Efficacy of topical atorvastatin-loaded emulgel and nano-emulgel 1% on post-laparotomy pain and wound healing: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial.

This study aimed to develop atorvastatin-loaded emulgel and nano-emulgel dosage forms and investigate their efficiency on surgical wound healing and reducing post-operative pain. This double-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted in a surgical ward of a tertiary care hospital affiliated with university of medical sciences. The eligible patients were adults aged 18 years or older who were undergoing laparotomy. The participants were randomized in a 1:1:1 ratio to one of three following groups of atorvastatin-loaded emulgel 1% (n = 20), atorvastatin-loaded nano-emulgel 1% (n = 20), and placebo emulgel (n = 20) twice a day for 14 days. The primary outcome was the Redness, Edema, Ecchymosis, Discharge, and Approximation (REEDA) scores to determine the rate of wound healing. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and quality of life were the secondary outcomes of this study. A total of 241 patients assessed for eligibility; of them, 60 patients completed the study and considered for final evaluation. A significant decrease in REEDA score was observed on Days 7 (63%) and 14 (93%) of treatment with atorvastatin nano-emulgel (p-value < 0.001). A significant decrease of 57% and 89% in REEDA score was reported at Days 7 and 14, respectively, in atorvastatin the emulgel group (p-value < 0.001). Reduction in pain VAS in the atorvastatin nano-emulgel was also recorded at Days 7 and 14 of the intervention. The results of the present study suggested that both topical atorvastatin-loaded emulgel and nano-emulgel 1% were effective in acceleration of wound healing and alleviation of pain of laparotomy surgical wounds, without causing intolerable side effects.

Association of MTHFR 677C > T, 1298A > C and MTR 2756A > G Polymorphisms with Susceptibility to Childhood Retinoblastoma: A Systematic Review and Met-Analysis.

BackgroundRecently, epidemiological studies investigating the association of MTHFR 677 C > T, 1298 A > C and MTR 2756 A > G polymorphism with retinoblastoma susceptibility reported controversial results. Methods: Data were collected from several electronic databases such as PubMed, EMBASE, and Google Scholar databases, with the last search up to December 05, 2019. Results: A total of eleven case-control studies including four studies with 324 cases and 490 controls on MTHFR 677 C > T, four studies with 324 cases and 490 controls on MTHFR 1298 A > C, and three studies with 283 cases and 485 controls on MTR 2756 A > G were selected. There was a significant association between MTHFR 677 C > T and MTR 2756 A > G polymorphisms and an increased risk of retinoblastoma. However, MTHFR 1298 A > C polymorphism was not significantly associated with risk of retinoblastoma. Conclusion: This meta-analysis demonstrated that MTHFR 677 C > T and MTR 2756 A > G polymorphisms might play important roles in the development of retinoblastoma. No association with MTHFR 1298 A > C polymorphism was observed.

Investigating the effect of oral synbiotic on enteral feeding tolerance in critically ill patients: A double-blinded controlled clinical trial of gut microbiota.

BACKGROUND: Probiotics are beneficial live microorganisms that can modify the gut microbiota. It is assumed that they help improve enteral feeding intolerance (EFI) and nosocomial infections in critically ill patients. The present clinical trial aimed to investigate the efficacy of synbiotics in improving EFI and oropharyngeal aspiration in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). METHODS: This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 105 critically ill patients admitted to the ICU of a tertiary referral hospital affiliated with a medical university. The patients were randomly assigned to either a synbiotic or control group and underwent 7 days of investigation. The primary end point was reduced gastric residual volume, which is suggestive of an improvement in EFI. The secondary end point included requirement for prokinetics, frequency of aspiration, duration of mechanical ventilation, length of ICU stay, and level of consciousness. RESULTS: The present clinical trial showed that synbiotic intervention has resulted in a significantly diminished requirement for prokinetics (P = 0.019), fewer oropharyngeal aspirations (P = 0.01), improved volume of bolus administration, and decreased gastric residual volume during the 7-day follow-up period. The patients who received synbiotic had an improved level of consciousness (P = 0.01). CONCLUSION: This clinical trial showed that the prescription of synbiotic from the initial days of enteral feeding has resulted in a significantly diminished requirement for prokinetics, less oropharyngeal aspiration, decreased gastric residual volume, improved volume of bolus administration, and hence, better tolerance of enteral feeding.

Comparative study of breast core needle biopsy (CNB) findings with ultrasound BI-RADS subtyping.

<b> Introduction:</b> Given the high prevalence of breast cancer, developing quick and accessible diagnostics solutions is critical. The BIRADS classification is a reliable method for assessing and estimating the risk of malignancy in breast lesions. </br></br> <b>Aim:</b> The aim of this study was to compare the results of core needle biopsy of breast lesions and sonographic findings based on the BIRADS category in Yazd. </br></br> <b>Materials and methods:</b> This retrospective analytical study was done on all core needle biopsy specimens referred to Mortaz hospital, Yazd, Iran from 2010 to 2019. Demographic data such as age, laterality of the lesion, BIRADS category, and pathology reports were extracted from patients' hospital folders. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 21. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. </br></br> <b>Results:</b> In total, 514 cases with a mean age of 43.9 9.4 years were studied. Among them, 104 cases (20.2%) were malignant and 410 cases (79.8%) were benign. The most common benign and malignant lesions were fibroadenoma (24.9%), and infiltrative ductal carcinoma (83.7%) respectively. The most common BIRADS was class 4A (54.9%). Patients with benign lesions were mostly in the 3rd and 4th decade of life, while malignant lesions were more in the 4th and 5th decades, and this difference was statistically significant (P = 0.001). The correlation between ultrasound diagnoses (BIRADS) and pathology findings was statistically significant (P < 0.001). </br></br> <b>Conclusion</b>: Based on the results, there is a significant correlation between ultrasound outcomes according to BIRADS and pathology results, and the radiology-pathology accordance, owing to its high accuracy, can be very helpful in correctly diagnosing, monitoring, and managing the lesion.

Using Drain-Free Flap Fixation Techniques Versus Traditional Wound Closure With Drain Placement to Prevent Seroma Formation and Its Complications in Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Mastectomy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

During the past decade, there has been some controversy related to using flap fixation techniques instead of conventional wound closure methods and drain placement during mastectomy procedures. The purpose of our study was to address this controversy using a systematic review and meta-analysis of current published literature. Nineteen studies met our inclusion criteria. Our sample population consisted of 2,956 participants divided into two groups. The study group (SG) consisted of 1,418 individuals and the control group (CG) consisted of 1,538 participants. We found there was a significant reduction in the incidence of seroma formation (odds ratio [OR] = 0.35; 95% confidence interval, CI [0.3, 0.42]; p < .000) and surgical site infection (OR = 0.65; 95% CI [0.48, 0.88]; p = .006) in the SG compared with the CG. The length of hospital stay was also significantly reduced in the SG (0.59 days; 95% CI [0.73, 0.46]; χ 2 [6, N = 502] = 52.88; p < .000) compared with the CG. The results of our study show that using a flap fixation technique after mastectomy can decrease the patient's risk for seroma formation and surgical site infection while reducing their length of hospital stay. Further studies with longer follow-up periods are warranted to evaluate long-term complications associated with using a flap fixation technique compared with using conventional wound closure techniques and drain placement.

Comparing Early-Stage Breast Cancer Patients with Sentinel Lymph Node Metastasis with and without Completion Axillary Lymph Node Dissection: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Currently, the standard method for staging and treatment of axillary lymph nodes for early-stage breast cancer is sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB), while axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) is used in cases with palpable axillary lymph nodes or positive SLNB cases. The aim of this review was to compare overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and axillary recurrence in early-stage breast cancer patients underwent SLNB or SLNB and completion ALND. METHODS: The databases of PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library were searched using the key words of "breast cancer", "axillary lymph node dissection", and "sentinel lymph node dissection". In addition, other sources were searched for ongoing studies (i.e., clinicaltrials.gov). The clinical trials were evaluated based on the Jadad quality criteria, and cohort studies were evaluated according to the STROBE criteria. At the end of the search, the articles were screened independently by two reviewers to check their eligibility to be included in the study. Afterwards, the data were extracted independently by two researchers. RESULTS: After searching the databases, 169 papers were retrieved. However, after removing the duplicates and studying the titles and abstracts of these papers, only ten ones underwent further investigation. After reading full-text of each article, four studies were finalized. Following a manual search, 27 papers were entered into the study for the final evaluation, 11 of which were included in the meta-analysis based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The findings showed no significant differences in OS, DFS, and axillary recurrence in early-stage breast cancer patients underwent SLNB or SLNB and completion ALND. CONCLUSION: The findings did not confirm that ALND improved OS, DFS, and axillary recurrence in patients who were clinically node-negative and positive SLNB.

Cystic Echinococcosis in Central Iran: G1 and G6 Genotypes in Patients.

Background: Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is caused by Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato. In Central Iran, no molecular information is available on CE in humans. Therefore, in this study, we identified the genotyping of hydatid cysts obtained from patients with CE in central Iran using mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (cox1) gene. Patients and Methods: Hydatid cysts were obtained from 19 patients referred to Shahid Sadoughi, Mojibian, and Mortaz Hospitals, Yazd, Iran from 2018 to 2020. Informed consent was obtained from all included patients. After DNA extraction, amplification was done using cox1 gene. Phylogenetic analysis was performed using MEGA7. Results: Of the 19 patients, 11 (57.9%) were male and eight (42.1%) were female. The mean age of the patients was 35.645 ± 2.55 years old. Regarding cyst location, of eight isolates from lung, six and two belonged to G1 and G6, respectively; and all liver cysts were G1 genotype. The spleen and neck cysts had G1 and G6 genotypes, respectively (p > 0.05). All cysts with a diameter in the range of 5-10 cm (n = 9) and large cysts (>10 cm; n = 5) were identified as G1 (p = 0.002). The maximum likelihood tree topology demonstrated the maximum similarity of G1 among Iran and worldwide (99%-100% likelihood). Conclusions: Based on our results, it seems that the sheep-dog cycle in the infection of humans by Echinococcus granulosus in this study area has the most important role compared with the other cycles such as the camel-dog one.

Evaluation of Complications of Short-term and Long-term Drainage Following Mastectomy with Removal of Axillary Lymph Nodes: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in Iran and round the globe. Seroma formation is the most common primary complication after mastectomy (partial/radical). Nowadays, drainage is used as a routine method to reduce seroma formation after mastectomy, although there is no consensus about the appropriate time to perform drainage after this surgery. This study evaluated the effects of short-term and long-term drainage after mastectomy along with removal of axillary lymph nodes. METHODS: This randomized clinical trial was performed on 88 women who underwent mastectomy with ALND in hospitals in Yazd (were randomly divided into two groups). Suction drains were inserted for all patients at completion of surgery. The data collection tool was a researcher-made form based on variables. In the first group, the drain was removed 24 hours after surgery and the patients were discharged, but the second group was discharged with the drain in place after 24 hours and the drain was removed 5 days after surgery. Data were analyzed with SPSS18 using T-Test, Chi square, and Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: The results showed that 28 (31.8%) participants had formed seroma, of whom 22 (50%) were in the 1-day drainage group and 6 (13.6%) were in the 5-day drainage group. There was a statistically significant correlation among seroma frequency, mean aspiration volume, mean number of aspirations, mean seroma volume in sonography one week after surgery, and mean seroma volume in sonography between the two groups three weeks after surgery (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Based on the results, it can be concluded that long-term drainage reduces the risk of seroma formation after mastectomy with removal of axillary lymph nodes compared to short-term drainage. Complementary study be performed by considering other underlying factors such as comorbidities to obtain the best drain removal time in breast cancer patients.

Association of AXIN2 s2240308 C>T, rs1133683 C>T, rs7224837 A>G Polymorphisms with Susceptibility to Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND: The association of genetic polymorphisms at Axis inhibition protein 2 (AXIN2) gene and susceptibility to different cancer has attracted much interest. The present study aimed to evaluate the association between AXIN2 rs2240308 C>T, rs1133683 C>T, rs7224837 A>G polymorphisms with susceptibility to breast cancer. METHODS: A polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay was designed to genotype the AXIN2 rs2240308 C>T, rs1133683 C>T, rs7224837 A>G polymorphisms among 150 breast cancer patients and 150 healthy subjects. RESULTS: The frequencies of these genetic variants were in agreement with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in healthy controls (p>0.05). The frequencies of AXIN2 rs2240308 C>T, rs1133683 C>T, rs7224837 A>G genotypes were similar in breast cancer patients and controls. There was no a significant association between the AXIN2 SNP and risk of breast cancer. CONCLUSION: The impact of AXIN2 polymorphisms in the breast cancer development remains unclear. Our results indicated that AXIN2 rs2240308, rs7224837 and rs1133683 polymorphisms did not contribute to increased risk of breast cancer. More studies with larger sample sizes and diverse ethnicities are warranted to verify our finding.

The Risk and Prevalence of COVID-19 Infection in Colorectal Cancer Patients: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Patients with cancer might be at an increased risk of infection with COVID-19 and a more severe disease course. However, different tumor types have differing susceptibility to the infection and COVID-19 phenotypes. Thus, the risk and prevalence of COVID-19 is not uniform across the different tumor types. Here, we performed a meta-analysis to estimate the risk and prevalence of COVID-19 infection in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was performed up to July 25, 2020, thorough PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar, CNKI, CBM, China Science, Wan Fang, and SciELO databases. The risk of COVID-19 infection in CRC patients was performed based on the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI). RESULTS: A total of six studies with 204 different cancer patients with COVID-19 and 92 CRC infected patients with COVID-19 were selected. Our results showed that the prevalence of COVID-19 infection in CRC patients was 45.1% in the global population. The pooled data showed that there is no a significant risk of infection with COVID-19 in CRC patients in the global population (OR = 0.261, 95% CI 0.099-0.533, p = 0.082). However, when subgroup analysis was performed based on country of origin, we found a significant correlation in Chinese CRC patients (OR = 0.221, 95% CI 0.146-0.319, p ≤ 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study results revealed that Chinese CRC patients harbored a higher risk of COVID-19 infection. However, more multicenter, larger sample sizes and high-quality studies are required to verify this meta-analysis result.

Association Between the hOGG1 1245C>G (rs1052133) Polymorphism and Susceptibility to Colorectal Cancer: a Meta-analysis Based on 7010 Cases and 10,674 Controls.

BACKGROUND: The 1245C>G (rs1052133) polymorphism of human 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase 1 (hOGG1) gene has been indicated to be correlated with colorectal (CRC) susceptibility, but studies have yielded conflicting results. Thus, the present meta-analysis was performed to derive a more precise estimation between hOGG1 1245C>G polymorphism and CRC risk. METHODS: Data were collected from several electronic databases such as PubMed, EMBASE, and Google Scholar databases, with the last search up to September 01, 2020. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the strength of the association. RESULTS: A total of 24 case-control studies with 7010 CRC cases and 10,674 controls were selected. Pooled data showed that the hOGG1 1245C>G polymorphism was significantly associated with CRC risk under three genetic models, i.e., homozygote (GG vs. CC: OR = 1.229, 95% CI 1.031-1.465, p = 0.022); heterozygote (GC vs. CC: OR = 1.142, 95% CI 1.008-1.294, p = 0.037); and dominant (GG+GC vs. CC: OR = 1.162, 95% CI 1.034-1.304, p = 0.011). When stratified analysis by ethnicity, a significant association of the hOGG1 1245C>G polymorphism with risk of CRC was found in the Caucasians, but not in Asians. Moreover, there were significant associations between hOGG1 1245C>G polymorphism and CRC by PCR-RFLP and hospital-based subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: Inconsistent with the previous meta-analysis, these meta-analysis results revealed that the hOGG1 1245C>G polymorphism might be associated with an increased risk of CRC, especially in Caucasians.

Association of Transforming Growth Factor-ß1 rs1982073 Polymorphism with Susceptibility to Acute Renal Rejection: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PURPOSE: The association of rs1982073 (codon 10) polymorphism at Transforming Growth Factor- ß1 (TGF-ß1) gene with acute renal rejection (ARR) has been reported by several studies. However, the results were controversial. To derive a more precise estimation of this association, a meta-analysis was performed. METHODS: The eligible literatures were identified through PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, EMBASE, SciELO, WanFang, and CNKI databases up to July 01, 2019. The pooled odds ratios (ORs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to calculate the strength of the association. RESULTS: A total of 23 case-control studies with 795 ARR cases and 1,562 non-AR controls were selected. Pooled data revealed that there was no significant association between TGF-ß1 codon 10 polymorphism and an increased risk of ARR in the overall population (C vs. T: OR=0.908, 95% CI 0.750-1.099, p = 0.322; CT vs. TT: OR=1.074, 95% CI 0.869-1.328, p = 0.507; CC vs.TT: OR=0.509, 95% CI=0.738-1.253, p = 0.770; CC+CT vs. TT: OR = 0.917, 95% CI 0.756-1.112, p = 0.376, and CC vs. CT+TT: OR=0.995, 95% CI 0.809-1.223, p = 0.959). Moreover, stratified analysis revealed no significant association between the TGF-ß1 rs1982073 polymorphism and ARR risk by ethnicity and cases type (recipient and donor). CONCLUSION: The current meta-analysis demonstrated that the TGF-ß1 rs1982073 polymorphism was not significantly associated with increased risk of ARR. However, studies with a larger number of subjects among different ethnic groups are needed to further validate the results.

Association of Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase Gene Polymorphisms with Susceptibility to Prostate Cancer: a Comprehensive Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PURPOSE: A variety of studies have evaluated the association of polymorphisms at endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene with risk of prostate cancer. However, the results remain inconclusive. This meta-analysis was performed to derive a more precise estimation between eNOS polymorphisms and prostate cancer risk. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was conducted using PubMed, EMBASE, Wed of Science, Elsevier, Cochrane Library, SciELO, SID, WanFang, VIP, CBD and CNKI database up to March 20, 2020. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were used to assess the strength of the associations. RESULTS: A total of 22 case-control studies including 12 studies with 4,464 cases and 4,347 controls on +894G>T, five studies with 589 cases and 789 controls on VNTR 4a/b, and five studies with 588 cases and 692 controls on -786T > C were selected. Overall, pooled data showed a significant association between eNOS 894G>T, VNTR 4a/b, and -786T > C polymorphisms and an increased risk of prostate cancer in the global population. When stratified by ethnicity, a significant association was found between eNOS +894G>T and -786T>C polymorphisms and risk of prostate cancer in Caucasians. CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that eNOS 894G>T, VNTR 4a/b, and -786T>C polymorphisms were associated with risk of prostate cancer in the global population as well as Caucasian population.

Association of MTHFR 677C>T, 1298A>C and MTR 2756A>G Polymorphisms with Risk of Retinoblastoma.

BACKGROUND: The MTHFR 677C>T, 1298A>C and MTR 2756A>G polymorphisms have been investigated in several different cancer types. However, the role of these polymorphisms in the development of retinoblastoma remains unclear. Here, we have evaluated the association of the MTHFR 677C>T, 1298A>C and MTR 2756A>G polymorphisms with the risk of retinoblastoma in Iranian children. METHODS: The MTHFR 677C>T, 1298A>C and MTR 2756A>G polymorphisms in 66 patients with retinoblastoma and 99 age-and gender-matched healthy controls were detected on the ABI PRISMs 7500 Real-Time PCR System. The association between these polymorphisms and the risk of retinoblastoma was analysed by an odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval. RESULTS: Our results showed a significant association between the MTR 2756A>G polymorphism and the risk of retinoblastoma. In the MTR 2756A>G polymorphism, the AG (39.4%) and GG (9.1%) genotype frequencies in the cases were found to be higher in comparison with the controls, showing a significant difference (p < 0.05). However, no significant difference was observed in the allelic or genotypic frequencies for both the MTHFR 677C>T and 1298A>C polymorphisms in the retinoblastoma patients of the controls (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested that the MTR 2756A>G polymorphism might be associated with an increased risk of retinoblastoma in Iranian children. However, the results show that the MTHFR 677C>T and 1298A>C polymorphisms are not significantly associated with an increased risk of retinoblastoma.

ASSOCIATION OF MMP-7 -181A>G POLYMORPHISM WITH COLORECTAL CANCER AND GASTRIC CANCER SUSCEPTIBILITY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS.

INTRODUCTION: The matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7) gene -181A>G polymorphism has been reported to be associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) and gastric cancer (GC) susceptibility, yet the results of these previous results have been inconsistent or controversial. AIM: To elaborate a meta-analysis to assess the association of -181A>G polymorphism of MMP-7 with CRC and GC risk. METHODS: Published literature evaluating the association from PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar and other databases were retrieved up to April 25, 2018. Pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using random- or fixed-effects model. RESULTS: A total of 19 case-control studies, which included eleven studies on CRC (2,169 CRC cases and 2,346 controls) and eight studies on GC (1,545 GC cases and 2,366 controls) were identified. There was a significant association between MMP-7 -181A>G polymorphism and GC risk under the homozygote model (GG vs. AA: OR=1.672, 95% CI 1.161-2.409, p=0.006) and the recessive model (GG vs. GA+AA: OR=1.672, 95% CI 1.319-2.554, p=0.001), but not with CRC. By subgroup analysis based on ethnicity, an increased risk of CRC and GC was found only among Asians. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis suggests that MMP-7 -181A>G polymorphisms is associated with GC risk, but not with CRC. However, our results clearly showed that the MMP-7 -181A>G polymorphism significantly increased the risk of CRC only in Asians.

Association of IL-6 -174 G>C Polymorphism with Susceptibility to Colorectal Cancer and Gastric Cancer: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: The -174G>C (rs1800795) polymorphism at interleukin 6 (IL-6) gene has been reported to be related with the occurrence of colorectal (CRC) and gastric (GC) cancers. However, the results had been conflicting and controversial. In order to give a comprehensive and precise result, we summarized available data to analyze the association of this polymorphism with CRC and GC risk. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search on PubMed, Elsevier Science Direct, and CNKI database was performed to identify all eligible studies up to May 15, 2019. The strength of association was assessed by odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: A total of 29 case-control studies including 16 studies with 7,560 cases and 9,574 controls on CRC and 13 studies with 1,445 cases and 2,918 controls on GC were selected. Overall, pooled data showed that the IL-6 -174G>C polymorphism was not significantly associated with increased risk of CRC and GC in overall. When stratified by ethnicity, we found a statistically significant association between the IL-6 -174 G>C polymorphism and CRC risk in Asians (CC vs. GG: OR = 1.860, 95% CI 1.061-3.258, p = 0.030; and CC vs. CG+GG: OR = 1.941, 95% CI 1.131-3.331, p = 0.016). CONCLUSION: The meta-analysis suggests that IL-6 -174G>C polymorphism was not significantly associated with the increased risk of CRC and GC in overall population. However, the results showed that IL-6 -174G>C polymorphism may be associated with risk of GC in Asians. Further studies including a larger sample size will be necessary to clarify these results.

Association of Promoter Region Polymorphisms of IL-10 Gene with Susceptibility to Lung Cancer: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: Epidemiological studies have suggested that the promoter region polymorphisms of interleukin-10 (IL-10) gene may be associated with an increased risk of lung cancer. However, those studies results are controversial. Thus, a comprehensive meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the association of promoter region polymorphisms of IL-10 gene with susceptibility to lung cancer. Methods: a comprehensive search of PubMed, EMBASE, and CNKI databases was performed to find all eligible studies up to September 15, 2018. The pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the strength of such association. Results: A total number of 19 case-control studies with 4084 cases and 6,131 controls were selected. The overall meta-analysis results showed that the -592A>C polymorphism was significantly associated with lung cancer risk under four genetic models, i.e., allele (CT vs. TT: OR= 1.17, 95% CI 1.01-1.35, p=0.02), homozygote (CC vs. AA: OR= 1.64, 95% CI 1.29-2.02, p≤0.001), heterozygote (CA vs. AA: OR= 1.26, 95% CI 1.06-1.50, p≤0.001), and dominant (CC+CA vs. AA: OR= 1.31, 95% CI 1.11-1.54, p=0.001). However, there was no significant association between -819T>C and -1082A>G polymorphisms of IL-10 and lung cancer risk. Similarly, subgroup analyses by ethnicity detected significant association between IL-10 -592A>C and lung cancer among Asians and Caucasians. Conclusions: Our meta-analysis suggests that the IL-10 -592A>C polymorphism might be risk factor for lung cancer, especially among Asian and Caucasians. In contrast, the IL-10 -819T>C and -1082A>G polymorphisms are not significantly associated with increased risk of lung cancer.

Relevance of hMLH1 -93G>A, 655A>G and 1151T>A polymorphisms with colorectal cancer susceptibility: a meta-analysis based on 38 case-control studies.

OBJECTIVE: There has been increasing interest in the study of the association between human mutL homolog 1 (hMLH1) gene polymorphisms and risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, results from previous studies are inconclusive. Thus, a meta-analysis was conducted to derive a more precise estimation of the effects of this gene. METHODS: A comprehensive search was conducted in the PubMed, EMBASE, Chinese Biomedical Literature databases until January 1, 2018. Odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to assess the strength of the association. RESULTS: Finally, 38 case-control studies in 32 publications were identified met our inclusion criteria. There were 14 studies with 20668 cases and 19533 controls on hMLH1 -93G>A, 11 studies with 5,786 cases and 8,867 controls on 655A>G and 5 studies with 1409 cases and 1637 controls on 1151T>A polymorphism. The combined results showed that 655A>G and 1151T>A polymorphisms were significantly associated with CRC risk, whereas -93G>A polymorphism was not significantly associated with CRC risk. As for ethnicity, -93G>A and 655A>G polymorphisms were associated with increased risk of CRC among Asians, but not among Caucasians. More interestingly, subgroup analysis indicated that 655A>G might raise CRC risk in PCR-RFLP and HB subgroups. CONCLUSION: Inconsistent with previous meta-analyses, this meta-analysis shows that the hMLH1 655A>G and 1151T>A polymorphisms might be risk factors for CRC. Moreover, the -93G>A polymorphism is associated with the susceptibility of CRC in Asian population.

Lack of Association of the Fat Mass and Obesity Associated (FTO) Gene rs9939609 Polymorphism with Breast Cancer Risk: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Based on Case - Control Studies

Background: Previously published data on any association of the fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene with breast cancer risk remain inconclusive. Therefore, we conducted the present meta-analysis of links between breast cancer and the FTO rs9939609 polymorphism. Methods: We have conducted a systematic review of the English literature by searching PubMed, Google Scholar and ISI Web of Knowledge databases for studies on associations between the FTO rs9939609 polymorphism and breast cancer risk. Crude odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to estimate the strength of the association using fixed- or random-effects model. Results: We included five studies with 1134 cases and 1453 controls. Overall, no significant association between the FTO rs9939609 polymorphism and risk of breast cancer was found. On subgroup analysis by ethnicity, there was still no significant association detected. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first meta-analysis of the FTO rs9939609 polymorphism and risk of breast cancer. However, the present meta-analysis suggested that only there might be a significant association of the CXCL12 rs1801157 polymorphisms with breast cancer risk.

Genetic Association of XRCC1 Gene rs1799782, rs25487 and rs25489 Polymorphisms with Risk of Thyroid Cancer: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: A number of case-control studies have evaluated associations between the X-ray cross complementary group 1 protein (XRCC1) gene rs1799782 (Arg194Trp), rs25487 (Arg399Gln) and rs25489 (Arg280His) polymorphisms and thyroid cancer (TC) risk, but the results remain inconclusive. Materials and Methods: A systematic literature search was performed using PubMed and Google Scholar Search. According to defined criteria data were extracted and pooled odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated under five genetic models. Results: A total of 8 studies with 1,672 cases and 2,805 controls for the rs1799782 polymorphism, 14 studies with 2,506 cases and 5,180 controls for the rs25487 polymorphism, and 11 studies with 2,197 cases and 4,761 controls for the rs25489 polymorphism were included in this meta-analysis. Overall, there was a statistical association between XRCC1 rs1799782 polymorphism and TC risk with the homozygote genetic model (TT vs. CC: OR = 1.815, 95% CI = 1.115-2.953, p= 0.016) and the recessive genetic model (TT vs. TC+CC: OR = 1.854, 95% CI = 1.433-2.399, p= <0.001). In the subgroup analysis by ethnicity, significantly increased TC risk was observed only in Asians under the recessive model (TT vs. TC+CC: OR = 1.816, 95% CI = 1.398-2.358, p= <0.001). In addition, there was no positive association between XRCC1 rs25487 and rs25489 polymorphisms and risk of TC. However, there was a significant association between XRCC1 rs25487 polymorphism risk of TC among Caucasians with allele genetic comparison (A vs. G: OR= 0.882, 95% CI = 0.794-0.979, p= 0.136) and dominant genetic comparison (AA+AG vs. GG: OR=0.838, 95% CI = 0.728-0.965, p= 0.014). Conclusions: The results of our meta-analysis suggest an increased risk of TC with the XRCC1 rs1799782 and rs25487 polymorphisms. However, the XRCC1 rs25489 polymorphism appeared to be without influence.