Search

Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is a rodent-borne disease caused by hantaviruses (HVs). Climate factors have a significant impact on the transmission of HFRS. Here, we characterized the dynamic temporal trend of HFRS and identified the roles of climate factors in its transmission in Changchun, China. Surveillance data of HFRS cases and data on related environmental variables from 2013 to 2017 were collected. A principal components regression (PCR) model was used to quantify the relationship between climate factors and transmission of HFRS. During 2013 to 2017, a distinctly declining temporal trend of annual HFRS incidence was identified. Four principal components were extracted, with a cumulative contribution rate of 89.282%. The association between HFRS epidemics and climate factors was better explained by the PCR model (F = 10.050, P

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text, Background: Tasquinimod is an oral quinoline-3-carboxamide derivative for the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Tasquinimod has antiangiogenic, immunomodulatory, and antimetastatic properties, but it is also associated with toxicities, including skeletal pain, digestive disorders, fatigue, insomnia, and mental disorders. We aimed to perform a meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and long-term survival for tasquinimod in patients with mCRPC. Methods: Searches were carried out in PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. Eligible articles included randomized clinical trials (RCTs) comparing systemic or combination therapy (excluding primary or secondary androgen deprivation therapy, bone protective agents, or radionuclides) with placebo in men with mCRPC. Results: Three RCTs were selected for final evaluation. The pooled results from the 3 studies indicated that tasquinimod was associated with good radiologic progression-free survival (rPFS) in mCRPC. For adverse effects (AEs), the results of meta-analysis indicated that patients with mCRPC who received tasquinimod had obvious anemia (risk ratio (RR) 1.35, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06–1.73, P = .02), back pain (RR: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.01–2.47, P = .05), pain in the extremities (RR: 1.90, 95% CI: 1.14–3.17, P = .01), insomnia (RR: 1.50, 95% CI: 1.03–2.17, P = .03), vomiting (RR: 1.52, 95% CI: 1.04–2.21, P = .03), and peripheral edema (RR: 1.52, 95% CI: 1.03–2.23, P = .03). Conclusions: Tasquinimod is associated with better rPFS in mCRPC. The toxicity of tasquinimod requires further investigation, it is not recommended for routine clinical use.

Background: To explore the prognostic value of C-reactive protein/albumin ratio (CAR) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), we conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis of relevant literature on the association between CAR and NPC outcome. In recent years, an increasing number of studies has been published analyzing the possible prognostic utility of C-reactive protein/albumin ratio (CAR) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), but the results are still controversial. Methods: A relevant literature search was performed by using the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CBM, Wanfang, VIP, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases to evaluate the prognostic value of CAR in patients with NPC. The last date of our primary search was December 5, 2017. This meta-analysis was conducted on the basis of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Pooled hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was utilized to estimate the association of CAR and overall survival (OS) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS). Results: Five studies that enrolled 5533 patients with NPC were finally quantified. Our findings revealed that high pretreatment CAR was significantly associated with poor OS (HR = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.36–1.83, P .05); however, publication bias was found for OS (P