group System
PubMed: 34390866
DOI: 10.1016/j.jogc.2021.07.014 -
Transplantation Reviews (Orlando, Fla.) Dec 2021Abdominal wall closure after intestinal, multivisceral or liver transplantation can be a major challenge. Different surgical techniques have been described to close... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Abdominal wall closure after intestinal, multivisceral or liver transplantation can be a major challenge. Different surgical techniques have been described to close complex abdominal wall defects, but results remain variable. Two promising transplant techniques have been developed using either non-vascularized or vascularized donor rectus fascia. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and effectiveness of the two techniques.
METHODS
A systematic review was performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Human studies published between January 2000 and April 2020 were included. Methodological quality appraisal was done using an adapted 10-item standardized checklist.
RESULTS
The search resulted in 9 articles including 74 patients. Both techniques proved to be feasible and had similar results. After non-vascularized rectus fascia allotransplantation, there was a slightly higher rate of surgical site infections in the earlier reports. Overall, there were few complications, no fascial graft related rejections or deaths. The included articles scored low on quality appraisal, mostly due to the small number of cases and scarcely reported outcome parameters.
CONCLUSIONS
This systematic literature review reports two emerging new techniques for complex abdominal wall closure in transplant patients, with promising results. Standardized data collection in a prospective manner could give us more detailed information about short- and long-term outcomes. Preclinical animal studies are necessary for a thorough investigation of the mechanisms of graft integration, the risk of hernia development and the alloimmune response against the graft.
Topics: Abdominal Wall; Fascia; Graft Rejection; Humans; Liver Transplantation; Prospective Studies
PubMed: 34147948
DOI: 10.1016/j.trre.2021.100634 -
Transfusion Medicine Reviews Apr 2021Hemolytic disease of fetus and newborn (HDFN) imposes great healthcare burden being associated with maternal alloimmunization against parental-inherited fetal red blood... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Hemolytic disease of fetus and newborn (HDFN) imposes great healthcare burden being associated with maternal alloimmunization against parental-inherited fetal red blood cell antigens causing fetal anemia or death. Noninvasive prenatal analysis (NIPT) provides safe fetal RHD genotyping for early identification of risk pregnancies and proper management guidance. We aimed to conduct systematic review and meta-analysis on NIPT's beneficial application, in conjunction with quantitative maternal alloantibody analysis, for early diagnosis of pregnancies at risk. Search for relevant articles was done in; PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and Ovid (January 2006April 2020), including only English-written articles reporting reference tests and accuracy data. Nineteen eligible studies were critically appraised. NIPT was estimated highly sensitive/specific for fetal RHD genotyping beyond 11-week gestation. Amplifications from ≥2 exons are optimum to increase accuracy. NIPT permits cost-effectiveness, precious resources sparing, and low emotional stress. Knowledge of parental ethnicity is important for correct NIPT result interpretations and quantitative screening. Cut-off titer ≥8-up-to-32 is relevant for anti-D alloantibodies, while, lower titer is for anti-K. Alloimmunization is influenced by maternal RHD status, gravida status, and history of adverse obstetrics. In conclusion, NIPT allows evidence-based provision of routine anti-D immunoprophylaxis and estimates potential fetal risks for guiding further interventions. Future large-scale studies investigating NIPT's non-RHD genotyping within different ethnic groups and in presence of clinically significant alloantibodies are needed.
Topics: Blood Group Antigens; Female; Fetus; Genotype; Humans; Isoantibodies; Pregnancy; Prenatal Diagnosis; Rh-Hr Blood-Group System
PubMed: 33781630
DOI: 10.1016/j.tmrv.2021.02.001 -
Maternal Health, Neonatology and... Feb 2021Transplacental or fetomaternal hemorrhage (FMH) may occur during pregnancy or at delivery and lead to immunization to the D antigen if the mother is Rh-negative and the... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Transplacental or fetomaternal hemorrhage (FMH) may occur during pregnancy or at delivery and lead to immunization to the D antigen if the mother is Rh-negative and the baby is Rh-positive. This can result in hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN) in subsequent D-positive pregnancies. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to estimate distribution of ABO and Rh (D) blood groups among pregnant women in Ethiopia.
METHOD
We searched PubMed, Google Scholar, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, HINARI, AFRO Library Databases, and African Online Journal databases for all available studies using the following keywords: "High rhesus (Rh(D)) negative frequency", "ABO blood group distribution", "haemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN)", "rh isoimmunization", "anti-RhD immunoglobulin", "D-negative pregnancies", "Frequency", "ABO and Rh blood group distribution", "feto-maternal hemorrhage", "rhesus D negative pregnant mothers", "kleihauer-betke test (KBT)", "Neonatal Hyperbilirubinemia", "non-sensitized RhD-negative pregnant women", "antenatal anti-D immunoglobulin prophylaxis", "Hemolytic disease of the newborn (alloimmunization), Ethiopia. The search string was developed using "AND" and "OR" Boolean operators. All published and unpublished observational studies reporting the distribution of ABO and Rh (D) blood groups among pregnant women in Ethiopia were included. The study participants were all pregnant women in Ethiopia, and the main outcome measure of this systematic review and meta-analysis was Rhesus D-negative blood type and ABO blood group distribution among pregnant women in Ethiopia. The data was extracted by the author (AAA) by using a standardized JBI data extraction format. Microsoft Excel (2016), and Stata version 11.0 (Stata Corporation, College Station, Texas, USA) software were used for data entry and analysis, respectively. The random effect model was used for estimating the pooled effects, and the publication bias was assessed by visual inspection of the funnel plots and objectively by using the Egger's test (i.e. p < 0.05).
RESULTS
One hundred thirty-two articles were identified through electronic database searching. Of which, 34 were excluded due to duplication, 65 through review of titles and abstracts, and 22 full-text articles were excluded for not reporting the outcome variable and other reasons. Finally, 7 were included to estimate the distribution of ABO and Rh (D) blood groups among pregnant women in Ethiopia. The pooled distribution of Rh-negative blood group among pregnant women in Ethiopia was 10.8% (95%CI: 7.53-14.07, I = 85%, p < 0.001). In the ABO system, type O was the most prevalent 39.9% (37.51-42.38), followed by A (30.59% (26.00-35.18)), B (23.04% (20.03-26.05)), and AB the least (4.82%(3.17-6.47)), in the pattern O > A > B > AB.
CONCLUSION
The pooled distribution of Rh-negative blood group among pregnant women in Ethiopia was high. Rh alloimmunization remains a major factor responsible for perinatal morbidity in Ethiopia and may result in the compromise of the woman's obstetric care due to the unaffordability of anti-D immunoglobulin. There is the urgent need for the implementation of universal access to anti-D immunoglobulin for the Rh-negative pregnant population in Ethiopia.
PubMed: 33531050
DOI: 10.1186/s40748-021-00129-3 -
Journal of Clinical Medicine Jan 2021Congenital factor (F) VII deficiency is a rare coagulation factor deficiency with an estimated incidence of 1 per 500,000 individuals. Patients with severe FVII... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Congenital factor (F) VII deficiency is a rare coagulation factor deficiency with an estimated incidence of 1 per 500,000 individuals. Patients with severe FVII deficiency present a broad range of clinical presentations. Alloimmunization against exogenous FVII, as the main challenge of replacement therapy, is an extremely rare phenomenon that is accompanied by a high rate of life-threatening bleeding, that renders replacement therapy less effective. Due to the importance of the issue, we performed a systematic literature review in order to assess incidence, molecular basis, clinical presentations, and therapeutic challenge and management of inhibitor in congenital FVII deficiency. Strategy of search: This systematic review was performed in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. We performed an English-language literature review in the PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases, using the following keywords: "factor VII inhibitor", "factor VII inhibitors", "FVII inhibitors", "congenital FVII deficiency", "recombinant factor VII", "anti rFVIIa", "replacement therapy", and "alloantibody".
RESULTS
Out of 380 patients in the 13 studies, 27 had inhibitor against FVII; 18 were male, 7 were female, while the sex of 2 was not stated. The majority (92%) developed a high-titer inhibitor (Bethesda Unit > 5). All patients had severe FVII deficiency (FVII:C < 10%), and the majority received recombinant FVII prior to inhibitor development (N: 24, 89%). Among ten patients with a detected mutation, three subjects had a common non-sense (30%), and two had a deletion (20%).
CONCLUSIONS
Inhibitor development is a relatively rare phenomenon seen only in severe FVII deficiency, where it is associated with severe and life-threatening presentations, treatment challenge, and economic burden on the patients and their families.
PubMed: 33435610
DOI: 10.3390/jcm10020211 -
Journal of Burn Care & Research :... May 2021Vascularized composite allotransplantation has been successfully employed for burn reconstruction since 2003. However, its safety in this population has been questioned... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Vascularized composite allotransplantation has been successfully employed for burn reconstruction since 2003. However, its safety in this population has been questioned due to high levels of alloimmunization from burn care-related tissue exposures. To investigate this, a systematic review of vascularized composite allotransplantation employed for burn reconstruction was conducted, evaluating literature from January 2000 to September 2019. Articles containing vascularized composite allotransplantation, composite tissue allotransplantation, and burn reconstructive surgery were included; articles without published outcomes were excluded. Observational meta-analysis of pooled mortality and acute rejection episodes relative to allograft type (face vs extremity) and reconstruction type (burn vs non-burn) was performed. Twenty-four of the 63 identified articles met the criteria for inclusion, with 5 more articles added after secondary review. To date, 152 allotransplantations have been performed in 117 patients: 45 face transplants and 107 extremity transplants. Of these, 34 (22%) were performed for burn reconstruction in 25 patients (21%) with an overall higher 1-year mortality rate (12.0% vs 1.1%, P = .030). Of these deaths, 75% received three or more simultaneous allografts. Additionally, more episodes of acute rejection occurred compared to non-burn patients (4.4 vs 2.4, P = .035). Vascularized composite allotransplantation performed for burn reconstruction was found to be associated with a greater risk of 1-year mortality and nearly twice the number of episodes of acute rejection. Future studies should seek to identify unique risk factors of burn patients undergoing this operation and evaluate the relationship between antigenic burden and surgical outcomes.
Topics: Burns; Graft Rejection; Graft Survival; Humans; Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation
PubMed: 33091131
DOI: 10.1093/jbcr/iraa188 -
PloS One 2020Existing systematic reviews of Rh immunoprophylaxis include only data from randomized controlled trials, have dated searches, and some do not report on all domains of...
BACKGROUND
Existing systematic reviews of Rh immunoprophylaxis include only data from randomized controlled trials, have dated searches, and some do not report on all domains of risk of bias or evaluate the certainty of the evidence. Our objective was to perform an updated review, by including new trials, any comparative observational studies, and assessing the certainty of the evidence using the GRADE framework.
METHODS
We searched MEDLINE, Embase and the Cochrane Library from 2000 to November 26, 2019. Relevant websites and bibliographies of systematic reviews and guidelines were searched for studies published before 2000. Outcomes of interest were sensitization and adverse events. Risk of bias was evaluated with the Cochrane tool and ROBINS-I. The certainty of the evidence was performed using the GRADE framework.
RESULTS
Thirteen randomized trials and eight comparative cohort studies were identified, evaluating 12 comparisons. Although there is some evidence of beneficial treatment effects (e.g., at 6-months postpartum, fewer women who received RhIg at delivery compared to no RhIg became sensitized [70 fewer sensitized women per 1,000 (95%CI: 67 to 71 fewer); I2 = 73%]), due to very low certainty of the evidence, the magnitude of the treatment effect may be overestimated. The certainty of the evidence was very low for most outcomes often due to high risk of bias (e.g., randomization method, allocation concealment, selective reporting) and imprecision (i.e., few events and small sample sizes). There is limited evidence on prophylaxis for invasive fetal procedures (e.g. amniocentesis) in the comparative literature, and few studies reported adverse events.
CONCLUSION
Serious risk of bias and low to very low certainty of the evidence is found in existing RCTs and comparative observational studies addressing optimal effectiveness of Rh immunoprophylaxis. Guideline development committees should exercise caution when assessing the strength of the recommendations that inform and influence clinical practice in this area.
Topics: Female; GRADE Approach; Humans; Immunologic Factors; Postnatal Care; Pregnancy; Prenatal Care; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Rh Isoimmunization; Rh-Hr Blood-Group System
PubMed: 32913362
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0238844