Objective To evaluate the value of MRI and MDCT in detecting both inferior vena cava tumor thrombus and vena cava wall invasion in renal cell carcinoma. Methods Databases including PubMed, EMbase, The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE (Ovid), CBM, CNKI, VIP and WanFang Data were searched from January 2000 to February 2012. Relevant studies were screened on the basis of the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and then quality assessment and data extraction were conducted. Then heterogeneity test and meta-analysis were conducted using RevMan 5 and Meta-disc 1.4. Results A total of 6 trials involving 244 patients and 246 cases of renal cell carcinoma were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that, for the MRI group and the MDCT group, the sensitivity was 0.963 and 0.952, the specificity was 0.969 and 0.979, the value of +LR was 9.759 and 15.57, the value of −LR was 0.091 and 0.108, and the dOR was 198.71 and 251.54, respectively. There were no significant differences in pooled effect-size among groups (Pgt;0.05). The area under curve (AUC) of summary ROC curve analysis as well as Q index of the MDCT group were 0.981 8 and 0.940 7, respectively. Conclusion There is no significant difference in the value of MRI and MDCT in detecting inferior vena cava tumor thrombus induced by renal cell carcinoma. More original studies on vena cava wall invasion by tumor thrombus should be conducted in the future due to the limitation of current materials.
Objective To systematically review the effectiveness and safety of flexible ureteroscope lithtripsy (fURL) and percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) in treating renal calculus. Methods Such databases as MEDLINE, EMbase, The Cochrane Library, CNKI, CBM, VIP, and WanFang Data from January, 1990 to August, 2012 were searched to comprehensively collect the clinical trials that compared fURL and PCNL in treating renal calculus. Two reviewers independently screened studies according to exclusion and inclusion criteria, extracted data, and assessed the methodological quality. Then, meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.1 software. Results Eight non-randomized controlled trials involving 536 patients were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that, PCNL was better than fURL in stone clearance (OR=0.26, 95%CI 0.15 to 0.46), but fURL was better than PCNL in postoperative pyrexia (OR=0.1, 95%CI 0.42 to 3.35), the incidence of blood transfusion (OR=0.17, 95%CI 0.03 to 1.00), and the duration of hospitalization (P=0.45, I2=0%). Conclusion Current evidence has proved that PCNL is better than fURL in decreasing stone clearance, fURL is better than PCNL in complication, the duration of hospitalization, and medical costs.
Objective To investigate financial burden of in-patients with hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal gland/gonad diseases in the West China Hospital of Sichuan University, 2011, so as to provide baseline data for further research. Methods The data of in-patients (who had been discharged from the department of endocrinology and metabolism or discharged after being transferred to other departments for diagnosis and treatment in the West China Hospital in 2011) were collected from the Hospital Information System (HIS) of the West China Hospital, including basic information, initial diagnosis when the patients were discharged, hospital costs, the information about whether the patients had been registered the insurance in hospital, etc. We classified diseases according to ICD-10 based on the initial diagnosis when the patients were discharged on the first page of case reports. The data were input using Excel 2010 software, and statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 13.0 software. Results The results showed that: in 2011, 352 person-times of in-patients with hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal gland/gonad disease as first diagnosis were hospitalized in the department of endocrinology and metabolism, of which, 139 were male and 213 were female, with mean age of 42.9±15.0 years; and b) median hospital stay was 11 days, the average cost of hospital stay for each patient was RMB 4 361.09 yuan, most of which was for lab tests, examination, and biomedicine cost. Conclusion Hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal gland/gonad diseases are an important health problem in the department of endocrinology and metabolism in a Triple-A Hospital. Most of hospitalization costs are for lab tests, examination, and biomedicine cost.
Objective To systematically review the methodological quality of guidelines concerning pharmacological intervention for complicated hypertension. Methods The databases and relevant guideline websites such as MEDLINE, EMbase, CBM, WangFang Data, National Guideline Clearinghouse (NGC), Guidelines International Network (GIN), National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and Clinical Practice Guideline Network (CPGN) were searched to collect the clinical guidelines concerning pharmacological intervention for complicated hypertension. By adopting the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE), the methodological quality of guidelines was assessed. Meanwhile the similarities, differences and features of drug recommendation in guidelines for different areas and diseases were analyzed by means of analogy comparison.Results A total of 21 guidelines concerning pharmacological intervention for complicated hypertension were included. The number of guidelines concerning hypertension complicated with coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, diabetes mellitus (DM) and kidney disease (KD) was 5, 5, 7 and 4, respectively. The publication year ranged from 2000 to 2011. According to the AGREE instrument, 19 and 2 guidelines were graded as Level B and C, respectively. The overall guidelines got low average scores in the domain of “Stakeholder involvement” and “Applicability”, including 9 evidence-based guidelines. There were totally 4 and 3 classes in terms of the level of evidence and recommendation, respectively; moreover, 10 and 6 expression forms were adopted in the level of evidence and recommendation, respectively. For hypertension with angina pectoris, -blocker (BB) and calcium channel blocker (CCB) were recommended unanimously. For hypertension with myocardial infarction, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) and BB were recommended unanimously. For hypertension with heart failure, ACEI, angiotensin-receptor blocker (ARB) and BB were recommended unanimously. For hypertension with later stage of post-stroke, 76.47% guidelines recommended diuretic (D) and ACEI. For hypertension with acute stroke, recommendations were mainly based on the guidelines developed by American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA). For hypertension with DM or KD, the guidelines basically recommended that systolic/diastolic pressure should be controlled in the range of less than 130/80 mmHg. For hypertension with DM, ACEI were recommended unanimously, followed by D and CCB. For hypertension with KD, ACEI/ARB was recommended, while 3 of the 5 guidelines recommending CCB were from Asian. Conclusion The overall methodological qualities of complicated hypertension guidelines differs, with high proportion of evidence-based guidelines. The classification criteria of the levels of evidence and recommendation are still suboptimal. For hypertension with CHD, DM, KD and later stage of stroke, results from high quality clinical evidence are consistent, and the recommendations are basically unanimous, with no regional and quality difference. But in some clinical researches beyond reaching a consensus at present, the recommendation discrepancy exists, and there still remains controversy for hypertension with acute stroke.
Objective To conduct Meta-analyses on published literatures about the Jianpi Bushen Decoction combined with western medicine for dysfunctional uterine bleeding (DUB), so as to evaluate its efficacy and safety compared with the western medicine treatment. Methods The following databases such as PubMed (1995 to 2011), EMCC (1995 to 2011), CBM (1995 to 2011), CNKI (1995 to 2011), Wanfang (1989 to 2011) and VIP (1989 to 2011) were searched to collect the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on Jianpi Bushen Decoction combined with western medicine for DUB. The selection of studies, assessment of methodological quality and data extraction were performed independently by two reviewers according to the Cochrane systematic review methods, and Meta-analyses were performed by using RevMan5.0 software. Results A total of 12 RCTs involving 925 cases were included, of which 471 ones were in the experimental group while the other 454 ones were in the control group. Each study was comparable in baseline data, all with reporting of using random methods, but no mention of detailed random methods, blind methods and allocation concealment. The results of Meta-analyses indicated that compared with single therapy of western medicine, Jianpi Bushen Decoction combined with western medicine for DUB was superior in the total effective rate (OR=5.60, 95%CI 3.25 to 9.67, Plt;0.000 01), bleeding recovery rate (OR=3.79, 95%CI 2.70 to 5.32, Plt;0.000 01), and bleeding recurrence rate (OR=0.14, 95%CI 0.05 to 0.42, P=0.000 5), with significant differences. Conclusions The integrated treatment of Jianpi Bushen Decoction and western medicine has certain effects on dysfunctional uterine bleeding, and it may be a promising treatment option. Due to the poor quality and high possibility of bias of the included studies, more well-designed multi-centered RCTs should be performed.
Objective To assess the efficacy of Tongxinluo for diabetic kidney disease. Methods we conducted a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in which Tongxinluo was used to treat diabetic kidney disease. And we screened relevant studies according to predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, evaluated the quality of the included studies, and performed meta-analyses by using The Cochrane Collaboration’s Revman 5.0 software. Results A total of 11 RCTs were enrolled in the review. The results of meta-analysis showed that Tongxinluo was better on attenuating 24 hour urinary protein,BUN and UAER; Tongxinluo was not superior to no treatment on the improvement of Scr and Ccr; Tongxinluo was better than no treatment on the Regulation of blood lipids, such as TC, TG, LDL-C. However, Tongxinluo might have similar effects on the improvement of HDL-C; Tongxinluo was better than no treatment on the improvement of FBG, but xuezhikang was not superior to no treatment on the improvement of P2BG and HbA1c. Tongxinluo was better than no treatment in decreasing plasma endothelin (ET). No significant adverse effects or Allergic reactions were reported. Conclusion The evidence currently available shows that Tongxinluo has some effect and is relatively safe in treating patients with diabetic kidney disease.Due to a high risk of selection bias and detection bias in the included studies, the evidence is insufficient to determine the effect of Tongxinluo. Further large-scale trials are required to define the role of xuezhikang in the treatment of DKD.
Objective To assess the effectiveness of statins in treating early diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Methods We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Issue 2, 2009), MEDLINE (1991 to August 2009), EMbase (1991 to August 2009), CBMdisc (1991 to August 2009) and CNKI (1994 to August 2009). We also handsearched relevant journals and conference proceedings. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in which statins were used to treat patients with early DKD were collected. Then we screened the retrieved studies according to predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, evaluated the quality of the included studies, and performed meta-analyses by RevMan 4.2 software. Results A total of 281 articles were found and 22 articles inolving 1838 patients were finally included. All these articles were regarded as low quality. We chose the random-effect model to conduct meta-analysis because significant heterogeneities were found among these articles. The results of meta-analysis showed that after treatment with statins, there were significant reductions in urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER) (WMD= –55.77, 95%CI –74.20 to –37.34, Plt;0.000 01), serum creatinine (Scr) (WMD= –4.34, 95%CI –6.74 to –1.94, P=0.000 4), C reactive protein (CRP) (WMD= –1.48, 95%CI – 2.32 to – 0.63, P=0.006), total cholesterol (TC) (WMD= –1.33, 95%CI –1.75 to –0.91, Plt;0.000 01), and triglyceride (TG) (WMD= –0.72, 95%CI-1.17 to -0.27, P=0.002) in group treatment compared with group control. Funnel-plot displayed a symmetrical figure, indicating there was no publication bias. No severe adverse effects were found in these articles except 12 patients with high level of transaminase which were cured after using hepatic protect therapy. Conclusion Currently available evidence shows that with the reduction of TC and TG, statins may decrease UAER and Scr in patients with early DKD and the reduction of CRP may be involved in the mechanism. Statins provide effective renal protection and no severe adverse effects in treating early DKD. However, due to lack of quality in the included studies, more studies of better quality should be conducted
Objective To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) withdrawal from target-of-rapamycin-inhibitor(TOR-I)-based immunosuppression in kidney transplant recipients. Methods We searched MEDLINE, EMbase, SCI, CBM and The Cochrane Library to screen randomized controlled trials (RCT) of calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) withdrawal from target-of-rapamycin-inhibitor-(TOR-I)-based immunosuppression in kidney transplant recipients. The search was updated in Semptember 2009. The quality of the included trials was assessed. RevMan 5.0 software was used for meta-analyses. Results A total of 14 reports from 10 RCTs were identified. Five RCTs were graded A and five graded B. The meta-analyses indicated: RR (95%CI) values of the 1, 2, 4-year acute rejection rates were 1.64 (1.19, 2.27), 1.53 (1.06, 2.22) and 1.21 (0.73, 1.98), respectively; RD (95%CI) values of 1, 2, 4-year patient survival rates were – 0.01 (– 0.02, 0.01), – 0.00 (– 0.03, 0.02) and 0.03 (– 0.01, 0.08), respectively; RD (95%CI) values of 1, 2, 4-year graft survival rates were 0.00 (– 0.02, 0.02), 0.00 (– 0.03, 0.04) and 0.07 (0.01, 0.12), respectively; and glomerular filtration rate WMD was 9.50 and 95%CI 2.96 to 16.03. Conclusion Based on the current evidence, compared to CNI, CNI withdrawal from sirolimus-based immunosuppression in kidney transplantation could be advantageous for renal function. One-year acute rejection rate and 4-year graft survival rate increase. One-year patient/graft survival and fouryear acute rejection rate remain virtually unvariable. The long-term results need further confirmation.
Objective To study the association between the insertion(I)/deletion(D) polymorphism of the angiotensin-converting enzyme gene intron 16 (ACE/ID) and diabetic nephropathy (DN) among Chinese population by Meta-analysis. Methods Odds ratios of ACE/ID genotype distributions were analyzed in NIDDM or IDDM patients with and without DN. All the related studies on ACE/ID polymorphism and DN were identified while poor-qualified studies were excluded, and the risk of publication bias was estiMetad. The Meta-analysis software, RevMan 3.1, was applied for investigating heterogeneity among individual studies and summarizing effects across studies by proper statistical methods. Result The pooled odds ratios (with 95%CI) of DD vs ID + II and II vs ID + DD were 2.17 (1.74-2.70) and 0.49 (0.36-0.66) in NIDDM (12 studies), 3.92 (2.05-7.47) and 0.19 (0.09-0.43) in IDDM (3 studies) respectively (Plt;0.01). Conclusion In both NIDDM and IDDM, ACE/ID polymorphism is believed to be associated with diabetic nephropathy. The number of DN patients with DD genotype has been increased while that with II genotype decreased.