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This meta‐analysis aims to systemically evaluate the efficacy of vacuum sealing drainage (VSD) combined with autologous platelet‐rich plasma (PRP) in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers (DFU). The China HowNet, China Biomedical Literature, VIP periodical resource integration service platform, Wanfang, Embase, Cochrane Central, and PubMed databases were retrieved using the computer. The retrieval period was up to July 2021. Randomised controlled trials on VSD combined with PRP in the treatment of DFU were collected. Those trials that met the inclusion criteria were included for meta‐analysis using RevMan 5.3 software. A total of 13 articles were included. In the trial group, 477 patients with DFU were treated with VSD combined with PRP, while in the control group, 482 patients with DFU were treated with conventional dressings and/or VSD. The meta‐analysis showed that, compared with the control group, VSD combined with PRP has significant advantages in shortening healing time (standardised mean difference [SMD] = −0.87, 95% confidence interval [CI]: −1.07 to −0.67, P <.00001), improving ulcer healing rates (odds ratio = 4.01, 95% CI: 2.95 ~ 5.46, P <.00001), and reducing hospital stays (mean difference = −15.29, 95% CI: −16.05 to −14.54, P <.00001), but the differences in dressing change times (SMD = −1.27, 95% CI: −2.71 to 0.17, P =.08) and hospitalisation expenses (SMD = −0.16, 95% CI: −13.40 to 13.07, P =.98) were not statistically significant. VSD combined with autologous PRP has good curative efficacy in the treatment of DFU and is a better treatment option. However, this treatment is limited in patients with platelet dysfunction, thrombocytopenia, leukaemia, and poor general condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of Modified Tongxie Yaofang (M-TXYF) for the treatment of diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D). Method: Electronic databases including PubMed, Springer Link, EMBASE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Biomedical Literature (CBM), Wanfang, and Chinese Scientific Journals Database (VIP) were conducted from their inception through May 11, 2017 without language restrictions. Primary and secondary outcomes were estimated by 95% confidence intervals (CI). RevMan 5.3 and the Cochrane Collaboration’s risk of bias tool were analyzed for this meta-analysis. Results: Twenty-three literatures with a total of 1972 patients were included for the meta-analysis. The overall risk of bias evaluation was low. The pooled odds ratio showed that M-TXYF was significantly superior to routine pharmacotherapies (RP) in clinical therapeutic efficacy (OR 4.04, 95% CI 3.09, 5.27, P < 0.00001, therapeutic gain = 17.6%, number needed to treat (NNT) = 5.7). Moreover, compared with RP, M-TXYF showed that it can significantly reduce the scores of abdominal pain (standardized mean difference (SMD) -1.27; 95% CI -1.99, -0.56; P = 0.0005), abdominal distention (SMD -0.37; 95% CI -0.73, -0.01; P = 0.09), diarrhea (SMD -1.10; 95% CI -1.95, -0.25; P = 0.01), and frequency of defecation (SMD -1.42; 95% CI -2.19, -0.65; P = 0.0003). The differences of the adverse events between experiment and control groups had no statistical significance. Conclusion: This meta-analysis indicated that M-TXYF could be a promising Chinese herbal formula in treating IBS-D. However, considering the lack of higher quality of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), highly believable evidences should be required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although the relationship between several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the oncogene EZH2 and cancer risk has been assessed by some case-control studies, results of subsequent studies are controversial. Sample sizes from single-center studies are also limited, thereby providing unreliable findings. Hence, we conducted a comprehensive search and meta-analysis to evaluate the associations between EZH2 SNPs and cancer risk. Materials and methods: A comprehensive literature search for studies focusing on EZH2 SNPs and cancer risk was conducted on PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure online databases. Genotype data were extracted and examined through a meta-analysis, and pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% CIs were used to assess the corresponding associations. Sensitivity analysis, publication bias assessment, and heterogeneity test were performed using STATA 12.0. Results: Twelve eligible studies were included in this meta-analysis. The association of 4 SNPs, namely, rs887569, rs2302427, rs3757441, and rs41277434, in the EZH2 locus with cancer risk was evaluated. Five studies (1,794 cases and 1,878 controls) indicated that rs887569 was related to a decreased cancer risk (CTTT/CC: OR =0.849, 95% CI: [0.740 to 0.973], P=0.019; TT/CCCT: OR =0.793, 95% CI: [0.654 to 0.962], P=0.019). Seven studies (2,408 cases and 2,910 controls) showed that rs2302427 was linked to a decreased cancer risk (GG/CC: OR =0.562, 95% CI: [0.400 to 0.792], P=0.001; CGGG/CC: OR =0.856, 95% CI: [0.748 to 0.980], P=0.024; GG/CCCG: OR =0.733, 95% CI: [0.571 to 0.940], P=0.015). No relationships were observed between rs3757441 or rs41277434 and cancer risk. Conclusion: rs887569 and rs2302427 in EZH2 may be correlated with a decreased cancer risk. Although rs3757441 and rs41277434 are independent risk factors of cancer, further large-scale and functional studies are warranted to validate our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This meta-analysis analyzed the efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C). Methods: We searched seven electronic databases for randomized controlled trials investigating the efficacy of TCM in the treatment of IBS-C. The search period was from inception to June 1, 2017. Eligible RCTs compared TCM with cisapride and mosapride. Article quality was evaluated with the Cochrane Risk Bias Tool in the Cochrane Handbook by two independent reviewers. Begg’s test was performed to evaluate publication bias. Review Manager 5.3 and Stata 12.0 were used for analyses. Results: Eleven eligible studies comprising a total of 906 participants were identified. In the primary outcome, TCM showed significant improvement in overall clinical efficacy compared with cisapride and mosapride (odds ratio [OR] = 4.00; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.74,5.84; P < 0.00001). In terms of secondary outcomes, TCM significantly alleviated abdominal pain (OR = 5.69; 95% CI: 2.35, 13.78; P = 0.0001), defecation frequency (OR = 4.38; 95% CI: 1.93, 9.93. P = 0.0004), and stool form (OR = 4.96; 95% CI: 2.11, 11.65; P = 0.0002) in the treatment group as compared to the control group. A lower recurrence rate was associated with TCM as compared to cisapride and mosapride (OR = 0.15; 95% CI: 0.08, 0.27; P < 0.00001). No adverse effects were observed during TCM treatment. Conclusions: TCM showed greater improvement in terms of clinical efficacy in the treatment of IBS-C than cisapride and mosapride, although it was not possible to draw a definitive conclusion due to the small sample size, high risk, and low quality of the studies. Large multi-center and long-term high-quality randomized control trials are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the correlation between the clinical effects of Huangqi (Astragalus membranaceus) on different stages of diabetic nephropathy (DN) and the pharmacological effect of Huangqi on the activity of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in macrophages in different states.Methods: The PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang databases were searched. Clinical data was sourced from papers on treatment of different stages of DN with Huangqi, and pharmacological data was from papers on the effects of Huangqi on the iNOS activity of macrophages in a resting or an activated state.Results: Meta-analysis of Huangqi injections on stages III and III-IV DN and randomized controlled trials on other stages showed that Huangqi had therapeutic effects on different stages of DN and on macrophages in different states: inducing normal macrophages in a resting state to generate nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor-α, and so forth upon iNOS activation; inhibiting NO generation by normal lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) activated macrophages; and enhancing NO generation by LPS-induced macrophages from patients with renal failure.Conclusions: Huangqi can regulate iNOS activity of macrophages in different states in vitro. These biphasic or antagonistic effects may explain why Huangqi can be used to treat different stages of DN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jianpi Yiqi therapy (JYT) is a classical therapy in treating chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG), but the clinical effects of it are still contentious. The purpose of this article is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of JYT for CAG. Seven electronic databases including PubMed, Embase, Springer Link, CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure), VIP (Chinese Scientific Journals Database), Wan-fang database, and CBM (Chinese Biomedicine Database) were searched from their inception to November 1, 2016. 13 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with a total of 1119 participants were identified for analysis. Meta-analyses demonstrated that both JYT (RR 1.41; 95% CI 1.27, 1.57; P < 0.00001) and JYT + western medicine (RR 1.27; 95% CI 1.17, 1.38; P < 0.00001) were more efficacious than only western medicine. Furthermore, JYT had potential improvement on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) symptoms scores such as stomachache, stomach distention, belching, fatigue, et al. In addition, no serious adverse events were reported in the selected trials. The Cochrane Collaboration’s risk of bias tool was evaluated for the weaknesses of methodological quality, while the quality level of Grades of Recommendations Assessment Development and Evaluation (GRADE) evidence classification indicated “Very low”. This meta-analysis indicates that JYT may have potential effects on the treatment of patients with CAG. However, due to limitations of methodological quality and small sample size of the included studies, further standardized research of rigorous design should be needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modified Banxia Xiexin decoction (MBXD) is a classical Chinese herbal formula in treating gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) for long time, but the efficacy of it is still controversial. This study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of MBXD for the treatment of GERD in adults. The search strategy was carried out for publications in seven electronic databases. RevMan software version 5.3 and the Cochrane Collaboration’s risk of bias tool were performed for this review. Twelve RCTs were included for the analysis. The results of overall clinical efficacy and efficacy under gastroscope demonstrated that MBXD was superior to conventional western medicine. Meanwhile, the results of subgroup analysis showed clinical heterogeneity between the two groups. However, there was no statistically significant difference in acid regurgitation between the two groups. But in the improvement of heartburn and sternalgia, the results showed statistically significant differences for the comparison between two groups. In addition, the adverse reactions of the experiment groups were not different from those of the control groups. This systematic review indicates that MBXD may have potential effects on the treatment of patients with GERD. But because the evidence of methodological quality and sample sizes is weak, further standardized researches are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: A meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the clinical outcomes, complications, reoperation rates, and late neurological deterioration between anterior decompression and fusion (ADF) and laminoplasty (LAMP) in the treatment of multilevel cervical ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL).Methods: All related studies published up to August 2015 were acquired by searching PubMed and EMBASE. Exclusion criteria were case reports, revision surgeries, combined anterior and posterior surgeries, the other posterior approaches including laminectomy or laminectomy and instrumented fusion, non-English studies, and studies with quality assessment scores of <7. The main end points including Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score, recovery rate of JOA, cervical lordosis, complication rate, reoperation rate, and late neurological deterioration were analyzed. All available data was analyzed using RevMan 5.2.0 and Stata 12.0.Results: A total of seven studies were included in the meta-analysis. The mean surgical level of ADF was 3.1, and the mean preoperative occupation ratios of ADF and LAMP group were 55.9% and 51.9%, respectively. No statistical difference was observed with regard to preoperative occupation ratio and preoperative JOA score. Although LAMP group had a higher preoperative cervical lordosis than ADF group (P<0.05, weighted mean difference [WMD] =-5.73, 95% confidence interval [CI] =-9.67--1.80), significantly decreased cervical lordosis was observed in LAMP group after operation. ADF group had higher postoperative JOA score (P<0.05, WMD =2.18, 95% CI =0.98-3.38) and neurological recovery rate (P<0.05, WMD =27.22, 95% CI =15.20-39.23). Furthermore, ADF group had a lower late neurological deterioration rate than the LAMP group (P<0.05, risk difference =0.16, 95% CI =0.04-0.73). The complication rates of both groups had no statistical difference. However, LAMP group had a significantly lower reoperation rate than ADF group. The reoperation rate of ADF group (20.5%) was almost six times that of LAMP group (3.5%).Conclusion: Our meta-analysis suggested that ADF was associated with better postoperative neurological function, neurological recovery rate, and less late neurological deterioration than LAMP in the treatment of multilevel cervical OPLL with a high mean occupation ratio. LAMP was associated with a decreased postoperative cervical lordosis, which might be a cause of late neurological deterioration. The complication rates of both groups showed no statistical difference. However, the reoperation rate was significantly higher in ADF group compared with LAMP group. Benefits and risks should be balanced when ADF or LAMP is selected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate whether zero-profile anchored spacer (Zero-P) could reduce complication rates, while maintaining similar clinical outcomes compared to plate-cage construct (PCC) in the treatment of cervical spondylosis.Methods: All prospective and retrospective comparative studies published up to May 2015 that compared the clinical outcomes of Zero-P versus PCC in the treatment of cervical spondylosis were acquired by a comprehensive search in PubMed and EMBASE. Exclusion criteria were non-English studies, noncomparative studies, hybrid surgeries, revision surgeries, and surgeries with less than a 12-month follow-up period. The main end points including Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) and Neck Disability Index (NDI) scores, cervical lordosis, fusion rate, subsidence, and dysphagia were analyzed. All studies were analyzed with the RevMan 5.2.0 software. Publication biases of main results were examined using Stata 12.0.Results: A total of 12 studies were included in the meta-analysis. No statistical difference was observed with regard to preoperative or postoperative JOA and NDI scores, cervical lordosis, and fusion rate. The Zero-P group had a higher subsidence rate than the PCC group (P<0.05, risk difference =0.13, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.00-0.26). However, the Zero-P group had a significantly lower postoperative dysphagia rate than the PCC group within the first 2 weeks (P<0.05, odds ratio [OR] =0.64, 95% CI 0.45-0.91), at the 6th month [P<0.05, OR =0.20, 95% CI 0.04-0.90], and at the final follow-up time [P<0.05, OR =0.13, 95% CI 0.04-0.45].Conclusion: Our meta-analysis suggested that surgical treatments of single or multiple levels of cervical spondylosis using Zero-P and PCC were similar in terms of JOA score, NDI score, cervical lordosis, and fusion rate. Although the Zero-P group had a higher subsidence rate than the PCC group, Zero-P had a lower postoperative dysphagia rate and might have a lower adjacent-level ossification rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Snail is a typical transcription factor that could induce epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cancer progression. There are some related reports about the clinical significance of snail protein expression in gastric cancer. However, the published results were not completely consistent. This study was aimed to investigate snail expression and clinical significance in gastric cancer. Results: A systematic review of PubMed, CNKI, Weipu, and Wanfang database before March 2015 was conducted. We established an inclusion criterion according to subjects, method of detection, and results evaluation of snail protein. Meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan4.2 software. And merged odds ratio (OR) and 95 % CI (95 % confidence interval) were calculated. Also, forest plots and funnel plot were used to assess the potential of publication bias. A total of 10 studies were recruited. The meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the positive rate of snail protein expression. OR and 95 % CI for different groups were listed below: (1) gastric cancer and para-carcinoma tissue [OR = 6.15, 95 % CI (4.70, 8.05)]; (2) gastric cancer and normal gastric tissue [OR = 17.00, 95 % CI (10.08, 28.67)]; (3) non-lymph node metastasis and lymph node metastasis [OR = 0.40, 95 % CI (0.18, 0.93)]; (4) poor differentiated cancer, highly differentiated cancer, and moderate cancer [OR = 3.34, 95 % CI (2.22, 5.03)]; (5) clinical stage TI + TII and stage TIII + TIV [OR = 0.38, 95 % CI (0.23, 0.60)]; (6) superficial muscularis and deep muscularis [OR = 0.18, 95 % CI (0.11, 0.31)]. Conclusions: Our results indicated that the increase of snail protein expression may play an important role in the carcinogenesis, progression, and metastasis of gastric cancer. And this result might provide instruction for the diagnosis, therapy, and prognosis of gastric cancer.

Abstract: Background: Cytokines have been implicated in the acute rejection of solid organ transplantation. Many studies have investigated the association between recipient or donor IL-4 polymorphism and acute rejection, with different studies reporting inconclusive results. Methods: We searched PUBMED and EMBASE until June 2012 to identify eligible studies investigating the association between IL-4 polymorphism with acute rejection after solid organ transplantation. Statistical analysis was performed using STATA10.0. Results: A total of 12 studies were included. Pooled ORs suggested 1) no significant association was detected between recipient or donor IL-4 −590C/T polymorphism and acute rejection of solid allograft; 2) no significant association was detected between recipient IL-4 −33C/T polymorphism and acute rejection of solid allograft; 3) when stratified by transplantation type, IL-4 −590C/T polymorphism was associated with acute rejection of liver transplantation (T/T+C/T vs. C/C: OR=0.36, 95%CI=0.14–0.90); 4) significantly decreased risk of acute rejection was detected in recipient IL-4 −590*T-negative/donor T-positive genotype pairs than all other recipient–donor IL-4 −590T/C pairs (OR=0.14, 95%CI=0.03–0.66). Conclusions: Our meta-analysis suggested that recipient IL-4 −590C/T polymorphism was associated with acute rejection of liver transplantation, but nor renal or heart transplantation. It was also suggested that combined recipient IL-4 −590*T-negative/donor T-positive genotype may suffer decreased risk of acute rejection of solid allograft. Further well-designed studies with larger sample size were required to verify our findings, with focus on the association of IL-4 polymorphism with acute rejection in patients with liver transplantation and studies investigating combined recipient–donor genotype. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Published data on the association between miR-196a2 T/C polymorphism and cancer susceptibility are inconclusive. To derive a more precise estimation of the relationship, a meta-analysis was performed. A total of 21 studies including 10,441 cases and 12,353 controls were involved in this meta-analysis. Overall, significantly elevated cancer risk was associated with miR-196a2 C allele when all studies were pooled into the meta-analysis (TC vs. TT: OR=1.23, 95% CI=1.11–1.36; CC vs. TT: OR=1.30, 95% CI=1.14–1.48; dominant model: OR=1.25, 95% CI=1.13–1.38). In the subgroup analysis by ethnicity, significantly increased risks were found in Asains (TC vs. TT: OR=1.24, 95% CI=1.10–1.40; CC vs. TT: OR=1.31, 95% CI=1.13–1.52; dominant model: OR=1.26, 95% CI=1.12–1.41) but with bordline statistical significance in Caucasians (TC vs. TT: OR=1.15, 95% CI=1.00–1.31). In the subgroup analysis by cancer type, statistically significantly increased risks were found for breast cancer (TC vs. TT: OR=1.15, 95% CI=1.01–1.31; CC vs. TT: OR=1.30, 95% CI=1.01–1.68; dominant model: OR=1.22, 95% CI=1.00–1.50; and recessive model: OR=1.11, 95% CI=1.01–1.23) and lung cancer (CC vs. TT: OR=1.30, 95% CI=1.10–1.54; and recessive model: OR=1.18, 95% CI=1.02–1.36). When stratified by study design, statistically significantly elevated risk was found in hospital-based studies (TC vs. TT: OR=1.30, 95% CI=1.13–1.49; CC vs. TT: OR=1.37, 95% CI=1.14–1.66; dominant model: OR=1.32, 95% CI=1.15–1.53) and population-based studies (CC vs. TT: OR=1.19, 95% CI=1.06–1.35; dominant model: OR=1.13, 95% CI=1.01–1.25). Despite some limitations, this meta-analysis suggests that the miR-196a2 C allele is a low-penetrant risk factor for cancer development. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]