Effects of dietary intervention on diabetic nephropathy: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials.

Objective: To evaluate the quality of evidence, potential biases, and validity of all available studies on dietary intervention and diabetic nephropathy (DN). Methods: We conducted an umbrella review of existing meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that focused on the effects of dietary intervention on DN incidence. The literature was searched via PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. According to the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE), evidence of each outcome was evaluated and graded as "high", "moderate", "low" or "very low" quality to draw conclusions. Additionally, we classified evidence of outcomes into 4 categories. Results: We identified 36 meta-analyses of RCTs and 55 clinical outcomes of DN from 395 unique articles. Moderate-quality evidence suggested that probiotic supplementation could significantly improve blood urea nitrogen (BUN), total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels in DN patients. Low-quality evidence indicated that probiotic supplementation significantly improved the serum creatinine concentration, urinary albumin-creatinine ratio (UACR), fasting blood glucose (FBG), HbA1c and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in DN patients. In addition, low-quality evidence suggested that a salt restriction diet could significantly improve the creatinine clearance rate (CrCl) in patients with DN. Low-quality evidence suggested that vitamin D supplementation could significantly improve the UACR in patients with DN. In addition, low-quality evidence has indicated that soy isoflavone supplementation could significantly improve BUN, FBG, total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and LDL-C levels in patients with DN. Furthermore, low-quality evidence suggested that coenzyme Q10 supplementation could significantly improve HbA1c, TC and HDL-C in patients with DN, and dietary polyphenols also significantly improved HbA1c in patients with DN. Finally, low-quality evidence suggested that supplementation with antioxidant vitamins could significantly improve the serum creatinine concentration, systolic blood pressure, and HbA1c level in patients with DN. Given the small sample size, all significantly associated outcomes were evaluated as class IV evidence. Conclusion: Moderate to low amounts of evidence suggest that supplementation with probiotics, vitamin D, soy isoflavones, coenzyme Q10, dietary polyphenols, antioxidant vitamins, or salt-restricted diets may significantly improve clinical outcomes in patients with DN. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, identifier CRD42024512670.

Potential molecular biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of bladder cancer.

Bladder cancer (BC) is a common malignant tumor of urinary system, which can be divided into muscle-invasive BC (MIBC) and nonmuscle-invasive BC (NMIBC). The number of BC patients has been gradually increasing currently. At present, bladder tumours are diagnosed and followed-up using a combination of cystoscopic examination, cytology and histology. However, the detection of early grade tumors, which is much easier to treat effectively than advanced stage disease, is still insufficient. It frequently recurs and can progress when not expeditiously diagnosed and monitored following initial therapy for NMIBC. Treatment strategies are totally different for different stage diseases. Therefore, it is of great practical significance to study new biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis. In this review, we summarize the current state of biomarker development in BC diagnosis and prognosis prediction. We retrospectively analyse eight diagnostic biomarkers and eight prognostic biomarkers, in which CK, P53, PPARγ, PTEN and ncRNA are emphasized for discussion. Eight molecular subtype systems are also identified. Clinical translation of biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, monitoring and treatment will hopefully improve outcomes for patients. These potential biomarkers provide an opportunity to diagnose tumors earlier and with greater accuracy, and help identify those patients most at risk of disease recurrence.

The relationship between nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and cancer incidence: An umbrella review.

Several clinical and preclinical studies have shown that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), particularly aspirin, reduce the incidence of various cancer types. However, there is still a lack of literature evaluating the overall association between multiple cancer morbidities and NSAIDs. Thus, we conducted an umbrella review to evaluate the quality of evidence, validity, and biases of the existing systematic reviews and meta-analyses on the relationships between NSAIDS and multiple tumor incidence outcomes. We found that NSAIDs might be associated with a decreased risk of several cancers, including the central nervous system, breast, esophageal, gastric, head and neck, hepatocellular, cholangiocarcinoma, colorectal, endometrial, lung, ovary, prostate, and pancreatic cancers, but regular intake of any dose of non-aspirin NSAIDs (NA-NSAIDs) could increase the incidence of kidney cancer. However, most of included studies are evaluated as low quality according to our evidence assessment. Furthermore, due to the potential side effects, such as hemorrhage, digestive symptoms and peptic ulcer, it is still not recommend to use NSAIDs regularly to prevent cancers.

ADP-dependent glucokinase controls metabolic fitness in prostate cancer progression.

BACKGROUND: Cell metabolism plays a pivotal role in tumor progression, and targeting cancer metabolism might effectively kill cancer cells. We aimed to investigate the role of hexokinases in prostate cancer (PCa) and identify a crucial target for PCa treatment. METHODS: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, online tools and clinical samples were used to assess the expression and prognostic role of ADP-dependent glucokinase (ADPGK) in PCa. The effect of ADPGK expression on PCa cell malignant phenotypes was validated in vitro and in vivo. Quantitative proteomics, metabolomics, and extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) and oxygen consumption rate (OCR) tests were performed to evaluate the impact of ADPGK on PCa metabolism. The underlying mechanisms were explored through ADPGK overexpression and knockdown, co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP), ECAR analysis and cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assays. RESULTS: ADPGK was the only glucokinase that was both upregulated and predicted worse overall survival (OS) in prostate adenocarcinoma (PRAD). Clinical sample analysis demonstrated that ADPGK was markedly upregulated in PCa tissues vs. non-PCa tissues. High ADPGK expression indicates worse survival outcomes, and ADPGK serves as an independent factor of biochemical recurrence. In vitro and in vivo experiments showed that ADPGK overexpression promoted PCa cell proliferation and migration, and ADPGK inhibition suppressed malignant phenotypes. Metabolomics, proteomics, and ECAR and OCR tests revealed that ADPGK significantly accelerated glycolysis in PCa. Mechanistically, ADPGK binds aldolase C (ALDOC) to promote glycolysis via AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation. ALDOC was positively correlated with ADPGK, and high ALDOC expression was associated with worse survival outcomes in PCa. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, ADPGK is a driving factor in PCa progression, and its high expression contributes to a poor prognosis in PCa patients. ADPGK accelerates PCa glycolysis and progression by activating ALDOC-AMPK signaling, suggesting that ADPGK might be an effective target and marker for PCa treatment and prognosis evaluation.

Selenium intake and multiple health-related outcomes: an umbrella review of meta-analyses.

Selenium is an essential trace metalloid element that is associated with fundamental importance to human health. Our umbrella review aimed to evaluate the quality of evidence, validity, and biases in the relationship between selenium intake and health-related outcomes according to published systematic reviews with pooled data and meta-analyses. Selenium intake is associated with a decreased risk of digestive system cancers, all-cause mortality, depression, and Keshan disease, when in children reduce the risk of Kashin-Beck disease. Additionally, selenium supplementation can improve sperm quality, polycystic ovary syndrome, autoimmune thyroid disease, cardiovascular disease, and infective outcomes. Selenium supplementation also has relationship with a decreased concentration of serum lipids including total cholesterol and very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. However, no evidence has shown that selenium is associated with better outcomes among patients in intensive care units. Furthermore, selenium intake may be related with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes and non-melanoma skin cancers. Moreover, most of included studies are evaluated as low quality according to our evidence assessment. Based on our study findings and the limited advantages of selenium intake, it is not recommended to receive extra supplementary selenium for general populations, and selenium supplementation should not be continued in patients whose selenium-deficient status has been corrected.

The effect of bladder function on the efficacy of transurethral prostatectomy in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia: a retrospective, single-center study.

We investigated the impact and predictive value of bladder function in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) on the efficacy of transurethral prostatectomy. Symptomatic, imaging, and urodynamic data of patients who underwent transurethral prostatectomy at West China Hospital of Sichuan University (Chengdu, China) from July 2019 to December 2021 were collected. Follow-up data included the quality of life (QoL), International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), and IPSS storage and voiding (IPSS-s and IPSS-v). Moreover, urinary creatinine (Cr), nerve growth factor (NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and prostaglandin estradiol (PGE2) were measured in 30 patients with BPH and 30 healthy participants. Perioperative indicators were determined by subgroup analyses and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Among the 313 patients with BPH included, patients with severe micturition problems had more improvements but higher micturition grades postoperatively than those with moderate symptoms. Similarly, good bladder sensation, compliance, and detrusor contractility (DC) were predictors of low postoperative IPSS and QoL. The urinary concentrations of BDNF/Cr, NGF/Cr, and PGE2/Cr in patients were significantly higher than those in healthy participants (all P < 0.001). After evaluation, only DC was significantly related to both urinary indicators and postoperative recovery of patients. Patients with good DC, as predicted by urinary indicators, had lower IPSS and IPSS-v than those with reduced DC at the 1st month postoperatively (both P < 0.05). In summary, patients with impaired bladder function had poor recovery. The combined levels of urinary BDNF/Cr, NGF/Cr, and PGE2/Cr in patients with BPH may be valid predictors of preoperative bladder function and postoperative recovery.

Safety and efficacy associated with single-fraction high-dose-rate brachytherapy in localized prostate cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Although single-fraction high-dose-rate brachytherapy (SFHDR) for localized prostate cancer has been tried in clinical trials, relevant medical evidence is currently lacking. It is necessary to systematically analyze the safety and efficacy of SFHDR. METHODS: Comprehensive and systematic searches for eligible studies were performed in PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library databases. The primary endpoints included safety and efficacy, represented by toxic effects and biochemical recurrence-free survival (bRFS), respectively. The proportion rates were used as the effect measure for each study and were presented with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) and related 95% prediction interval (PI). Restricted maximum-likelihood estimator (REML) and the Hartung-Knapp method were used in the meta-analysis. RESULTS: Twenty-five studies met the inclusion criteria for quantitative analysis, including 1440 patients. The median age of patients was 66.9 years old (62-73 years old) and the median follow-up was 47.5 months (12-75 months). The estimates of cumulative occurrence for severe gastrointestinal (GI) and genitourinary (GU) toxic effects were 0.1% (95% CI 0-0.2%) and 0.4% (95% CI 0-1.2%), and for grade 2 toxic effects were 1.6% (95% CI 0.1-4.7%) and 17.1% (95% CI 5.4-33.5%), respectively. The estimate of 3­year bRFS was 87.5% (95% CI 84.4-90.3%) and 71.0% (95% CI 63.0-78.3%) for 5­year bRFS. The pooled bRFS rates for low-risk patients were 99.0% (95% CI 85.2-100.0%) at 3 years and 80.9% (95% CI 75.4-85.9%) at 5 years, and the risk group was found to be statistically correlated with bRFS (3-year bRFS, P < 0.01; 5­year bRFS, P = 0.04). CONCLUSION: SFHDR is associated with favorable tolerability and suboptimal clinical benefit in patients with localized prostate cancer. Ongoing and planned high-quality prospective studies are necessary to verify its safety and efficacy.

Dietary sugar consumption and health: umbrella review.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the quality of evidence, potential biases, and validity of all available studies on dietary sugar consumption and health outcomes. DESIGN: Umbrella review of existing meta-analyses. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and hand searching of reference lists. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials, cohort studies, case-control studies, or cross sectional studies that evaluated the effect of dietary sugar consumption on any health outcomes in humans free from acute or chronic diseases. RESULTS: The search identified 73 meta-analyses and 83 health outcomes from 8601 unique articles, including 74 unique outcomes in meta-analyses of observational studies and nine unique outcomes in meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials. Significant harmful associations between dietary sugar consumption and 18 endocrine/metabolic outcomes, 10 cardiovascular outcomes, seven cancer outcomes, and 10 other outcomes (neuropsychiatric, dental, hepatic, osteal, and allergic) were detected. Moderate quality evidence suggested that the highest versus lowest dietary sugar consumption was associated with increased body weight (sugar sweetened beverages) (class IV evidence) and ectopic fatty accumulation (added sugars) (class IV evidence). Low quality evidence indicated that each serving/week increment of sugar sweetened beverage consumption was associated with a 4% higher risk of gout (class III evidence) and each 250 mL/day increment of sugar sweetened beverage consumption was associated with a 17% and 4% higher risk of coronary heart disease (class II evidence) and all cause mortality (class III evidence), respectively. In addition, low quality evidence suggested that every 25 g/day increment of fructose consumption was associated with a 22% higher risk of pancreatic cancer (class III evidence). CONCLUSIONS: High dietary sugar consumption is generally more harmful than beneficial for health, especially in cardiometabolic disease. Reducing the consumption of free sugars or added sugars to below 25 g/day (approximately 6 teaspoons/day) and limiting the consumption of sugar sweetened beverages to less than one serving/week (approximately 200-355 mL/week) are recommended to reduce the adverse effect of sugars on health. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42022300982.

Balanced crystalloid solutions versus normal saline in intensive care units: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Intravenous fluid therapy is important for pediatric and adult patients in intensive care units (ICUs). However, medical professionals continue to struggle to determine the most appropriate fluids to obtain the best possible outcomes for each patient. OBJECTIVE: We conducted a meta-analysis involving cohort studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to compare the influence of balanced crystalloid solutions and normal saline among patients in ICUs. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Studies that compared balanced crystalloid solutions and saline in ICU patients from databases including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were systematically searched up to July 25, 2022. The primary outcomes were mortality and renal-related outcomes, which included major adverse kidney events within 30 days (MAKE30), acute kidney injury (AKI), new receipt of renal replacement therapy (RRT), maximum creatinine increasing, maximum creatinine level, and final creatinine level ≥ 200% of baseline. Service utilization including length of hospital stay, ICU stay, ICU-free days and ventilator-free days were also reported. RESULTS: A total of 13 studies (10 RCTs and 3 cohort studies) involving 38,798 patients in ICUs met the selection criteria. Our analysis revealed that each subgroup had no significant difference in mortality outcomes among ICU patients between balanced crystalloid solutions and normal saline. A significant difference was detected between the adult groups (odds ratio [OR], 0.92; 95% confidence interval [CI], [0.86, 1.00]; p = 0.04) indicating that the AKI in the balanced crystalloid solutions group was lower than that in the normal saline group. Other renal-related outcomes, such as MAKE30, RRT, maximum creatinine increasing, maximum creatinine level, and final creatinine level ≥ 200% of baseline showed no significant difference between the two groups. Regarding secondary outcomes, the balanced crystalloid solution group had a longer ICU stay time (WMD, 0.02; 95% CI, [0.01, 0.03]; p = 0.0004 and I2 = 0%; p = 0.96) than the normal saline group among adult patients. Furthermore, children treated with balanced crystalloid solution had a shorter hospital stay time (WMD, - 1.10; 95% CI, [- 2.10, - 0.10]; p = 0.03 and I2 = 17%; p = 0.30) than those treated with saline. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with saline, balanced crystalloid solutions could not reduce the risk of mortality and renal-related outcomes, including MAKE30, RRT, maximum creatinine increasing, maximum creatinine level, and final creatinine level ≥ 200% of baseline, but the solutions may reduce total AKI incidence among adult patients in ICUs. For service utilization outcomes, balanced crystalloid solutions were associated with a longer length of ICU stay in the adult group and shorter length of hospital stay in the pediatric group.

The role of cytoreductive nephrectomy in metastatic renal cell carcinoma in the targeted therapy and immunological therapy era: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The role of cytoreductive nephrectomy (CN) in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) remains controversial. In addition, several unanswered questions regarding the use of CN remain: Can CN provide survival benefits for patients with mRCC? Where do we place CN in the treatment sequence paradigm among patients with mRCC? How do we best stratify patients with mRCC for CN therapy? MATERIALS AND METHODS: A search strategy was conducted in the PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases. Studies were included only in the English language. The risk of bias assessment was made by using ROBINS-I (Risk of Bias in Nonrandomized Studies of Interventions) and RoB 2 (Risk of Bias 2) tools. The expected outcomes were analyzed by meta-analyses with the fixed-effects model or random effects model, including overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). The measure of effect was the hazard ratio (HR) with a 95% CI, and sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess the reliability of the final results. RESULTS: A total of 30 studies were included in the qualitative analysis. The HR for OS was 0.55 (95% CI, 0.50-0.61), and PFS was 0.72 (95% CI, 0.66-0.80), favoring CN compared with no CN. The upfront CN plus targeted therapy (TT) group had superior OS (HR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.51-0.64) compared with the TT alone group. Furthermore, upfront CN plus systemic therapy (ST) was associated with numerically inferior OS compared with ST plus deferred CN in patients with mRCC (HR, 1.31; 95% CI, 0.98-1.74). Finally, the leave-one-out test of sensitivity analysis indicated that the results of this meta-analysis were stable and reliable in the overall HR estimates for these survival outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: First, CN was associated with better survival than no CN in patients with mRCC. Second, the combination of upfront CN and TT may lead to superior survival outcomes compared to TT alone in patients with mRCC. Survival outcomes were similar between the upfront CN+ST group and the ST+deferred CN group in patients with mRCC. Exact patient selection based on baseline prognostic factors is needed to promise maximal survival for patients with mRCC.

A Novel Insight into the Immune-Related Interaction of Inflammatory Cytokines in Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common male condition that impacts many men's quality of life by generating lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). In recent years, inflammation has become very common in the prostate, and BPH with inflammation has a higher International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) score and an enlarged prostate. Chronic inflammation leads to tissue damage and the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which play an important role in the pathogenesis of BPH. We will focus on current advancements in pro-inflammatory cytokines in BPH, as well as the future of pro-inflammatory cytokine research.

Function of sildenafil on diseases other than urogenital system: An umbrella review.

Background: To investigate the function of sildenafil on diseases other than urogenital system, an umbrella review was conducted. Methods: Meta-analysis and systematic reviews on this topic were comprehensively evaluated in this umbrella review. Quality of evidence was evaluated through AMSTAR and the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation system to generate a reliable and valid conclusion. Results: 77 out of 1164 meta-analysis were enrolled. 33 significant outcomes and 41 non-significant outcomes were extracted from all eligible articles. We found sildenafil did significant help in reducing arterial systolic pressure, mean pulmonary arterial pressure, pulmonary arterial pressure, systolic pulmonary arterial pressure in patients with pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases. Besides, sildenafil also improved exercise capacity or performance in patients with pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases. Other than these patients, this drug contributed great help in pregnant women with fetal growth restriction and preeclampsia by increasing the weight of newborns and lowering uterine and umbilical pulsatility indices. Additionally, it was reported that utilization of sildenafil has brought increased risk of melanoma. Conclusion: We can conclude from our study that sildenafil played an important role in many fields, especially in vascular protection. This finding provides a strong evidence for further expansion of sildenafil utilization in other diseases.

Does Moses technology enhance the efficiency and outcomes of regular holmium laser lithotripsy? Results of a pooled analysis of comparative studies.

Holmium laser lithotripsy is currently the optimum standard for surgical treatment of upper urinary calculi. This study aims to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Moses compared with conventional holmium laser lithotripsy for the treatment of patients with upper urinary calculi. We conducted a systematic search using multiple databases (PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, and ClinicalTrials.gov) until June 2022. Clinical trials comparing Moses and conventional holmium laser lithotripsy were included. Analysis was performed using RevMan version 5.4.4 software. Four studies with 892 patients were included. There were no significant differences regarding stone-free rate (mean difference [MD] 1.19, 95% CI 0.54, 2.64, p = 0.66), operative time (MD - 9.31, 95% CI - 21.11, 2.48, p = 0.12), fragmentation time (MD - 1.71, 95% CI - 11.81, 8.38, p = 0.74), total energy used (MD 1.23, 95% CI - 0.44, 2.90, p = 0.15), auxiliary procedures (MD 0.38, 95% CI 0.08, 1.90, p = 0.24), and overall complications (odds ratio [OR] 0.70, 95% CI 0.30, 1.66, p = 0.42) between the groups. However, the laser working time (MD - 0.94, 95% CI - 1.20, - 0.67, p < 0.001) of Moses technology was shorter than that of conventional technology. Moses technology has similar outcomes to regular technology in terms of safety and efficacy. Given the higher operating costs of the Moses technology, further study is required to determine whether there are benefits to this new technology.

Iron intake and multiple health outcomes: Umbrella review.

Iron is an essential trace element, while excess iron can lead to different levels of physical abnormalities or diseases. This umbrella review aimed to conduct a systematic evaluation of the possible relationships between iron intake and various health outcomes. We retrieved PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews from inception through May 2021. A total of 34 meta-analyses with 46 unique health outcomes were identified. Heme iron intake was positively associated with nine outcomes, including colorectal cancer, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease mortality, while dietary total iron intake could decrease the risk of colorectal adenoma, esophageal cancer, coronary heart disease, and depression. Iron supplementation was a protective factor against eight outcomes. However, it was associated with decreased length and weight gain. The quality of evidence for most outcomes was "low" or "very low" with the remaining eleven as "high" or "moderate". All outcomes were categorized as class III, IV, or NS based on evidence classification. Although high iron intake has been identified to be significantly associated with a range of outcomes, firm universal conclusions about its beneficial or negative effects cannot be drawn given the low quality of evidence for most outcomes.

Determining the safety and effectiveness of percutaneous nephrolithotomy and retrograde intrarenal surgery in treating nephrolithiasis in patients with solitary kidneys.

We performed a meta-analysis to compare the safety and effectiveness of percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) and retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) in treating nephrolithiasis ≥ 2 cm in patients with solitary kidneys. This systematic review was registered on PROSPERO (registration ID: CRD42021270519). The search time was set from the establishment of the databases until April 30, 2021. A systematic search was performed in the PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Cochrane Library, and Embase databases. Stata 16 was used to perform the statistical analysis of the extracted data. After screening using strict inclusion and exclusion criteria, five studies with a total of 474 patients were included in the final meta-analysis. According to the literature quality assessment scale statistics, the five studies included were of high quality. The results of the meta-analysis showed that RIRS had lesser hemoglobin loss (HL), shorter length of hospital stay (LOS), lower initial (OR = 3.39, 95% CI [1.97, 5.83], P = 0.02) and final stone-free rates (OR = 2.24, 95% CI [1.24, 4.06], P = 0.03), but a higher incidence of grade III-IV complications (OR = 0.29, 95% CI [0.08, 0.97], P = 0.04) than PCNL. The difference between the two surgical methods was not statistically significant in terms of operation time (OT), grade I-II complication rate, and total complication rate. For nephrolithiasis ≥ 2 cm in patients with a solitary kidney, RIRS has the advantage of less HL and shorter LOS, while PCNL benefits from its higher SFR (both initial and final). Both RIRS and PCNL are effective treatments for nephrolithiasis in patients with a solitary kidney, and clinicians should choose the most appropriate option to achieve the best treatment outcome, taking into account the patient's underlying conditions and medical conditions.

Crosstalk between Tumor-Associated Macrophages and MicroRNAs: A Key Role in Tumor Microenvironment.

As an in-depth understanding of immunotherapy continues to grow, current anticancer therapy research is increasingly focused on the tumor microenvironment (TME). MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play crucial roles in the regulation of genetic information and expression and mediate interactions between tumor cells and components in the TME, such as tumor-associated macrophages (macrophages). Macrophages are abundant in the TME, and their different polarization directions can promote or inhibit tumor growth and progression. By regulating biological behaviors, such as macrophage recruitment, infiltration, and polarization, miRNAs can affect various molecular pathways to regulate tumor progression and treatment response. In this review, we discuss in detail the effects of macrophages on tumors and the multifaceted effects of miRNAs on macrophages. We also discuss the potential clinical applications and prospects of targeted therapy based on miRNAs, novel clinical biomarkers, and drug delivery systems.

The Role of Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization in the Surveillance of Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) has become a popular biomarker for subsequent monitoring the recurrence of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), several studies have investigated the ability of FISH to detect recurrence in the surveillance of NMIBC. However, the results were inconsistent. METHODS: We conducted a systematic literature search extensively on authenticated databases including PubMed/Medline, Embase, Web of Science, Ovid, and Cochrane Library. Meta-analysis was performed to find out the sensitivity and specificity of FISH in predicting recurrence of NMIBC. RESULTS: 15 studies were ultimately included in this meta-analysis, a total of 2941 FISH evaluations from 2385 NMIBC patients were available. The pooled sensitivity of FISH was 68% (95% CI: 0.58-0.76), and the pooled specificity was 64% (95% CI: 0.53-0.74). Subgroup analyses were performed in 7 studies without Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) treatment, the pooled sensitivity was 82% (95% CI: 0.68-0.90), and the pooled specificity was 63% (95% CI: 0.37-0.82). And in 9 studies using "UroVysion standard" to define positive FISH results showed a pooled sensitivity of 60% (95% CI: 0.50-0.70) and specificity of 70% (95% CI: 0.61-0.78). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study indicate that FISH has a satisfactory sensitivity (68%) and specificity (64%) and could be a potential biomarker in the surveillance of NMIBC. Moreover, BCG treatment and different FISH methods may have an impact on the sensitivity and specificity, these factors should be taken into account when making clinical strategy.