Objective To analyze and screen the risk factors of both immunohistochemistry and pathology for lung cancer lymphatic metastasis, and to build a mathematical model for preliminary evaluation. Methods By conducting retrospective studies, the information of lung cancer patients in the General Hospital of Air Force from 2009 to 2011 were collected. Both single and multiple unconditional logistic regression analyses were applied to screen total 27 possible factors for lymphatic metastasis. After the factors with statistical significance were selected, the relevant mathematical model was built and then evaluated by means of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Results A total of 216 patients were included. The single analyses on 27 possible factors showed significant differences in the following 10 factors: pathological grade (P=0.00), age (P=0.00), tumor types (P=0.01), nm23 (P=0.00), GSTII (P=0.01), TTF1 (P=0.01), MRP (P=0.01), CK14 (P=0.02), CD56 (P=0.02), and EGFR (P=0.03). The multiple factors unconditional logistic regression analyses on those 10 risk factors screened 4 relevant factors as follows: pathological grade (OR=2.34), age (OR=1.02), nm23 (OR=1.66), and EGFR (OR=1.47). Then a mathematical diagnostic model was established based on those 4 identified risk factors, and the result of ROC analysis showed it could improve the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity compared with the single factor mathematical diagnostic model. Conclusion Pathological grade, age, nm23, and EGFR are related with lung cancer lymphatic metastasis, and all of them are the risk factors which have higher adjuvant diagnostic value for lung cancer lymphatic metastasis.
Objective To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for chlamydia trachomatis (CT). Methods The diagnosis trials on EIA for CT were searched in the databases such as PubMed (1966 to Dec. 2011), The Cochrane Library (Issue 12, 2011), EMbase (1974 to Dec. 2011), CNKI (1994 to Dec. 2011), VIP (1989 to Dec. 2011) and CBM (1978 to Dec. 2011), meanwhile the manual and other retrieves were also conducted. Two reviewers evaluated the quality of the included trials according to the quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies (QUADAS), and then meta-analysis was performed using Meta Analyst and RevMan 5.0 software. Results A total of 17 trials involving 9 461 participants were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that the weighted sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, diagnostic odds ratio, and the area under SROC curve were 0.847 (95%CI 0.571 to 0.995), 0.964 (95%CI 0.890 to 0.994), 25.972 (95%CI 18.587 to 36.293), 0.156 (95%CI 0.114 to 0.212), 228.875 (95%CI 127.136 to 412.028), and 0.953, respectively. Conclusion EIA for CT has higher sensitivity and specificity, so EIA is recommended for preliminary screening CT and diagnosing the highly suspected cases or the patients without obvious signs and symptoms.
Objective To evaluate the diagnostic value of ELISA using AgB in cystic echinococcosis (CE). Methods Such databases as PubMed, EMbase, The Cochrane Library, EBSCO, CBM, CNKI, WanFang Data and MedaLink were retrieved on computer, and the relevant journals were also manually searched to collect the trials on ELISA using AgB in diagnosis of CE. The retrieval time was from inception to July 5th, 2012. Two reviewers independently screened the literature, extracted the data and assessed the quality according to QUADAS. Then the meta-analysis was conducted by using Meta-Disc 1.4 software. Results A total of 8 studies were included, and there were 562 CE patients diagnosed by gold standard, 434 suspected cases and 303 healthy people. There were no threshold effects among those 8 studies (the spearman’s correlation coefficient of log sensitivity to log 1-specificity was 0.527, P=0.400 1). The meta-analysis of DerSimonia-Laird showed that, the pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio and diagnostic odds ratio was 0.76 (95%CI 0.73 to 0.79), 0.84 (95%CI 0.82 to 0.86), 5.20 (95%CI 3.59 to 7.55), 0.26 (95%CI 0.18 to 0.35), 23.93 (95%CI 12.35 to 46.39), respectively. And the AUC of SROC was 0.889 7 (Q=0.820 4). Conclusion ELISA using natural AgB and rAgB has greater diagnostic value in detecting CE.
Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of enteral immunonutrition for patients with acute pancreatitis. Methods The randomized controlled trials (RCTs) about enteral immunonutrition for patients with acute pancreatitis were searched in following databases: PubMed (1966 to August 2012), MEDLINE (Ovid, 1946 to August 2012), CENTRAL (Issue 3, 2012), CBM (1978 to August 2012), CNKI (1979 August 2012), VIP (1989 to August 2012), and WanFang Data (1977 to August 2012). The relevant materials and each reference of literature were also searched manually. Two reviewers independently screened the literature according to the predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, extracted the data and assessed the quality, and then the meta-analysis was conducted by using RevMan 5.0 software. Results A total of 6 RCTs involving 197 patients were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that there were no significant differences between the enteral immunonutrition group and the routine enteral nutrition group in following aspects: infectious complications and mortality rate, length of stay, level of C-reactive protein and numeration of leucocyte after treatment, and APACHE II score. Conclusion At present, no evidence shows enteral immunutrition is superior to routine enteral nutrition in acute pancreatitis. For the quantity and quality limitation of the included studies, more high-quality and large-sample RCTs are required to investigate the proper ingredients and dosage of enteral immunonutrition suitable for patients with acute pancreatitis.
Objective To systematically review the diagnostic value of anti-HCV in serum tested by the third-generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA 3) in patients with hepatitis C. Methods Such databases as PubMed, MEDLINE, EMbase, The Cochrane Library (Issue 1, 2013), EBSCO, CBM, CNKI, VIP and WanFang Data were electronically and comprehensively searched for relevant studies on the diagnostic value of anti-HCV in serum tested by ELISA 3 in patients with hepatitis C from inception to January 1st, 2013. Relevant journals were also manually retrieved. QUADAS items were used to evaluate the quality of the included studies. Then meta-analysis was performed using Meta-Disc 1.4 software to calculate pooled effect size in sensitivity (SEN), specificity (SPE), likelihood ratio (±LR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) and summary receiver operating characteristic curve (SROC curve), and area under the curve (AUC) as well. Results Finally, nine studies were included, involving 1 182 patients with hepatitis C diagnosed by the gold standard and 4 764 patients with non-hepatitis C diseases. The results of meta-analysis using random model showed (SEN=0.96, 95%CI 0.95 to 0.97; SPE=0.96, 95%CI 0.96 to 0.97; +LR=42.21, 95%CI 10.23 to 174.23; –LR=0.02, 95%CI 0.01 to 0.09; DOR=1 635.89, 95%CI 372.37 to 7 186.83; AUC=0.996 5). Conclusion Anti-HCV in serum tested by ELISA 3 has fairly high value in the diagnosis of patients with hepatitis C.
Objective To assess the effectiveness of dust mite sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) for treating allergic rhinitis. Methods The randomized controlled trials (RCTs) about SLIT treating allergic rhinitis were collected in MEDLINE, EMbase, The Cochrane library (Issue 10, 2012), CNKI, VIP, WanFang Data and CBM from inception to October, 2012. Two reviewers independently screened the literature according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, extracted the data, and assessed the quality, and then the meta-analysis was performed by using RevMan 5.1 software. Results A total of 8 RCTs involving 788 patients were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that, compared with the control group, SLIT showed no obvious difference in the total effective rate (RR=1.15, 95%CI 0.88 to 1.50, P=0.29), but it was superior in decreasing the scores of both nasal symptom (SMD= −1.13, 95%CI −2.07 to −0.20, P=0.02) and drug intake (SMD= −0.60, 95%CI −1.06 to −0.15, P=0.009). Conclusion SLIT can improve the symptoms of patients with allergic rhinitis, and it can also decrease the using frequency of antihistamine, beta-blocker and nasal spray steroids.
Objective To systematically review the effects of enteral immunonutrition (EIN) on postoperative infection and the length of hospital stay in patients with gastrointestinal cancer after surgery, in order to provide high quality evidence for the rational perioperation nutrition plan for patients with malignant gastrointestinal tumor. Methods Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in English about application of EIN vs. general treatment for gastrointestinal surgery published from Jan. 1st, 1997 to Oct. 31st 2012 were retrieved in the following databases: PubMed, Ovid, and EMbase. References of the included studies were also retrieved. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, two reviewers independently screened studies, extracted data, and evaluated the methodological quality. Then, meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.2 software. Results 19 RCTs involving 2 298 patients were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that: there was no significant difference between the postoperative EIN group and the control group in reducing the risk of postoperative infection (OR=0.91, 95%CI 0.56 to 1.47, P=0.70); But postoperative and perioperative EIN had reduced the risk of postoperative infection with a significant difference (OR=0.57, 95%CI 0.39 to 0.82, P=0.002; OR=0.52, 95%CI 0.35 to 0.76, P=0.000 9). Additionally, the results of sensitivity analysis revealed that: no matter when EIN was used (during preoperative, postoperative, or perioperative periods), it reduced the length of postoperative hospital stay with significant differences, compared to the standard nutrition group (OR= −2.39, 95%CI −3.28 to −1.49, Plt;0.000 01; OR= −2.42, 95%CI −4.07 to −0.78, P=0.004; OR= −2.76, 95%CI −3.46 to −2.06, Plt;0.000 01). Conclusion Current evidence shows that perioperative EIN can decrease postoperative infection and reduce the length of hospital stay of patients with malignant gastrointestinal tumor. Due to the limited quantity and quality of the included studies, high quality RCTs are needed to verify the above conclusion.
Objective To assess the quality of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and clinical controlled trials (CCTs) relevant to COPD besides chronic bronchitis and chronic pulmonary cor disease in strengthening immune published in Chinese medical journals to provide scientific basis of systematic review (SR) of regulating the immune function of COPD in Chinese herbs. Methods 54 articles with clinical controlled trials were obtained by electronic searching and handsearching, and the method for randomized allocation, blindness, multi-centres, sample sizes, diagnosis criteria, exclusion criteria, source of cases, immune markers (cellular immunity, humoral immunity, erythrocyte immunity, nonspecific immunity), the clinical outcome assessment, statistical management, course of treatment and the side effects or adverse drag reaction, follow-up were investigated and then methodologically evaluated. According to the investigation, literatures with the method for randomized allocation, correct controls, appropriate sample sizes (≥60), the nation-wide diagnosis criteria, the objective clinical outcome assessment distinct statistical method were stipulated as the high-quality ones relatively. Results Among the 54 trials, 70.4% had explicit diagnosis criteria, 18.5% with exclusion criteria, 20.4% with comparability of baseline, 37.0% with distinct statistical method. In the therapy, 63.0% were with Chinese herbs. Conclusion The selected 7 articles belong to the high quality and possibly are to be explored in Meta-analysis.
Objective To evaluate the efficacy, safety and economical values of nucleic acid/nueleotides for clinical nutritional support and immune treatment. Methods The following electronic databases were searched: Chinese Biomedicine database (CBM), MEDLINE, EMBASE and SCI. Data were extracted by two reviewers. Applied RevMan 4.1 for statistical analyse. Results Forty-six randomized controlled trials were identified, involving nucleic acids/nucleotides for clinical nutritional support, infant feed, immune treatment. Eighteen randomized trials comparing the use of immunonutrition which comprises nucleotides with standard enteral nutrition in surgical and critical ill patients. Combined analysis directed that immunonutrition therapy decrease infection events, length of hospitalization and the cost. Only one trial reported the effects of adding nucleotides to breast milk substitute, but there is no valuable results for clinical practice. Twenty-seven low quality trials compared the use of "immune RNA (iRNA)" with standard methods in hepatitis, carcinoma and burn patients, combined analysis directed that there are not valid evidences to confirm the value of iRNA. Conclusions Immunonutrition may decrease infection rates, length of hospitalisation and cost in surgery and critical ill patients, but we can not affirm the role of the nucleotides in irmnunonutrition. No evidences support the point of adding nucteotides in breast milk substitute. Also, we can not affirm the role of iRNA in clinical immune regulation treatment. There are no available evidences in nucleic acids for caducity prevention and improvement of aging people’s health. Consequently, we advice Chinese health officials to enhance the management for applying "nucleic acids nutrients".
Objective To assess the quality of diagnostic studies on detecting the tuberculosis antibody to diagnose tuberculosis.Methods CBM (1978 to 2006) and VIP (1994 to 2006) were searched; any author-claimed diagnostic studies which used the dot immunogold filtration assay (DIGFA) to detect the tuberculosis antibody and to diagnose tuberculosis were included. The Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS) was used to assess the quality of included diagnostic studies by two reviewers independently.Results Thirty-eight papers were included and assessed. We found that most of the quality items were not met with QUADAS. Most papers adopted the retrospective diagnostic case-control design. Thirty-one papers did not describe the selection criteria clearly, 18 did not describe whether all the included patients were verified by using a reference standard of diagnosis, 36 did not describe whether the index test results were interpreted without knowledge of the results of the reference standard, 37 did not report the uninterpretable/intermediate test results, and 34 did not report the withdrawals from the study.Conclusion There are few high quality studies on using DIGFA to detect tuberculosis antibody to diagnose tuberculosis.