Tag: statistics

Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2021 Nov 1;22(11):3441-3445. doi: 10.31557/APJCP.2021.22.11.3441.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: HPV detection has been proposed as part of the co-testing which improves the sensitivity of cervical screening. However, the commercially liquid-based medium adds cost in low-resource areas. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of ice-cold phosphate buffer saline (PBS) for HPV detection.

METHODS: HPV DNA from SiHa cells (with 1-2 copies of HPV16 per cell) preserved in ice-cold PBS or PreserveCyt solution at different time points (24, 36, 48, 72, 120 and 168 h) was tested in triplicate using Cobas 4800. The threshold cycle (Ct) values of both solutions were compared. An estimated false negative rate of PBS was also assessed by using the difference in Ct values between both solutions (∆Ct) and Ct values of HPV16-positive PreserveCyt clinical samples (Ctsample) at corresponding time points. Samples with a (Ctsample+∆Ct) value > 40.5 (the cutoff of HPV16 DNA by Cobas 4800) were considered as false negativity.

RESULTS: The Ct values of HPV16 DNA of SiHa cells collected in PBS were higher than PreserveCyt ranging from 0.43 to 2.36 cycles depending on incubation times. There was no significant difference at 24, 72, 120, and 168 h. However, the Ct values were statistically significantly higher for PBS than PreserveCyt at 36 h (31.00 vs 29.26), and 48 h (31.06 vs 28.70). A retrospective analysis in 47 clinical PreserveCyt collected samples that were positive for HPV16 DNA found that 1 case (2%) would become negative if collected in ice-cold PBS.

CONCLUSIONS: The PBS might be an alternative collecting medium for HPV detection in the low-resource areas. Further evaluations are warranted.

PMID:34837897 | DOI:10.31557/APJCP.2021.22.11.3441

Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2021 Nov 1;22(11):3493-3498. doi: 10.31557/APJCP.2021.22.11.3493.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Abnormal activation of the β-catenin signaling pathway is involved in various malignancies, including breast carcinoma.Aberrant expression of β-catenin has been associated with more aggressive behaviors of breast cancer in some previous studies. . In the present study, we intend to evaluate the β-catenin expression in breast cancer specimens and study its relationship with clinicopathological parameters.

MATERIALS AND METHOD: In this cross-sectional study,88 samples diagnosed as invasive ductal breast carcinoma from 2007 to 2017 were evaluated. The slides and paraffin blocks were retrieved from the archive of pathology department. Patients’ clinical characteristics and other information were also extracted from medical documents. Sections from related paraffin blocks through the tissue microarray method were provided, and immunohistochemistry staining for β-catenin was done. Then different patterns of β-catenin expression and the relationship between different patterns and clinicopathological parameters were investigated.

RESULTS: Of the 88 breast cancer samples, 94% were female, and 6% were male. In 70% of the samples, normal membrane expression of β-catenin was observed. Whereas in 30% of them, aberrant expression of β-catenin was observed. A close significant relationship was observed between aberrant β-catenin expression and age over 50 years (p-value: 0.093) and negative HER2 (p-value: 0.07).

CONCLUSION: In the present study, a correlation was observed between aberrant β-catenin expression and age over 50 years in patients and HER2 negativity, although this association was not statistically significant.

PMID:34837904 | DOI:10.31557/APJCP.2021.22.11.3493

Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2021 Nov 1;22(11):3419-3431. doi: 10.31557/APJCP.2021.22.11.3419.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: In spite of substantial declines in both incidence and mortality rates in the past 50 years, cervical cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer associated mortality among women globally. We performed this meta-analysis to explore the role of XRCC3 rs861539, MTHFR rs1801133, IL-6 rs1800795, IL-12B rs3212227, TNF-α rs1800629 and TLR9 rs352140 polymorphism with susceptibility to cervical carcinoma.

METHODS: The search databases include PubMed, SciELO, MedRxiv, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and China Biology Medicine disc up to 30 June 2021. The language is limited to English and Chinese. The comparison between the polymorphisms and cervical cancer was assessed using pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). The data are statistically analyzed by Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) 2.0 software.

RESULTS: A total of 59 studies including seven studies with 1,112 cases and 1,233 controls on XRCC3 rs861539, 14 studies with 2,694 cases and 3349 controls MTHFR rs1801133, four studies with 1,121 cases and 1,109 controls on IL-12B rs3212227, seven studies with 1,452 cases and 2,186 controls on IL-6 rs1800795, 20 studies with 4,781 cases and 4909 controls on TNF-α rs1800629, and seven studies with 1743 cases and 2292 controls on TLR9 rs352140 were included. There was a significant association between XRCC3 RS861539, TNF-α rs1800629, and IL-6 rs1800795 polymorphisms and an increased risk of cervical carcinoma in overall population. However, the MTHFR rs1801133, IL-12B rs3212227 and TLR9 rs352140 polymorphisms were not associated.

CONCLUSION: The pooled analysis showed that XRCC3 RS861539, TNF-α rs1800629, and IL-6 rs1800795 were associated with cervical carcinoma susceptibility, but not MTHFR rs1801133, IL-12B rs3212227 and TLR9 rs352140 polymorphisms.

PMID:34837895 | DOI:10.31557/APJCP.2021.22.11.3419

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2021 Nov 24;228:113012. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.113012. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Arsenic is a well-known carcinogen with emerging reports showing a range of health outcomes even for low to moderate levels of exposure. This study deals with arsenic exposure and associated increased lifetime cancer risk for populations in arsenic-endemic regions of rural Bengal, where arsenic-safe drinking water is being supplied at present. We found a median total exposure of inorganic arsenic to be 2. 9 μg/Kg BW/day (5^th and 95^th percentiles were 1.1 μg/Kg BW/day and 7.9 μg/Kg BW/day); with major contribution from cooked rice intake (2.4 µg/Kg BW/day). A significant number of households drank arsenic safe water but used arsenic-rich water for rice cooking. As a result, 67% participants had inorganic arsenic intake above the JEFCA threshold value of 3 μg/Kg BW/day for cancer risk from only rice consumption when arsenic contaminated water was used for cooking (median: 3.5 μg/Kg BW/day) compared to 29% participants that relied on arsenic-free cooking water (median: 1.0 µg/kg BW/day). Arsenic in urine samples of study participants ranged from 31.7 to 520 µg/L and was significantly associated with the arsenic intake (r = 0.76); confirming the preponderance of arsenic exposure from cooked rice. The median arsenic attributable cancer risks from drinking water and cooked rice were estimated to be 2.4 × 10^-5 and 2.7 × 10^-4 respectively, which further emphasized the importance of arsenic exposure from staple diet. Our results show that any mitigation strategy should include both drinking water and local staple foods in order to minimize the potential health risks of arsenic exposure.

PMID:34837872 | DOI:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.113012

Eur J Cancer. 2021 Nov 24;159:283-295. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2021.09.028. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer may present genomic alterations leading to homologous recombination deficiency (HRD). PARP inhibitors have proven their efficacy in patients with HER2-negative (HER2-) metastatic breast cancer (mBC) harbouring germline (g) BRCA1/2 mutations in 3 phases III trials. The single-arm phase II RUBY trial included 42 patients, 40 of whom received at least one dose of rucaparib. RUBY study assessed the efficacy of rucaparib in HER2-mBC with either high genomic loss of heterozygosity (LOH) score or non-germline BRCA1/2 mutation.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: The primary objective was the clinical benefit rate (CBR), and the study was powered to see 20% CBR using a 2-stage Simon design.

RESULTS: The primary-end point was not reached with a CBR of 13.5%. Two LOH-high patients, without somatic BRCA1/2 mutation, presented a complete and durable response (12 and 28.5 months). Whole-genome analysis was performed on 24 samples, including 5 patients who presented a clinical benefit from rucaparib. HRDetect tended to be associated with response to rucaparib, without reaching statistical significance (median HRDetect responders versus non-responders: 0.465 versus 0.040; p = 0.2135). Finally, 220 of 711 patients with mBC screened for LOH upstream from RUBY presented a high LOH score associated with a higher likelihood of death (hazard ratio = 1.39; 95% CI: 1.11-1.75; p = 0.005).

CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that a small subset of patients with high LOH scores without germline BRCA1/2 mutation could derive benefit from PARP inhibitors. However, the RUBY study underlines the need to develop additional biomarkers to identify selectively potential responders.

PMID:34837859 | DOI:10.1016/j.ejca.2021.09.028

Eval Program Plann. 2021 Nov 19;91:102042. doi: 10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2021.102042. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

In this study, we investigated the effect of the Positive Behavior Skills (PBS) program on students’ attendance and academic learning. We used propensity score matching and growth modeling to compare PBS and non-PBS schools on (a) English language art (ELA), (b) mathematics, and (c) attendance. PBS schools had statistically significantly higher annual growth rate in attendance than the matched non-PBS schools, with PBS schools growing 0.38% points higher. Due to the word limit, the results for the other two school outcomes (ELA, mathematics) were not presented. Implications of the study were discussed given the nature of PBS program and general context of the literature.

PMID:34837863 | DOI:10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2021.102042

Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2021 Nov 14;211:107031. doi: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2021.107031. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), often used to evaluate degree of heart failure, has been implicated in fluid dysregulation and inflammation in critically-ill patients. Twenty to 30% of patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) will develop some degree of neurogenic stress cardiomyopathy (NSC) and in turn elevation of BNP levels. We sought to explore the association between BNP levels and development of delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) in patients with aSAH.

METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated the records of 149 patients admitted to the Neurological Intensive Care Unit between 2006 and 2015 and enrolled in an existing prospectively maintained aSAH database. Demographic data, treatment and outcomes, and BNP levels at admission and throughout the hospital admission were noted.

RESULTS: Of the 149 patients included in the analysis, 79 developed DCI during their hospital course. We found a statistically significant association between DCI and the highest recorded BNP (OR 1.001, 95% CI-1.001-1.002, p = 0.002). The ROC curve analysis for DCI based on BNP showed that the highest BNP level during hospital admission (AUC 0.78) was the strongest predictor of DCI compared to the change in BNP over time (AUC 0.776) or the admission BNP (AUC 0.632).

CONCLUSION: Our study shows that DCI is associated not only with higher baseline BNP values (admission BNP), but also with the highest BNP level attained during the hospital course and the rapidity of change or increase in BNP over time. Prospective studies are needed to evaluate whether routine measurement of BNP may help identify SAH patients at high risk of DCI.

PMID:34837820 | DOI:10.1016/j.clineuro.2021.107031

Accid Anal Prev. 2021 Nov 24;164:106502. doi: 10.1016/j.aap.2021.106502. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The rear-end crash is one of the most common types of crashes, and key risk factors have been broadly identified in the car-following behaviors preceding a crash. However, the relationships between rear-end crash risk and daily car-following behaviors, or habits, have not been well examined. This study aims to identify the daily car-following behaviors on urban surface roads and urban expressways that have the most influence on rear-end crashes and near-crashes (CNC). Two months of naturalistic driving study data were used to investigate the daily car-following behavior of 54 drivers. A paired t-test and a Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed rank test were conducted to find the differences in behaviors on the two road types, and basic Poisson regression and Poisson hurdle regression models were used to explore significant risk factors. Results revealed that (1) drivers’ longitudinal vehicle control, time control, and emergency behaviors are significantly different on urban surface roads and urban expressways; (2) for surface roads, three key influencing factors were ranked, in descending order, as the standard deviation of relative speed, percentage of time gap less than 1 s, and maximum acceleration; (3) for expressways, four key factors were ranked: minimum time gap, maximum deceleration, percentage of TTC less than 5 s, and the percentage of large positive jerk. The knowledge achieved on risky daily driving behaviors can be applied to training drivers to improve safe practices, assist insurance companies in creating usage-based insurance strategies, and support driver assistant systems design.

PMID:34837850 | DOI:10.1016/j.aap.2021.106502

Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2021 Nov 23;46:101515. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2021.101515. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: A systematic review was conducted to investigate the efficacy of Guilu Erxian Jiao (GEJ) in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis (OA).

METHODS: We searched PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Chinese Electronic Periodical Services, and ClinicalTrials.gov to identify relevant randomized controlled trials or controlled clinical trials, from the inception of each source to April 20, 2021. Primary outcome included overall efficacy, pain score, and Lequesne index score; secondary outcome included adverse events. Methodological quality was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool (RoB 1.0). The meta-analysis was performed based on a random-effects model due to anticipated clinical heterogeneity. The grading of overall evidence was assessed using the GRADE system. The study protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42021233573).

RESULTS: Eight studies were included. Compared to controls, GEJ exhibited superior overall efficacy for treating OA (risk ratio (RR) = 1.20; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.06-1.35). Regarding pain score, there was no statistical difference between GEJ and controls (standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.27; 95% CI = -0.91 – 1.46). No significant difference was found in Lequesne score between GEJ and controls (MD = -0.25; 95% CI = -0.52 – 0.01). No statistical difference in adverse reactions was observed between GEJ and controls (risk difference (RD) = -0.01; 95% CI = -0.05-0.03).

CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that GEJ may have positive effects on overall efficacy in treating OA. However, there is insufficient evidence regarding pain score, Lequesne score, and knee joint function score.

PMID:34837805 | DOI:10.1016/j.ctcp.2021.101515

J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis. 2021 Nov 24;31(2):106225. doi: 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2021.106225. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Post-stroke depression (PSD) is a common psychiatric complication of stroke and is associated with the subsequent prognosis, yet still lacking of enough attention. PSD is preventable, and psychotherapy is an alternative prophylactic treatment which needs more solid evidences to confirm its efficacy. In this study, group Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (G-ACT) was performed in acute stroke patients to see if it can effectively relieve depressive symptoms and improve neurological function. The efficacy was also evaluated in stroke patients of different severity.

METHODS: One hundred and four hospitalized patients with acute ischemic stroke were enrolled according to the inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria. After baseline evaluation, they were randomly allocated to the intervention (G-ACT) group and the control (usual care) group. Patients in the control group received routine stroke treatment, while those in the intervention group were given additional G-ACT treatment (5 sessions, 45-55 min/session). Both of the two groups were assessed with 24-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD-24), National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), and Barthel Index (BI) at baseline, 2 weeks, 1 month, and 3 months follow-up. Patients were further divided into the mild stroke group (NIHSS 0-3) and the moderate stroke group (NIHSS 4-9), HAMD scores at different time points were also assessed.

RESULTS: The HAMD score of G-ACT group was significantly lower than that of control group at 1 month (p = 0.018) and 3 months follow-up (p = 0.001). As to the NIHSS score, there was no significant difference between the two groups within the follow-up period (p > 0.05). The BI score of the two groups was statistically different at 2 weeks (p = 0.033) and 1 month (p = 0.019), while no difference was shown at 3 months (p = 0.191). In acute phase, the HAMD score of moderate stroke patients was significantly higher than that of mild ones (p < 0.001). After G-ACT treatment, both mild and moderate stroke patients showed lower HAMD score at 3 months follow-up (p = 0.004; p = 0.033).

CONCLUSIONS: G-ACT seems to be a viable and effective treatment for preventing PSD in the acute phase of stroke, while the efficacy of which on improving neurological deficits needs to be further evaluated.

PMID:34837758 | DOI:10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2021.106225