scholarly journals Association of Plasma Thrombin-Antithrombin Complex and Ischemic Stroke: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Author(s):  
Peipei Song ◽  
Jianqin Xie ◽  
Wei Li ◽  
Xinying Zhang ◽  
Zhipeng Sun ◽  
...  

Abstract Background and objectiveThrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT) is a prethrombotic marker, and its application in ischemic stroke is still uncertain. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to evaluate the relationship between plasma TAT and ischemic stroke base on the current evidence.MethodsA systematic literature search was conducted for searching the relative studies that investigated the association of TAT and ischemic stroke in PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane library databases. Mean difference and 95% confidence interval as the effect sizes were synthesized by random effects model in Review Manager (RevMan) Version 5.4. Then, the heterogeneity was investigated using the Chi-square test and the possible sources of heterogeneity were explored by sensitivity analysis. The publication bias was estimated through Begg’s and Egger’s tests.ResultsA total of 12 eligible studies were included involving 1431 stroke cases and 532 healthy controls, of which six studies were eventually included in the meta-analysis. Plasma TAT in patients with ischemic stroke was significantly higher than that in healthy controls (MD 5.31, 95% CI =4.12-6.51, P<0.0001, I2=97.8 %). There is a difference of TAT level in the same period among cardioembolic, lacunar and atherothrombotic stroke (all P<0.0001), in which the cardioembolic stroke with the highest level. Meanwhile, it is significant of TAT levels among various phases of cardioembolic stroke and the acute phase are markedly elevated (MD 7.75, 95CI%, 6.07-9.43, P<0.001). However, no difference was found in the atherothrombotic (P=0.13) and lacunar stroke (P=0.34). Besides, the higher TAT level is closely related to the poor prognosis of patients with ischemic stroke, including higher recurrence, mortality, unfavorable recovery (modified Rankin scale >2), and poor revascularization.ConclusionsThis study suggested that plasma TAT levels are different in ischemic stroke subtypes, which are closely associated with the progression and might have an effect on the prognosis. PROSPERO CRD: 42021248787

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaomin Shen ◽  
Jiajie Zhang ◽  
Yicheng Huang ◽  
Jiepeng Tong ◽  
Li Zhang ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives The aim of this study was to systematically assess the accuracy of circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) as a promising biomarker for sepsis via a meta-analysis. Methods PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and Ovid databases were searched up to April 3, 2020. The Quality in Prognostic Studies (QUADAS-2) tool was used to assess methodological quality. The pooled sensitivity (Sen), specificity (Spe), positive or negative likelihood ratios (PLR or NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), curve, and area under the curve (AUC) were calculated with 95% confidence interval (95% CI). The overall accuracy (OA) of miRNAs, procalcitonin (PCT), and C-reactive protein (CRP) was analyzed by the chi-square test. Results A total of 22 records were eligible for systematic review, including 2210 sepsis, 426 systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), and 1076 healthy controls (HC). The pooled Sen, Spe, and DOR of miRNAs were 0.80 (95% CI 0.75–0.83), 0.85 (95% CI 0.80–0.89), and 22 (15–32), respectively. The DOR of PCT and CRP were 17 (95% CI 4–68) and 7 (95% CI 1–48), respectively. The OA value of miRNAs (79.02%) and PCT (76.95%) were higher than CRP (61.22%) (P < 0.000). The subgroup analysis indicated that miRNAs in adults, serum type, downregulation of miRNA expression, criteria of Sepsis-3, internal reference of non-U6, and dysregulation expression of miR-223 had superior diagnostic accuracy. In addition, there was no significant publication bias among the included studies. Fagan’s nomogram showed valuable clinical utility. Conclusions Our meta-analysis indicated that the level of circulating miRNAs, particularly the miR-223, could be used as an indicator for sepsis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Runqing Li ◽  
Junjie Liu ◽  
Yushan Li ◽  
Quanxian Wang

Abstract Background Published studies have shown contradictory results regarding the relationship between somatometric parameters and varicoceles. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the possible effects of age, height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) on the presence and severity of varicoceles. Methods Databases including EMBASE, MEDLINE, PubMed, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Web of Science, and Google Scholar were systematically searched to identify relevant articles published up to March 2020. Two researchers independently identified eligible articles and extracted data. Cochran’s Q statistic and I2 statistics were used to assess heterogeneity. Meta-analysis was performed using StataSE 12.0 software (StataCorp LP, USA). Random-effects models were used to obtain the weighted mean differences (WMDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Publication bias was assessed using Begg’s funnel plot and Egger’s regression test. Results The search strategy produced 272 articles, of which 18 articles were eligible according to the inclusion/exclusion criteria. A total of 56,325 patients with varicocele and 1,334,694 patients without varicocele were included in the meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of somatometric parameters on the presence and severity of varicocele. The overall results demonstrated that the presence of varicoceles was significantly associated with height (WMD = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.07 to 1.74, P < 0.001) and inversely correlated with BMI (WMD = − 1.35, 95% CI = -1.67 to − 1.03, P < 0.001) but not with age (WMD = -0.93, 95% CI = -2.19 to 0.33, P = 0.149) or weight (WMD = 0.24, 95% CI = -2.24 to 2.72, P = 0.850). The severity of varicocele was inversely correlated with increased BMI but not with age. Conclusion The presence of varicoceles was significantly associated with height and inversely correlated with BMI.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
William M. Jackson ◽  
Nicholas Davis ◽  
Johanna Calderon ◽  
Jennifer J. Lee ◽  
Nicole Feirsen ◽  
...  

Abstract Context: People with CHD are at increased risk for executive functioning deficits. Meta-analyses of these measures in CHD patients compared to healthy controls have not been reported. Objective: To examine differences in executive functions in individuals with CHD compared to healthy controls. Data sources: We performed a systematic review of publications from 1 January, 1986 to 15 June, 2020 indexed in PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycInfo, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library. Study selection: Inclusion criteria were (1) studies containing at least one executive function measure; (2) participants were over the age of three. Data extraction: Data extraction and quality assessment were performed independently by two authors. We used a shifting unit-of-analysis approach and pooled data using a random effects model. Results: The search yielded 61,217 results. Twenty-eight studies met criteria. A total of 7789 people with CHD were compared with 8187 healthy controls. We found the following standardised mean differences: −0.628 (−0.726, −0.531) for cognitive flexibility and set shifting, −0.469 (−0.606, −0.333) for inhibition, −0.369 (−0.466, −0.273) for working memory, −0.334 (−0.546, −0.121) for planning/problem solving, −0.361 (−0.576, −0.147) for summary measures, and −0.444 (−0.614, −0.274) for reporter-based measures (p < 0.001). Limitations: Our analysis consisted of cross-sectional and observational studies. We could not quantify the effect of collinearity. Conclusions: Individuals with CHD appear to have at least moderate deficits in executive functions. Given the growing population of people with CHD, more attention should be devoted to identifying executive dysfunction in this vulnerable group.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yijuan Hu ◽  
Dongling Zhong ◽  
Qiwei Xiao ◽  
Qiang Chen ◽  
Juan Li ◽  
...  

Objective. With the increasing social and economic burdens of balance impairment after stroke, the treatment for balance impairment after stroke becomes a major public health problem worldwide. Kinesio taping (KT) as a part of clinical practice has been used widely in the treatment of balance impairment after stroke. However, the clinical effects of KT for balance function have not been confirmed. The objective of this study is to investigate the effects and safety of KT for balance impairment after stroke. Methods. We conducted a systematic review (SR) and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the effects of KT for balance impairment after stroke. We searched the following databases: (1) English databases: EMBASE (via Ovid), MEDLINE (via Ovid), the Cochrane library, PubMed, and PEDro; (2) Chinese databases: China Biology Medicine (CBM), Wan Fang database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and VIP. Besides, hand searches of relevant references were also conducted. We systematically searched from the inception to December 2018, using the keywords (Kinesio, Kinesio Tape, tape, or Orthotic Tape) and (stroke, hemiplegia, or hemiplegic paralysis) and (balance or stability). The search strategies were adjusted for each database. The reference lists of included articles were reviewed for relevant trials. For missing data, we contacted the authors to get additional information. Results. 22 RCTs involved 1331 patients, among which 667 patients in the experimental group and 664 patients in the control group were included. Results of meta-analysis showed that, compared with conventional rehabilitation (CR), there was significant difference in Berg Balance Scale (BBS) (MD=4.46, 95%CI 1.72 to 7.19, P=0.001), Time Up and Go Test (TUGT) (MD=-4.62, 95%CI -5.48 to -3.79, P < 0.00001), functional ambulation category scale (FAC) (MD=0.53, 95%CI 0.38 to 0.68, P < 0.00001), Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA-L) (MD=4.20, 95%CI 3.17 to 5.24, P < 0.00001), and Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) (MD=-0.38, 95%CI -0.49 to -0.27, P < 0.00001). The results of subgroup analysis showed that there was no significant difference between KT and CR with ≤4 weeks treatment duration (< 4 weeks: MD=5.03, 95%CI -1.80 to 11.85, P=0.15; =4 weeks: MD=4.33, 95%CI -1.50 to 10.15, P=0.15), while there was significant difference with more than 4-week treatment duration (MD=4.77, 95%CI 2.58 to 6.97, P < 0.0001). Conclusions. Based on current evidence, KT was more effective than CR for balance function, lower limb function, and walking function in poststroke patients. Longer treatment duration may be associated with better effects. However, more well-conducted RCTs are required in the future.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdulhakim Abamecha ◽  
Daniel Yilma ◽  
Wondimagegn Adissu ◽  
Delenasaw Yewhalaw ◽  
Alemseged Abdissa

Abstract Background: Anti-malarial drug resistance, in particular resistance to Plasmodium falciparum, challenges the treatment and control of malaria. In Ethiopia, the first-line treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria has been changed from sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) to artemether-lumefantrine (AL) in 2004. To maximize efficacy of anti-malarial drugs and ensure adequate treatment outcomes; monitoring drug efficacy regularly is vital to establish rational malaria treatment guidelines. This systematic review and meta-analysis is performed to obtain an overall stronger evidence to guide management of uncomplicated falciparum malaria from the existing literature in Ethiopia after policy changes in 2004.Methods: A systematic literature search was performed using the preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis (PRISMA) from published therapeutic efficacy studies conducted in Ethiopia from 2004 to 2020. The search was performed from Pubmed, Google Scholar and Clinical trial registry databases to identify literature. Two reviewers independently assessed study eligibility and extracted data. While computing the efficacy of AL, polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-corrected cure rate (adequate clinical and parasitological response, ACPR) at 28th day was considered as the primary endpoint. Meta-analysis was computed using OpenMeta-Analysis software to calculate the pooled ACPR. Statistical heterogeneity was evaluated with the Cochran chi-square test (X2) test and inverse variance index (I2). Publication bias was analyzed using funnel plots and Egger’s test statistics. The review protocol is registered in PROSPERO, number CRD42020201859.Results: Out of studies screened, fifteen studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria, and were included in final analysis with a total number of 1523 participants. Treatment success of AL for uncomplicated falciparum malaria in all combined studies was 98.4% [(95% CI 97.6–99.1), P< 0.001]. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-corrected AL treatment success rate of 98.7% [(95% CI 97.7-99.6), P<0.001)]. The efficacy of AL with PCR-corrected cure rates ranging from 95.0 to 99.4% in per-protocol analysis, and 88.8 to 97.4% in intention-to-treat analysis. Based on the analysis, Cochrane chi-square test (X2) test and inverse variance index (I2) indicated that the included studies with heterogeneity (X2=20.48, (df=14), P=0.116 and I2=31.65%). The highest parasite positivity rate at day-3 was 5.7%. Adverse events ranged from mild to serious but were not directly attributed to the drug.Conclusion: The present review has shown that AL is efficacious and safe for treatment of uncomplicated malaria in Ethiopia. However, few therapeutic efficacy studies were conducted in Ethiopia after treatment guideline was revised in 2004. AL has been used more than a decade in the study population without other alternative artemisinin-based combination therapy in Ethiopia and considering that the potential evolution of drug resistance is of a great concern, regular and continuous monitoring of its efficacy is warranted.


2018 ◽  
Vol 44 (5) ◽  
pp. E2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Won Hyung A. Ryu ◽  
Michael M. H. Yang ◽  
Sandeep Muram ◽  
W. Bradley Jacobs ◽  
Steven Casha ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVEAs the cost of health care continues to increase, there is a growing emphasis on evaluating the relative economic value of treatment options to guide resource allocation. The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the current evidence regarding the cost-effectiveness of cranial neurosurgery procedures.METHODSThe authors performed a systematic review of the literature using PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library, focusing on themes of economic evaluation and cranial neurosurgery following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Included studies were publications of cost-effectiveness analysis or cost-utility analysis between 1995 and 2017 in which health utility outcomes in life years (LYs), quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), or disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) were used. Three independent reviewers conducted the study appraisal, data abstraction, and quality assessment, with differences resolved by consensus discussion.RESULTSIn total, 3485 citations were reviewed, with 53 studies meeting the inclusion criteria. Of those, 34 studies were published in the last 5 years. The most common subspecialty focus was cerebrovascular (32%), followed by neurooncology (26%) and functional neurosurgery (24%). Twenty-eight (53%) studies, using a willingness to pay threshold of US$50,000 per QALY or LY, found a specific surgical treatment to be cost-effective. In addition, there were 11 (21%) studies that found a specific surgical option to be economically dominant (both cost saving and having superior outcome), including endovascular thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke, epilepsy surgery for drug-refractory epilepsy, and endoscopic pituitary tumor resection.CONCLUSIONSThere is an increasing number of cost-effectiveness studies in cranial neurosurgery, especially within the last 5 years. Although there are numerous procedures, such as endovascular thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke, that have been conclusively proven to be cost-effective, there remain promising interventions in current practice that have yet to meet cost-effectiveness thresholds.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chengxian Yang ◽  
Ge Li ◽  
Shenzhong Jiang ◽  
Xinjie Bao ◽  
Renzhi Wang

Abstract Biochemical remission after transsphenoidal surgery is still unsatisfied in acromegaly patients with macroadenomas, especially with invasive macroadenomas. Concerning the impact of preoperative somatostatin analogues (SSAs) on surgical outcomes, previous studies with limited cases reported conflicting results. To assess current evidence of preoperative medical treatment, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of comparative studies. A literature search was conducted in Pubmed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. Five randomized controlled trials (RCT) and seven non-RCT comparative studies were included. These studies mainly focused on pituitary macroadenomas though a small number of microadenoma cases were included. For safety, preoperative SSAs were not associated with elevated risks of postoperative complications. With respect to efficacy, the short-term cure rate was improved by preoperative SSAs, but the long-term cure rate showed no significant improvement. For invasive macroadenomas, the short-term cure rate was also improved, but the long-term results were not evaluable in clinical practice because adjuvant therapy was generally required. In conclusion, preoperative SSAs are safe in patients with acromegaly, and the favorable impact on surgical results is restricted to the short-term cure rate in macroadenomas and invasive macroadenomas. Further well-designed RCTs to examine long-term results are awaited to update the finding of this meta-analysis.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianfeng Shi ◽  
Haijian Ying ◽  
Juping Du ◽  
Bo Shen

Objective. Current studies of serum sclerostin levels in AS and RA patients are inconsistent. This meta-analysis was performed to identify the association of serum sclerostin level with AS and RA patients. Methods. Embase, PubMed, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Library databases (up to 25 January 2017) were used to collect all relevant published articles. Studies were pooled and standard mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated. All data analyses were performed using RevMan 5.3. Results. Totally eight studies of AS including 420 AS patients and 317 healthy controls (HC) and three studies of RA including 145 RA patients and 127 HC were finally included in this meta-analysis. The results revealed that the serum sclerostin levels in both AS patients (SMD=-0.14; 95% CI=[-0.39,0.11]; P=0.28) and RA patients (SMD=-0.10; 95% CI=[-0.34,0.15]; P=0.43) were not significantly different from those in HC. Conclusion. The difference of serum sclerostin levels in AS and RA patients was not significantly different from HC, indicating that the sclerostin may not associate with the development of AS and RA.


2015 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kai Wang ◽  
Mingwei Sun ◽  
Hua Jiang ◽  
Xiao-ping Cao ◽  
Jun Zeng

Abstract Background We aimed to systematically review the efficacy of mannitol (MTL) on patients with acute severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods Databases such as PubMed (US National Library of Medicine), CENTRAL (The Cochrane Library 2014, Issue 3), ISI (Web of Science: Science Citation Index Expanded), Chinese Biomedicine Database (CBM), and China Knowledge Resource Integrated Database (CNKI) have been searched for relevant studies published between 1 January 2003 and 1 October 2014. We have established inclusion and exclusion criteria to identify RCTs, which were suitable to be enrolled in the systematic review. The comparison group could be hypertonic saline (HS), hydroxyethyl starch, or others. The quality assessment was based on the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions Version 5.0.1 and modified Jadad score scale. The major outcome was mortality, followed by the secondary outcomes such as neurological outcome, days on intensive care unit (ICU), and ventilator day. In addition, intracranial pressure (ICP), cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP), and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were used as the surrogate endpoints. Data synthesis and meta-analysis was conducted by using R (version 3.7-0.). Results When 176 potential relevant literatures and abstracts have been screened, four RCTs met all the inclusion criteria and were enrolled for the meta-analysis. Amongst all the enrolled studies, two trials have provided the primary outcome data. There was no heterogeneity between two studies (I2 = 0 %) and a fixed model was used for meta-analysis (n = 53), pooled result indicated that the mortality was similar in mannitol intervention and control treatment, OR = 0.80, 95 % CI [0.27, 2.37], P = 0.38. We found that both mannitol and HS were efficient in decreasing the ICP. Furthermore, the effect of the HS on the ICP appeared to be more effective in the patients with diffuse brain injuries than mannitol did. Conclusions As a conclusion, the mannitol therapy cannot reduce the mortality risk of acute severe traumatic brain injury. Current evidence does not support the mannitol as an effective treatment of acute severe traumatic brain injury. The well-designed randomized controlled trials are in urgent need to demonstrate the adoption of mannitol to acute severe traumatic brain injury.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Jia ◽  
Mingming Zhou ◽  
Li Sun ◽  
Luhai Yu ◽  
Xiangyan He

Abstract Atrial fibrillation(AF) increases the risk of ischemic stroke and systemic embolism in patients. Moreover, Asian patients with AF are more likely to have ischemic stroke than non-Asian patients. Oral anticoagulants could effectively prevent thrombotic events. Dabigatran and Rivaroxaban are two most commonly used novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) in Asia, but those clinicial studies in relation with them are mostly in American and European countries. Therefore, whether there are differences between Dabigatran and Rivaroxaban among Asian patients with AF in terms of efficacy and safety is still unknown. This systematic review and meta-analysis will mainly assess clinical efficacy and safety of Dabigatran versus Rivaroxaban in Asian patients with AF by a pooled analysis. We will follow the PRISMA (preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses) and the reporting MOOSE (Meta-analyses of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) when performing this study. Then Cochrane Library,Web of Science, PubMed and China national knowledge infrastructure will be searched for eligible retrospective investigation that report the efficacy and safety outcomes of AF patients who utilised Dabigatran or Rivaroxaban for stroke prevention in Asian countries. The abovementioned database will be comprehensively searched from inception to September 30, 2019 to locate all potentially eligible studies. Outcome measures will include safety and efficacy indicators. Safety indicators include intracranial hemorrhage, major bleeding and gastrointestinal bleeding. Efficacy indicators include systemic embolism and stroke. New evidence for clinical profile of Dabigatran versus Rivaroxaban in AF patients will be provided for decision-making of Asian patients.PROSPERO registration number: CRD42020156197


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