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Abstract Background The causes of infertility have remained an important challenge. The relationship between VDR gene polymorphisms and infertility has been reported, with controversial findings. Objective and rationale We aimed to determine this relationship by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis. Search methods The study was started with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) declaration and the final draft was registered as a protocol in PROSPERO (ID: CRD42023416535). The international electronic databases including PubMed (Medline), Scopus, Web of Sciences, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINHAL) were searched until January 30, 2023, by using appropriate keywords. The quality of the final studies was assessed using the NOS Checklist for case–control studies. The odds ratios (ORs) for each of the genetic models were pooled, and a subgroup analysis based on geographical region and types of infertility was carried out by the MetaGenyo online tool. Outcomes Case–control studies including 18 and 2 studies about infertility in women and men, respectively, and 4 miscarriage studies were entered into the meta-analysis. The VDR gene TaqI polymorphism was associated with infertility susceptibility in women in the allele contrast [OR = 1.2065, 95% CI (1.0846–1.3421); P = 0.0005], Recessive model [OR = 1.3836, 95% CI (1.1197–1.7096); P = 0.002], Dominant model [OR = 1.2146, 95% CI (0.0484–1.4072); P = 0.009], Homozygote [OR = 1.4596, 95% CI (1.1627–1.8325); P = 0.001], and TT vs. Tt [OR = 1.2853, 95% CI (1.0249–1.6117); P = 0.029. ApaI and FokI gene polymorphisms were found to be significantly protective SNPs against women and men infertility in the Dominant model [OR = 0.8379, 95% CI (0.7039- 0.9975); P = 0.046] and Recessive model [OR = 0.421, 95% CI (0.1821–0.9767); P = 0.043], respectively. Sub-group meta-analysis showed a protection association of ApaI in dominant [OR = 0.7738, 95% CI = 0.6249–0.9580; P = 0.018] and AA vs. aa [OR = 0.7404, 95 CI% (0.5860–0.9353) P = 0.011725] models in PCOS subgroup, however, a negative association with idiopathic infertility was found in AA vs. Aa [OR = 1.7063, 95% CI (1.1039–2.6375); P = 0.016187] and Aa vs. aa [OR = 0.6069, 95% CI (0.3761–0.9792); P = 0.040754]. TaqI SNP was significantly associated with infertility in the African population and BsmI was associated with the disease mostly in the Asian population. Conclusion This meta-analysis showed that the TaqI polymorphism may be linked to women’s infertility susceptibility. However, ApaI and FokI might be the protective SNPs against infertility in Women and men, respectively.

BackgroundDespite the fact that DM patients are living longer, research on the prevalence of MSDs and other related illnesses is still lacking compared to that of other comorbidities. This study systematically reviewed and meta-analyzed cohort studies to determine the association between diabetes mellitus (DM) and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).MethodsA comprehensive search of international databases, including Medline (PubMed), Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase, was conducted up to June 2023 to identify relevant studies investigating the association between MSDs and DM.ResultsThe meta-analysis included ten cohort studies with a total of 308,445 participants. The pooled risk ratio (RR) estimate for the association between MSDs and DM was 1.03 (95% CI 1.00-1.06). Based on subgroup analysis, the association between longer duration (more than 7), European, below the age of 70, and female patients was higher than the others.ConclusionIn conclusion, the results of this meta-analysis suggest that there may be an association between MSDs and diabetes in people with diabetes. These findings add to the existing knowledge on this topic and highlight the importance of recognition and management of MSDs in people with DM. There is a need for further research to investigate the underlying mechanisms and to develop targeted interventions for the prevention and management of MSDs in this population.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=381787, identifier CRD42022381787.

Background: Several studies propose the protective effect of Helicobacter pylori (HP) in reducing the risk of Multiple sclerosis (MS) whereas the others reported high HP seropositivity in the MS population. Hence, we aimed to perform a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the association between the risk of MS and HP infection.Methods: A systematic literature search was performed using three databases in June 2022. We selected observational studies that assessed the association between MS and HP.Results: A total of 14 articles with 2307 patients with MS and 2024 controls were included in our systematic review and meta-analysis. The pooled odds ratio (OR) estimates for HP was 0.70 (CI 95%: 0.53-0.93) which indicates HP might reduce the risk of MS. The OR for HP in developed countries was 0.71(CI 95%: 0.57-0.87) while it was 0.72 (CI 95%: 0.43-1.21) in developing countries. Furthermore, the pooled prevalence of HP in patients with MS was 45% (CI 95%: 35%-56%). The overall prevalence estimated for HP in MS patients in developed countries was 32% (CI 95%: 22%-41%). The prevalence of HP in MS patients from developing countries was 56% (CI 95%: 43%-69%) which was higher than in developed countries.Conclusion: In conclusion, this systematic review and meta-analysis showed a lower rate of HP infection in patients with MS, suggesting that HP may reduce the risk of MS occurrence. However, further investigation with a large sample size while adjusting for the effect of other leading factors should be conducted to confirm our results.

Abstract Background This study aimed to investigate the pooled diagnostic ability of circular RNA (circRNA) molecules for diabetes mellitus. Methods We searched PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science for relevant studies. A total of 2070 participants, including 775 diabetic patients and 1295 healthy individuals, from five studies were included in this meta-analysis. True positive, true negative, false positive, and false negative data were extracted to calculate pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratios, diagnostic odds ratio, and area under the receiver operating characteristics curve. The Deeks’ funnel plot was applied for publication bias assessment, Cochran’s Q test and I2 index were applied for inter-study heterogeneity assessment. Besides, a subgroup analysis was performed for determining the source of heterogeneity between studies. P value

Abstract Objectives This study is aimed to compare the effect of oral misoprostol with vaginal misoprostol to induce labor as a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods Electronic databases including PubMed [Medline], Scopus, Web of science, Embase, Ovid, Cochrane library, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched using the relevant keywords. All RCTs comparing the effect of oral vs vaginal misoprostol on labor induction were considered. The Cochrane Risk of Bias checklist was used for assessing quality of included RCTs. All statistical analyses were completed using STATA (Version 16) and Revman (Version 5). Results Thirty-three RCTs with 5162 patients (1560 in oral and 2602 in vaginal groups) were included in this meta-analysis. Labor induction length did differ significantly between the two routes of misoprostol administration [Standardized Mean Difference: 0.40 h, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.34, 0.46; I2: 66.35%; P = 0.04]. In addition, the risk of neonatal death, tachysystole, uterine hyperstimulation, preeclampsia, non-FHR and abortion was lower in the oral misoprostol group and the risk of hypertonus, PROM, oxytocin need and cesarean fever was higher in this group than the vaginal misoprostol group. Conclusions Based on results of this meta-analysis, it can be inferred that currently, clinical specialists can decide to use this drug orally or vaginally on a case-by-case basis, depending on the condition of the pregnant mother and the baby.

Abstract Introduction The aim of this review was to combine the results of published cohort studies to determine the exact association between chronic liver disorders, and the severe form of COVID‐19, and its associated complications. Methods This meta‐analysis employed a keyword search (COVID‐19 and chronic liver disorders) using PubMed (Medline), Scopus, Web of Sciences, and Embase (Elsevier). All articles related from January 2019 to May 2022 were reviewed. The STATA software was used for analysis. Results The risk of death in COVID‐19 patients with chronic liver disorders was higher than in ones without the chronic liver disease (RR: 1.52; CI 95%: 1.46–1.57; I2: 86.14%). Also, the risk of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and hospitalization in COVID‐19 patients with chronic liver disorders was higher than in ones without the chronic liver disease ([RR: 1.65; CI 95%: 1.09–2.50; I2: 0.00%] and [RR: 1.39; CI 95%: 1.23–1.58; I2: 0.20%]). Also, the meta‐analysis showed cough, headache, myalgia, nausea, diarrhea, and fatigue were 1.37 (CI 95%: 1.20–1.55), 1.23 (CI 95%: 1.09–1.38), 1.25 (CI 95%: 1.04–1.50), 1.19 (CI 95%: 1.02–1.40), 1.89 (CI 95%: 1.30–2.75), 1.49 (CI 95%: 1.07–2.09), and 1.14 (CI 95%: 0.98–1.33), respectively, whereas the risk of all these symptoms was higher in COVID‐19 patients with chronic liver diseases than ones without chronic liver disorders. Conclusion The mortality and complications due to COVID‐19 were significantly different between patients with the chronic liver disease and the general population.

Abstract Background Covid-19 has been one of the major concerns around the world in the last 2 years. One of the challenges of this disease has been to determine its prevalence. Conflicting results of the serology test in Covid explored the need for an updated meta-analysis on this issue. Thus, this systematic review aimed to estimate the prevalence of global SARS-CoV-2 serology in different populations and geographical areas. Methods To identify studies evaluating the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2, a comprehensive literature search was performed from international databases, including Medline (PubMed), Web of Sciences, Scopus, EMBASE, and CINHAL. Results In this meta-analysis, the results showed that SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence is between 3 and 15% worldwide. In Eastern Mediterranean, the pooled estimate of seroprevalence SARS-CoV-2 was 15% (CI 95% 5–29%), and in Africa, the pooled estimate was 6% (CI 95% 1–13%). In America, the pooled estimate was 8% (CI 95% 6–11%), and in Europe, the pooled estimate was 5% (CI 95% 4–6%). Also the last region, Western Pacific, the pooled estimate was 3% (CI 95% 2–4%). Besides, we analyzed three of these areas separately. This analysis estimated the prevalence in subgroups such as study population, diagnostic methods, sampling methods, time, perspective, and type of the study. Conclusion The present meta-analysis showed that the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 has been between 3 and 15% worldwide. Even considering the low estimate of this rate and the increasing vaccination in the world, many people are still susceptible to SARS-CoV-2.

Abstract Background Conflicting results of recent studies on the association between Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection and the risk of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome explored the need for updated meta-analysis on this issue. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to estimate the pooled effect of H. pylori infection on the risk of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. Methods To identify case–control studies and cohort studies evaluating the association of H. pylori infection with insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome, a comprehensive literature search was performed from international databases including Medline (PubMed), Web of Sciences, Scopus, EMBASE, and CINHAL from January 1990 until January 2021. We used odds ratio with its 95% confidence interval to quantify the effect of case–control studies and risk ratio with its 95% CI for the effect of cohort studies. Results 22 studies with 206,911 participants were included for meta-analysis. The pooled estimate of odds ratio between H. pylori infection and metabolic syndrome in case–control studies was 1.19 (95% CI 1.05–1.35; I2 = 0%), and in cohort studies, the pooled risk ratio was 1.31 (95% CI 1.13–1.51; I2 = 0%). Besides, case–control studies showed the pooled odds ratio of 1.54 (95% CI 1.19–1.98; I2 = 6.88%) for the association between H. pylori infection and insulin resistance. Conclusion In this meta-analysis, the results showed that there was a possibility of metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance in case of H. pylori infection.