Prevalence of Malnutrition in Children with Congenital Heart Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the global prevalence of malnutrition in children with congenital heart disease (CHD). STUDY DESIGN: A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed. Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, Wanfang Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and China Biology Medicine disc databases were searched for studies published through April 2021. Random-effect model meta-analyses were performed to derive the pooled the prevalence of preoperative underweight, stunting, and wasting in children with CHD. Time-trend analyses of postoperative malnutrition prevalence were undertaken. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were conducted to explore sources of heterogeneity. Egger test and funnel plots were used to explore public bias. RESULTS: A total of 39 studies were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled estimates of preoperative malnutrition in children with CHD were 27.4% (95% CI, 21.7-34.0) for underweight, 24.4% (95% CI, 19.5-30.0) for stunting, and 24.8% (95% CI, 19.3-31.3) for wasting. Catch-up growth was found in the postoperative period among some children. Different continents were identified as heterogeneity moderators by subgroup analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Children with CHD have a high prevalence of preoperative malnutrition and some show catch-up growth postoperatively. These data can be used as benchmarks in efforts to improve the nutritional status of children with CHD.

Therapeutic effects of benzoylaconitine and paeoniflorin in rats with collagen-induced arthritis

Abstract To explore the effects and mechanisms of benzoylaconitine and paeoniflorin on collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rats. Weight, paw swelling, arthritis index and joint pathologic changes were examined in each group after CIA induction. PGE2, IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, VEGF, MMP-3, IgG and anti-CII Ab were assessed by ELISA; STAT1 and STAT3 expressions were analyzed immunohistochemically, and the ultrastructure of synovial cells was observed by transmission electron microscopy. Therapeutic effects were determined in CIA rats via injecting benzoylaconitine and paeoniflorin, which could alleviate the degree of swelling and arthritis index (AI) and pathological lesions of the sacroiliac gland; decrease the levels of PGE2, IL-1ß, TNF-α, VEGF and IgG in serum; reduce STAT1 and STAT3 expression in the membrane tissue; and inhibit the secretion and proliferation of synovial cells. These results showed that benzoylaconitine and paeoniflorin could significantly palliate the arthritic symptoms of CIA rats, and better therapeutic effects could be achieved if the two components were used in combination