• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.16
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• pp.6863-6869
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• 2014

Objectives: Several preclinical and observational studies have shown that anti-diabetic medications (ADMs) may modify the risk of lung cancer. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating the effect of metformin, sulfonylureas (SUs), thiazolidinediones (TZDs), and insulin on the risk of lung cancer in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Materials and Methods: We conducted a systematic search of Pubmed and Web of Science, up to August 20, 2013. We also searched the Conference Proceedings Citation Index (CPCI) and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) for abstracts from major meetings. Fixed or random effect pooled measures were selected based on heterogeneity among studies, which was evaluated using Q test and the I2 of Higgins and Thompson. Meta-regression was used to explore the sources of between-study heterogeneity. Publication bias was analyzed by Begg's funnel plot and Egger's regression test. Associations were assessed by odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: A total of 15 studies (11 cohort, 4 case-control) were included in this meta-analysis. In observational studies no significant association between metformin (n=11 studies; adjusted OR=0.99, 95%CI: 0.87-1.12), SUs (n=5 studies; adjusted OR=0.98, 95%CI: 0.79-1.22), or TZDs (n=7 studies; adjusted OR=0.92, 95%CI: 0.75-1.13), insulin (n=6 studies; adjusted OR=1.13, 95%CI: 0.79-1.62) use and risk of developing lung cancer was noted. There was considerable inherent heterogeneity between studies not explained by study design, setting, or location. Conclusions: Meta-analysis of existing studies does not support a protective or harmful association between ADMs use and risk of lung cancer in patients with DM. There was considerable heterogeneity across studies, and future, well-designed, prospective studies would be required for better understanding of any association.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.119-124
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• 2015

Background: DICER, one of the microRNA (miRNA) biogenesis proteins, is involved in the maturation of miRNAs and is implicated in cancer development and progression. The results from previous epidemiological studies on associations between DICER rs1057035 polymorphism and cancer risk were inconsistent. Thereforewe performed this meta-analysis to summarize possible associations. Materials and Methods: We searched all relevant articles on associations between DICER rs1057035 polymorphism and cancer risk from PubMed, EMBASE, Chinese Biomedical Literature and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure until August 2014. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to assess any associations. Heterogeneity tests, sensitivity analyses and publication bias assessments were also performed in this meta-analysis. All analyses were conducted using STATA software. Results: Seven case-control studies, including 4,875 cancer cases and 7,800 controls were included in the meta-analysis. Overall, the results indicated that the C allele of DICER rs1057035 polymorphism was significantly associated with decreased cancer risk in allelic comparison, heterozygote and dominant genetic models (C vs T: OR=0.88, 95%CI 0.81-0.95, p=0.002; TC vs TT: OR=0.85, 95%CI 0.77-0.93, p=0.001; CC/TC vs TT: OR=0.86, 95%CI 0.78-0.94, p=0.001). In the subgroup analysis by ethnicity, a significantly decreased cancer risk was found in Asian but not Caucasian populations. Conclusions: The present meta-analysis suggests that the C allele of the DICER rs1057035 polymorphism probably decreases cancer risk. However, this association may be Asian-specific and the results should be treated with caution. Further well-designed studies based on larger sample sizes and group of populations are needed to validate these findings.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.63 no.4
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• pp.455-462
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• 2020

Objective : Recent studies have reported that arachnoid plasty (ARP) using gelatin sponges with fibrin glue reduced the occurrence of chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) following clipping surgery for unruptured intracranial aneurysm (UIA). This meta-analysis was conducted to collate further evidence for the efficacy of ARP in preventing postoperative CSDH. Methods : Data of patients who underwent clipping surgery were extracted from PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials by two independent reviewers. A random effects model was used to investigate the efficacy of ARP by using odd ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A meta-regression analysis for male sex was additionally preformed. Results : Data from six studies with 1715 patients were consecutively included. Meta-analysis revealed that ARP was significantly associated with lower rates of CSDH development after surgical clipping for UIA (ARP group vs. control group : 3.2% vs. 7.2%; OR, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.18-0.93; I²=44.3%; p=0.110). Meta-regression analysis did not highlight any modifying effect of the male sex on postoperative CSDH development (p=0.951). Conclusion : This meta-analysis indicated that ARP reduced the incidence rates of CSDH following clipping surgery for UIA. If feasible, ARP would be implemented as an additional surgical technique to prevent postoperative CSDH development during surgical clipping of UIA.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.22-31
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• 2021

Objective: This review aims to analyze the effects of electromechanically assisted walking in patients with cerebral palsy(CP). Design: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: We reviewed systematically using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) checklist guidelines. The inclusion criteria for this study were all CP patients. The intervention was electromechanically assisted walking. The outcome measures included gait parameters, function, spasticity. Studies excluded from this review were excluded from the review if they were non-English languages and if the study was not published as a full report, and if they were not randomized controlled trials (RCTs) designs. The RevMan 5.4 program was used to evaluate and explain the results. The risk of bias was evaluated independently by two reviewers. The quantitative meta-analysis, including mean differences (MD) and associated standard deviations (SD) from baseline and follow-up assessments, were recorded. Results: A total of 634 articles were searched. Two hundred eighty-nine duplicate articles were excluded, and 345 of 634 originals were left for selection. Of these 74 papers, 44 were out of topic, and 19 reported no mean or standard deviation values. And one was a non-experimental study. Finally, ten studies were included. All 10 RCTs of electromechanically assisted walking were analyzed. The meta-analysis showed a significant improvement in gait cycle (95% CI (confidence intervals), 0.09 to 0.19, I2=0%), Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) D (95% CI, 3.27 to 13.17, I2=0%) and GMFM E (95% CI, 0.22 to 6.41, I2=0%). Conclusions: Electromechanically assisted training helps in walking in patients with CP.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2024

Background: The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Monograph conducted a systematic review of the relationship between asbestos and ovarian cancer. However, there may have been information bias due to the undue weight given to few articles. To address this limitation, the present study performed a meta-analysis integrating studies published both before and after the 2012 IARC Monograph on Asbestos, with the aim of investigating the association between asbestos exposure and ovarian cancer. Methods: A comprehensive search of major journal databases was conducted to identify studies examining the relationship between asbestos exposure and ovarian cancer, including those featured in the 2012 IARC Monograph on Asbestos. A meta-analysis on asbestos exposure and cancer risk was performed. Results: The meta-analysis of studies published after the 2012 IARC Monograph on Asbestos found a summary Standardized Mortality Ratio (SMR) of 2.04 (95% CI: 1.03-4.05; p = 0.0123; 5 studies), with a significant degree of heterogeneity among the studies (I² = 72.99%). The combined analysis of 15 studies before and after the 2012 IARC Monograph showed an overall summary SMR of 1.72 (95% CI: 1.43-2.06; p = 0.0349; 15 studies), with a moderate degree of heterogeneity (I² = 42.99%). Conclusion: This meta-analysis provides evidence of a significant association between asbestos exposure and ovarian cancer mortality. While the possibility of misdiagnosis in earlier studies cannot be completely ruled out, recent findings suggest a robust correlation between asbestos exposure and ovarian cancer. This highlights the importance of sustained efforts to minimize asbestos exposure and protect public health.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.3719-3724
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• 2013

Background: RASSF1A has been reported to be a candidate tumor suppressor in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the association between RASSF1A promoter methylation and NSCLC remains unclear, particularly in regarding links to clinicopathologic features. Methods: Eligible studies were identified through searching PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases. Studies were pooled and odds ratios (ORs) with corresponding confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Funnel plots were also performed to evaluate publication bias. Results: Nineteen studies involving 2,063 cases of NSCLC and 1,184 controls were included in this meta-analysis. A significant association was observed between RASSF1A methylation and NSCLC in the complete data set (OR = 19.42, 95% CI: 14.04-26.85, P < 0.001). Pooling the control tissue subgroups (heterogeneous/autologous) gave pooled ORs of 32.4 (95% CI, 12.4-84.5) and 17.7 (95% CI, 12.5-25.0) respectively. Racial subgroup (Caucasian/Asian) analysis gave pooled ORs of 26.6 (95% CI, 10.9-64.9) and 20.9 (95% CI, 14.4-30.4) respectively. The OR for RASSF1A methylation in poorly-differentiated vs. moderately/well-differentiated NSCLC tissues was 1.88 (95% CI, 1.32-2.68, P<0.001), whereas there were no significant differences in RASSF1A methylation in relation to gender, pathology, TNM stage and smoking behavior among NSCLC cases. Conclusion: This meta-analysis suggests a significant association between RASSF1A methylation and NSCLC, confirming the role of RASSF1A as a tumor suppressor gene. Large-scale and well-designed case-control studies are needed to validate the associations identified in the present meta-analysis.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.483-494
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• 2015

Purpose: This study identified effects of dietary and physical activity interventions including dietary interventions or physical activity interventions alone or combined dietary-physical activity interventions to improve symptoms in metabolic syndrome including abdominal obesity, high triglycerides, low high density lipoprotein cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, and elevated fasting glucose through meta-analysis. Methods: Articles on metabolic syndrome X published from 1988 to 2013 were searched through electronic databases, Google Scholar, and reference reviews. Methodological quality was assessed by the checklist, SIGN (Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network). Results: In the meta-analysis, there were 9 articles reporting 13 interventions with 736 participants. Using random effect models, the dietary and/or physical activity interventions showed a lower mean difference in waist circumference ( - 1.30 cm, 95% CI: - 2.44~ - 0.15, p=.027). The combined dietary-physical activity interventions showed a lower mean difference in waist circumference ( - 2.77 cm, 95% CI: - 4.77~ - 0.76, p=.007) and systolic blood pressure ( - 5.44 mmHg, 95% CI: - 10.76~ - 0.12, p=.044). Additionally, interventions of over 24 weeks yielded a lower mean difference in waist circumference ( - 2.78 cm, 95% CI: - 4.69~ - 0.87, p=.004) and diastolic blood pressure ( - 1.93 mmHg, 95% CI: - 3.63~ - 0.22, p=.026). Conclusion: The findings indicate that dietary and/or physical activity interventions for metabolic syndrome reduce central obesity with no adverse effects. This finding provides objective evidences for dietary and physical activity management on metabolic syndrome as an efficient intervention.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.18
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• pp.7583-7588
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• 2014

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major cause of cancer-related death and cancer-related incidence worldwide. The potential of microRNA-21 (miR-21) as a biomarker for CRC detection has been studied in several studies. However, the results were inconsistent. Therefore, we conducted the present meta-analysis to systematically assess the diagnostic value of miR-21 for CRC. Materials and Methods: Using a random-effect model, the pooled sensitivity (SEN), specificity (SPE), positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) were calculated to evaluate the diagnostic performance of miR-21 for CRC. A summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve and an area under the curve (AUC) were also generated to assess the diagnosis accuracy of miR-21 for CRC. Q test and I2 statistics were used to assess between-study heterogeneity. Publication bias was evaluated by the Deeks' funnel plot asymmetry test. Results: A total of 986 CRC patients and 702 matched healthy controls from 8 studies were involved in the meta-analysis. The pooled results for SEN, SPE, PLR, NLR, DOR, and AUC were 57% (95%CI: 39%-74%), 87% (95%CI: 78%-93%), 4.4 (95%CI: 2.4-8.0), 0.49 (95%CI: 0.32-0.74), 9 (95%CI: 4-22), and 0.83 (95%CI: 0.79-0.86), respectively. Subgroup analyses further suggested that blood-based studies showed a better diagnostic accuracy compared with feces-based studies, indicating that blood may be a better matrix for miR-21 assay and CRC detection. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that miR-21 has a potential diagnostic value for CRC with a moderate level of overall diagnostic accuracy. Hence, it could be used as auxiliary means for the initial screening of CRC and avoid unnecessary colonoscopy, which is an invasive and expensive procedure.

• Journal of Industrial Convergence
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• v.20 no.9
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• pp.71-79
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• 2022

This study comprised a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine how digital health care to relieve depression of the elderly. The CINAHL, Embase, Medline, DBpia, KERIS, KISS and RISS were used. As a result of the systematic search, a total of 4,071 studies were assessed and six studies were ultimately selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Of these, a total of five studies were available for meta-analysis; the effect size was calculated. The effect size of digital health care was statistically significant in reducing depression(SMD=-4.73, 95% CI -7.44 to -2.01, Z=3.41, p=.0007). Since only web-based programs are included in the analysis among types of digital health care, we suggest that we consider ways to reduce depression in the elderly by applying various digital health care in the future.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.236-246
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• 2014

Purpose: Walnut is known to have unique favorable fatty acids, phytochemicals, and other nutrient profiles. As a result, there has been growing interest in evaluation of its health benefit related to cardiovascular disease (CVD). Although inverse associations of nut consumption and risk factors of cardiovascular disease have been reported in many epidemiological studies and qualitative reviews, few meta-analysis studies have been reported. This meta-analysis was conducted in order to evaluate the effect of a walnut-enhanced diet on CVD risk factors. Methods: We searched Pubmed, Cochrane, Science Direct, and KISS (Korean studies Information Service System) through July 2014. A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted on 17 trials reporting total cholesterol (TC), 14 trials reporting LDL cholesterol (LDL-C), 15 trials reporting HDL cholesterol (HDL-C), 17 trials reporting triglyceride (TG), and four trials reporting flow-mediated dilation (FMD). Results: In meta-analysis, intake of a walnut-enhanced diet resulted in significantly lowered TC, LDL-C, and TG by -0.124 mmol/l (95% CI, -0.209, -0.039; p = 0.004), -0.085 mmol/lL (95% CI, -0.167, -0.004; p = l0.039), and -0.080 mmol/l (95% CI, -0.155, -0.004; p = 0.039), respectively. The overall pooled estimate of the effect on FMD was +1.313% (95% CI, 0.744, 1.882, p = 0.000). HDL-C was not affected by walnut intake. No statistical heterogeneity was observed for any analysis. Results of funnel plots and Egger's regression suggested a low likelihood of publication bias in all biomarkers (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Findings of this meta-analysis provide consistent evidence that walnut-enhanced diet intake reduces the CVD risk factors.