Yanqiong Liu

Chewing gum reduces postoperative ileus following abdominal surgery: A meta‐analysis of 17 randomized controlled trials

Chewing gum proposal has been used in surgery to reduce postoperative ileus for more than 10 years; however, the efficacy remains imprecise. The aim of this study was to accurately assess whether the use of the chewing gum could reduce duration of postoperative ileus following the abdominal surgery.

Effect of aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on prostate cancer incidence and mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundIt has been postulated that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) use leads to decreased prostate cancer (PCa) risk. In recent years, NSAIDs’ role in PCa development has been extensively studied; however, there is not yet a definitive answer. Moreover, the epidemiological results for NSAIDs’ effect on PCa-specific mortality have been inconsistent. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to examine the controversy.MethodsWe performed a literature database search and included all published studies conducted in the general population exposed to any NSAID, extracting an odds ratio (OR) or a hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) that compared the incidence of PCa or PCa-specific mortality with non-exposure. We derived a pooled OR or HR using random or fixed effects models, as appropriate. Subgroup analyses were also performed.ResultsThirty-nine studies (20 case–control and 19 cohort studies) were included in this analysis. Thirty-one studies were available concerning NSAID use and PCa incidence and eight studies on PCa-specific mortality. Compared to non-use, aspirin use was statistically significantly associated with PCa incidence risk, and the association was slightly stronger for advanced PCa than for total PCa (OR = 0.92, 95% CI = 0.87 to 0.97 for total PCa; OR = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.73 to 0.89 for advanced PCa). Aspirin use seems also to be associated with a modest reduction in PCa-specific mortality (HR = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.78 to 0.96 for total PCa; OR = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.71 to 0.92 for advanced PCa). Generally, the pooled effects for any NSAIDs, NA-NSAIDs and cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors demonstrated no adverse or beneficial effects on PCa development or PCa-specific mortality, but the results were not consistent. The effect estimates did not vary markedly when stratified by study design and study quality but varied by geographic region. Furthermore, long-term aspirin use (≥4 years) was also significantly associated with reduced PCa incidence (OR = 0.88, 95% CI 0.79 to 0.99).ConclusionsThe present meta-analysis provides support for the hypothesis that aspirin use is inversely related to PCa incidence and PCa-specific mortality. The effect estimates, varying by geographic region, deserve further investigation.

Effect of statin on risk of gynecologic cancers: a meta-analysis of observational studies and randomized controlled trials.

Objective. Epidemiologic and clinical findings are inconsistent concerning the risk for gynecologic cancers associated with statin use. We conducted a detailed meta-analysis of all relevant original studies to evaluate the effects of statin on the risk of gynecologic cancers. Methods. We searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane library databases up to February 2014 looking for eligible studies. Summary relative risk (RR) estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to calculate the risk using random-effects models. Results. A total of 14 (4 randomized controlled trials, 5 cohorts, and 5 case-control) studies, involving 12,904 gynecologic cancer cases, contributed to the analysis. Pooled results indicated a non-significant decrease of total gynecologic cancer risk among statin users (RR=0.89; 95% CI, 0.78-1.01). Stratified analyses across cancer site revealed a modest protective effect of statin on ovarian cancer (RR=0.79; 95% CI, 0.64-0.98), while no association was found for endometrial cancer (RR=0.90; 95% CI, 0.75-1.07). The effect of statin use against cervical cancer and vulvar cancer is not conclusive. Furthermore, long-term statin use (>5years use) did not significantly affect the risk of endometrial cancer (RR=0.69; 95% CI, 0.44-1.10), but had an obvious decrease on the risk of ovarian cancer (RR=0.48; 95% CI, 0.28-0.80). Conclusions. Our results suggest that statin use was inversely associated with ovarian cancer risk, and the association was stronger for long-term statin use (>5years). The evidence for a protective effect of statin use against other gynecologic cancers is suggestive but not conclusive, which deserves further investigation.

Clinicopathological and prognostic significance of S100A4 overexpression in colorectal cancer: a meta-analysis

BackgroundAccumulated evidence has indicated a correlation between S100A4 expression and colorectal cancer (CRC) progression. However, its prognostic significance for patients with CRC remains inconclusive. To clarify their relationship, a meta-analysis of the relevant published studies was performed.MethodPubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases were electronically searched. All studies evaluating the prognostic value of S100A4 expression in CRC patients regarding survival and a series of clinicopathological parameters were included. The effect of S100A4 expression on the overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were measured by pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), while the effect of S100A4 expression on the clinicopathological parameters were measured by the pooled odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% CIs.ResultsEleven studies (2,824 patients in total) were included in the meta-analysis. Overall, S100A4 overexpression was significantly associated with worse OS (HR = 1.90, 95% CI: 1.58–2.29, P <0.001), and worse DFS (HR = 2.16, 95% CI: 1.53–3.05, P <0.001) in patients with CRC. Subgroup analyses showed that S100A4 overexpression was significantly correlated with poor OS in Asian, European, and Australian patients and patients treated with surgery or chemotherapy. Additionally, there were significant associations between S100A4 expression and several clinicopathological parameters (tumour location, lymph node metastasis, nodal status, TNM stage, and tumour depth).ConclusionsThis meta-analysis indicates that S100A4 overexpression seems to correlate with tumour progression and poor prognosis of CRC patients. It may be a useful marker to predict progression and prognosis of CRC.Virtual slidesThe virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/8643820431072915

Kidney Stones and Cardiovascular Risk: A Meta-analysis of Cohort Studies

BACKGROUND Recent epidemiologic evidence suggests an association between kidney stones and incident cardiovascular disease after adjusting for other cardiovascular risk factors, but results are inconsistent. STUDY DESIGN Meta-analysis of cohort studies. SETTING & POPULATION Patients with kidney stones. SELECTION CRITERIA FOR STUDIES Cohort studies with data for kidney stones and cardiovascular morbidity identified in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and conference proceedings through February 27, 2014. PREDICTOR Kidney stones as determined by physician diagnosis, clinical coding, or self-reported scales. OUTCOMES Cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease (CHD), and stroke. RESULTS 6 cohort studies that contained 49,597 patients with kidney stones and 3,558,053 controls, with 133,589 cardiovascular events, were included. Pooled results suggested that kidney stones were associated with an increased adjusted risk estimate for CHD (HR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.05-1.35; P=0.05; n=6 cohorts) and stroke (HR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.20-1.64; P<0.001; n=3 cohorts). In particular, kidney stones conferred HRs of 1.29 (95% CI, 1.10-1.52; n=6 cohorts) and 1.31 (95% CI, 1.05-1.65; n=4 cohorts) for myocardial infarction and coronary revascularization, respectively. Moreover, the pooled female cohorts showed a statistically significant association (HR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.21-1.82; n=4 cohorts), whereas the male cohorts showed no association (HR, 1.15; 95% CI, 0.89-1.50; n=2 cohorts). LIMITATIONS Results may be limited by substantial heterogeneity, likelihood of residual confounding, and paucity of studies that separately evaluated for effect modification by sex. CONCLUSIONS Kidney stones were associated with increased cardiovascular risk, including the risk for incident CHD or stroke. There is some suggestion that the risk may be higher in women than men. Further prospective studies are needed to determine whether the association is sex specific.

Association Between Catalase Gene Polymorphisms and Risk of Chronic Hepatitis B, Hepatitis B Virus-Related Liver Cirrhosis and Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Guangxi Population: A Case–Control Study

AbstractReactive oxygen species (ROS) play critical roles in hepatocarcinogenesis. The catalase (CAT) enzyme is involved in the repair of ROS. Therefore, we investigate the association between CAT gene polymorphisms and the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).A total of 715 subjects were divided into 4 groups: 111 chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients, 90 hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related liver cirrhosis (LC) patients, 266 HBV-HCC patients, and 248 healthy controls. The polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism strategy was used to detect CAT gene rs1001179, rs769217, and rs7943316 polymorphisms.Binary logistic regression analyses adjusting for sex, age, ethnicity, smoking and alcohol consumption, and body mass index suggested that subjects carrying the rs769217 T allele were at marginally increased risk of CHB, LC, and HCC, with adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of 1.51 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.04–2.20, P = 0.029), 1.48 (95% CI = 1.03–2.14, P = 0.035), and 1.51 (95% CI = 1.14–1.98, P = 0.004), respectively. Similarly, those individuals carrying the rs769217 TT genotype had a moderately increased risk of CHB, LC, and HCC, with adjusted ORs of 2.11 (95% CI = 1.05–4.22, P = 0.035), 2.00 (95% CI, 1.01–3.95, P = 0.047), and 1.93 (95% CI = 1.14–3.28, P = 0.015), respectively. Moreover, subjects carrying the rs769217 CT genotype and at least 1 copy of the T allele (dominant model) were 1.78 times and 1.83 times more likely to develop HCC, respectively (OR = 1.78, 95% CI = 1.16–2.73, P = 0.009 and OR = 1.83, 95% CI = 1.23–2.71, P = 0.003). This association between CAT rs769217 T alleles and HCC risk is significantly strengthened among men, nonsmokers, nondrinkers, and among individuals <50 years of age. Furthermore, we found 1 high-risk haplotype GTA for CHB (OR = 1.45, 95% CI = 1.05–2.01) and 1 protective haplotype GCA for HCC risk (OR = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.52–0.87). We did not found any significant difference in CAT rs1001179 and rs7943316 polymorphisms between controls and cases.Our findings suggest that the CAT rs769217 T allele is associated with increased risk of CHB, HBV-LC, and HBV-HCC in Guangxi population.

Genetic Polymorphisms of Interleukin-16 and Risk of Knee Osteoarthritis

Background Interleukin-16 (IL-16), a pleiotropic cytokine, plays a fundamental role in inflammatory diseases. This study investigates the association between IL-16 polymorphisms and the risk of knee osteoarthritis (OA) in a Chinese population. Methods The IL-16 rs11556218, rs4072111, and rs4778889 polymorphisms were determined in 150 knee OA cases and 147 healthy controls through polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Results The results suggested that the variants in IL-16 gene rs11556218 site were associated with a decreased knee OA risk after adjusting for age, sex, BMI, and smoking and drinking status (TG vs. TT: OR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.53–0.89; P = 0.006; GG vs. TT: OR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.45–0.90; P = 0.042; dominant model: OR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.29–0.87; P = 0.002; G vs. T allele: OR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.66–0.90; P = 0.003). Similarly, subjects bearing the rs4072111 variant genotypes and alleles also had a lower susceptibility to knee OA compared with those bearing the wild-type (CT vs. CC: OR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.53–0.83; P = 0.002; TT vs. CC: OR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.40–0.82; P = 0.027; dominant model: OR, 0.65; 95%, CI 0.52–0.80; P <0.001; T vs. C allele: OR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.58–0.81; P <0.001). Further, the C allele and the combined genotype (CC+CT) of rs4778889 were associated with a slightly decreased risk of knee OA. In addition, we found two high-risk haplotypes: TTT (OR, 3.70) and GCC (OR, 6.22). Finally, serum IL-16 levels of knee OA patients were significantly higher than those of controls (P = 0.001). Conclusions Despite the small sample size, this is the first study suggesting IL-16 gene polymorphisms to be associated with the risk of knee OA.

Risk of primary liver cancer associated with gallstones and cholecystectomy: a meta-analysis.

Background Recent epidemiological evidence points to an association between gallstones or cholecystectomy and the incidence risk of liver cancer, but the results are inconsistent. We present a meta-analysis of observational studies to explore this association. Methods We identified studies by a literature search of PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and relevant conference proceedings up to March 2014. A random-effects model was used to generate pooled multivariable adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Between-study heterogeneity was assessed using Cochran’s Q statistic and the I2. Results Fifteen studies (five case-control and 10 cohort studies) were included in this analysis. There were 4,487,662 subjects in total, 17,945 diagnoses of liver cancer, 328,420 exposed to gallstones, and 884,507 exposed to cholecystectomy. Pooled results indicated a significant increased risk of liver cancer in patients with a history of gallstones (OR = 2.54; 95% CI, 1.71–3.79; n = 11 studies), as well as cholecystectomy (OR = 1.62; 95% CI, 1.29–2.02; n = 12 studies), but there was considerable heterogeneity among these studies. The effects estimates did not vary markedly when stratified by gender, study design, study region, and study quality. The multivariate meta-regression analysis suggested that study region and study quality appeared to explain the heterogeneity observed in the cholecystectomy analysis. Conclusions Our results suggest that individuals with a history of gallstones and cholecystectomy may have an increased risk of liver cancer.

Association of PvuII and XbaI polymorphisms in estrogen receptor alpha gene with the risk of hepatitis B virus infection in the Guangxi Zhuang population.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Available evidence has suggested that estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1) is implicated in the pathogenic process of hepatitis B infection. Therefore, we evaluated the association of PvuII (rs2234693) and XbaI (rs9340799) in ESR1 and HBV infection in Guangxi Zhuang populations. METHODS A total of 389 subjects were divided into four groups: 112 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), 65 patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related liver cirrhosis (LC), 107 patients with HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and 105 healthy controls. The polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism strategy was used to detect ESR1 gene PvuII and XbaI polymorphisms. RESULTS Compared with healthy controls, binary logistic regression analyses show that the CC genotype of PvuII was associated with a significantly increased susceptibility to CHB compared with the TT genotype (OR=1.760, 95% CI 1.316-2.831; p=0.044). The PvuII CC genotype was also associated with significantly increased risk of HBV-related LC (OR=1.921, 95% CI 1.342-2.478; p=0.043). Similarly, the subjects bearing the homozygous CC genotype of PvuII polymorphism also had more than a 1.7-fold increased risk for development of HCC (OR=1.748, 95% CI 1.313-2.787; p=0.010) compared with those bearing the TT genotype. Furthermore, the AC haplotype was associated with a significantly increased risk of HCC with an OR of 1.456 (p=0.003). In contrast, there were no significant differences in the genotype and allele of XbaI polymorphisms in the ESR1 gene between the groups of patients and healthy controls. In addition, ESR1 polymorphisms were not significantly associated with susceptibility to HBV-related HCC when using CHB and LC patients as references. CONCLUSION We conclude that the CC genotype of PvuII in ESR1 is associated with an increased risk of CHB, HBV-related LC and HCC in Guangxi Zhuang populations.

Association between nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drug use and brain tumour risk: a meta‐analysis

Several epidemiological studies have evaluated the association between nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and brain tumour risk. However, results from these studies have been inconsistent. The aim of this detailed meta‐analysis is to review and summarize the evidence on this association.