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Frontiers in Endocrinology 2021Estrogen receptors alpha (ERα) and beta (ERβ) and the cooperating protein GATA-binding factor 3 (GATA3) have been implicated in bladder carcinogenesis and tumour... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Estrogen receptors alpha (ERα) and beta (ERβ) and the cooperating protein GATA-binding factor 3 (GATA3) have been implicated in bladder carcinogenesis and tumour progression. GATA3 and ER have been functionally linked in the establishment of luminal fate in breast tissue, but to date their relationship in bladder cancer has not been established. This information will be useful to advance diagnostic and prognostic markers.
AIM
To determine the relationship between the expression of ERα, ERβ and GATA3 in bladder cancer, disclose their prognostic and diagnostic value and their association with clinicopathological characteristics.
METHODS
A comprehensive literature search in PubMed database was performed for all immunohistochemical studies of ERα, ERβ and/or GATA3 in bladder cancer patients. We selected eligible studies in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines and evaluated methodological quality and risk of bias based on quality criteria from the reporting recommendations for tumour MARKer (REMARK) prognostic studies. Risk of bias assessment was performed using Review Manager 5. R software was used for all statistical analysis, the packages used were meta and dmetar for the standard meta-analysis, and netmeta for the network meta-analysis.
RESULTS
Thirteen studies were eligible for ERα, 5 for ERβ and 58 for GATA3 meta-analysis. Low grade tumours showed significantly lower ERα expression. GATA3 was widely expressed in bladder tumours, especially urothelial carcinomas, with higher expression of GATA3 in low grade and low stage tumours. Data was insufficient to determine the prognostic value of either ERα or ERβ, but GATA3-positivity was associated with higher recurrence free survival. A negative correlation between ERα or ERβ positivity and GATA3 expression was disclosed. Additionally, several sources of heterogeneity were identified, which can be used to improve future studies.
CONCLUSION
The clinicopathological value of ERα and ERβ was inconclusive due to low availability of studies using validated antibodies. Still, this meta-analysis supports GATA3 as good prognostic marker. On the contrary, ERα-positivity was associated to higher grade tumours; while ERα and ERβ were inversely correlated with GATA3 expression. Considering that it has previously been shown that bladder cancer cell lines have functional ERs, this suggests that ERα could be activated in less differentiated cells and independently of GATA3. Therefore, a comprehensive analysis of ERα and ERβ expression in BlaCa supported by complete patient clinical history is required for the identification of BlaCa subtypes and subgroups of patients expressing ERα, to investigate if they could benefit from treatment with hormonal therapy.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION
Prospero, CRD42021226836.
Topics: Biomarkers, Tumor; Estrogen Receptor alpha; Estrogen Receptor beta; GATA3 Transcription Factor; Humans; Prognosis; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms
PubMed: 34690921
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2021.684140 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Oct 2021The analysis of psychoactive substances in hair is of great importance for both clinical and forensic toxicologists since it allows one to evaluate past and continuative...
The analysis of psychoactive substances in hair is of great importance for both clinical and forensic toxicologists since it allows one to evaluate past and continuative exposure to xenobiotics. In particular, a new challenge is represented by new psychoactive substances: Among this new class of drugs of abuse, synthetic cathinone and phenethylamine derivatives are often detected in biological samples. Hence, there is a growing need to develop new analytical procedures or improve old ones in order to conduct evaluations of these emerging substances. This study is a systematic review of all the instrumental and experimental data available in the literature. A total of 32 articles were included in the review. Acidic solvents proved to be the most reliable solutions for extraction. Gas chromatography and liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometric and high-resolution mass spectrometric systems represent the majority of the involved instrumental techniques. Sensitivity must be maintained at the pg/mg level to detect any occurrences up to occasional consumption. In total, 23 out of 32 articles reported real positive samples. The most frequently detected substance in hair was mephedrone, followed by butylone, methylone, MDPV, and α-pyrrolidinophenone-type substances.
Topics: Alkaloids; Chromatography, Liquid; Forensic Toxicology; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Hair; Humans; Illicit Drugs; Limit of Detection; Phenethylamines; Substance Abuse Detection; Tandem Mass Spectrometry
PubMed: 34684725
DOI: 10.3390/molecules26206143 -
International Journal of Environmental... Sep 2021Environmental chemicals and contaminants coming from multiple external sources enter the human body, determining a potential risk for human health. Human biomonitoring... (Review)
Review
Environmental chemicals and contaminants coming from multiple external sources enter the human body, determining a potential risk for human health. Human biomonitoring (HBM), measuring the concentrations of biomarkers in human specimens, has become an emerging approach for assessing population-wide exposure to hazardous chemicals and health risk through large-scale studies in many countries. However, systematic mapping of HBM studies, including their characteristics, targeted hazardous pollutants, analytical techniques, and sample population (general population and occupationally exposed workers), has not been done so far. We conducted a systematic review of the literature related to airborne hazardous pollutants in biofluids to answer the following questions: Which main chemicals have been included in the literature, which bodily fluids have been used, and what are the main findings? Following PRISMA protocol, we summarized the publications published up to 4 February 2021 of studies based on two methods: gas-chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and electronic noses (e-noses). We screened 2606 records and 117 publications were included in the analysis, the most based on GC/MS analysis. The selected HBM studies include measurements of biomarkers in different bodily fluids, such as blood, urine, breast milk, and human semen as well as exhaled air. The papers cover numerous airborne hazardous pollutants that we grouped in chemical classes; a lot of hazardous and noxious compounds, mainly persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), have been detected in biological fluids at alarming levels. The scenario that emerged from this survey demonstrates the importance of HBM in human exposure to hazardous pollutants and the need to use it as valid tool in health surveillance. This systematic review represents a starting point for researchers who focus on the world of pollutant biomonitoring in the human body and gives them important insights into how to improve the methods based on GC/MS. Moreover, it makes a first overview of the use of gas sensor array and e-noses in HBM studies.
Topics: Biological Monitoring; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental Pollutants; Female; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Humans; Occupational Exposure; Volatile Organic Compounds
PubMed: 34639537
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph181910236 -
Frontiers in Endocrinology 2021Dysregulation of amino acids is closely linked to the initiation and progression of sarcopenia. We summarized recent advancements in the studies of amino acid profiles... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Dysregulation of amino acids is closely linked to the initiation and progression of sarcopenia. We summarized recent advancements in the studies of amino acid profiles in sarcopenia and systematically presented the clinical significance of amino acid flux in sarcopenia.
METHODS
We systematically searched in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane library from inception to June 1, 2021 to capture all studies examining metabolomics of sarcopenia. We used the following keywords: sarcopenia, metabonomics, metabolomics, amino acid profile, and mass spectrometry. Original articles comparing amino acid patterns between persons with and without sarcopenia were included. Two independent investigators independently completed title and abstract screening, data extraction, and quality evaluation. We used a random effects model to examine the association between amino acids levels and sarcopenia. Sensitivity analyses restricted the analyses to studies in which muscle mass was measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis. Study quality was evaluated according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) checklist.
RESULTS
The systematic research yielded six eligible articles, comprising 1,120 participants. Five studies used muscle mass in combination with physical performance and/or muscle strength as the criteria to diagnose sarcopenia, while one study used muscle mass as a diagnostic criterion alone. We found that the concentrations of branched-chain amino acids leucine (standardized mean difference [SMD] -1.249; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -2.275, -0.223, = 0.02, I = 97.7%), isoleucine (SMD -1.077; 95% CI: -2.106, -0.049, = 0.04, I = 97.8%), and aromatic amino acid tryptophan (SMD -0.923; 95% CI: -1.580, -0.265, = 0.01, I = 89.9%) were significantly reduced in individuals with sarcopenia. Study results were robust in sensitivity analysis.
CONCLUSIONS
The homeostasis of amino acids is critical to maintaining muscle health. The profiles of amino acids might be useful biomarkers for the characterization of sarcopenia. Future studies are warranted to study the clinical significance of amino acids in the diagnosis and treatment of sarcopenia.
Topics: Amino Acids; Humans; Metabolome; Muscle, Skeletal; Sarcopenia
PubMed: 34589057
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2021.725518 -
Biomolecules & Therapeutics Nov 2021Researchers have endeavored to identify the etiology of inflammatory bowel diseases, including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Though the pathogenesis of... (Review)
Review
Researchers have endeavored to identify the etiology of inflammatory bowel diseases, including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Though the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases remains unknown, dysregulation of the immune system in the host gastrointestinal tract is believed to be the major causative factor. Omics is a powerful methodological tool that can reveal biochemical information stored in clinical samples. Lipidomics is a subset of omics that explores the lipid classes associated with inflammation. One objective of the present systematic review was to facilitate the identification of biochemical targets for use in future lipidomic studies on inflammatory bowel diseases. The use of high-resolution mass spectrometry to observe alterations in global lipidomics might help elucidate the immunoregulatory mechanisms involved in inflammatory bowel diseases and discover novel biomarkers for them. Assessment of the characteristics of previous clinical trials on inflammatory bowel diseases could help researchers design and establish patient selection and analytical method criteria for future studies on these conditions. In this study, we curated literature exclusively from four databases and extracted lipidomics-related data from literature, considering criteria. This paper suggests that the lipidomics approach toward research in inflammatory bowel diseases can clarify their pathogenesis and identify clinically valuable biomarkers to predict and monitor their progression.
PubMed: 34565718
DOI: 10.4062/biomolther.2021.125 -
Obesity Reviews : An Official Journal... Nov 2021Nuts are recommended for cardiovascular health, yet concerns remain that nuts may contribute to weight gain due to their high energy density. A systematic review and... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Nuts are recommended for cardiovascular health, yet concerns remain that nuts may contribute to weight gain due to their high energy density. A systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohorts and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted to update the evidence, provide a dose-response analysis, and assess differences in nut type, comparator and more in subgroup analyses. MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane were searched, along with manual searches. Data from eligible studies were pooled using meta-analysis methods. Interstudy heterogeneity was assessed (Cochran Q statistic) and quantified (I statistic). Certainty of the evidence was assessed by Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE). Six prospective cohort studies (7 unique cohorts, n = 569,910) and 86 RCTs (114 comparisons, n = 5873) met eligibility criteria. Nuts were associated with lower incidence of overweight/obesity (RR 0.93 [95% CI 0.88 to 0.98] P < 0.001, "moderate" certainty of evidence) in prospective cohorts. RCTs presented no adverse effect of nuts on body weight (MD 0.09 kg, [95% CI -0.09 to 0.27 kg] P < 0.001, "high" certainty of evidence). Meta-regression showed that higher nut intake was associated with reductions in body weight and body fat. Current evidence demonstrates the concern that nut consumption contributes to increased adiposity appears unwarranted.
Topics: Body Weight; Humans; Nuts; Obesity; Overweight; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
PubMed: 34494363
DOI: 10.1111/obr.13330 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2021Although proteomics has been employed in the study of several models of liver injury, proteomic methods have only recently been applied not only to biomarker discovery...
BACKGROUND
Although proteomics has been employed in the study of several models of liver injury, proteomic methods have only recently been applied not only to biomarker discovery and validation but also to improve understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in transplantation.
METHODS
The study was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology and the guidelines for performing systematic literature reviews in bioinformatics (BiSLR). The PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus databases were searched for publications through April 2020. Proteomics studies designed to understand liver transplant outcomes, including ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI), rejection, or operational tolerance in human or rat samples that applied methodologies for differential expression analysis were considered.
RESULTS
The analysis included 22 studies after application of the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Among the 497 proteins annotated, 68 were shared between species and 10 were shared between sample sources. Among the types of studies analyzed, IRI and rejection shared a higher number of proteins. The most enriched pathway for liver biopsy samples, IRI, and rejection was metabolism, compared to cytokine-cytokine receptor interactions for tolerance.
CONCLUSIONS
Proteomics is a promising technique to detect large numbers of proteins. However, our study shows that several technical issues such as the identification of proteoforms or the dynamic range of protein concentration in clinical samples hinder the successful identification of biomarkers in liver transplantation. In addition, there is a need to minimize the experimental variability between studies, increase the sample size and remove high-abundance plasma proteins.
Topics: Animals; Biomarkers; Computational Biology; Humans; Liver Transplantation; Proteomics
PubMed: 34381445
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.672829 -
Sao Paulo Medical Journal = Revista... 2021The most-used equations for estimating the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) are the CKD Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) and Modification of Diet in Renal Disease... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
The most-used equations for estimating the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) are the CKD Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) and Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equations. However, it is unclear which of these shows better performance in Latin America.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the performance of two equations for estimated GFR (eGFR) in Latin American countries.
DESIGN AND SETTING
Systematic review and meta-analysis in Latin American countries.
METHODS
We searched in three databases to identify studies that reported eGFR using both equations and compared them with measured GFR (mGFR) using exogenous filtration markers, among adults in Latin American countries. We performed meta-analyses on P30, bias (using mean difference [MD] and 95% confidence intervals [95% CI]), sensitivity and specificity; and evaluated the certainty of evidence using the GRADE methodology.
RESULTS
We included 12 papers, and meta-analyzed six (five from Brazil and one from Mexico). Meta-analyses that compared CKD-EPI using creatinine measured with calibration traceable to isotope dilution mass spectrometry (CKD-EPI-Cr IDMS) and using MDRD-4 IDMS did not show differences in bias (MD: 0.55 ml/min/1.73m2; 95% CI: -3.34 to 4.43), P30 (MD: 4%; 95% CI: -2% to 11%), sensitivity (76% and 75%) and specificity (91% and 89%), with very low certainty of evidence for bias and P30, and low certainty of evidence for sensitivity and specificity.
CONCLUSION
We found that the performances of CKD-EPI-Cr IDMS and MDRD-4 IDMS did not differ significantly. However, since most of the meta-analyzed studies were from Brazil, the results cannot be extrapolated to other Latin American countries.
REGISTRATION
PROSPERO (CRD42019123434) - https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42019123434.
Topics: Adult; Creatinine; Glomerular Filtration Rate; Humans; Latin America; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic; Sensitivity and Specificity
PubMed: 34378734
DOI: 10.1590/1516-3180.2020.0707.R1.150321 -
PloS One 2021Fungal infections are common on oral mucosae, but their role in other oral sites is ill defined. Over the last few decades, numerous studies have reported the presence... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Fungal infections are common on oral mucosae, but their role in other oral sites is ill defined. Over the last few decades, numerous studies have reported the presence of fungi, particularly Candida species in endodontic infections, albeit in relatively small numbers in comparison to its predominant anaerobic bacteriome. Here, we review the fungal biome of primary and secondary endodontic infections, with particular reference to the prevalence and behavior of Candida species. Meta-analysis of the available data from a total of 39 studies fitting the inclusion criteria, indicate the overall weighted mean prevalence (WMP) of fungal species in endodontic infections to be 9.11% (from a cumulative total of 2003 samples), with 9.0% in primary (n = 1341), and 9.3% in secondary infections (n = 662). Nevertheless, WMP for fungi in primary and secondary infections which were 6.3% and 7.5% for culture-based studies, increased to 12.5% and 16.0% in molecular studies, respectively. The most prevalent fungal species was Candida spp. The high heterogeneity in the reported fungal prevalence suggests the need for standardized sampling, and speciation methods. The advent of the new molecular biological analytical platforms, such as the next generation sequencing (NGS), and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF), that enables identification and quantitation of a broad spectrum of hitherto unknown organisms in endodontic infections should radically alter our understanding of the endodontic mycobiome in the future. Candida spp. appear to be co-pathogens with bacteria in approximately one in ten patients with endodontic infections. Hence, clinicians should comprehend the importance and the role of fungi in endodontic infections and be cognizant of the need to eradicate both bacteria and fungi for successful therapy.
Topics: Bacteria; Bacterial Infections; Candida; Candidiasis; Dental Pulp Diseases; Humans
PubMed: 34293029
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255003 -
Planta Medica Aug 2021This work covers a systematic review of literature about the genus from 1978 to 2020, emphasizing the analysis of 10 of the most relevant species and their associated...
This work covers a systematic review of literature about the genus from 1978 to 2020, emphasizing the analysis of 10 of the most relevant species and their associated biological activities. is a neotropical genus, which comprises about 61 native species in the American continent where it is known to be part of the traditional medicine of numerous countries. Secondary metabolites described for this genus showed an elevated structural and functional diversity, where polyphenols have been the most abundant. Based on this diversity, phytochemicals represent an important source of potential therapeutic agents yet to be exploited. This review also highlights the effectiveness of combining chemometrics and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry as a novel approach to successfully single out species phytochemicals. While the medicinal use of species is officially recognized in National Pharmacopoeias and Formularies of several Latin American countries, it is important to recognize that these phytomedicines are complex mixtures requiring a thorough understanding of their chemical composition and their correlation with biological activities to guarantee their quality, safety, and efficacy.
Topics: Cecropia Plant; Medicine, Traditional; Phytochemicals; Plant Extracts; Polyphenols
PubMed: 34284521
DOI: 10.1055/a-1495-9785