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Objective A detection method with high efficiency and accuracy is urgently needed in clinical work. The purpose of our study was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of the Xpert MTB/RIF assay for intestinal tuberculosis (ITB). Methods We searched PubMed and 4 other databases from their establishment to July 19, 2022, for published essays of diagnostic performance in which Xpert MTB/RIF was used to test patients with clinically suspected ITB. An assessment of the quality of the selected literature was conducted using QUADAS-2. We built forest plots by MetaDiSc software. Results The pooled Xpert MTB/RIF sensitivity was 48%, and the specificity was 99%. Moreover, the positive likelihood ratio for ITB diagnosis was 21.61. The negative likelihood ratio was 0.54. There were substantial variations between the study estimates of sensitivity (I 2 = 87.6%) and specificity (I 2 = 82.4%). Conclusion Intestinal TB is detected with limited diagnostic sensitivity by Xpert MTB/RIF but with high specificity. An Xpert-positive result may facilitate the rapid identification of ITB cases. Nevertheless, a negative result has less certainty in excluding the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To evaluate the accuracy of the reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) assay for rapid detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in community or primary-care settings. Method We systematically searched the Web of Science, Embase, PubMed, and Cochrane Library databases. We conducted quality evaluation using ReviewManager software (version 5.0). We then used MetaDisc software (version 1.4) and Stata software (version 12.0) to build forest plots, along with a Deeks funnel plot and a bivariate boxplot for analysis. Result Overall, the sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratio were 0.79, 0.97, and 328.18, respectively. The sensitivity for the subgroup with RNA extraction appeared to be higher, at 0.88 (0.86–0.90), compared to the subgroup without RNA extraction, at 0.50 (0.45–0.55), with no significant difference in specificity. Conclusion RT-LAMP assay exhibited high specificity regarding current SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, its overall sensitivity was relatively moderate. Extracting RNA was found to be beneficial in improving sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the correlation between calcium intake and the risk of brain tumors (especially glioma). The PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase databases were searched for relevant papers on the association between calcium intake and glioma as of August 22, 2021. The odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated using a random-effects model. Egger's test was conducted to assess publication bias. The meta-analysis includes four studies. The meta-analysis showed that calcium intake and the risk of brain tumors have a significant negative relationship (OR = 0.28; 95% CI: 0.11 to 0.72; P = 0.008). Dose-response analysis showed that for every 100 mg/day increase in calcium intake, the risk of glioma decreased by 7% (OR = 0.93; 95% CI: 0.88 to 0.98). In addition, compared with humans without calcium intake, when calcium intake is 455 mg/day, 800 mg/day and 1000 mg/day, the risk of glioma is 0.65 (95% CI 0.43, 0.97), 0.55 (95% CI 0.37, 0.82) and 0.37 (95% CI 0.15, 0.86). There is a significant negative association between calcium intake and brain tumors (especially gliomas), but more high-quality studies are needed to verify these results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]