A systematic review and meta-analysis of the correlation between maternal and neonatal iron status and haematologic indices.

BACKGROUND: Iron deficiency (ID) is the leading single-nutrient deficiency in the world. Anaemia is a common outcome of ID that affects half of pregnancies worldwide with serious consequences for child development. Whether haematologic indices and biomarkers of iron status in pregnant women correlate with those of their neonates is unclear. This systematic review evaluated studies comparing haematologic and iron status indices in pregnant women and their newborns/neonates. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Web of Science from database inception until March 2020 for primary studies comparing haematologic and iron status indices between women and their newborns up to 48 h after birth. We summarized the results descriptively and calculated pooled correlation coefficients in mothers and newborns/neonates using the Schmidt-Hunter method. The protocol was registered at PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (Registration number: CRD42018093094). FINDINGS: Sixty-five studies were included. Pooled correlation coefficients for biomarkers of iron status in mothers and newborns/neonates were 0.13 (ferritin), 0.42 (hepcidin), 0.30 (serum/plasma iron), 0.09 (transferrin), 0.20 (transferrin saturation), and 0.16 (total iron binding capacity). Pooled correlation coefficients for haematological indices in mothers and newborns/neonates were 0.15 (haemoglobin), 0.15 (haematocrit), 0.25 (mean cell/corpuscular haemoglobin), 0.22 (mean cell/corpuscular volume). INTERPRETATION: Maternal biomarkers of iron and haematologic status correlate poorly with those in newborns/neonates. These results underscore a need for alternative approaches to estimate foetal/neonatal iron status and haematological indices. FUNDING: MBO and SLB hold Canada Research Chairs, and grants from the Women and Children's Health Research Institute and Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

Concurrent and future risk of endometrial cancer in women with endometrial hyperplasia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: To inform treatment decisions in women diagnosed with endometrial hyperplasia, quantification of the potential for concurrent endometrial cancer and the future risk of progression to cancer is required. METHODS: We identified studies up to September 2018 that reported on the prevalence of concurrent cancer (within three months of endometrial hyperplasia diagnosis), or the incidence of cancer, identified at least three months after hyperplasia diagnosis. Random-effects meta-analyses produced pooled estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: A total of 36 articles were identified; 15 investigating concurrent and 21 progression to cancer. In pooled analysis of 11 studies of atypical hyperplasia, the pooled prevalence of concurrent endometrial cancer was 32.6% (95% CI: 24.1%, 42.4%) while no studies evaluated concurrent cancer in non-atypical hyperplasia. The risk of progression to cancer was high in atypical hyperplasia (n = 5 studies, annual incidence rate = 8.2%, 95% CI 3.9%, 17.3%) and only one study reported on non-atypical hyperplasia (annual incidence rate = 2.6%, 95% CI: 0.6%, 10.6%). CONCLUSIONS: Overall, a third of women with atypical hyperplasia had concurrent endometrial cancer, although the number of studies, especially population-based, is small. Progression to cancer in atypical hyperplasia was high, but few studies were identified. Population-based estimates are required, in both atypical and non-atypical hyperplasia patients to better inform treatment strategies.

Commonly used medications and endometrial cancer survival: a population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Increasing incidence and new indications for existing drugs make it important to identify new adjuvant therapies for endometrial cancer (EC). METHODS: This is a prospective cohort study of 3058 newly diagnosed EC cases from 1998 to 2010, identified through record linkages between the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink, the National Cancer Research Datalink and death registrations from the Office of National Statistics. Using Cox regression models, unadjusted and adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for EC-specific survival. RESULTS: Over a mean 6.1 (range 1-16) years of follow-up, there were 394 EC-specific deaths. There was no evidence of a significant association between post-diagnostic use of statins (adjusted HR 0.83, 95% CI 0.64, 1.08), ß-blockers (adjusted HR 0.86, 95% CI 0.65, 1.13) or low-dose aspirin (adjusted HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.69, 1.20) and EC survival before or after adjustment for confounders. There were also no evidence of a dose-response association between these drug groups and EC survival. CONCLUSIONS: In this large UK population-based study, no significant associations were observed for post-diagnostic use of statins, ß-blockers or low-dose aspirin and EC survival.