Evaluation of MRI proton density fat fraction in hepatic steatosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Amidst the global rise of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), driven by increasing obesity rates, there is a pressing need for precise, non-invasive diagnostic tools. Our research aims to validate MRI Proton Density Fat Fraction (MRI-PDFF) utility, compared to liver biopsy, in grading hepatic steatosis in MASLD. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted across Embase, PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science until January 13, 2024, selecting studies that compare MRI-PDFF with liver biopsy for hepatic steatosis grading, defined as grades 0 (< 5% steatosis), 1 (5-33% steatosis), 2 (34-66% steatosis), and 3 (> 66% steatosis). RESULTS: Twenty-two studies with 2844 patients were included. The analysis showed high accuracy of MRI-PDFF with AUCs of 0.97 (95% CI = 0.96-0.98) for grade 0 vs ≥ 1, 0.91 (95% CI = 0.88-0.93) for ≤ 1 vs ≥ 2, and 0.91 (95% CI = 0.88-0.93) for ≤ 2 vs 3, diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) from 98.74 (95% CI = 58.61-166.33) to 23.36 (95% CI = 13.76-39.68), sensitivity and specificity from 0.93 (95% CI = 0.88-0.96) to 0.76 (95% CI = 0.63-0.85) and 0.93 (95% CI = 0.88-0.96) to 0.89 (95% CI = 0.84-0.93), respectively. Likelihood ratio (LR) + ranged from 13.3 (95% CI = 7.4-24.0) to 7.2 (95% CI = 4.9-10.5), and LR - from 0.08 (95% CI = 0.05-0.13) to 0.27 (95% CI = 0.17-0.42). The proposed MRI-PDFF threshold of 5.7% for liver fat content emerges as a potential cut-off for the discrimination between grade 0 vs ≥ 1 (p = 0.075). CONCLUSION: MRI-PDFF is a precise non-invasive technique for diagnosing and grading hepatic steatosis, warranting further studies to establish its diagnostic thresholds. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: This study underscores the high diagnostic accuracy of MRI-PDFF for distinguishing between various grades of hepatic steatosis for early detection and management of MASLD, though further research is necessary for broader application. KEY POINTS: MRI-PDFF offers precision in diagnosing and monitoring hepatic steatosis. The diagnostic accuracy of MRI-PDFF decreases as the grade of hepatic steatosis advances. A 5.7% MRI-PDFF threshold differentiates steatotic from non-steatotic livers.

Comparison of corticosteroids types, dexamethasone, and methylprednisolone in patients hospitalized with COVID-19: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Background: COVID-19 is associated with severe pneumonia lung damage, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and mortality. In this study, we aimed to compare corticosteroids' effect on the mortality risk in patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Methods: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Embase, were searched using a predesigned search strategy. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that had compared the corticosteroid drugs were included. The hazard ratio (HR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to summarize the effect size from the network meta-analysis (NMA). Results: Out of 329 retrieved references, 12 RCTs with 11,455 participants met the eligibility criteria in this review. The included RCTs formed one network with six treatments. In addition, five treatments in two RCTs were not connected to the network. Methylprednisolone + usual care (UC) versus UC decreased the risk of death by 0.65 (95% CI: 0.47, 0.90). Among treatments in the network the highest P-score (0.89) was related to Methylprednisolone + UC. Conclusion: Based on the results of this NMA it seems Methylprednisolone + UC to be the best treatment option in patients with COVID-ARDS and COVID pneumonia.

Pharmaceutical Therapies for the Treatment of Obesity: A Network Meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Despite the introduction of various pharmaceutical therapies for treating obesity, selecting the optimal treatment remains challenging for both patients and physicians. Therefore, in this network meta-analysis (NMA), we aim to simultaneously compare the available drugs for treating obesity to determine the most effective treatment options. METHODS: International databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Embase, were searched for studies published from database inception to April 2023. The consistency assumption was evaluated using by the loop-specific and design × treatment interaction approaches. The effects of treatment in the NMA were summarized using mean differences based on a change score analysis. The random-effects model was used to report the results. Results were reported with 95% CIs. FINDINGS: Of 9519 retrieved references, 96 randomized controlled trials, including 68 with both men and women, 23 with women only, and 5 with men only, met the eligibility criteria for this study. There were 4 treatment networks in the trials of both men and women, 4 in the trials of women only, and 1 in the trials of men only. The best-ranked treatments in the network in the trials of both men and women were (1) semaglutide, 2.4 mg (P-score = 0.99); (2) hydroxycitric acid, 4667 mg 3 times daily, supervised walking, and 2000-kcal/d diet (P-score = 0.92); (3) phentermine hydrochloride and behavioral therapy (P-score = 0.92); and (4) liraglutide plus advice to diet and exercise (P-score = 1.00). In women, the best-ranked treatments were beloranib (P-score = 0.98) and sibutramine, metformin, and hypocaloric diet (P-score = 0.90). In men, there was no significant difference among treatments. IMPLICATIONS: According to the results of this NMA, semaglutide seems to be an effective treatment option for both men and women, whereas beloranib appears to be particularly effective for women with obesity and overweight, but its production has been stopped since 2016 and is not available.

Diet Therapeutics Interventions for Obesity: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Up to now, different diet therapeutics interventions have been introduced for the treatment of obesity. The present study aimed to compare the diet therapeutics interventions for obesity simultaneously. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review and network meta-analysis METHODS: The major international databases, including Medline (via PubMed), Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Embase, were searched using a predesigned search strategy. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that had compared the diet therapy interventions were included. The mean difference with a 95% confidence interval was used to summarize the effect size in the network meta-analysis. The frequentist approach was used for data analysis. RESULTS: In total, 36 RCTs out of 9335 retrieved references met the inclusion criteria in this review. The included RCTs formed nine independent networks. Based on the results, Hypocaloricdiet+Monoselect Camellia (MonCam, P=0.99), energy restriction, behavior modification+exercise (LED) (P=0.99), sweetener at 20% of total calories (HFCS20)+Ex (P=0.67), catechin-richgreentea(650)+inulin (P=0.68), very low calorie diet (VLCD) (P=1.00), normal protein diet+resistance exercise (NPD+RT) (P=0.80), low-calorie diets+exercise (Hyc+Ex) (P=0.85), high-soy-protein low-fat diet (SD) (P=0.75), calorie restriction+behavioral weight loss (Hyc+BWL) (P=0.99) were the better treatments for weight loss in the networks one to nine, respectively. CONCLUSION: Based on the results of network meta-analysis, it seems that Hypocaloricdiet+MonCam, LED, HFCS20+Ex, catechin-rich green tea +inulin, VLCD, NPD+RT, Hyc+Ex, SD, Hyc+BWL, are the better treatments for weight loss in patients with overweight and obesity.

The effect of silica exposure on the risk of lung cancer: A dose-response meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between silica and the risk of developing lung cancer has been established in previous literature, but how much the level of exposure to silica can increase the risk of lung cancer is a question that has been addressed in this review. METHODS: Three electronic databases, including MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched for relevant literature. For the dose-response relationship between exposure to silica and developing lung cancer, we performed a meta-analysis using the random-effects model. For each level of exposure, we calculated the overall risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: Nineteen studies were included in the meta-analysis. There was a positive and significant increasing dose-response trend between silica exposure and the risk of developing lung cancer as follows: < 0.50 mg/m3 1.14 (95% CI: 1.05, 1.23; I2 = 79%), 0.50-0.99 mg/m3 1.34 (95% CI: 1.05, 171; I2 = 45%), 1.00-1.99 mg/m3 1.14 (95% CI: 1.00, 1.30; I2 = 70%), 2.00-2.99 mg/m3 1.47 (95% CI: 1.05, 2.06; I2 = 57%), 3.00-3.99 mg/m3 1.44 (95% CI: 0.99, 2.11; I2 = 58%), and ≥ 4.00 mg/m3 1.64 (95% CI: 1.20, 2.24; I2 = 88%). The heterogeneity across studies was mild to moderate. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of a dose-response relationship favors the causal relationship between exposure to silica and developing lung cancer.