Association between vitamin D receptor polymorphism and breast cancer in women: An umbrella review of meta-analyses of observational investigations.

This study aimed to conduct an umbrella review of meta-analyses to synthesize the existing evidence regarding the relationship between vitamin D receptor (VDR) polymorphism and breast cancer (BC) risk. A comprehensive search was performed across multiple databases, including Embase, PubMed, Scopus, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and the Web of Science. The investigation included 17 meta-analyses for the BsmI polymorphism, 6 for the Cdx2 polymorphism, and 6 for the Poly (A) polymorphism. Among the 119 datasets analyzed, only 6 (5 %) reported statistically significant outcomes (p < 0.05), comprising 2 comparisons for VDR BsmI polymorphism (3 %), 1 for VDR Cdx-2 polymorphism (4 %), and 3 for VDR Poly (A) polymorphism (14 %), across various genetic models. Notably, significant heterogeneity was observed in 82 comparisons, and publication bias was detected in 16 comparisons. Furthermore, a substantial proportion (86 %) of the included studies exhibited critically low methodological quality. In conclusion, our findings suggest that VDR polymorphism (BsmI, Cdx-2, and Poly (A)) is not strongly associated with BC risk in the general population.

The effectiveness of probiotics as an adjunct therapy in patients under mechanical ventilation: an umbrella systematic review and meta-analysis.

The literature regarding the role of probiotics in critically ill patients who have undergone mechanical ventilation (MV) is unclear; therefore, this umbrella systematic review and meta-analysis was carried out to clarify the effects of probiotics on the clinical outcomes of mechanically ventilated patients. The Scopus, PubMed/Medline, ISI Web of Science, and Google Scholar online databases were searched up to February 2023. All meta-analyses evaluating the impact of probiotics in patients under MV were considered eligible. The assessment of multiple systematic reviews (AMSTAR) questionnaire was used to evaluate the quality of the studies. Data were pooled using the random-effects approach. Thirty meta-analyses and nine clinical outcomes were re-analyzed. Probiotics significantly decreased ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) incidence, nosocomial infections, intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay, hospital length of stay, ICU mortality, hospital mortality, MV duration, duration of antibiotic use, and diarrhea. The obtained results of the current umbrella meta-analysis indicate that probiotic administration could be considered an adjunct therapy for critically ill patients; however, no specific probiotic treatment regimen can be recommended due to the diverse probiotics used in the included meta-analyses. The following microorganisms were used at various doses and combinations throughout the studies: Lacticaseibacillus casei, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, L. acidophilus, L. delbrueckii, L. bulgaricus, Bifidobacterium longum, B. breve, B. salivarius, Pediococcus pentosaceus, Lactococcus raffinolactis, B. infantis, B. bifidum, Streptococcus thermophilus, Ligilactobacillus salivarius, L. lactis, B. lactis, Saccharomyces boulardii, L. rhamnosus GG, L. johnsonii, L. casei, S. faecalis, Clostridium butyricum, Bacillus mesentericus, L. sporogenes, S. boulardii, L. paracasei, B. subtilis, and Enterococcus faecium.

The effects of propolis on pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance, glycemic control, and quality of life in chronic kidney disease: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a progressive kidney damage with an increasing prevalence. Some evidence suggests that propolis as a novel antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory agent may have beneficial effects in CKD. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of propolis on some kidney function parameters, pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB), glycemic status, quality of life, and blood pressure (BP) in patients with CKD. In this study, 44 patients with CKD were randomly assigned to receive propolis capsules at a dose of 250 mg daily or placebo for three months. Of 44 randomized individuals, 35 completed the trial. At the end of the intervention (end of month three), improvement in some dimensions of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) (derived from Kidney Disease and Quality of Life Short-Form (KDQOL-[Formula: see text], v. 1.3) questionnaire) were significantly higher in the propolis group than the placebo group, even after adjustment for baseline values, present of diabetes, and age (P < 0.05). Like systolic and diastolic BP, changes in serum creatinine, 24-h urine volume and protein, fasting blood sugar (FBS), hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C), insulin, homeostasis model of assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI), and PAB did not differ significantly between the two groups (P > 0.05). No serious adverse events were reported throughout the study. Propolis supplementation may improve the HRQoL of CKD patients. More studies are needed to validate the adjunct use of propolis for metabolic control of CKD patients.

Effects of Iranian propolis on renal function, prooxidant-antioxidant balance, metabolic status, and quality of life in patients with chronic kidney disease: A study protocol of an ongoing randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a prevalent and progressive disease that is impacted by hyperglycemia, hypertension (HTN), and oxidative stress (OS). Propolis, a natural resinous mixture produced by honeybees from plant materials, has been shown to possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antihyperglycemic, and antihypertensive properties, along with hepato-renal protective effects. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of propolis supplementation on patients with CKD. Methods: This multi-centered, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial will evaluate the effectiveness of propolis supplementation in 44 eligible patients with CKD. Participants will be randomly allocated to receive either propolis capsule (500 mg, containing 125 mg Iranian alcoholic propolis extract) or placebo, twice daily for three months. The primary outcome is improvement in kidney function parameters of CKD patients, while secondary outcomes include changes in prooxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB), glycemic status, quality of life, and blood pressure (BP). The study will be conducted at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences in Tabriz, Iran. Discussion: If the results of this study reveal remarkable effectiveness of propolis in improving quality of life and clinical outcomes in patients with CKD, this compound may reach a new milestone as an adjunctive therapy for CKD and it opens a new window for further studies. Trial registration: Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials, IRCT20191218045798N1. Prospectively registered on 07 June 2020. Updated on 30 August 2021. https://en.irct.ir/trial/48603.

A comprehensive insight into the molecular and cellular mechanisms of the effects of Propolis on preserving renal function: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The present systematic review is conducted, focusing on the existing evidence of Propolis's effects due to its various health benefits, mainly antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties on preserving renal function. METHODS: A systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, Embase, ProQuest, and Google Scholar was undertaken for relevant papers published from the start until January 2021. RESULTS: This review revealed that Propolis affects fasting blood sugar (FBS), postprandial blood glucose, advanced glycation end products (AGEs) concentrations, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, urinary concentrations of reactive oxygen metabolites (Tbars), total oxidant status (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI), and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) formation favorably. The findings on hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C), insulin, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), ß-cell function (HOMA-ß), quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI), and lipid profile were controversial. Moreover, a significant reduction in renal nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), serum immunoglobulins, renal ED-1+ cells, and urinary monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) following Propolis supplementation has been reported, while the results on interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), nitric oxide (NO), nitric oxide synthetase (NOS), and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were controversial. Furthermore, included studies showed its anti- proteinuria and kidney restoring effects. CONCLUSION: In this review, both human and animal studies provide us evidences that Propolis could potentially improve the glycemic status, oxidative stress, renal tissue damage, and renal function. Further studies are needed to determine the underlying mechanisms.