Meta-Analysis of the Prevalence of HBV Infection Among Alcohol Users Worldwide

Interaction Between Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and Alcohol in the Development of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The objective of this report is to provide clarification on the interaction among hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and alcohol in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A systematic search was performed in PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus databases up to July 18, 2023. The inclusion criteria involved observational studies that examined the relationship between HBV, HCV, alcohol use and the development of HCC. To assess between-study heterogeneity, the I2 statistics were employed. Publication bias was evaluated using the Begg and Egger tests. The effect sizes were estimated as odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) utilising a random-effects model. Among the initial pool of 31,021 studies identified, 28 studies involving 42,406 participants met the inclusion criteria. Through our meta-analysis, we found that the combined effect of HBV and alcohol was associated with an OR of 14.56 (95% CI: 9.80, 21.65). The combined impact of HCV and alcohol showed an OR of 42.44 (95% CI: 20.11, 89.56). Coinfection with both HBV and HCV was associated with an OR of 32.58 (95% CI: 20.57, 51.60). These results emphasising the importance of reducing alcohol consumption and implementing effective viral hepatitis prevention and treatment.

The efficacy of bleomycin sclerotherapy in the treatment of lymphatic malformations: a review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

At present, bleomycin has been widely used in the treatment of Lymphatic Malformations (LMs). This study aims to perform a meta-analysis to investigate the effectiveness and influencing factors of bleomycin in the treatment of LMs.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to clarify the relationship between bleomycin and LMs. PubMed, ISI Web of Science and MEDLINE were searched.

RESULTS

A total of 21 studies (including 428 cases) about bleomycin sclerotherapy for LMs were included in the current meta-analyses. We calculated pooled effective rate and 95% Confidence Interval (95% CI) using random effects model to evaluate the relations between bleomycin and LMs. The results suggested that the effective rate of bleomycin was the combined effective rate was 84.0% (95% CI 0.81‒0.87) and ranged from 39% (95% CI 0.22‒0.56) to 94% (95% CI 0.87-1.02). The heterogeneity among the studies was substantial (I2=61.7%, p= 0.000). In subgroup analyses, it was observed that among retrospective study and prospective study, the estimated effective rate was 80.0% (95% CI 0.76‒0.84) and 91.0% (95% CI 0.85‒0.97), respectively. In terms of the dosage, the combined effective rates of weight-based group and fixed-dose group were 86% (95% CI 0.83‒0.90) and 74.0% (95% CI 0.66‒0.82), respectively. There was no significant publication bias in Egger's test (p=0.059, 95% CI -3.81 to 0.082), but Begg's test did (p=0.023), and the funnel plot is asymmetric.

CONCLUSION

Our study suggested that bleomycin was safe and effective in the treatment of LMs and was primarily dose dependent.

The forgotten people: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection as a priority for the inclusion health agenda

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection represents a significant global health threat, accounting for 300 million chronic infections and up to 1 million deaths each year. HBV disproportionately affects people who are under-served by health systems due to social exclusion, and can further amplify inequities through its impact on physical and mental health, relationship with stigma and discrimination, and economic costs. The 'inclusion health' agenda focuses on excluded and vulnerable populations, who often experience barriers to accessing healthcare, and are under-represented by research, resources, interventions, advocacy, and policy. In this article, we assimilate evidence to establish HBV on the inclusion health agenda, and consider how this view can inform provision of better approaches to diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. We suggest approaches to redress the unmet need for HBV interventions among excluded populations as an imperative to progress the global goal for the elimination of viral hepatitis as a public health threat.

Incidence and Influencing Factors of New Hepatitis B Infections and Spontaneous Clearance: A Large-Scale, Community-Based Study in China

Background: Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) is widely used in hepatitis B screening, and HBsAg seroclearance indicates hepatitis B eradication. Few studies have explored the incidence of and determinants for spontaneous seroclearance using a long-term follow-up cohort study. Our research aimed to examine the incidence of and influencing factors for hepatitis B virus infection and spontaneous clearance of HBsAg from a large-scale cohort in China.

Methods: A total of 151,926 resident individuals in Tongxiang underwent HBsAg screening at least thrice in a 7-year period. Serum samples collected at baseline and follow-up examinations were tested for HBsAg. Cox proportional hazard models were used to analyze determinants of HBsAg seroclearance and persistent HBsAg presence.

Results: Among the 151,926 participants, new hepatitis B infections occurred in 4,497 participants, yielding an incidence rate of 571.38 per 100,000 person-years. The incidence rate for males was higher than that for females. In the multivariate Cox regression analysis, female gender, alcohol drinking history, hepatitis family history and middle-age group were predictors for persistent positive HBsAg status.

Conclusions: The incidence rate of new hepatitis B infections was 571.38 per 100,000 person-years. Male and aged people in this community cohort have a higher infection rate. Alcohol drinking and hepatitis family history were risk factor leading to chronic infection. Female and middle-aged people were prone to persistent positive HBsAg status.

Prevalence of internet addiction among college students in the Indian setting: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The internet is an integral part of everyone's life. College going adolescents are highly vulnerable to the misuse of the internet.

AIMS

To estimate the pooled prevalence of internet addiction (IA) among college students in India.

METHODS

Literature databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, EMBASE, PsycINFO and Google Scholar) were searched for studies assessing IA using the Young Internet Addiction Test (Y-IAT) among adolescents from India, published in the English language up to December 2020. We included studies from 2010 to 2020 as this is the marked era of momentum in wireless internet connectivity in India. The methodological quality of each study was scored, and data were extracted from the published reports. Pooled prevalence was estimated using the fixed-effects model. Publication bias was evaluated using Egger's test and visual inspection of the symmetry in funnel plots.

RESULTS

Fifty studies conducted in 19 states of India estimated the prevalence of IA and the overall prevalence of IA as 19.9% (95% CI: 19.3% to 20.5%) and 40.7% (95% CI: 38.7% to 42.8%) based on the Y-IAT cut-off scores of 50 and 40, respectively. The estimated prevalence of severe IA was significantly higher in the Y-IAT cut-off points of 70 than 80 (12.7% (95% CI: 11.2% to 14.3%) vs 4.6% (95% CI: 4.1% to 5.2%)). The sampling method and quality of included studies had a significant effect on the estimation of prevalence in which studies using non-probability sampling and low risk of bias (total quality score ≥7) reported lower prevalence. The overall quality of evidence was rated as 'moderate' based on the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation criteria.

CONCLUSIONS

Our nationally representative data suggest that about 20% to 40% of college students in India are at risk for IA. There is a need for further research in the reconsideration of Y-IAT cut-off points among Indian college students.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42020219511.