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• Nasal nitric oxide measurement in allergic rhinitis and non-allergic rhinitis: a meta-analysis

  Dahlan, Ahmad Faiz; Islam, Md Asiful; Shukri, Norasnieda Md; Abdullah, Baharudin; WHO Collaborating Centre for Global Women’s Health, Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK; Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia. (Pacini Editore, 2024-04-22)

  The goal of this meta-analysis was to study nasal nitric oxide (nNO) measurements in allergic rhinitis (AR) and non-allergic rhinitis (non-AR). The protocol was registered with PROSPERO (no: CRD4202124828). Electronic databases from PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane were all thoroughly searched and studies were chosen based on the qualifying requirements. The quality of the studies was evaluated by Joanna Briggs Institute evaluation tools, and publication bias using funnel plots. The meta-analysis included 18 studies, whereas the systematic review included 20 studies, totaling 3097 participants (1581 AR, 458 non-AR, and 1058 healthy/control). Patients with AR had significantly greater nNO levels than the control group, although this did not change significantly before or after treatment. AR patients had significantly greater nNO levels than non-AR patients, but there was no significant difference between non-AR patients and healthy controls. Nineteen of the studies were of high quality and the remaining one was of moderate quality. nNO measurement has a promising role in the management of AR and non-AR patients, but more investigations are needed to document clinical benefits.
• Genetic variants associated with response to platinum-based chemotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer patients: A field synopsis and meta‐analysis

  Sito, Hilary; Sharzehan, Mohamad Ayub Khan; Islam, Md Asiful; Tan, Shing Chen; University of Birmingham; UKM Medical Molecular Biology Institute, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Frontiers Media SA, 2024-02-21)

  Background: Publications on the associations of genetic variants with the response to platinum-based chemotherapy (PBC) in NSCLC patients have surged over the years, but the results have been inconsistent. Here, a comprehensive meta-analysis was conducted to combine eligible studies for a more accurate assessment of the pharmacogenetics of PBC in NSCLC patients. Methods: Relevant publications were searched in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases through 15 May 2021. Inclusion criteria for eligible publications include studies that reported genotype and allele frequencies of NSCLC patients treated with PBC, delineated by their treatment response (sensitive vs. resistant). Publications on cell lines or animal models, duplicate reports, and non-primary research were excluded. Epidemiological credibility of cumulative evidence was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) and Venice criteria. Begg’s and Egger’s tests were used to assess publication bias. Cochran’s Q-test and I2 test were used to calculate the odds ratio and heterogeneity value to proceed with the random effects or fixed-effects method. Venice criteria were used to assess the strength of evidence, replication methods and protection against bias in the studies. Results: A total of 121 publications comprising 29,478 subjects were included in this study, and meta-analyses were performed on 184 genetic variants. Twelve genetic variants from 10 candidate genes showed significant associations with PBC response in NSCLC patients with strong or moderate cumulative epidemiological evidence (increased risk: ERCC1 rs3212986, ERCC2 rs1799793, ERCC2 rs1052555, and CYP1A1 rs1048943; decreased risk: GSTM1 rs36631, XRCC1 rs1799782 and rs25487, XRCC3 rs861539, XPC rs77907221, ABCC2 rs717620, ABCG2 rs2231142, and CDA rs1048977). Bioinformatics analysis predicted possible damaging or deleterious effects for XRCC1 rs1799782 and possible low or medium functional impact for CYP1A1 rs1048943. Conclusion: Our results provide an up-to-date summary of the association between genetic variants and response to PBC in NSCLC patients.
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  Global prevalence of zika and chikungunya coinfection: a systematic review and meta-analysis

  Ahmed, Saleh; Sultana, Shabiha; Kundu, Shoumik; Alam, Sayeda Sadia; Hossan, Tareq; Islam, Md Asiful; Center for Biotechnology and Genomic Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA. (MDPI, 2024-01-31)

  Zika virus (ZIKV) and chikungunya virus (CHIKV) are arthropod-borne viruses with significant pathogenicity, posing a substantial health and economic burden on a global scale. Moreover, ZIKV-CHIKV coinfection imposes additional therapeutic challenges as there is no specific treatment for ZIKV or CHIKV infection. While a growing number of studies have documented the ZIKV-CHIKV coinfection, there is currently a lack of conclusive reports on this coinfection. Therefore, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the true statistics of ZIKV-CHIKV coinfection in the global human population. Relevant studies were searched for in PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar without limitation in terms of language or publication date. A total of 33 studies containing 41,460 participants were included in this meta-analysis. The study protocol was registered with PROSPERO under the registration number CRD42020176409. The pooled prevalence and confidence intervals of ZIKV-CHIKV coinfection were computed using a random-effects model. The study estimated a combined global prevalence rate of 1.0% [95% CI: 0.7–1.2] for the occurrence of ZIKV-CHIKV coinfection. The region of North America (Mexico, Haiti, and Nicaragua) and the country of Haiti demonstrated maximum prevalence rates of 2.8% [95% CI: 1.5–4.1] and 3.5% [95% CI: 0.2–6.8], respectively. Moreover, the prevalence of coinfection was found to be higher in the paediatric group (2.1% [95% CI: 0.0–4.2]) in comparison with the adult group (0.7% [95% CI: 0.2–1.1]). These findings suggest that the occurrence of ZIKV-CHIKV coinfection varies geographically and by age group. The results of this meta-analysis will guide future investigations seeking to understand the underlying reasons for these variations and the causes of coinfection and to develop targeted prevention and control strategies.
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  Prevalence of undiagnosed metabolic syndrome using three different definitions and identifying associated risk factors among apparently healthy adults in Karachi, Pakistan: a cross-sectional survey in the year 2022

  Adil, Syed Omair; Musa, Kamarul Imran; Uddin, Fareed; Khan, Asima; Khan, Irfanullah; Shakeel, Areebah; Shafique, Kashif; Islam, Md Asiful; Department of Community Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Health Campus, 16150, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia. omair.adil@student.usm.my. (BMC, 2024-02-20)

  Objective: To determine the prevalence and associated risk factors of undiagnosed metabolic syndrome (MetS) using three different definitions among apparently healthy adults of Karachi, Pakistan. Methods: This community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in Karachi, Pakistan, from January 2022 to August 2022. A total of 1065 healthy individuals aged 25–80 years of any gender were consecutively included. MetS was assessed using the National Cholesterol Education Program for Adult Treatment Panel (NCEP-ATP) III guidelines, International Diabetes Federation (IDF), and modified NCEP-ATP III. Results: The prevalence of MetS was highest with the modified NCEP-ATP III definition at 33.9% (95% CI: 31–36), followed by the IDF definition at 32.2% (95% CI: 29–35). In contrast, the prevalence was lower at 22.4% (95% CI: 19–25) when using the NCEP ATP III definition. The risk of MetS significantly increases with higher BMI, as defined by the IDF criteria (adjusted OR [ORadj] 1.13, 95% CI 1.09–2.43), NCEP-ATP III criteria (ORadj 1.15, 95% CI 1.11–1.19), and modified NCEP-ATP III criteria (ORadj 1.16, 95% CI 1.12–1.20). Current smokers had significantly higher odds of MetS according to the IDF (ORadj 2.72, 95% CI 1.84–4.03), NCEP-ATP III (ORadj 3.93, 95% CI 2.55–6.06), and modified NCEP-ATP III (ORadj 0.62, 95% CI 0.43–0.88). Areca nut use was associated with higher odds of MetS according to both IDF (ORadj 1.71, 95% CI 1.19–2.47) and modified NCEP-ATP III criteria (ORadj 1.58, 95% CI 1.10–2.72). Furthermore, low physical activity had significantly higher odds of MetS according to the NCEP-ATP III (ORadj 1.36, 95% CI 1.01–1.84) and modified NCEP-ATP III criteria (ORadj 1.56, 95% CI 1.08–2.26). Conclusion: One-third of the healthy individuals were diagnosed with MetS based on IDF, NCEP-ATP III, and modified NCEP-ATP III criteria. A higher BMI, current smoking, areca nut use, and low physical activity were significant factors.
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  Sex differences in the acoustic structure of terrestrial alarm calls in vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus)

  Dubreuil, Colin; Notman, Hugh; Barrett, Louise; Henzi, Peter; Pavelka, Mary S.M.; Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (Wiley, 2024-08-20)

  The alarm calls of vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) have been the subject of considerable focus by researchers, owing primarily to the purported referential qualities of different alarm call types. With this focus on reference, acoustic variation among calls elicited by the same range of predators has typically been overlooked. Specifically, at least one type of alarm call—the terrestrial alarm—was described over 50 years ago as being acoustically distinct between males and females—a description that has largely eluded more systematic scrutiny. Here, we provide a quantitative acoustic analysis and comparison of terrestrial alarm calls produced by adult male and female vervet monkeys. We use a random forest model to determine which acoustic variables best distinguish between the calls of males and females, and use an unsupervised clustering technique to objectively determine whether alarms produced by each sex fall into discrete types. We found that the calls of males and females differed most in frequency-based parameters, with male alarms containing more energy at lower frequencies relative to females. Calls produced by males were also of longer duration, and consisted of longer individual call elements relative to female calls. While calls generally fell into clusters associated with either male or female alarms, we found that some fell into atypical clusters given the caller's sex, and that the clusters themselves showed evidence of intergradation. We discuss these results in terms of potential differences in the function of, and motivation for, calling by males and females. We emphasize the need for a more holistic approach to the classification of vocal signals that considers contextual, functional, and structural variation.

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