Field survey data for conservation: Evaluating suitable habitat of Chinese pangolin at the county-level in eastern China (2000-2040).

The scarcity of up-to-date data on the distribution and dynamics of the Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) presented a significant challenge in developing effective conservation strategies and implementing protective measures within China. Currently, most of China's national-level nature reserves and administrative departments operate at the county level, thereby limiting the applicability of larger-scale analyses and studies for these administrative entities. This study employed 11 widely used modeling techniques created within the Biomod2 framework to predict suitable habitats for the pangolin at the county scale, while examining the correlation between environmental variables and pangolin distribution. The results revealed that highly suitable habitats in Mingxi County of China encompassed only 49 km2. Within the county-managed nature reserve, the proportion of highly suitable habitats reached as high as 52%. However, nearly half of these areas, both moderately and highly suitable habitats, remained inadequately addressed and conserved. We found nine administrative villages that necessitated prioritized conservation efforts. The study anticipated an overall expansion in suitable habitats over the ensuing two decades, with significant growth projected in the eastern regions of Xiayang and Hufang Town. This research offered a clear and applicable research paradigm for the specific administrative level at which China operates, particularly pertinent to county-level jurisdictions with established nature reserves.

The perioperative experience and needs of hepatocellular carcinoma patients in interventional therapy: a phenomenological qualitative study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the perioperative experience and needs of patients with liver cancer for interventional therapy, in order to provide the basis for further improving a patient's medical experience and satisfaction. METHODS: A semi-structured in-depth interview was conducted for 16 patients with liver cancer in interventional therapy using the phenomenological research method of qualitative research. The themes were analyzed, summarized, refined and extracted using the Colaizzi analytical procedure. RESULTS: The study results revealed that the perioperative experience and needs of patients with liver cancer for interventional therapy could mainly be summarized into seven themes: anxiety, fear and helplessness; not understanding the specific procedures of interventional therapy; worrying that the disease would not be treated as expected; lack of understanding of perioperative adverse reactions and the inability to cope with these; concern on the financial burden of health care costs on families; concerned on the physical and mental health of the dependent; the further improvement of diagnosis and treatment procedures. CONCLUSION: Patients with liver cancer undergo a complex psychological experience during interventional therapy. In clinical practice, a patient's psychological needs and changes should be valued, in order to provide a targeted psychological intervention, health guidance and social support, thereby improving the medical experience and satisfaction of patients.

Bifunctional Interface Passivation via Copper Acetylacetonate for Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells.

Manipulating interface defects can minimize interfacial nonradiative recombination, thus increasing the stability and performance of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Here, copper acetylacetonate [Cu(acac)2] as a passivator is used to treat the interface between Spiro-OMeTAD and perovskite. Owing to the strong chelation, the uncoordinated Pb2+ could react with -C═O/-COH functional groups, firmly anchoring acetylacetonate at this interface or the grain boundaries (GBs) of perovskite films to construct multiple ligand bridges, accompanied by the p-type copper iodide formation with copper substituting lead. Simultaneously, Cu+-Cu2+ pairs transfer electrons from Pb0 to I0, suppressing deep level defects of Pb0 and I0 near the perovskite interface. These can be beneficial to hole-transferring. Moreover, the Schiff base complexes with hydrophobicity, from the reaction of acetylacetonate with perovskite, can lead to tightly packed adjacent perovskite surfaces and self-seal the GBs of the perovskite, inhibiting moisture diffusion for long-term stability. Consequently, the Cu(acac)2-based PSC has achieved more than 24% champion efficiency while retaining ca. 92% of the initial power conversion efficiency after 1680 h of storage.

Improved Sleep Affects Epigastric Pain in Functional Dyspepsia by Reducing the Levels of Inflammatory Mediators.

INTRODUCTION: The pathogenesis of epigastric pain in functional dyspepsia (FD) is complex. The study aims to explore the effect of sleep improvement on this symptom. METHODS: In total, 120 patients with FD-associated epigastric pain and insomnia were randomly divided into experimental and control groups using the envelope method. After applying the exclusion criteria, 107 patients were enrolled in the experimental (56 patients) and control (51 patients) groups. Insomnia was graded according to the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). In the experimental group, eszopiclone 3 mg, eszopiclone 3 mg + estazolam 1 mg, and eszopiclone 3 mg + estazolam 2 mg were given to patients with mild, moderate, and severe insomnia, respectively. In the control group, patients were given 1, 2, or 3 tablets of vitamin B complex. Patient sleep quality was monitored with Sleepthing. Epigastric pain was evaluated with a Numeric Rating Scale. The serum levels of IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Pain scores, sleep parameters, and serum levels of inflammatory mediators were compared before and after treatment. RESULTS: After treatment, the pain scores, sleep parameters, and TNF-α and IL-6 levels in the experimental group were significantly lower than those in the control group (p < 0.05). PSQI insomnia scores were significantly associated with pain scores, IL-6, and TNF-α (p < 0.05) but not in IL-8 and IL-1ß levels (p > 0.05) among the three groups. CONCLUSIONS: Improving sleep with eszopiclone and/or estazolam alleviates FD-associated epigastric pain, possibly by inhibiting related downstream transmission pathways and reducing the release of inflammatory mediators.

Morphine prophylaxis alleviates pain in transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt procedure: A randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) is an accepted minimal invasive procedure for the management of complications of portal hypertension. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the value of the preemptive administration of morphine, when compared with on-demand morphine, during TIPS. METHODS: The present study was a randomized control trial. A total of 49 patients were selected to receive 10 mg of morphine either before the TIPS procedure (group B, n= 26), or on demand when needed during the TIPS procedure (group A, n= 23). The patient's pain was scored using the visual analog scale (VAS) during the procedure. VAS, pain performance, HR, systolic pressure, diastolic pressure and SPO2 were recorded at four-time points: before the operation (T0), during the trans-hepatic puncture of the portal vein (T1), during the intrahepatic channel expansion (T2), and when the operation was finished (T3). The duration of the operation was also recorded. RESULTS: In group A, the proportion of severe pain at T1 was 4.3% (one case), two cases were combined with vagus reflex, and the proportion of severe pain at T2 was 65.2% (15 cases). No severe pain occurred in group B. The VAS score significantly decreased at T1, T2 and T3 in group B, when compared to group A (P< 0.05). HR, systolic pressure and diastolic pressure significantly decreased at T2 and T3 in group B, when compared to group A (P< 0.05). There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of SPO2 (P> 0.05). CONCLUSION: Preemptive analgesia can effectively relieve severe pain during TIPS, improve patient comfort and compliance, ensure a routine procedure, and offer excellent safety, and is simple and effective.

Transitional Care for Patients With Portal Hypertension: A Multicenter Study of Intervention for Post-TIPS Patients.

To explore the application effect of transitional nursing in patients with TIPS. A total of 368 patients were allocated to control group (conventional care) and intervention group (conventional care combined with transitional care). The Child-Pugh scores, blood ammonia levels, compliance behavior, medication compliance, and adverse event incidence rates were compared at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-TIPS. There were significant differences in compliance behavior scores, Child-Pugh scores for group effects, time effects, and group × time interaction between the two groups at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-TIPS, significant differences in blood ammonia levels at 9 months, and incidence of postoperative adverse events at 12 months after TIPS. Post-TIPS transitional care interventions increased patients' access to scientifically informed nursing, significantly improved patients' compliance behavior and health and decreased the incidence of postoperative adverse events.

Ecological drivers of avian diversity in a subtropical landscape: Effects of habitat diversity, primary productivity and anthropogenic disturbance.

Understanding the roles of ecological drivers in shaping biodiversity is fundamental for conservation practice. In this study, we explored the effects of elevation, conservation status, primary productivity, habitat diversity and anthropogenic disturbance (represented by human population density and birding history) on taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional avian diversity in a subtropical landscape in southeastern China. We conducted bird surveys using 1-km transects across a total of 30 sites, of which 10 sites were located within a natural reserve. Metrics of functional diversity were calculated based on six functional traits (body mass, clutch size, dispersal ratio, sociality, diet and foraging stratum). We built simultaneous autoregression models to assess the association between the ecological factors and diversity of the local avian communities. Local avian diversity generally increased with increasing habitat diversity, human population density and primary productivity. We also detected phylogenetic and functional clustering in these communities, suggesting that the avian assemblages were structured mainly by environmental filtering, rather than interspecific competition. Compared with sites outside the natural reserve, sites within the natural reserve had relatively lower avian diversity but a higher level of phylogenetic heterogeneity.

Plasmonically Enhanced Colloidal Quantum Dot/Graphene Doped Polymer Random Lasers.

An improvement in random lasers based on a colloidal quantum dot (QD)/graphene-doped polymer was observed and attributed to multiple light-scattering and graphene surface plasmon resonance. The emission characteristics of quantum dots doped with graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide were compared. The QD/reduced graphene oxide hybrid exhibited a lower laser emission threshold (~460 µJ/cm2). The emission modes and thresholds were strongly dependent on both the graphene doping concentration and the external temperature. Decreased plasmon coupling was the primary reason for lower QD/graphene laser emission with increasing temperature. The optimum reduced graphene oxide concentration was 0.2 wt.%. This work provides a practical approach to optimizing the threshold and stability of random laser devices, with potential applications in displays, sensors, and anti-counterfeiting labels.

Study on the timing of first dressing change with alginate dressing application in PICC placement among tumor patients.

Objective: To explore how the timing of the initial dressing change influences bacterial growth when alginate dressings were used after peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) line insertion in tumor patients. Methods: In total, 186 tumor patients who had an alginate dressing after PICC insertion were randomly divided into a control group, observation group one (OG1), and observation group two (OG2). The control group had their first dressing change 48 h after PICC insertion, while OG1 was after 72 h and OG2 was after 96 h after. Samples were taken at the dressing change from the insertion site and surrounding skin. The results of the bacterial culture were compared to investigate how the timing of the first dressing change affected catheter infection. Results: Of the 186 patients, 29 had a positive bacterial culture. Of these, 10 were in the control group, 9 were in OG1, and 10 were in OG2. IBM SPSS Statistics 21.0 was adopted to analyze the correlation between the timing of the first dressing change and insertion site infection. No statistical significance between the timing of the first dressing change and insertion site infections was found (P > 0.05). Conclusions: The condition of each tumor patient should be comprehensively evaluated after PICC placement to determine when the first dressing change should occur, but it can likely be extended to 96 h after insertion to promote wound healing, reduce clinical workload, and lower patient economic burden.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Sorbus amabilis (Rosaceae).

Sorbus amabilis Cheng ex Yü, a small excellent ornamental tree species, is only distributed in Eastern China. In this study, we assembled and annotated the complete chloroplast (cp) genome of the species using the next-generation sequencing for the first time. The cp genome was 160,006 bp in size, consisting of two copies of invert repeat (IR) regions of 26,405 bp, one large single-copy (LSC) region of 87,870bp, and one small single-copy (SSC) region of 19,326 bp. The overall GC content of the genome was 36.55%. The genome was predicted to contain 128 genes, including 88 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis of 25 chloroplast genomes in Rosaceae indicated that S. amabilis is most closely related to S. commixta. These findings may provide useful information to the phylogeny of the genus Sorbus.

Using transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt as the first-line therapy in secondary prophylaxis of variceal hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: This study aims to evaluate and compare the survival and other portal hypertension-related complications of patients with portal pressure gradient (PPG) ≥ 25 mmHg using transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) as the first-line and second-line therapies in secondary prophylaxis of variceal hemorrhage. METHODS: Fifty patients diagnosed with liver cirrhosis were enrolled in this retrospective study, with 35 of whom received TIPS as the first-line therapy in secondary prophylaxis of variceal hemorrhage and 15 of whom as second-line treatment. We observed and analyzed the survival, occurrence of variceal rebleeding and hepatic encephalopathy (HE) of patients in the two groups during the follow up. RESULTS: The technical success rate was 100%. In a median follow-up time of 12 (1-37) and 15 (2-27) months, respectively, significant statistical difference was observed between the first-line group and the second-line group concerning cumulative survival rate (94.3% vs 66.7%, log-rank P = 0.01). But that was not the case when it comes to the cumulative rate of variceal rebleeding (8.6% vs 26.7%, log-rank P = 0.164) and HE (22.9% vs 20.0%, log-rank P = 0.793). And multivariate analysis indicated that group assignment (hazard ratio = 8.250, 95% confidence interval = 1.383-49.213, P = 0.021) was the only predictor of survival. Interestingly, we found that spleen diameter (hazard ratio = 0.578, 95% confidence interval = 0.393-0.849, P = 0.005) could be regarded as independent predictor of the occurrence of HE. CONCLUSIONS: For patients with PPG ≥ 25 mmHg who have recovered from an episode of acute esophageal variceal hemorrhage, utilizing TIPS as the first-line therapy to prevent rebleeding is demonstrated effective in improving the survival and therefore should be recommended to a wider range of clinical practice.

Bioinformatic analysis to explore key genes associated with brain ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.

Objectives: Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury can aggravate the dysfunction and structural damage of tissues and organs. This study aimed at investigating the pathogenesis of I/R injury. Methods: GSE82146 was extracted from Gene Expression Omnibus database, which included 12 nonischemic control (NIC) hippocampal tissues and 15 complete global brain ischemia (CGBI)-reperfusion hippocampal tissues. After processing the original data using the affy package, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between CGBI and NIC samples were analysed by the limma package. An enrichment analysis for the DEGs was implemented based on the MATHT online tool. Using Cytoscape software, a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was built and significant network modules were obtained. Finally, miRNA-gene pairs were predicted using the miRWalk2.0 tool, and the miRNA-gene regulatory network was built using the Cytoscape software. Results: Overall, 322 DEGs (279 upregulated and 43 downregulated) were present in the CGBI samples. In PPI network, JUN, STAT3, ATF3, VEGFA and ATF4 had higher degrees. Four significant modules (modules a, b, c and d) were obtained from PPI network. Enrichment analysis suggested that FGF2 in module d was involved in MAPK signalling pathway. In the miRNA-gene regulatory network, rno-miR-125a-5p and rno-miR-125b-5p were among the top 10 miRNAs. Conclusion: JUN, STAT3, ATF3, VEGFA, ATF4, FGF2, rno-miR-125a-5p and rno-miR-125b-5p might affect the development and progression of I/R injury.

Progression Rate Associated Peripheral Blood Biomarkers of Parkinson's Disease.

Parkinson disease (PD) is one of the most frequent neurodegenerative disorders. The aim of this study was to identify blood biomarkers capable to discriminate PD patients with different progression rates. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were acquired by comparing the expression profiles of PD patients with rapid and slow progression rates, using an expression dataset from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) under accession code of GSE80599. Altered biological processes and pathways were revealed by functional annotation. Potential biomarkers of PD were identified by protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis. Critical transcription factors (TFs) and miRNAs regulating DEGs were predicted by TF analysis and miRNA analysis. A total of 225 DEGs were identified between PD patients with rapid and slow progression profiles. These genes were significantly enriched in biological processes and pathways related to fatty acid metabolism. Among these DEGs, ZFAND4, SRMS, UBL4B, PVALB, DIRAS1, PDP2, LRCH1, and MYL4 were potential progression rate associated biomarkers of PD. Additionally, these DEGs may be regulated by miRNAs of the miR-30 family and TFs STAT1 and GRHL3. Our results may contribute to our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying different PD progression profiles.

The Effect of Helicobacter pylori Eradication on the Gastrointestinal Microbiota in Patients with Duodenal Ulcer.

BACKGROUND: Recent reports have indicated that Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) might have an effect on gastrointestinal flora; moreover, gastric commensual bacteria have been observed in the development of duodenal ulcer (DU). AIMS: In our study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of H. pylori eradication on gastrointestinal flora in DU patients. METHODS: A case-control study was performed at Jiangsu Shengze Hospital between December, 2013 and April, 2014. The patients received antibiotic eradication therapy if H. pylori testing was positive. At least four weeks after cessation of the eradication therapy, a repeat gastroscopy was performed to collect biopsies again in the same position. Gastric mucosa samples and feces specimens were collected to extract bacteria DNA and then to quantify by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS: After the eradication of H. pylori, an increase of Lactobacillus group, Clostridium leptum subgroup, Enterobacteria and a decrease of Clostridium coccoides subgroup were found in the antrum. In the corpus, the number of bacteria in the Lactobacillus group was increased and the expression of Clostridium coccoides subgroup was significantly down-regulated. In the feces samples, only the number in the Lactobacillus group was increased. Moreover, the distribution was significantly different between female and the male patients. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of H. pylori in the stomach suppressed the colonization with Lactobacillus group, Clostridium leptum subgroup and Enterobacteria. Gender might affect the distribution and/or recolonization of the bacteria in DU patients.

Fracture and migration of implantable venous access port catheters: Cause analysis and management of 4 cases.

This study aimed to investigate the causes and managements of the fractures and migrations of the implantable venous access port catheter (IVAPC). The fracture or migration of IVAPC occurred in 4 patients who were treated between May 2012 and January 2014 in Union Hospital, Wuhan, China. The port catheter leakage was found in 2 cases during drug infusion. Catheters that dislodged to the superior vena cava and right atrium were confirmed by port angiogram. The two dislodged catheters were successfully retrieved by interventional procedures. Catheter fracture occurred in two cases during port removal. One catheter was eventually removed from the subclavian vein through right clavicle osteotomy and subclavian venotomy, and the other removed by external jugular venotomy. Flushing the port in high pressure and injury of the totally implantable venous access port (TIVP) during implantation are usually responsible for catheter displacement. Interventional retrieval procedure can be used if the catheter dislodges to the vena cava and right atrium. Catheter fracture may occur during removal if clipping syndrome occurs or the catheter is sutured very tight during implantation.

Helicobacter pylori Infection Is Associated with an Increased Risk of Hyperemesis Gravidarum: A Meta-Analysis.

Background. Several studies have shown a possible involvement of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in individuals with hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), but the relationship remains controversial. This meta-analysis was performed to validate and strengthen the association between HG and H. pylori infection. Methods. PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases up to March 20, 2014, were searched to select studies on the prevalence of H. pylori infection between pregnant women with HG and the normal pregnant control subjects. Results. Of the HG cases, 1289 (69.6%) were H. pylori-positive; however, 1045 (46.2%) were H. pylori-positive in control group. Compared to the non-HG normal pregnant controls, infection rate of H. pylori was significantly higher in pregnant women with HG (OR = 3.34, 95% CI: 2.32-4.81, P < 0.001). Subgroup analysis indicated that H. pylori infection was a risk factor of HG in Asia, Africa, and Oceania, especially in Africa (OR = 12.38, 95% CI: 7.12-21.54, P < 0.001). Conclusions. H. pylori should be considered one of the risk factors of HG, especially in the developing countries. H. pylori eradication could be considered to relieve the symptoms of HG in some intractable cases.

A MDM2-dependent positive-feedback loop is involved in inhibition of miR-375 and miR-106b induced by Helicobacter pylori lipopolysaccharide.

Dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) has been linked to virulence factors of Helicobacter pylori and shown to contribute to the progression of gastric cancer. However, the mechanisms of these processes remain poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanisms by which lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a virulence factor of H. pylori, regulates miR-375 and miR-106b expression in gastric epithelial cells. The results show that LPS from H. pylori 26695 downregulated the expression of miR-375 and miR-106b in gastric epithelial cells, and low levels of Dicer were also observed. Downregulation of miR-375 was found to increase expression of MDM2 with SP1 activation. Overexpression of MDM2 inhibited Dicer by repressing p63 to create a positive-feedback loop involving SP1/MDM2/p63/Dicer that leads to inhibition of miR-375 and miR-106b expression. In addition, we demonstrated that JAK1 and STAT3 were downstream target genes of miR-106b. H. pylori LPS also enhanced the tyrosine phosphorylation of JAK1, JAK2 and STAT3. Together, these results provide insight into the regulatory mechanisms of MDM2 on H. pylori LPS-induced specific miRNAs, and furthermore, suggest that gastric epithelial cells treated with H. pylori LPS may be susceptible to JAK/STAT3 signal pathway activation via inhibition of miR-375 and miR-106b.

miRNA functional synergistic network analysis of mice with ischemic stroke.

This study aimed to identify potential miRNAs highly associated with the response to brain ischemic stroke. The miRNAs microarray expression profiles data were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus database under accession number GSE51586, including three ischemia and three ipsilateral normal samples from mouse brain tissues. Limma package was used to identify differentially expressed miRNAs between ischemia and ipsilateral normal samples. The common target genes of miRNA predicted from TargetScan, PicTar, miRanda and DIANA-microT databases were used as the candidate subset in which functional modules were identified by performing gene ontology enrichment analysis using ClusterProfile. Finally, the miRNA functional synergistic network was constructed by assembling all miRNA synergistic pairs. Fifty-one differentially expressed miRNAs were identified between ischemia and ipsilateral normal samples, including 32 up- and 19 down-regulated miRNAs. Among them, 24 miRNAs can commonly regulate at least one target gene and thus were used to construct a network, which included 274 pairs of co-regulating miRNAs. Further, 242 pairs of miRNAs interaction involving 23 miRNAs were shown to be synergetic in function. Sixteen miRNAs forming 20 miRNAs interaction pairs participated in inflammatory response, such as mir-185 and mir-674-3p. The 16 miRNAs related to inflammatory response during ischemic stroke may provide underlying targets for prevention and treatment of stroke.

Is levofloxacin-based triple therapy an alternative for first-line eradication of Helicobacter pylori? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the available data on the efficacy and safety of levofloxacin-based triple therapy compared with standard triple therapy in first-line treatment for Helicobacter pylori infection. METHODS: By searching MEDLINE, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Web of Knowledge, two independent reviewers systemically identified randomized controlled trials comparing levofloxacin-based triple regimen with standard triple therapy for first-line treatment of H. pylori infection. The pooled risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. RESULTS: Overall, nine randomized controlled trials including 1275 patients have been treated with levofloxacin-based triple therapy and 1237 patients with standard regimen. Eradication rate in the levofloxacin-based therapy group was slightly higher than that in the standard triple therapy group regardless of treatment duration (80.2% vs. 77.4%, RR=1.03, 95% CI=0.94-1.13). Subgroup analysis related to different geographic areas found that efficacy of 7-day standard triple regimen was statistically superior to 7-day levofloxacin-based scheme in Asian group (RR=0.91, 95% CI=0.86-0.97), but levofloxacin-based triple therapy was predominant regardless of treatment time in European countries (RR=1.15, 95% CI=1.06-1.23). There was no significant difference between two groups in the incidence of overall adverse events or in the occurrence of discontinuing therapy due to side effects. CONCLUSIONS: The 10-day levofloxacin-based triple therapy may be considered as an alternative for increasing cure rate of H. pylori infection in European areas. But in Asian countries, standard triple regimen is still superior to levofloxacin-based therapy as first-line regimen for H. pylori eradication.

Helicobacter pylori Infection in Dialysis Patients: A Meta-Analysis.

Background. Infection with Helicobacter pylori contributes to the etiopathogenesis of various extragastrointestinal conditions, yet its etiological association with either symptomatic or asymptomatic dialysis patients remains inconclusive. Methods. Two researchers working independently conducted a literature search of the online databases PubMed, EMBase, ScienceDirect, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials to identify relevant articles to the end of 2012. Case-control and cross-sectional studies that met the inclusion criteria were included. Results. Fifteen studies involving 1237 dialysis patients and 1568 controls with normal renal function were included. Compared with normal controls, dialysis patients overall were associated with a relatively lower risk of H. pylori infection though not statistically significant. A significant inverse association was found between H. pylori prevalence and duration of treatments in those who were dialyzed >4 years (odds ratio 0.28; 95% confidence interval 0.22-0.36, P < 0.00001). No relationship between H. pylori status and duration of dialysis was observed in CRF patients. There were no significant differences in endoscopic features between patients and controls. Conclusions. Our meta-analysis found no evidence of a significant association between infection with H. pylori and dialysis overall, whereas long-term treatments of more than four years had a significant protective effect.