Displaying publications 41 - 60 of 81 in total

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  1. Khaiyom JHA, Mukhtar F, Po OT
    Malays J Med Sci, 2019 May;26(3):24-36.
    PMID: 31303848 MyJurnal DOI: 10.21315/mjms2019.26.3.2
    This current study aims to systematically review the treatments for anxiety disorders in Malaysia. PsycINFO, MEDLINE databases, and 28 local journals were used to search published papers in this area. Eight articles were subjected to review after excluding 273 papers that did not meet the inclusion criteria. A total of 598 participants with various types of anxiety disorders were included in the review. Based on the findings, the combination of pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy provided better treatment outcomes if compared to psychotherapy or pharmacotherapy alone. The combination of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and cognitive behaviour therapy was considered as one of the most effective treatment to treat patients with anxiety disorders in Malaysia. This is in line with the clinical practice guidelines from the Ministry of Health Singapore and Canada. Even though there were some limitations in the methodology and reporting of the results, it can be concluded that efforts have been taken to conduct studies related to treatments for patients with anxiety disorders in Malaysia. Future studies are suggested to make conscious efforts to overcome these limitations.
    Matched MeSH terms: MEDLINE
  2. Devaraj NK, Suppiah S, Veettil SK, Ching SM, Lee KW, Menon RK, et al.
    Nutrients, 2019 Nov 27;11(12).
    PMID: 31783578 DOI: 10.3390/nu11122886
    The protective effects of probiotic supplementation against radiation-induced diarrhea (RID) have been reported in previous systematic reviews; however so far, only non-conclusive results have been obtained. The objective of this study was to systematically update and evaluate the available evidence for probiotic supplementation. The protocol of this systematic review has been registered (CRD42018106059) with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO). The primary efficacy outcome was the incidence of RID. Secondary outcomes were the incidence of watery stool, soft stool, and antidiarrheal medication use. There were eight trials, and a total of 1116 participants were included in the primary analysis. Compared with placebo, probiotics were associated with a lower risk of RID [risk ratio (RR) = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.46, 0.83]. A requisite heterogeneity-adjusted trial sequential analysis indicated conclusive evidence for this beneficial effect. No statistically significant reduction in RID (RR = 0.52, 95% CI = 0.14, 1.91) was observed on subgroup analysis in patients receiving both radiation therapy and chemotherapy. However, those patients receiving only radiation therapy (RT) demonstrated significant benefit (RR = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.48, 0.78). There was a significant difference in the antidiarrheal medication use (RR = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.35, 0.84) observed with the use of probiotics. However, no significant difference was observed for the incidence of soft and watery stool. The use of probiotics is beneficial in preventing RID in patients receiving RT.
    Matched MeSH terms: MEDLINE
  3. Nur Farhana Mohamad, Izzuna Mudla Mohamed Ghazali, Junainah Sabirin, Tan Soek Siam, Rohani Jahis
    MyJurnal
    Introduction: Universal HBV and HCV screening among pregnant women is not a current practice in Malaysia. It is aimed to conduct a systematic review on available evidences in an effort to strengthen the national hepatitis screen-ing programs. Methods: Systematic search was performed from databases; Medline, Cochrane, PubMed and IN-AHTA. Relevant studies according to inclusion/exclusion criteria were critically appraised and evidence graded. Re-sults: From 782 titles identified, two systematic reviews, two retrospective cohort studies, two cross-sectional studies, one cost-utility analysis and one cost-effectiveness analysis were included. Universal antenatal HBV screening was associated with almost complete vaccination coverage for newborns. Replacing targeted screening with universal HBV screening was associated with increased identification of newborns indicated for HBV-immunization from 50% to 96%. Universal antenatal HBV screening had incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER)s ranged from €2,032 to €26,181 per life year (LY) gained. As for HCV, targeted antenatal screening was associated with low HCV prevalence. Universal screening did not detect significantly more women with HCV infection than did targeted screening. One cost-effectiveness analysis found that universal antenatal HCV screening had ICER of €52,473 per LY gained and one cost-utility analysis reported ICER of £9,139 per QALY gained. Conclusion: Based on the above review, universal HBV screening in pregnant women is effective in increasing vaccination coverage for newborns. However, the ICERs had wide range. Therefore, local economic evaluation is needed to estimate cost implications before considering addition into national screening program. While for HCV, both universal and targeted screening in pregnant women had low detection rate thus high-risk approach screening is appropriate in Malaysia.
    Matched MeSH terms: MEDLINE
  4. Fatin Afifah Rosli, Mohd Rahman Omar, Abdul Aziz Marwan, Ummu Aiman Faisal, Hana Maizuliana Solehan, Ummi Affah Mahamad, et al.
    MyJurnal
    Introduction:Tropical herbs are used as a medicine long before the introduction of modern medicine, especially by traditional healers. However, its’ scientific benefits are not widely investigated. There is a belief that the use of tradi-tional herbs potentially causing health deterioration due to its unknown mechanism of actions and interactions, and the nature of its unregulated processing as a health supplement. Parkia speciosa (local: petai) and Pithecellobium jir-inga (local: jering) are two tropical herbs from the Leguminosae family that are widely used raw as salads with many perceived health benefits and harms. We reviewed both species, looking into scientific pieces of evidence supporting the belief. Methods: The databases of MEDLINE, PubMed, EBSCOhost, and Google Scholars were systematically searched for both in vitro and in vivo effects of both species with no language restriction. Data were extracted using standardised fashioned. Results:P speciosa has pharmacological properties including antioxidant and anti-inflam-mation. It has shown to have antibacterial properties and glucose-lowering activity. P jiringa contains known an-tioxidant metabolites such as flavonoids, phenolics and terpenoids. It also contains antiangiogenic properties with potential use in retinopathy, cancer, and Rheumatoid arthritis. However, both herbs have potentially harmful effects which include liver injuries. Large consumption of P jiringa leads to acute kidney injury. Conclusion: Consumption of both P speciosa and P jiringa has medicinal properties as well as health harm. If taken as a supplement, rigorous clinical trials are needed to delineate benefit vs harm effect of both herbs.
    Matched MeSH terms: MEDLINE
  5. Tan, Siew-Tin, Sherina Mohd-Sidik, Rampal, Lekhraj, Normala Ibrahim, Tan, Kit-Aun
    MyJurnal
    Overweight and obesity have become a serious health issue in worldwide and Malaysia is no exception. In view that obesity is one of the leading causes of non-communicable diseases, this systematic review aimed to explore whether Malaysian are getting fatter (overweight or obesity) and rounder (abdominal obesity). Searches of the published literature were conducted using 3 databases including EMBASE, MEDLINE, and PubMed. These were limited to cross-sectional or cohort studies in Malaysia. The databases provided the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and abdominal obesity among 15 years old and above Malaysian population from 2009 to 2015. In total, 47 articles were included in this review. Findings exhibit that the prevalence rates of overweight, obesity, and abdominal obesity range from 9.5% to 43.5%, 1.77% to 26.4% and 11.4% to 57.4%, respectively. Overweight is more predominant among males. However, obesity and abdominal obesity are more predominant among females. This means that more females are getting fatter and “rounder” as compared to males in Malaysia. The findings imply a lack of intervention programmes based on proper randomized controlled trials which are needed to adequately address the problem of obesity in Malaysia.
    Matched MeSH terms: MEDLINE
  6. Nwozichi CU, Marcial DE, Farotimi AA, Escabarte ABS, Madu AM
    PMID: 31463326 DOI: 10.4103/jehp.jehp_240_18
    BACKGROUND: The integration of information and communication technology (ICT) in education has been a major agenda of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and its adoption has been found effective in nursing education.

    OBJECTIVE: This study aims to identify and review existing literature on ICT integration in nursing education within the context of Southeast Asia and to identify the themes of these studies, ICT tools of concern and the research methods adopted.

    METHODOLOGY: A systematic review of six eligible literatures was conducted with thematic analysis. The data for this systematic review of literature are from published studies based on the formulated research question. Electronic databases of Medline, Scopus, PubMed, CINAHL, Mendeley, and Google Scholar were searched and literatures retrieved and screened for eligibility. No date limit was considered in the literature search. This systematic review utilized the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses.

    RESULTS: The studies originated from the Philippines (n = 3), Malaysia (n = 2), and Singapore (n = 1). One study originated from both the Philippines and Thailand. Four themes emerged from the thematic analysis which include: (1) use of ICT to enhance teaching and learning in nursing, (2) challenges with ICT integration in nursing education, (3) attitude and perceptions toward ICT integration in nursing education, and (4) suggestions for improvement. The most important ICT tools were computers, projectors, and internet. Majority of the studies were descriptive quantitative studies.

    CONCLUSION: Despite increasing concern on the use of ICT in Southeast Asia, ICT integration in nursing education has not been given significant attention. Governments of the Southeast Asian countries should provide sufficient support for ICT integration in the various nursing institutions. Institutional administrators are encouraged to key into the ICT trend and render their support when and where necessary.

    Matched MeSH terms: MEDLINE
  7. Abdullah N, Al-Marzooq F, Mohamad S, Abd Rahman N, Chi Ngo H, Perera Samaranayake L
    J Oral Microbiol, 2019;11(1):1647757.
    PMID: 31489127 DOI: 10.1080/20002297.2019.1647757
    Background: Oral biofilms are the root cause of major oral diseases. As in vitro biofilms are not representative of the intraoral milieu, various devices have been manufactured over the years to develop Appliance Grown Oral Biofilm (AGOB). Objective: To review various intraoral appliances used to develop AGOB for microbiological analysis, and to judge the optimal means for such analyses. Design: Four databases (PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus and Medline) were searched by two independent reviewers, and articles featuring the key words 'device' OR 'splint' OR 'appliance'; 'Oral biofilm' OR 'dental plaque'; 'in vivo' OR 'in situ'; 'Microbiology' OR 'Bacteria' OR 'microbiome'; were included. The standard Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) were adopted for data gathering. Results: Of the 517 articles which met the initial inclusion criteria, 24 were deemed eligible for review. The age of the AGOB, sampled at various intervals, ranged from 30 min to 28 days. The most commonly used microbiome analytical methods were fluorescence microscopy, total cell count using conventional, and molecular tools including Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) platforms. Conclusions: No uniformly superior method for collecting AGOB could be discerned. NGS platforms are preferable for AGOB analyses.
    Matched MeSH terms: MEDLINE
  8. Zhu CZ, Ting HN, Ng KH, Ong TA
    J Cancer, 2019;10(17):4038-4044.
    PMID: 31417648 DOI: 10.7150/jca.28989
    Background and purpose: Bladder cancer is the most common malignant tumour in the urinary system, with a high incidence and recurrence rate. While the incidence of bladder cancer has been rising in recent years, the prevalence of bladder carcinoma is showing an increasing tendency in the younger age group. There are several methods to detect bladder cancer, but different methods have varying degrees of accuracy which intrinsically depends on the method's sensitivity and specificity. Our aim was to comprehensively summarize the current detection methods for bladder cancer based on the available literature, and at the same time, to find the best combination of different effective methods which can produce a high degree of accuracy in detecting the presence of cancerous cells in the bladder. Materials and Methods: We used key word retrieval method for searching related references in English that had been indexed in PubMed and Medline. Results and Discussion: This paper discussed the different detection methods and their sensitivities/specificities as well as the advantages and disadvantages. We summarized the best identified cancer cell detection methods with higher sensitivity/specificity. Conclusion: The results of this review can positively help to identify accurate methods for detecting bladder cancer and highlight areas to be further improved for future research work.
    Matched MeSH terms: MEDLINE
  9. Eleazu C, Omar N, Lim OZ, Yeoh BS, Nik Hussain NH, Mohamed M
    Front Physiol, 2019;10:787.
    PMID: 31293451 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00787
    Obesity, a chronic multifaceted disease, predisposes its patients to increased risk of metabolic disorders such as: diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, dyslipidemia, etc. Recent studies reported it to be amongst the leading causes of deaths in the world. Although several treatment options for obesity abound, many of them have not been able to successfully reverse the existing obesity and metabolic dysregulation. This has therefore warranted the need for either alternative therapies or diversification of the treatment approach for obesity and its comorbidity. When the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) interacts with its ligand, RAGE-ligand activates an inflammatory signaling cascade, that leads to the activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and transcription of inflammatory cytokines. This action has been associated with the development of obesity and its mediated metabolic dysregulation. In view of the increasing prevalence of obesity globally and the potential threat it places on life expectancy, this article reviewed the promising potentials of targeting endogenous secretory receptor for advanced glycation end products/soluble receptors for advanced glycation end products signaling as a treatment approach for obesity. We carried out a literature search in several electronic data bases such as: Pubmed, Pubmed Central, Google, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Medline from 1980 to 2019 to acquire the status of information concerning this. The article suggests the need for the development of an esRAGE/sRAGE targeted pharmacotherapy as a treatment approach for obesity and its comorbidity.
    Matched MeSH terms: MEDLINE
  10. Alzoubi MM, Hayati KS, Rosliza AM, Ahmad AA, Al-Hamdan ZM
    Risk Manag Healthc Policy, 2019;12:167-177.
    PMID: 31576185 DOI: 10.2147/RMHP.S197038
    Background: Synergistic integration of predictors and elements that determine the success of total quality management (TQM) implementations in hospitals has been the bane of theoretical development in the TQM research area. Thus, this paper aims to offer a systematic literature review to provide a foundation on which research on TQM can be built and to identify the predictors of successful TQM in the health-care context.

    Materials and methods: A systematic literature survey was adopted in this paper, involving the review of 25 relevant researched articles found in the databases Science Direct, EBSCO, MEDLINE, CINAHL and PubMed.

    Result: The systematic literature survey reveals five variables to be core predictors of TQM, signifying how important these variables are in the successful implementation of TQM in the health-care context. Also, it is revealed that the identified core predictors have positive effects on an improved health-care system. However, the systematic survey of the literature reveals a dearth of studies on TQM in the health-care context.

    Conclusion: As TQM has become an important management approach for advancing effectiveness in the health-care sector, this kind of research is of value to researchers and managers. Stakeholders in the health sectors should introduce and implement TQM in hospitals and clinics. Nevertheless, this study has limitations, including that the databases and search engines adopted for the literature search are not exhaustive.

    Matched MeSH terms: MEDLINE
  11. Farrah Farzana Abdullah, Mohd Rahman Omar
    MyJurnal
    Introduction: Malaysia has been nominated among the top four well-established healthcare system in the world. However, with the status of a developing country, there are still lacking in offering healthcare services and aware-ness among poverty. The objective of this review is to look into the factors hindering healthcare coverage in poverty. Methods: These literature reviews were carried out by using the electronic databases included, Google Scholars, Medline, PUBMED and EBSCOhost. Results: In current economic status, poverty status needs to be revised as the cost of living has markedly increased especially in the urban. Many factors affect the health status, which include the issues in term of rising health expenditure, demography-geography and imbalance workload distribution. Less expo-sure to health and wellness and geographical-demographic profile are the main reasons for the lack of self-awareness in assessing health services. Various actions had been taken by the stakeholders to improve health statuses such as telehealth, referral system and integration between agencies. Suggestion to improve the existing plan with the atten-tion given especially in the rural area which composed of multi-ethnicity and demography-geographical distribution. In Islam, Prophet Muhammad PBUH promotes health through his eating habits, physical activities include prayer and sports, proper sleep habit and through fasting. Conclusion: Poor and lack of awareness of healthcare services and health ownership have been the main reason for low health-seeking in poverty. Factors such as rising health expenditure, demography-geography factors and lack of facilities provided and unbalance workload distribution in the public-private sector contribute to the issue of concern.
    Matched MeSH terms: MEDLINE
  12. Selim Ahmed
    MyJurnal
    Introduction: Early childhood development (ECD) refers to cognitive, emotional and social development of young children. First three years of life are very crucial for ECD because during this time, brain grows fastest and is most responsive and receptive. Plenty of new connections (synapses) are formed in brain so that children acquire 85% of adult’s brain volume by this age. Proper nutrition and positive stimulation are essential during this time. Play positively stimulates the brain and helps to create more, healthy inter-neuronal connections. The objective of this review was to make a constellation of research works and explore to learn the concept of ECD and its relationship with play. Methods: An extensive literature search was done using the key words: ‘early childhood development and play’; ‘play and brain development in children’; ‘neuroplasticity and play’; ‘how do children learn’; ‘synaptic connections and early childhood development’; and ‘can play make children intelligent’. The databases explored for the resources included Medline (PubMed), PsycINFO, Teacher Reference Center, Child Encyclopedia, Health & Education Advice & Resource Team (HEART) database, Catholic Relief Services database, UNICEF & World Bank databases, and Cochrane review. Results: The result of the review work showed that play has a temporal and linear relationship with cognitive and social development among preschool children. Conclusion: In this era of screen addiction, parents spend free time in social media and the kids playing or watching video games. It is contextual to propagate the concept of ECD and raise the awareness so that parents are motivated to spend more time playing with their children. No investment in human capital can be worth more than this.
    Matched MeSH terms: MEDLINE
  13. Yousuf A, Mohd Arifin SR, Musa R, Md Isa ML
    PMID: 32174997 DOI: 10.2174/1745017901915010153
    Background: Depression is the most common mental disorder and a leading cause of disability, which commonly presents unexplained psychological and physical symptoms. Depression and HIV/AIDS are commonly comorbid. This review provides an insight into the effect of depression on disease progression among people living with HIV.

    Methods: A search for relevant articles was conducted using a database like MEDLINE, Scopus, PsycINFO and CINAHL. Peer-reviewed English journals published between 2015 and 2019 were included in the review.

    Results: A total of eight studies conducted in different settings were included in the review. This review has found that psychosocial, neurohormonal and virologic factors associated with depression affect HIV disease progression. Yet, the chronicity of depression, absence of the hormones that have a buffer effect on depression and lack of examination if depression is a predictor, or an outcome of disease progression, were some of the gaps that require further investigation.

    Conclusion: Considerably, more research is needed to better understand the effect of mental disorder, especially depression, on HIV disease progression to AIDS and future interventions should, therefore, concentrate on the integration of mental health screening in HIV clinical setup.

    Matched MeSH terms: MEDLINE
  14. Hanani Nabilah, M.S.
    JUMMEC, 2019;22(1):41-49.
    MyJurnal
    Child abuse is a part of violence and maltreatment towards a child. It has led to many immediate and longterm
    consequences. The factors pertaining to the perpetrators of physical and emotional abuse were least
    explored in the literature. The aim of this systematic review is to comprehend the factors of vulnerability
    among the perpetrators of child abuse, and to identify the most common reported characteristics of child
    abuse perpetrators in the literature globally. A systematic search of articles published between 2013 and
    2018 was conducted in several databases (Scopus, Ovid Medline, EBSCOhost and Google Scholar). Fourteen
    studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. The risk factors and characteristics of
    child abuse perpetrators are classified into three different levels; individual, relationship and community.
    The most common reported characteristics are at the individual level. Family background plays an important
    role in determining the risk of being a child abuse perpetrator. Low socioeconomic status of the family is the
    prominent contributing risk factor for abusing own children.
    Matched MeSH terms: MEDLINE
  15. Abdulrahman SA, Ganasegeran K, Rampal L, Martins OF
    AIDS Rev, 2019;21(1):28-39.
    PMID: 30899114 DOI: 10.24875/AIDSRev.19000037
    Successful HIV treatment is contingent on sustained high levels of treatment adherence. Several barriers to optimal adherence have been documented. In this article, we first review the global burden of non-adherence among HIV/AIDS positive individuals on a public health scale. Second, we synthesized available evidence from different study designs and stratified across the European, African, and Asian literature to determine the factors influencing adherence to scheduled clinic appointments and medication non-adherence. Third, we discuss common measurement techniques that quantify the magnitude of non-adherence, their relative advantages and limitations in current practice. From January to May 2018, we reviewed guidelines, standard operating procedures, journal articles, and book chapters on treatment adherence among HIV patients receiving adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) globally. We searched PubMed, Medline, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews with the search terms "adherence," "adherence behavior," "medication adherence," and "HIV patients," or "HIV/AIDS," and "Antiretroviral Therapy" or "ART" or "ARVs" or "highly active ART " from 2000 to 2017. We also identified articles through searches of authors' files and previous research on HIV. We included only papers published in English in this review. We then generated a final list of reference on the basis of originality and the broad scope of this review. We found rich literature evidence of research findings and best practice recommendations on the importance of adherence in HIV/AIDS management, a general understanding of factors associated with non-adherence and approaches to investigating non-adherence behavior among different populations. We observed significant contextual differences exist with regard to barriers and burden of non-adherence among these populations.
    Matched MeSH terms: MEDLINE
  16. Muhammad SA, Abbas AY, Saidu Y, Fakurazi S, Bilbis LS
    Biochimie, 2020 Jan;168:156-168.
    PMID: 31678635 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2019.10.016
    Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) and secretome are promising therapies for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). This meta-analysis aimed to provide a precise estimate and compare the therapeutic efficacy of MSC and secretome in PAH. We searched six databases (CINAHL, Cochrane, Ovid Medline, PubMed, Science Direct and Scopus) until December 2018 using search terms related to MSCs, secretome and PAH. Twenty-three studies were included for the meta-analysis. The effect size of pulmonary hemodynamics and right ventricular hypertrophy markers was estimated using random effects model. MSCs and secretome significantly improved pulmonary hemodynamics and right ventricular hypertrophy compared to control. Comparison between MSCs and secretome indicate no significant difference in reducing right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) and medial wall thickening (MWT). However, treatment of PAH with secretome significantly improved mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) (p = 0.018) and right ventricular/left ventricular + septum (RV/LV+S) (p = 0.017) better than MSCs. Meta-regression shows that cell type (p = 0.034) is a predictor of MSCs to reduce RVSP in PAH. Similarly, the effect of secretome on MWT was significantly (p = 0.011) better at 4 weeks compared to 2 weeks of intervention. The overall risk of bias ranges from low to moderate; however, some of the essential elements required in reports of animal trials were not reported. There was evidence of publication bias for RV/LV+S and MWT, but not RVSP. This meta-analysis provides evidence of the therapeutic benefits of MSCs and secretome in PAH and the effect of secretome was similar or superior to MSCs.
    Matched MeSH terms: MEDLINE
  17. Salari N, Mohammadi M, Vaisi-Raygani A, Abdi A, Shohaimi S, Khaledipaveh B, et al.
    BMC Geriatr, 2020 02 03;20(1):39.
    PMID: 32013895 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-020-1444-0
    BACKGROUND: Depression is one of the most common psychiatric disorders in the older adult and one of the most common risk factors for suicide in the older adult. Studies show different and inconsistent prevalence rates in Iran. This study aims to determine the prevalence of severe depression in Iranian older adult through a meta-analysis approach.

    METHODS: The present meta-analysis was conducted between January 2000-August 2019. Articles related to the subject matter were obtained by searching Scopus, Sciencedirect, SID, magiran, Barakat Knowledge Network System, Medline (PubMed), and Google Scholar databases. The heterogeneity of the studies was evaluated using I2 index and the data were analyzed in Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software.

    RESULTS: In a study of 3948 individuals aged 50-90 years, the overall prevalence of severe depression in Iranian older adult was 8.2% (95% CI, 4.14-6.3%) based on meta-analysis. Also, in order to investigate the effects of potential factors (sample size and year of study) on the heterogeneity of severe depression in Iranian older adult, meta-regression was used. It was reported that the prevalence of severe depression in Iranian older adult decreased with increasing sample size and increasing years of the study, which is significantly different (P 

    Matched MeSH terms: MEDLINE
  18. Dahalan NH, Tuan Din SA, Mohamad SMB
    BMJ Open, 2020 02 12;10(2):e029559.
    PMID: 32051294 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-029559
    OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to map evidence of the association of ABO blood groups with allergic diseases such as allergic rhinitis (AR), atopic dermatitis (AD) and asthma.

    DESIGN: A scoping review.

    DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Scopus, Direct Open Access Journal, Medline, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, ScienceDirect and SpringerLink were searched from October 2017 until May 2018.

    ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SELECTING STUDIES: We selected all types of studies including case-control studies, prospective or retrospective cohort studies, cross-sectional studies and experimental studies, and we included reviews such as literature reviews, systematic reviews with or without meta-analysis and scoping reviews that were published in English and associated the ABO blood group with the three allergic diseases (asthma, AR and AD) in humans of all age groups.

    DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Two reviewers independently screened the titles and abstracts and assessed the full-text articles of the abstracts that met the eligibility requirements. Data from the included studies were extracted, evaluated and reported in the form of narrative synthesis.

    RESULTS: Of the 10 246 retrieved titles, only 14 articles were selected for a scoping review based on the eligibility criteria. The majority of the studies demonstrated a significant association between ABO blood groups and allergic diseases. We found that blood group O is prominent in patients with AR and asthma, while a non-O blood group is common in patients with AD.

    CONCLUSION: This scoping review serves as preliminary evidence for the association of ABO blood groups with allergic diseases. Further studies need to be conducted so that the relationship between ABO blood groups and allergic diseases can be fully established. This could be helpful for clinicians and health professionals in consulting and managing patients who suffer from allergic diseases in the future.

    Matched MeSH terms: MEDLINE
  19. Peng S, Ying AF, Tai BC, Soo RA
    Transl Lung Cancer Res, 2020 Aug;9(4):1124-1137.
    PMID: 32953491 DOI: 10.21037/tlcr-20-246
    Background: We conducted a meta-analysis to assess the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) (PD-1/L1 and CTLA-4 inhibitors) in first and subsequent lines in East Asians and non-East Asians.

    Methods: We searched PubMed-MEDLINE, Embase and Scopus, from inception to 20 Sep 2019, and reviewed major conferences' abstracts, for randomised controlled trials of ICI in advanced-stage NSCLC (Stage IIIB or IV) without EGFR mutation that reported hazard ratios (HRs) stratified by geographical region including the region "Asia" or "East Asia". The primary outcome measures were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). The pooled HR and its 95% confidence interval (CI) for OS and PFS in East Asians and non-East Asians were calculated using a random effect model and the difference compared using an interaction test.

    Results: A total of 5,465 patients from 7 randomised controlled trials involving CTLA-4 and/or PD-1/L1 inhibitors were included, with 1,740 (32%) East Asians and 3,725 (68%) non-East Asians. ICI was associated with an improvement in OS and PFS for both East Asian (OS HR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.65-0.85; PFS HR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.40-0.79) and non-East Asian patients (OS HR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.72-0.85; PFS HR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.56-0.85), with no significant difference between the two groups (Pinteraction=0.55 for OS; Pinteraction=0.33 for PFS). Subgroup analyses showed a statistically significant superior PFS (but not OS) for East Asians than non-East Asians in trials that used immune checkpoint inhibitor in the first-line treatment (Pinteraction=0.02). No significant regional difference was found in further subgroups of pure ICI and combination of ICI with chemotherapy.

    Conclusions: There is no significant difference in response to ICI between East Asians and non-East Asians with advanced stage NSCLC, and the statistically significant subgroup difference in PFS in the first line use of ICI may not be clinically significant.

    Matched MeSH terms: MEDLINE
  20. Zhong X, Xiong Y, Wei D, Wang S, Xiao Z, Liu M, et al.
    Complement Ther Med, 2020 Aug;52:102491.
    PMID: 32951740 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2020.102491
    BACKGROUND: Inconsistencies exist with regard to effect of maternal vitamin D supplementation on infant vitamin D status. The inconsistencies could be attributed to numerous factors, such as duration of intervention and dosage, among others. In this work, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the influence of maternal vitamin D supplementation on infant vitamin D status.

    METHODS: A comprehensive systematic search was performed in Scopus, EMBASE, Web of Science, and PubMed/MEDLINE, by investigators, from database inception until November 2019, without using any restrictions. Weighted mean difference (WMD) with the 95 % CI was used for assessing the effects of maternal vitamin D supplementation on 25(OH) D levels in infants.

    RESULTS: Overall results from 14 studies revealed a non-significant effect of maternal vitamin D administration on the level of 25(OH) D in breastfeeding infants (WMD: -0.464 ng/mL, 95 % CI: -6.68 to 5.75, p = 0.884, I2 = 98 %). Subgroup analyses demonstrated that vitamin D supplementation dosage ≥2000 IU/day (WMD: 9 ng/mL, 95 % CI: 8.19, 9.82, I2 = 99 %) and intervention duration ≥20 weeks (WMD: 16.20 ng/mL, 95 % CI: 14.89, 17.50, I2 = 99 %) significantly increased 25(OH) D.

    CONCLUSIONS: The main results indicate a non-significant increase in infant vitamin D following maternal vitamin D supplementation. Additionally, vitamin D supplementation dosage ≥2000 IU/day and intervention duration ≥20 weeks significantly increased infant 25(OH) D.

    Matched MeSH terms: MEDLINE
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