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Various studies suggest that the atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) is associated with the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) in different clinical scenarios. This review aimed to synthesize evidence of the association between AIP values and CAD. A literature search was carried out on four databases, namely, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Ovid-Medline. A handsearch was performed on preprint repositories (MedRxiv and Research Square). The effect measurements were expressed as odds ratios (OR) with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI). For the quantitative synthesis, we employed a random-effects model. We analyzed 14 articles (with 40,902 participants) from seven different countries. The quantitative analysis revealed that an increase in one unit of AIP was associated with higher odds of developing CAD (OR 2.11; 95% CI 1.65–2.69; P < 0.001; I 2 = 98%). We conducted subgroup analyses of Chinese (OR 1.89; 95% CI 1.40–2.56; P < 0.001) and non-Chinese studies (OR 2.51; 95% CI 1.42–4.42; P < 0.001). The sensitivity analysis by risk of bias continued to demonstrate an association, and the heterogeneity remained unchanged (OR 1.75; 95% CI 1.33–2.31; P < 0.001; I 2 = 98%). Higher AIP values were associated with higher odds of developing CAD.

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Background: Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is an accessible and widely used biomarker. NLR may be used as an early marker of poor prognosis in patients with COVID-19.Objective: To evaluate the prognostic value of the NLR in patients diagnosed with COVID-19.Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis. Observational studies that reported the association between baseline NLR values (ie, at hospital admission) and severity or all-cause mortality in COVID-19 patients were included. The quality of the studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Random effects models and inverse variance method were used for meta-analyses. The effects were expressed as odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Small study effects were assessed with the Egger's test.Results: We analysed 61 studies (n = 15 522 patients), 58 cohorts, and 3 case-control studies. An increase of one unit of NLR was associated with higher odds of severity (OR 6.22; 95%CI 4.93 to 7.84; P < .001) and higher odds of all-cause mortality (OR 12.6; 95%CI 6.88 to 23.06; P < .001). In our sensitivity analysis, we found that 41 studies with low risk of bias and moderate heterogeneity (I2  = 53% and 58%) maintained strong association between NLR values and both outcomes (severity: OR 5.36; 95% CI 4.45 to 6.45; P < .001; mortality: OR 10.42 95% CI 7.73 to 14.06; P = .005).Conclusions: Higher values of NLR were associated with severity and all-cause mortality in hospitalised COVID-19 patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new outbreak of monkeypox, a viral zoonotic disease, has affected more than 82,500 people and at least 110 countries worldwide as of 14 December 2022, with 81,580 people affected in 103 non-endemic areas of Africa [[1]]. Recently, after a series of consultations with global experts, the World Health Organization (WHO) proposed "Mpox" as a new preferable term, replacing monkeypox [[2]]. [Extracted from the article]

Introduction: Dengue is a vector-borne disease, especially important in tropical and subtropical areas. The first presentation of many arboviral diseases occurred mainly in animals, including multiple Alphaviruses and Flaviviruses , such as dengue., Objective: To determine the serological and molecular frequency of the dengue virus in animals., Methods: A systematic literature review was carried out in five databases for the proportion of animals infected with dengue, defined by molecular and serological tests. A meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model to calculate the pooled prevalence and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Cochran?s Q test and the I2 statistic were used to assess the heterogeneity between the two studies., Results: The presence of dengue in bats, primates, birds, sheep, horses, cattle, pigs, rodents and buffaloes, according to serological methods, had a prevalence of 10%, 29%, 8%, 1%, 11%, 0%, 49%, 2%, 7%, respectively. According to molecular methods, the presence of dengue in bats had a seroprevalence of 6.0%., Conclusion: The present study confirms the presence of the Dengue virus in a large group of animal species, with potential implications as possible reservoirs of this virus, raising the possibility of zoonotic transmission., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: None.

Background and Aims: The presence of fungal infections has been described in patients after recovering from COVID-19. This study aims to conduct a systematic review of studies that reported fungal infections ( Mucor spp., Pneumocystis jirovecii , or Aspergillus spp.) in adults after recovering from COVID-19., Methods: We performed a systematic review through PubMed, Web of Science, OVID-Medline, Embase, and Scopus. The study selection process was performed independently and by at least two authors. We performed a risk of bias assessment using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for cohort and case-control studies, and the Joanna Briggs Institute's Checklists for Case Series and Case Reports., Results: The systematic search found 33 studies meeting all inclusion criteria. There was a total population of 774 participants, ranging from 21 to 87 years. From them, 746 developed a fungal infection. In 19 studies, Mucor spp. was reported as the main mycosis. In 10 studies, P. jirovecii was reported as the main mycosis. In seven studies, Aspergillus spp. was reported as the main mycosis. Regarding the quality assessment, 12 studies were classified as low risk of bias and the remaining studies as high risk of bias., Conclusion: Patients' clinical presentation and prognosis after recovering from COVID-19 with fungal infection differ from those reported patients with acute COVID-19 infection and those without COVID-19 infection., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest., (© The Author(s), 2024.)

Background: Some studies have reported that homocysteine, vitamin B12, and folic acid levels are associated with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), whereas other studies yielded controversial results., Objectives: This study aimed to systematize the available evidence of homocysteine, vitamin B12, and folate levels in women with and without PCOS., Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis., Data Sources and Methods: A systematic search without language restrictions was performed on PubMed, Ovid/Medline, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science. In addition, the reference lists of the selected studies were reviewed. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was employed to evaluate the quality of studies. The means and standard deviations of the outcomes were pooled as standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Furthermore, the DerSimonian and Laird method was employed for the quantitative synthesis., Results: A total of 75 studies met the eligibility criteria for at least one outcome. Patients with PCOS had higher circulating homocysteine levels than those without (SMD: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.62-1.02, n  = 70 studies, p  < 0.001). This trend remained in the sensitivity and subgroup analyses by world regions of studies, assay methods, and insulin resistance. No significant differences were observed in circulating vitamin B12 (SMD: -0.11; 95% CI: -0.25 to 0.03; n  = 17 studies, p  = 0.13) and folate levels (SMD: -0.2; 95% CI: -0.68 to 0.27; n  = 17 studies, p  = 0.41) between patients with and without PCOS., Conclusions: (i) Patients with PCOS exhibited significantly higher homocysteine levels than those without, and (ii) no significant differences were observed in both vitamin B12 and folate levels in women with and without PCOS., Registration: PROSPERO ID (CRD42023432883).

Introduction: Toxocariasis is an infection caused in canines, felines, humans, and other vertebrates by species of the genus Toxocara , such as T. canis and T. cati . The embryonated eggs of these parasites are the main form of acquisition of the infection both for definitive hosts, such as the dog and the cat, respectively and for paratenic hosts, such as humans and other vertebrates. Toxocariasis infection in humans causes visceral larva migrans syndrome. When deposited on park soils, environmental contamination becomes a risk for environmental, human, and animal health., Objective: To systemically estimate the prevalence of Toxocara spp. eggs in park soils in Latin America., Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to evaluate the prevalence of Toxocara eggs in park soils in Latin America, defined by copro-parasitological, molecular and immunological techniques. We searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Sciences, Embase, LILACS and SciELO for studies published from 1900 through 28 January 2023. A meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model to calculate the pooled prevalence and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Heterogeneity was measured through I 2 statistics., Results: Forty-nine studies (2,508 parks and 12,833 samples) were included, of whom 44 had a low risk of bias. The pooled prevalence of Toxocara eggs in parks in Latin America was 50.0% (95% CI: 40.0%-60.0%). Argentina had the highest prevalence of Toxocara eggs in parks (100%), followed by Brazil (66%) and Venezuela (63%). The pooled prevalence of Toxocara eggs in soil samples was 20.0% (95% CI: 14.0%-26.0%); in faecal samples, it was 13.0% (95% CI: 6.0%-23.0%)., Conclusion: The presence of Toxocara canis eggs in public parks in Latin America is a zoonotic and public health threat for the people who go to these places, especially if children play on the ground with dirt or contaminated objects; since many pet owners and general public are not adequately informed about the mode of transmission of this parasite., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

In a broad sense, Rickettsiae are a group of microorganisms that can be transmitted mechanically or biologically to animals and humans. Rickettsioses are associated with hematic manifestations. Its prevalence in humans, dogs and other animals has been widely explored, but not in equine species. To determine the prevalence of Rickettsia infection in horses. A systematic review of the literature was carried out in five databases for the proportion of horses infected with Rickettsia , defined by molecular and immunological techniques. A meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model to calculate the pooled prevalence and 95% confidence intervals (CI). The Cochran's Q test and the I 2 statistic were used to assess the between-study-heterogeneity. The pooled prevalence of Rickettsia in equines was 37.0% (95% CI: 26.0%-47.0%), with significant heterogeneity among studies (I 2  = 98.12%). In the subgroup analysis, the prevalence of Rickettsia in horses was found to be 24.0% (95%CI: 10.0%-41.0%) for IFI, 47.0% (95%CI: 30.0%-64.0%) for IFA, 14.0% (95%CI: 11.0%-17.0%) for IFAT and 39.0% (95%CI: 0.0%-95.0%) for PCR. There was a high prevalence of Rickettsia among horses, with some of the species being zoonotic, with their corresponding implications for humans, which increasingly are in close contact with equines, particularly horses and their ticks, posing a risk for spillover and transmission., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© 2022 The Authors.)