The Journal of asthma : official journal of the Association for the Care of Asthma
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The objective of this systematic review was to explore the effectiveness of various systemic corticosteroid (SCS) regimens to mitigate relapse in children with asthma discharged from an acute care setting. ⋯ This review found evidence that SCS reduces relapse in children following treatment for acute asthma, albeit based on a limited number of studies. Additional studies are required to assess the differential effect of SCS doses and treatment duration to prevent relapse in children following discharge for acute asthma.
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Review Meta Analysis
The efficacy and safety of reslizumab for inadequately controlled asthma with elevated blood eosinophil counts: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Reslizumab is a humanised anti-interleukin 5 monoclonal antibody that disrupts eosinophil maturation and promotes programmed cell death. ⋯ This meta-analysis indicates that reslizumab to be an effective and safe treatment for inadequately controlled, eosinophilic asthma.
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Review Meta Analysis
Association between the TLR4 +896A>G (Asp299Gly) polymorphism and asthma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
To determine whether there is an association between the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) +896A>G single nucleotide polymorphism and asthma by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis. ⋯ The meta-analysis findings suggest a lack of direct association between the TLR4 +896A>G polymorphism and asthma, but gene-environment and gene-gene interaction effects and other considerations involving this polymorphism may exist. Therefore, further study is necessary to fully elucidate the role of TLR4 +896A>G in asthma.
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Review Meta Analysis
Laser acupuncture for the treatment of asthma in children: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.
Laser acupuncture has often been recommended as a treatment of asthma. The technique is noninvasive, and seems particularly suitable for children. However, the results from several clinical trials are contradictory. The objective of this review was to assess the effectiveness of laser acupuncture in the treatment of childhood asthma. ⋯ The number of RCTs and their total sample sizes are small; and their methodological quality is low. Therefore, no compelling evidence exists to suggest that laser acupuncture is not an effective treatment for childhood asthma. Further rigorous studies are warranted.
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Meta Analysis
Polymorphism of the ADRB2 gene and response to inhaled beta- agonists in children with asthma: a meta-analysis.
About 9% of children have asthma, corresponding to almost 6.8 million children in the USA and 1.1 million in the UK. Asthma exacerbations are the leading cause of pediatric emergency room visits and impose a large burden on the individual, family, and society. There is mounting evidence that therapeutic failure of inhaled beta-agonists is associated with polymorphisms of the beta(2)-adrenergic receptor gene (ADRB2); specifically, mutations leading to amino acid changes at positions 16 and 27, which alter down-regulation of the beta(2)-adrenergic receptor (beta(2)AR), induce resistance to the smooth-muscle relaxing effect of beta(2)-adrenergic agonists. ⋯ Failure of bronchodilator response to inhaled beta-agonists in asthmatic children is associated with the Gly allele (Arg/Gly and Gly/Gly genotypes) at position 16 of the beta(2)-adrenergic receptor. Genetic typing for beta(2)AR polymorphism may help identify children with drug-resistant asthma.