Association between ABO blood group and COVID-19 infection: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis.

The relationship between ABO blood group and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 - coronavirus disease 19 [COVID-19]) infection has been investigated, and several studies have reported discordant findings. This systematic review and meta-analysis study were conducted to investigate the relationship between ABO blood group and COVID-19 infection. The international databases Institute for Scientific Information (ISI)/Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus were systematically searched from 1 January 2020 through 14 June 2021. Twenty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria for meta-analysis including 23,285 COVID-19 case subjects and 590,593 control subjects. The odds of having each blood group among COVID-19 patients compared with control subjects were calculated. The random effects model was used to obtain the overall pooled odds ratio (OR). Publication bias and subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed to explore the source of heterogeneity. According to the random effects model, the results indicated that the pooled estimates of OR (95% confidence interval) for blood groups A, O, B, and AB were 1.26 (1.13-1.40), 0.77 (0.71-0.82), 1.05 (0.99-1.12), and 1.11 (0.99-1.25), respectively. Therefore, individuals infected with COVID-19 have higher odds of having blood group A and lower odds of having blood group O. In conclusion, this study indicated that individuals with blood group A are more susceptible to COVID-19 infection, whereas those with blood group O are less susceptible to COVID-19 infection. However, further studies are warranted to support these findings.

Role of bariatric surgery in reducing the risk of colorectal cancer: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Obesity increases the risk of multiple co-morbidities such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and most cancers, including colorectal cancer. Currently, the literature presents conflicting results regarding the protective effects of bariatric surgery on the incidence of colorectal cancer. This meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the effect of bariatric surgery on the risk of developing colorectal cancer in obese individuals. METHODS: Ovid Embase, Ovid MEDLINE, Cochrane CENTRAL and Web of Science were searched for relevant articles. Articles published by the end of December 2018 were retrieved; data were extracted according to evidence-based PICO (population, intervention, control, outcome) model and analysed using a random-effects model to estimate the pooled relative risk (RR) and its 95 per cent confidence interval. The heterogeneity of studies was tested and quantified using Cochran's Q and I2 statistics. Meta-regression was used to investigate the association of year of study, region, mean length of follow-up and sample size with RR. RESULTS: Seven articles, involving a total of 1 213 727 patients, were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled estimate of the RR was 0·64 (95 per cent c.i. 0·42 to 0·98). The test of asymmetry found no significant publication bias. Meta-regression showed that sample size was a statistically significant factor (P = 0·037), but year of publication, region and mean duration of follow-up were not significant. CONCLUSION: Patients who underwent bariatric surgery had a greater than 35 per cent reduction in the risk of developing colorectal cancer compared with obese individuals who had no surgery.

ANTECEDENTES: La obesidad aumenta el riesgo de múltiples comorbilidades, como la diabetes tipo II, las enfermedades cardiovasculares y la mayoría de los cánceres, entre los que se incluye el cáncer colorrectal. En la actualidad, la literatura presenta resultados contradictorios sobre el efecto protector de la cirugía bariátrica en la incidencia del cáncer colorrectal. Este metaanálisis se llevó a cabo para investigar el efecto de la cirugía bariátrica sobre el riesgo de desarrollar un cáncer colorrectal en individuos obesos. MÉTODOS: Se realizó una búsqueda de artículos relevantes en Ovid Embase, Ovid Medline, Cochrane CENTRAL y Web of Science. Se recuperaron los artículos publicados hasta diciembre 2018 y los datos se extrajeron de acuerdo con el modelo PICO que se utiliza en la práctica de la medicina basada en la evidencia (población, intervención, control, resultado). Asimismo, los datos se analizaron mediante un modelo de efectos aleatorios para estimar el riesgo relativo combinado y su intervalo de confianza del 95%. La heterogeneidad de los estudios se comprobó y se cuantificó utilizando los estadísticos de Cochran Q y I2 . Se utilizó un análisis de metarregresión para investigar la asociación del año del estudio, región, tiempo de seguimiento medio (años), y tamaño de la muestra con el riesgo relativo. RESULTADOS: Para este estudio se incluyeron siete artículos en el metaanálisis final lo que representa un total de 108.070 pacientes. Los resultados mostraron que la estimación combinada del riesgo relativo fue de 0,64 con un intervalo de confianza 95% (i.c. 0,42- 0,98). De acuerdo con la prueba de asimetría, no hubo sesgo significativo de publicación. La metarregresión mostró que el año de publicación, región, y la media de seguimiento no fueron significativas, mientras que el tamaño de la muestra sí lo fue. CONCLUSIÓN: Los pacientes sometidos a cirugía bariátrica tuvieron más del 35% de reducción del riesgo de desarrollar cáncer colorrectal en comparación con individuos obesos no operados.

Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity and cognitive functions in school-aged children.

Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infects one-third of the world population, but its association with cognitive functions in school-aged children is unclear. We examined the relationship between Toxoplasma seropositivity and neuropsychological tests scores (including math, reading, visuospatial reasoning and verbal memory) in 1755 school-aged children 12-16 years old who participated to the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, using multiple linear regressions adjusted for covariates. Toxoplasma seroprevalence was 7·7% and seropositivity to the parasite was associated with lower reading skills (regression coefficient [ß] = -5·86, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -11·11, -0·61, P = 0·029) and memory capacities (ß = -0·86, 95% CI: -1·58, -0·15, P = 0·017). The interaction between T. gondii seropositivity and vitamin E significantly correlated with memory scores. In subgroup analysis, Toxoplasma-associated memory impairment was worse in children with lower serum vitamin E concentrations (ß = -1·61, 95% CI: -2·44, -0·77, P < 0·001) than in those with higher values (ß = -0·12, 95% CI: -1·23, 0·99, P = 0·83). In conclusion, Toxoplasma seropositivity may be associated with reading and memory impairments in school-aged children. Serum vitamin E seems to modify the relationship between the parasitic infection and memory deficiency.

Post-immigration Changes in Social Capital and Substance Use Among Recent Latino Immigrants in South Florida: Differences by Documentation Status.

Changing social capital among recent Latino immigrants (RLIs) influences substance use post-immigration. This was a longitudinal study of 476 South/Central American RLIs examining social capital and substance use changes pre to post-immigration. Self-reported measures of social capital and substance use were compared between surveys administered within 1 year of immigration and 2 years post-immigration. Post-immigration, social capital, hazardous drinking and illicit drug use decreased. Women were less likely to engage in hazardous drinking [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) .32, p < .001], and less likely to use illicit drugs (AOR .67, p = .01). Documented individuals with higher levels of 'business' social capital had increased odds of illicit drug use (AOR 2.20, p < .05). Undocumented individuals with higher levels of 'friend and others' social capital had decreased risk for hazardous drinking and illicit drug use (AOR .55, p < .01; AOR .56, p < .05). Documentation status moderated the relationship between social capital and substance use. RLIs can be targeted for primary prevention of substance abuse.