Based on the guidelines of the diagnostic test systematic review, this study elaborated the statistical processing of the pooling of data detailed in the systematic review of diagnostic test, discussed the methods for identification and handling of the heterogeneity, evaluated the advantages and disadvantages of the index of the accuracy in diagnostic tests, and proposed the identification method of the publication bias. It also took the data from the published article entitled “Diagnostic Value of ProGRP and NSE for Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Meta-Analysis” as an example for analysis and illustration, which presented clearly the data processing and interpretation of the systematic review of diagnostic test, in order to provide references for clinical researchers to study and conduct the systematic review of diagnostic test.
Objective To assess the appropriateness of Barthel Index (BI) and Modified Rankin Scales (MRS) used as long-term outcome measures in a stroke data register and to investigate the correlation between cutoff points of the two scales in different stroke patients with and without disability. Methods Nine hundred and twelve patients were registered prospectively. BI and MRS were evaluated at the end of 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after stroke onset. The distribution, ceiling effects and floor effects of the two scales were evaluated. A logistic regression model was established to investigate correlation of cutoff points of BI and MRS. Results There were a total of 2 829 evaluation points of BI and MRS. The percentages of patients reaching the maximum scores of BI at the end of 3, 6 and 12 months (54.8％, 62.2％ and 68.3％, respectively) were higher than those of MRS. There was significant correlation between the two scales (Spearman’s correlation coefficient 0.887, P＜0.05), when MRS scores of ≤1 and ≤2 were taken as cutoff points, the corresponding cutoff points of BI score were ≥90 and ≥85, respectively. Conclusions BI has significant ceiling effects when used as long-term outcome measurement in a stroke data register. There was significant correlation between BI and MRS scores. In future clinical studies, an MRS score ≤2 or BI score ≥85 could be used as cutoff points in predicting stroke patients with and without disability.
Objective To compare the clinical therapeutic effects of combination therapy of Sanqitongshu capsule and prednisolone with prednisolone alone in the treatment of acute peripheral facial neuritis. Methods A total of 61 patients with facial paralysis were divided into the treatment group and the control group in the outpatient order. The control group used 20 mg oral prednisolone and accepted the non-specific anti-inflammatory treatment every other day. Medication would stop in a week. Oral administration of vitamin B1 and vitamin B12 was also performed for nerve metabolism improvement for 30 days. The therapy of the treatment group was based on the same treatment of the control group with Sanqitongshu capsule for 30 days. Results After 4 weeks, in the treatment group, 20 patients recovered, 5 markedly effective, and 2 effective, and the total effective rate was 90%. In the Control group, 10 patients recovered, 3 markedly effective, and 2 effective, and the total effective rate was 50.0%. There were significant differences between the two groups (Plt;0.05). Conclusion The clinical effectiveness of Sanqitongshu capsule plus prednisolone is better than that of prednisolone alone in the treatment of acute peripheral facial neuritis.
Objective To identify genes associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) as candidate diagnostic markers in a genome-wide scale. Methods The gene expression profiles of 40 pairs of HCC tumor tissue and peripheral non-tumorous liver tissue were analyzed by using gene chip technology.The gene chips were fabricated at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Each gene chip contained 9 180 genes. The fluorescent targets were prepared by a direct labeling approach using two kinds of fluorescences as following: 100 μg of total RNA from non-cancerous liver tissue was labeled with Cy3-dUTP and 200 μg of total RNA from HCC was labeled with Cy5-dUTP. The targets were mixed together and hybridized with genes on the gene chips. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering analysis was done by CLUSTER and TREEVIEW software using median centered correlation and complete linkage. Results A total of 10 genes were found up-regulated in over 80% of primary tumors comparing with that of their corresponding non-tumorous liver tissues at a two-fold filter with an unsupervised hierarchical clustering algorithm, including protocadherin-alpha 9, ESTs, Homo sapiens cDNA FLJ, KPNA2, RPS20, SNRPE, CDKN2A, UBD, MDK and ANXA2.Conclusion These genes are supposed to be candidates for the diagnosis of HCC. Further investigation of these genes in a large scale of patients with HCC and patients with non-malignant hepatic diseases will be needed to disclose whether they could be used clinically as novel diagnostic tumor markers for HCC.
Objective To introduce the current studies on bone biochemical markers in breast cancer with bone metastasis. Methods The papers in recent 8 years about the application of bone biochemical markers in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer with bone metastasis were reviewed. Results NTX had the best relation with bone metastasis. ICTP was much more worthy than NTX in diagnosis of breast cancer with bone metastasis. Osteogenesis markers were little worthy in diagnosis of breast cancer with bone metastasis. Conclusion Bone biochemical markers can not replace the image exams and biopsy in diagnosing the bone metastasis of breast cancer,but may be one of the factors to get the early diagnosis.
Objective To investigate the relationship between the tibia callus diameter ratio(CDR) and prognosis during tibial distraction and the occurrenceof late deformity or fracture. Methods We measured tibiallengthening callus diameter and added up the cases of angular deformity and fracture in 68 casesfrom January 1996 to December 2001, to calculated callus diameter ratios and compare the relationship between the tibia callus diameter during tibial distraction and the occurrence of late callus angular deformity or fracture. Results In 23 cases of CDRlt;80%, 13 cases had new bone fracture, 21 cases had angular deformity gt;5 degree. In 6 cases of 81%lt;CDRlt;85%, there were 4 cases of angular deformity gt;5 degree. In the other 39 cases of CDRgt;85%, there were no fracture and angular deformity. Conclusion When the CDR was gt;85%, there wereno angular deformity and fracture, but when the CDR was lt;80%, the complications of fracture and angular deformity occur. CDR is a better alarming index for preventing the complications occurring in tibial lengthening.
OBJECTIVE: To set up some objective and accurate criteria to evaluate wound healing. METHODS: Documents about wound healing were reviewed and summarized in detail. RESULTS: Wound healing rate, wound healing time, histopathology analysis, quantity assay of macrophage, determination of hydroxyproline, proliferation of cell, assay of DNA contents and circle of cells, level of transforming growth factor-alpha, levels of interleukin-1, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor, assay of keratinocyte collagenase-1, level of fibroblast growth factor receptor-1, level of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and level of keratinocyte plasminogen activator inhabitor type 2 were selected as the evaluation criteria of wound healing. CONCLUSION: Wound healing rate, wound healing time and histopathology analysis are direct and efficient criteria of wound healing.
This paper is aimed to introduce the definition and application of Population Impact Measures (PIMs). The PIMs use Number Need to Treat (NNT) for reference and generalize the variables of clinical research to interest population, which then can be used to measure the effectiveness of interventions and the harmfulness of risk factors, so as to provide evidence for making public health policy. Of the PIMs, the variables used for measuring the effectiveness of interventions include Disease Impact Number (DIN), Population Impact Number (PIN) and Number of Events Prevented in your Population (NEPP); The variables used for measuring the harmfulness of risk factors include Exposure Impact Number (EIN), Exposed Cases Impact Number (ECIN), Population Impact Number (PIN), Case Impact Number (CIN) and Population Impact Number of Eliminating a Risk factor (PIN-ER-t).
GRADE要求明确说明相关的背景、人群、干预措施和对照，同时要求不论研究结果能否形成证据，均需详述所有重要结果。对某一特定管理问题，人群、干预措施及结果应在不同研究间足够类似，才能认为得到相似的效应量合乎情理。指南制定者在收集证据前应先详细说明各结局的相对重要性，同样地，证据总结完成时也需要详细说明这一点。考虑到替代结局的重要性，对采用替代指标描述且对患者很重要的结局，作者应评估其重要性，并进而降低这种间接结果的证据质量等级。