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Phytotherapy Research : PTR Jul 2023Medicinal plants with minimal side effects, low cost, and liver-protective effects can be a suitable treatment option for cirrhosis. Therefore, this systematic review... (Review)
Review
Medicinal plants with minimal side effects, low cost, and liver-protective effects can be a suitable treatment option for cirrhosis. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to determine the effectiveness of herbal medicines on cirrhosis, a life-threatening liver disease. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were systematically searched for clinical trials that investigated the effect of medicinal plants on cirrhosis. This review includes 11 clinical trials, of which eight studies including 613 patients assessed the effect of silymarin on cirrhosis. Three of six studies showed the beneficial effects of silymarin on aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT). Two studies including 118 patients investigated the effect of curcumin on cirrhosis, one showing improvement in quality of life and the other showing improvements in alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bilirubin, prothrombin time (PT), and the international normalized ratio (INR). An article including four patients investigated the effect of ginseng on cirrhosis; two patients reported improvement in the Child-Pugh score, and ascites decreased in two. All studies included here reported no or negligible side effects. Results showed that medicinal plants including silymarin, curcumin, and ginseng have beneficial effects on cirrhosis. However, due to the limited number of studies, further high-quality studies are warranted.
Topics: Humans; Plants, Medicinal; Curcumin; Quality of Life; Liver Cirrhosis; Silymarin
PubMed: 37218361
DOI: 10.1002/ptr.7816 -
BMC Gastroenterology Mar 2023The effectiveness of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication depends on the treatment protocol. This study investigates the H. pylori eradication rate in Africa... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
The effectiveness of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication depends on the treatment protocol. This study investigates the H. pylori eradication rate in Africa using the best available evidence from databases.
METHODS
Databases were searched and results were pooled together. Heterogeneity between studies was assessed using I test statistics. Stata version 13 software was employed to compute the pooled eradication rate. In the subgroup analysis comparison, the finding is considered significant when the confidence intervals did not overlap.
RESULTS
Twenty-two studies from 9 African countries with a total population of 2,163 were included in this study. The pooled eradication rate of H. pylori was 79% (95% CI: 75%-82%), heterogeneity (I = 93.02%). In the subgroup analysis by study design, a higher eradication rate was reported from observational studies (85%, 95% CI: 79%-90%), compared to randomized control trials (77%, 95% CI: 73%-82%); by the duration of therapy, higher eradication rate was reported in 10-days regimen (88%, 95% CI: 84%-92%), compared to 7-days regimen (66%, 95% CI: 55%-77%); by country, the highest eradication rate was found in Ethiopia (90%; 95% CI: 87%-93%) and the lowest eradication rate was reported in Ivory Coast (22.3%; 95% CI:15%-29%); by type of H. pylori test, the highest eradication rate was reported when rapid urease test coupled with histology (88%, 95% CI: 77%-96%), and the lowest eradication rate was reported with histology alone (22.3%; 95% CI:15%-29%). Significant heterogeneity was observed with pooled prevalence (I = 93.02%, P < 0.000).
CONCLUSIONS
In Africa, the first-line therapy showed a variable eradication rate for H. pylori. This study demonstrates the necessity to optimize current H. pylori treatment regimens in each country, taking into account the antibiotic susceptibility. Future RCT studies with standardized regimens are warranted.
Topics: Humans; Helicobacter pylori; Helicobacter Infections; Ethiopia; Databases, Factual; Prothrombin Time; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
PubMed: 36882697
DOI: 10.1186/s12876-023-02707-5 -
Pharmaceutics Feb 2023Rivaroxaban has been widely used to prevent and treat various thromboembolic diseases for more than a decade. However, whether a lower dose of rivaroxaban is required... (Review)
Review
Rivaroxaban has been widely used to prevent and treat various thromboembolic diseases for more than a decade. However, whether a lower dose of rivaroxaban is required for Asians is still debatable. This review aimed to explore the potential ethnic difference in pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) characteristics between Asians and Caucasians. A systematic search was conducted and twenty-four studies were identified, of which 10 were conducted on Asian adults, 11 on predominantly Caucasian adults, and 3 on Caucasian pediatrics. The apparent clearance (CL/F) of rivaroxaban in Caucasian adults with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (6.45-7.64 L/h) was about 31-43% higher than that in Asians (4.46-5.98 L/h) taking 10~20 mg rivaroxaban every 24 h. Moreover, there was no obvious difference in CL/F among Japanese, Chinese, Thai, and Irani people. Regarding PK/PD relationship, prothrombin time was linked to rivaroxaban concentration in a linear or near-linear manner, and Factor Xa activity was linked with the E model. The exposure-response relationship was comparable between Asians and Caucasians. Renal function has a significant influence on CL/F, and no covariate was recognized for exposure-response relationship. In conclusion, a lower dose of rivaroxaban might be required for Asians, and further studies are warranted to verify this ethnic difference to facilitate optimal dosing regimens.
PubMed: 36839909
DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15020588 -
Seminars in Thrombosis and Hemostasis Apr 2024Venous thromboembolism and postoperative bleeding are complications of cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). The aim of this...
Venous thromboembolism and postoperative bleeding are complications of cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). The aim of this systematic review was to summarize current knowledge on the effect of cytoreductive surgery with HIPEC on coagulation and fibrinolysis within 10 days after surgery. Studies were identified in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science on December 12, 2022. Data on biomarkers of coagulation and fibrinolysis measured preoperatively up to the 10th postoperative day were extracted. Among 15 included studies, 13 studies reported markers of primary hemostasis. Eleven studies found reduced platelet count following cytoreductive surgery with HIPEC and two studies reported reduced platelet function. Twelve studies reported impaired secondary hemostasis until postoperative day 10 indicated by prolonged international normalized ratio, prothrombin time, and activated partial thromboplastin time. Fibrinogen was decreased in three studies from preoperative to postoperative day 3 switching to increased levels until postoperative day 10. In accordance, three studies found reduced maximum amplitude and maximum clot firmness by thromboelastography/thromboelastometry (ROTEM/TEG) on the first postoperative day indicating impaired clot strength. Four studies demonstrated increased d-dimer, factor (F) VIII, and thrombin generation during the 10 postoperative days. Four studies investigated fibrinolysis by ROTEM/TEG and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) after cytoreductive surgery with HIPEC reporting contradictive results. In conclusion, a decrease in platelet count and subtle changes in secondary hemostasis were found following cytoreductive surgery with HIPEC. Data on the effect of cytoreductive surgery with HIPEC on fibrinolysis are sparse and this needs to be further investigated.
Topics: Humans; Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy; Cytoreduction Surgical Procedures; Hyperthermia, Induced; Blood Coagulation; Neoplasms
PubMed: 36828005
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1764125 -
Frontiers in Public Health 2023The current 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is a major threat to global health. It is currently uncertain whether and how liver injury affects the... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
The current 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is a major threat to global health. It is currently uncertain whether and how liver injury affects the severity of COVID-19. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to determine the association between liver injury and the severity of COVID-19.
METHODS
A systematic search of the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases from inception to August 12, 2022, was performed to analyse the reported liver chemistry data for patients diagnosed with COVID-19. The pooled odds ratio (OR), weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were assessed using a random-effects model. Furthermore, publication bias and sensitivity were analyzed.
RESULTS
Forty-six studies with 28,663 patients were included. The pooled WMDs of alanine aminotransferase (WMD = 12.87 U/L, 95% CI: 10.52-15.23, = 99.2%), aspartate aminotransferase (WMD = 13.98 U/L, 95% CI: 12.13-15.83, = 98.2%), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (WMD = 20.67 U/L, 95% CI: 14.24-27.10, = 98.8%), total bilirubin (WMD = 2.98 μmol/L, 95% CI: 1.98-3.99, = 99.4%), and prothrombin time (WMD = 0.84 s, 95% CI: 0.46-1.23, = 99.4%) were significantly higher and that of albumin was lower (WMD = -4.52 g/L, 95% CI: -6.28 to -2.75, = 99.9%) in severe cases. Moreover, the pooled OR of mortality was higher in patients with liver injury (OR = 2.72, 95% CI: 1.18-6.27, = 71.6%).
CONCLUSIONS
Hepatocellular injury, liver metabolic, and synthetic function abnormality were observed in severe COVID-19. From a clinical perspective, liver injury has potential as a prognostic biomarker for screening severely affected patients at early disease stages.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION
https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, Identifier: CRD42022325206.
Topics: Humans; COVID-19; Liver; SARS-CoV-2
PubMed: 36817905
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1003352 -
Annals of Hematology Apr 2023Severe bleeding is the leading cause of early death in patients with newly diagnosed acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). However, there are no means for hemorrhagic risk...
Severe bleeding is the leading cause of early death in patients with newly diagnosed acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). However, there are no means for hemorrhagic risk stratification in APL. This study aimed to identify optimized predictors of severe bleeding events related to APL. A total of 109 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed APL from January 2015 to April 2022 were retrospectively investigated. A systematic review of computer-based patient medical records was conducted to obtain clinical date, including baseline characteristics, routine blood examination findings, coagulation and fibrinolysis indexes, and bleeding events. Among the 109 patients, 89 were classified into the no-severe bleeding group, while 20 had severe bleeding. Compared with the patients with no severe bleeding, the patients with severe bleeding had significantly higher circulating leukemic cell percentages, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) scores, D-dimer (D-D) levels, and fibrin degradation product (FDP) levels. They also had lower fibrinogen (FIB) levels and a longer prothrombin time. Multivariate analysis revealed that the circulating leukemic cell percentage (OR = 1.040, CI = 1.008-1.072, P = 0.012), FIB level (OR = 0.101, CI = 0.011-0.896, P = 0.040), and FDP level (OR = 1.012, CI = 1.000-1.024, P = 0.047) were independent risk factors for severe bleeding. FDP/FIB, D-D/FIB, and seven meaningful indicators in the single-factor analysis were included in the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The results showed that FDP/FIB was the best indicator for predicting severe bleeding related to newly diagnosed APL. The area under the ROC curve of FDP/FIB was 0.915, and the best cutoff value was 61.77, with 100% sensitivity and 74.2% specificity. Statistical analysis showed a higher incidence of severe bleeding and higher DIC scores when FDP/FIB was >61.77 in APL patients. FDP/FIB has obvious advantages in predicting the degree of bleeding associated with primary promyelocytic leukemia; the greater the FDP/FIB value, the more severe the bleeding. The risk of severe bleeding was the highest when FDP/FIB > 61.77.
Topics: Humans; Blood Coagulation; Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation; Hemorrhage; Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 36750485
DOI: 10.1007/s00277-023-05122-8 -
Therapeutic Advances in Neurological... 2023Intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) is standard of care for disabling acute ischemic stroke (AIS) within a time window of ⩽ 4.5 h. Some AIS patients cannot be treated...
BACKGROUND AND AIMS
Intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) is standard of care for disabling acute ischemic stroke (AIS) within a time window of ⩽ 4.5 h. Some AIS patients cannot be treated with IVT due to limiting contraindications, including heparin usage in an anticoagulating dose within the past 24 h or an elevated activated prothrombin time (aPTT) > 15 s. Protamine is a potent antidote to unfractionated heparin.
OBJECTIVES
The objective of this study was to investigate the safety and efficacy of IVT in AIS patients after antagonization of unfractionated heparin with protamine.
METHODS
Patients from our stroke center (between January 2015 and September 2021) treated with IVT after heparin antagonization with protamine were analyzed. National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) was used for stroke severity and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) for outcome assessment. Substantial neurological improvement was defined as the difference between admission and discharge NIHSS of ⩾8 or discharge NIHSS of ⩽1. Good outcome at follow-up after 3 months was defined as mRS 0-2. Safety data were obtained for mortality, symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH), and for adverse events due to protamine. Second, a systematic review was performed searching PubMed and Scopus for studies and case reviews presenting AIS patients treated with IVT after heparin antagonization with protamine. The search was limited from January 1, 2011 to September 29, 2021. Furthermore, we conducted a propensity score matching comparing protamine-treated patients to a control IVT group without protamine (ratio 2:1, match tolerance 0.2).
RESULTS
A total of 16 patients, 5 treated in our hospital and 11 from literature, [65.2 ± 13.1 years, 37.5% female, median premorbid mRS (pmRS) 1 (IQR 1, 4)] treated with IVT after heparin antagonization using protamine were included and compared to 31 IVT patients [76.2 ± 10.9 years, 45% female, median pmRS 1 (IQR 0, 2)]. Substantial neurological improvement was evident in 68.8% of protamine-treated patients 38.7% of control patients ( = 0.028). Good clinical outcome at follow-up was observed in 56.3% 58.1% of patients ( = 0.576). No adverse events due to protamine were reported, one patient suffered sICH after secondary endovascular thrombectomy of large vessel occlusion. Mortality was 6.3% 22.6% ( = 0.236).
CONCLUSION
IVT after heparin antagonization with protamine seems to be safe and, prospectively, may extend the number of AIS patients who can benefit from reperfusion treatment using IVT. Further prospective registry trials would be helpful to further investigate the clinical applicability of heparin antagonization.
PubMed: 36710724
DOI: 10.1177/17562864221149249 -
Neurocritical Care Jun 2023Anticoagulant-associated intracranial hemorrhage has a high mortality rate, and many factors can cause intracranial hemorrhage. Until now, systematic reviews and... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Anticoagulant-associated intracranial hemorrhage has a high mortality rate, and many factors can cause intracranial hemorrhage. Until now, systematic reviews and assessments of the certainty of the evidence have not been published.
METHODS
We conducted a systematic review to identify risk factors for anticoagulant-associated intracranial hemorrhage. The protocol for this systematic review was prospectively registered with PROSPERO (CRD42022316750). All English studies that met the inclusion criteria published before January 2022 were obtained from PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. Two researchers independently screened articles, extracted data, and evaluated the quality and evidence of the included studies. Risk factors for intracranial hemorrhage were used as the outcome index of this review. Random or fixed-effect models were used in statistical methods. I statistics were used to evaluate heterogeneity.
RESULTS
Of 7322 citations, we included 20 studies in our analysis. For intracranial hemorrhage, moderate-certainty evidence showed a probable association with race, Glasgow Coma Scale, stroke, leukoaraiosis, cerebrovascular disease, tumor, atrial fibrillation, previous bleeding, international normalized ratio, serum albumin, prothrombin time, diastolic blood pressure, and anticoagulant. Low-certainty evidence may be associated with age, cerebral microbleeds, smoking, alcohol intake, platelet count, and antiplatelet drug. In addition, we found very low-certainty evidence that there may be little to no association between the risk of intracranial hemorrhage and hypertension and creatinine clearance. Leukoaraiosis, cerebral microbleeds, cerebrovascular disease, and international normalized ratio are not included in most risk assessment models.
CONCLUSIONS
This study informs risk prediction for anticoagulant-associated intracranial hemorrhage and informs guidelines for intracranial hemorrhage prevention and future research.
Topics: Humans; Anticoagulants; Leukoaraiosis; Intracranial Hemorrhages; Risk Factors; Cerebral Hemorrhage
PubMed: 36670269
DOI: 10.1007/s12028-022-01671-4 -
JHEP Reports : Innovation in Hepatology Jan 2023The risk of serious clinical outcomes following cessation of nucleos(t)ide analogues (NUCs) in individuals with chronic hepatitis B remains poorly characterized. This...
BACKGROUND & AIMS
The risk of serious clinical outcomes following cessation of nucleos(t)ide analogues (NUCs) in individuals with chronic hepatitis B remains poorly characterized. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate current literature on this issue.
METHODS
We searched PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science for NUC stop studies that noted clinical outcomes published between January 1, 2006 and August 18, 2022. We performed meta-research analyses to examine the relationships of reported outcomes with study designs and characteristics and also pooled studies with non-overlapping populations to provide risk estimates for the proportions of (1) severe hepatitis flares or hepatic decompensation or (2) hepatitis flare-related death or liver transplantation.
RESULTS
The meta-research analysis included 50 studies of highly heterogeneous designs and characteristics. We found that reporting of safety outcomes varied widely according to outcome definition, follow-up duration, and sample size. Only ten studies prespecified safety events as the study outcome, and only four had an outcome definition to include hepatic insufficiency, a follow-up duration >12 months, and a sample size >100 patients. We further pooled 15 studies with 4,525 individuals and estimated that severe hepatitis flares or decompensation would occur in 1.21% (95% CI 0.70-2.08%), with significant heterogeneity ( = 54%, <0.01), while hepatitis flare-related death or liver transplantation would occur in 0.37% (95% CI 0.20-0.67%), without significant heterogeneity ( = 0.00%, = 1.00).
CONCLUSIONS
Current literature on the risk of serious clinical outcomes following NUC cessation is very limited and highly heterogeneous. Pooled analyses of available data found approximately 1% of patients who stopped NUCs developed severe flares or hepatic decompensation.
IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS
Current literature regarding the safety concerns surrounding NUC cessation for individuals with chronic hepatitis B is limited and heterogeneous in designs and characteristics, and thus should be interpreted with great caution. Based on currently available data, the proportion of patients that develop severe hepatitis flares or hepatic decompensation was estimated at 1.21% and that of flare-related death or liver transplantation at 0.37%. Our findings are important for individuals receiving nucleos(t)ide analogues for hepatitis B virus infection because we not only pooled currently available data to estimate the risk of serious clinical adverse events following treatment cessation but also uncovered critical limitations of existing literature regarding the safety of finite therapy.
PubMed: 36466989
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhepr.2022.100617 -
Seminars in Thrombosis and Hemostasis Jun 2023Birth asphyxia, with an estimated prevalence of 1 to 6 per 1,000 live births, may lead to multiorgan dysfunction due to impaired oxygen and/or blood supply to various...
Birth asphyxia, with an estimated prevalence of 1 to 6 per 1,000 live births, may lead to multiorgan dysfunction due to impaired oxygen and/or blood supply to various organ systems, including the hemostatic system. Coagulopathy, a common complication of perinatal asphyxia, has been described since the 1960s. The aim of this study was to systematically review the literature for records on the use of hemostasis tests in the evaluation of coagulation disorders, in neonates who had suffered from perinatal hypoxia or asphyxia. We identified published studies by searching PubMed and Scopus, up until April 2022. The literature search retrieved 37 articles fulfilling the inclusion criteria of the review. According to the bibliography, thrombocytopenia is commonly associated with perinatal hypoxia/asphyxia. The thrombocytopenia is usually described as mild and platelets return to normal levels by the 10th day of life. Additionally, hypoxic neonates usually present with a hypocoagulable profile, as reflected by the prolongation of standard coagulation tests, including prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, and international normalized ratio, findings commonly associated with disseminated intravascular coagulation, and by the reduction of the levels of the physiologic inhibition of coagulation system. A few studies thus far using ROTEM/TEG in hypoxic neonates have come to the same conclusion as well; hypoxic newborns seem to be characterized by a hypocoagulable profile compared with healthy neonates. It should be emphasized, however, that standard coagulation tests provide only a rough estimation of the true bleeding or thrombotic risk of hypoxic neonates. On the contrary, viscoelastic methods seem to be more precise in the early detection of hemostasis disorders in the neonatal population. However, until now, there was uncertainty as to the most appropriate coagulation assays for diagnosis and management of coagulation derangement in neonates with perinatal hypoxia indicating the need for further research on this field.
Topics: Pregnancy; Female; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Asphyxia; Hemostasis; Blood Coagulation Tests; Hypoxia; Blood Coagulation Disorders; Thrombocytopenia; Asphyxia Neonatorum
PubMed: 36368691
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1758148