Objective To evaluate the short-term effectiveness and safety of laparoscopic versus conventional open left hepatectomy. Methods Databases including CENTRAL (Issue 1, 2012), MEDLINE/PubMed (1978 to 2012), EMbase (1966 to 2012), CBM (1978 to 2012), CNKI (1979 to 2012) and the Chinese Medical Association Figures Journal Systems (1990 to 2012) were searched to collect clinical trials on laparoscopic versus conventional open left hepatectomy. Relevant proceedings and references of the included studies were also retrieved manually. According to the inclusion criteria, two reviewers independently screened literature, extracted data and assessed quality. Then meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan5.0 software. Results No randomized controlled trials were collected, and a total of 5 clinical concurrent controlled trials involving 319 patients were included finally. The results of meta-analysis showed that, compared with the conventional open group, the laparoscopic group was longer in the operation time (WMD=40.89, 95%CI 29.39 to 55.38, Plt;0.000 01), and was lower in the intraoperative blood loss (WMD=−107.84, 95%CI −208.96 to −6.73, Plt;0.04); but there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of hospital stays (WMD=−3.78, 95%CI −9.60 to 2.04, P=0.20) or postoperative complications (WMD=0.69, 95%CI 0.37 to 1.29, P=0.25). Conclusion As a minimally invasive technique, laparoscopic left hepatectomy has advantages of small abdominal incision and less intraoperative blood loss, and it is helpful to improve the quality of life for patients. Due to the limitation of quantity and quality of the included studies, it is hard to estimate the impact of bias on the reliability of this conclusion. We advise to perform more high quality, large scale and multicenter studies with adequate follow-up in the future.
Objective To evaluate the clinical effectiveness and safety of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with argon-helium cryotherapy system (AHCS) for primary hepatic carcinomas (PHC), and to provide references for clinical practice and research. Methods Such databases as The Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMbase, Web of Science, CBM, CNKI, VIP and WanFang Data were searched, and other sources like the relavant references were also retrieved to collect the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) about TACE combiend with AHCS for PHC published by May 1st, 2012. After literature screening, data extraction and quality evaluation performed by two reviewers independently according to the inclusion criteria, the meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.1 software. Results A total of 16 RCTs involving 1 467 patients were included. The results of meta-analysis showed: a) The TACE+AHCS group was superior to the TACE alone group in total effective rate, complete necrosis rate, 0.5-, 1-, 1.5-, 2- and 2.5-year survival rates, AFP, CD4 and Th/Ts cells, and there were significant differences (Plt;0.05); and b) The TACE+AHCS group was superior to the AHCS alone group in 0.5-, 1.5-, 2- and 2.5-year survival rates, AFP and Th/Ts cells, and there were significant differences (Plt;0.05). Conclusion Compared with the TACE or AHCS alone, TACE combined with AHCS can improve long-term survival rate and short-term curative effect, and improve PHC patients’ immunity. However, its long-term curative effect and safety still needs to be further verified by more large sample and high quality RCTs.
Objective To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of different doses of interferon alfa (INF-α) in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C (CHC). Methods Such databases as MEDLINE, EMbase, CENTRAL, CBM, CNKI, VIP and WanFang Data were searched to collect the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on different doses of INF-α in the treatment of CHC published before August, 2012. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, two reviewers independently screened literature, extracted data and evaluated the quality of the included studies, and then meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.0 software. Results A total of 13 RCTs involving 1 442 patients were included. The results of meta-analysis on different doses of INF-α showed that, a) There was no significant difference in the complete response rate between the 3 MU dose group and the 1 MU dose group (RR=0.83, 95%CI 0.52 to 1.32, P=0.43), but there was significant difference in the sustained response rate between those 2 groups (RR=1.89, 95%CI 1.00 to 3.59, P=0.05); and b) No significant differences were found in the complete response rate among the 3 MU dose group, the 6 MU dose group, and the 1 MU dose group. Conclusion INF-α in dose of 3 MU, 3 times daily, is effective in treating CHC, but it would not rule out that higher dose takes more effective action. When INF-α is used to treat CHC, an individualized medication should be applied according to patients’ tolerance and economic status.
Objective To investigate the incidence and risk factors of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in patients with myocardial infarction. Methods A total of 634 patients with myocardial infarction from Beijing Anzhen Hospital were asked to take liver and gallbladder ultrasonography during hospitalization, and then divided into the NAFLD and non-NAFLD groups. The incidence and risk factors of the two groups were then analyzed. Results The incidence of NAFLD was 52.2% (331/634). Both body mass index (BMI) and serum alanine aminotransferase of the NAFLD group were higher than those of non-NAFLD group, with significant difference (Plt;0.05). The incidence of NAFLD was positively increased following the severity of coronary diseases (χ2=7.275, P=0.03). The result of multivariable logistic regression analysis showed BMI, multi-vessel lesions of coronary disease, and left main coronary artery lesion were the independent risk factors of NAFLD. Conclusion The myocardial infarction patients who are particularly complicated by overweight, multi-vessel lesions and left main coronary artery lesion have a higher incidence of NAFLD.
Objective To evaluate the effectivenss of Chinese herbal retention enema in viral hepatitis patients. Methods Such databases as The Cochrane library, PubMed, EMbase, VIP, CNKI, CBM and WanFang Data were searched from the inception to December, 2011 to collect the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) about Chinese herbal retention enema in treating viral hepatitis, and the references of the included literature were also retrieved. Two reviewers independently screened the literature according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, extracted the data, and evaluated and cross-checked the methodological quality. Then meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.0 software. Results A total of 20 RCTs involving 1 735 patients were included. The subgroup analyses based on the length of intervention time showed that: a) after 2-week intervention: the overall effective rate of the Chinese herbal retention enema group was higher than that of the control group, with a significant difference (OR=3.19, 95%CI 1.87 to 5.44, Plt;0.000 1). Compared with the control group, the Chinese herbal retention enema group better promoted the recovery of liver function by more reduction of AST (MD= ?82.50, 95%CI ?145.66 to ?19.34, P=0.01), ALT (MD= ?44.78, 95%CI 65.90 to ?23.66, Plt;0.000 1) and TBIL (MD= ?37.51, 95%CI ?74.07 to ?0.95, Plt;0.0001). b) After 1-month intervention: The overall effective rate of the Chinese herbal retention enema group was higher than that of the control group, with a significant difference (OR=4.17, 95%CI 2.37 to 7.32, Plt;0.000 01). Compared with the control group, the Chinese herbal retention enema group better promoted the recovery of liver function by more reduction of AST (MD= ?17.86, 95%CI ?29.97 to ?5.76, P=0.004), ALT (MD= ?27.84, 95%CI ?42.45 to ?13.24, P=0.000 2), and TBIL (MD= ?54.15, 95%CI ?116.52 to ?8.23, P=0.09). Conclusion Chinese herbal retention enema can improve the overall effective rate for viral hepatitis patients, alleviate virus damage to liver cell and promote liver function recovery. The commonly used Chinese medicinals for enema are Radix et Rhizoma Rhei, Herba Artemisiae Capillaris, Salvia miltiorrhiza, and Radix Paeoniae Rubra.
Objective To systematically evaluate the effectiveness and safety of laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH) versus open hepatectomy (OH) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods Databases including PubMed, EMbase, MEDLINE, SCI, CNKI, CBM, WanFang Data and The Cochrane Library (Issue 3, 2012) were searched to collect the randomized controlled trails (RCTs) and non-RCTs about LH versus OH for HCC. The retrieval time was from inception to August 2012. The studies were screened according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the data were extracted and the quality was evaluated by 2 reviewers independently. Then the meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.1 software. Results A total of 13 non-RCTs involving 701 patients were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that: Compared with OH, LH had lesser amount of intraoperative bleeding (MD=?144.09, 95%CI ?194.25 to ?93.94, Plt;0.000 01), shorter hospital stay (MD=?5.48, 95%CI ?7.10 to ?3.85, Plt;0.000 01), and lower postoperative complications (OR=0.43, 95%CI 0.27 to 0.66, P=0.000 1). But there were no differences between the 2 groups in operation time (MD=?0.64, 95%CI ?22.95 to 21.68, P=0.96), perioperative death rate, 3-5 year survival rate, and tumor free survival rate. Conclusion LH is superior to OH in treating HCC for it is associated with smaller wound, lesser operative blood loss, shorter hospital stay, and lower postoperative complications. And it is similar as OH in operation time, perioperative death rate and 3-5 year survival rate. So LH is safe and feasible for treating HCC when its indications are strictly controlled. However, for the quantity and quality limitation of the included studies, this conclusion still requires to be further proved by performing large scale and high quality RCTs. It suggests that doctors should choose a best therapy for HCC patients according to an integrative disease assessment.
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 systematically review the effectiveness and safety of implanting sustained-release 5-fluorouracil during hepatectomy in patients with primary liver cancer (PLC). Methods We electronically searched the following databases including CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMbase, WanFang Data, CBM, CNKI and VIP to collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the effectiveness and safety of implanting sustained-release 5-fluorouracil during hepatectomy vs. hepatectomy alone for PLC from inception to October, 2012. Two reviewers independently screened literature according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, extracted data and assessed the quality of the included studies. Then, meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.0 software. Results A total of 6 RCTs involving 951 patients were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that, implanting sustained-release 5-fluorouracil during hepatectomy significantly decreased the total recurrence rates of 1-year and 3-year (1 year: RR=0.48, 95%CI 0.36 to 0.65, Plt;0.000 01; 3 years: RR=0.69, 95%CI 0.50 to 0.96, P=0.03). However, the two groups were alike in decreasing the surem levels of AFP. Besides, the commonly-seen adverse reaction of implanting sustained-release 5-fluorouracil during hepatectomy included abdominal pain and bile leakage. Conclusion Implanting sustained-release 5-fluorouracil during hepatectomy can decrease the 1-year and 3-year recurrence rates of PLC patients, especially for HCC at the early stage. But this conclusion should be interpreted with caution and needs more strictly-designed RCTs with large sample size and enough long follow-up to verify.
Objective To systematically review the effectiveness and safety interferon-α (IFN-α) combined with lamivudine vs. IFN-α alone in treating children with Hepatitis B. Methods Such databases as The Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMbase, Web of Science, CBM, CNKI, VIP and WanFang Data were electronically searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on IFN-α combined with lamivudine in treating children with hepatitis B. Two reviewers screened literature, extracted data, and assessed the methodological quality of the included studies. Then, meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.0 software. Results 8 RCTs were included, with comparable baseline. The results of meta-analysis showed that, compared to the IFN-α alone group, the combined therapy group had higher negative rates of serum HBV-DNA and HBeAg. There was no significant difference in the positive rate of anti-Hbe and the incidence of adverse reaction between the two groups. Conclusion Current evidence shows that IFN-α combined with lamivudine was more effective than IFN-α alone in treating children’s hepatitis B.
Objective To assess the efficacy of telbivudine in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Methods Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of telbivudine therapy vs. lamivudine therapy in both Chinese and English were retrieved from seven electronic databases with a cut-off date in February 2010, including PubMed, EMbase, VIP, CBM, CNKI, and The Cochrane library. The meta-analyses and evaluation on methodology quality were performed for the included studies. Results Two RCTs as Grade-A study were included. The meta-analyses showed that telbivudine was superior to lamivudine in aspects of therapeutic response (RR=1.28, 95%CI 1.10 to 1.48, P=0.001), ALT normalization (RR=1.12, 95%CI 1.01 to 1.23, P=0.02), and PCR-negative HBV DNA or below the lower limit (RR=1.44, 95%CI 1.36 to 1.53, Plt;0.000 01), primary treatment failure (OR=0.28, 95%CI 0.18, to 0.43, Plt;0.000 01), viral breakthrough (OR=0.38, 95%CI 0.32 to 0.47, Plt;0.000 01) and viral resistance (OR=0.44, 95%CI 0.36 to 0.55, Plt;0.000 01). Conclusion Based on the current clinical evidence, telbivudine demonstrates superiority in comparison with lamivudine on all direct measures of antiviral efficacy for CHB. Because of the short follow-up duration and the small sample size of the included studies, it is expected to further discuss the long-term efficacy.