The value of serum B-subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin level in prediction of treatment response to methotrexate in management of ectopic pregnancy; a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: No consensus has been reached on prognostic value of serum concentration of β (beta) subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) in treatment response to methotrexate in management of ectopic pregnancy. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate this subject through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Materials and Methods: An extensive literature search on online databases was performed. All studies performed on ectopic pregnancy patients treated by methotrexate from all age groups were included. After collecting data, random effect models were used to calculate t he pooled standardized mean difference (SMD) of β-hCG level in treatment success and treatment failure groups. Finally, pooled performance screening characteristics of serum β-hCG level were assessed in different cut offs. Results: Finally, 51 articles were included in meta-analysis. Overall treatment success rate of methotrexate was 84 95% confidence interval (CI): 84-85 percent. A negative association was found between serum β-hCG level and the treatment response before intervention (SMD= -1.10, 95% CI: -1.39 to -0.88). In addition, pooled sensitivity, specificity, and prognostic odds ratio of β-hCG in the 2000 mIU/mL cut off were: 0.75 (0.65-0.82), 0.68 (0.58-0.82), and 6.0 (5.0-8.0), respectively. Conclusion: The present meta-analysis showed that serum β-hCG concentration before treatment could predict success of methotrexate in management of ectopic pregnancy

The role of alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in inflammatory bowel disease: involvement of different cellular pathways

INTRODUCTION: Autonomic imbalance plays a pivotal role in the pathophysiology of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). The central nervous system (CNS) cooperates dynamically with the immune system to regulate in fl ammation through humoral and neural pathways. In particular, acetylcholine (Ach), the main neurotransmitter in the vagus nerve, decreases the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines through a mechanism dependent on the alpha7 nicotinic Ach receptors (alpha7nAChRs). Areas covered: Here, we review the evidence for involvement of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway (CAP) in IBD. We also elaborate the role of alpha7nAChRs and subsequent cellular pathways in CAP. Finally, we review potential therapeutic implications of modulators of these receptors. Expert opinion: Alpha7nAChR modulators possess both cognitive improving and anti-inflammatory properties. Although, these agents demonstrated therapeutic benefits in experimental models, their efficacy has not always been translated in clinical trials. Thus, development of more specific alpha7nAChR ligands as well as more experimental studies and better controlled trials, especially in the field of IBD, are encouraged for a progress in this field

Validation of thoracic injury rule out criteria as a decision instrument for screening of chest radiography in blunt thoracic trauma

Background: Thoracic injury rule out criteria (TIRC) were first introduced as a decision instrument for selective chest radiography in blunt thoracic trauma in 2014. However, the validity of this model has not been assessed in other studies. In this regard, the present survey evaluates the validity of TIRC model in a multi-center setting. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, clinical presentations and chest radiograms of multiple trauma patients referring to 6 educational hospitals in Iran were evaluated. Data were gathered prospectively during 2015. In each center, data collection and interpretation of radiograms were conducted by two different emergency medicine specialists. Measures were then taken for assessment of discriminatory power and calibration of the model. Results: Data from 2905 patients were gathered (73.17 were male; the mean age was 33.53 ± 15.42 years). Area under the receiver operating characteristics curve of the TIRC model for detection of thoracic traumatic injuries was 0.93 (95CI: 0.93-0.94). Sensitivity and specificity of the model were 100 (98.91-100) and 67.65 (65.76-69.45), respectively. The intercept of TIRC calibration plot was 0.08 (95CI: 0.07-0.09), and its slope was 1.19 (95CI: 1.15-1.24), which are indicative of the model being perfect in detecting presence or absence of lesions in chest radiograms. Conclusion: The findings are corroborative of external validation, good discrimination, and proper calibration of TIRC model in screening of multiple trauma patients for obtaining chest radiograms. © 2016 Delhi Orthopedic Association

Transplantation of olfactory ensheathing cells on functional recovery and neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury; systematic review and meta-analysis

There are considerable disagreements on the application of olfactory ensheathing cells (OEC) for spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation. The present meta-analysis was designed to investigate the efficacy of OEC transplantation on motor function recovery and neuropathic pain alleviation in SCI animal models. Accordingly, all related studies were identified and included. Two independent researchers assessed the quality of the articles and summarized them by calculating standardized mean differences (SMD). OEC transplantation was shown to significantly improve functional recovery (SMD = 1.36; 95% confidence interval: 1.05-1.68; p < 0.001). The efficacy of this method was higher in thoracic injuries (SMD = 1.41; 95% confidence interval: 1.08-1.74; p < 0.001) and allogeneic transplants (SMD = 1.53; 95% confidence interval: 1.15-1.90; p < 0.001). OEC transplantation had no considerable effects on the improvement of hyperalgesia (SMD = -0.095; 95% confidence interval: -0.42-0.23; p = 0.57) but when the analyses were limited to studies with follow-up = 8 weeks, it was associated with increased hyperalgesia (SMD = -0.66; 95% confidence interval: -1.28-0.04; p = 0.04). OEC transplantation did not affect SCI-induced allodynia (SMD = 0.54; 95% confidence interval: -0.80-1.87; p = 0.43). Our findings showed that OEC transplantation can significantly improve motor function post-SCI, but it has no effect on allodynia and might lead to relative aggravation of hyperalgesia

Age, Period and Cohort Analysis of Smoking Prevalence in Iranian Population over a 25-Year Period.

BACKGROUND: Current and daily smoking prevalence rates have been have investigated in several cross-sectional studies. However, analyses in terms of age-period-cohort (APC) have not been carried out. We assessed daily smoking dynamics over a 25-year period using the APC model. METHODS: In our analyses, we used data from 214,652 people aged 15 to 64 years, collected by national health surveys conducted in 1990-1991, 1999, 2005, 2007, 2011 and 2016. The Intrinsic Estimator model was used to analyze the impact of APC on daily smoking prevalence. RESULTS: Males were found to exhibit a higher prevalence of smoking compared to females (26.0% against 2.7%). Prevalence of smoking increased by age, peaking at the age groups of 40-44 in men and 45-49 in women, followed by a decreasing trend. The 1990 period had the highest prevalence in both genders, and the 2016 period had the lowest. The coefficients of birth cohort effects showed different patter19s of fluctuations in the two genders with the maximum and minimum coefficients for men calculated in the 1966-1970 and 1991-95 birth cohorts, and for females the 1931-1935 and 1971-1975 birth cohorts, respectively. CONCLUSION: We showed the impact of APC on daily tobacco smoking prevalence, and these factors should be considered when dealing with smoking