@article{LuHasanZengetal.2017,
  author    = {Lu, Yong-Ping and Hasan, Ahmed A. and Zeng, Shufei and Hocher, Berthold},
  title     = {Plasma ET-1 concentrations are elevated in pregnant women with hypertension - meta-analysis of clinical studies},
  series = {Kidney \& blood pressure research : official organ of the Gesellschaft f{\"u}r Nephrologie ; official organ of the Deutsche Liga zur Bek{\"a}mpfung des Hohen Blutdruckes e.V., Deutsche Hypertonie-Gesellschaft},
  volume    = {42},
  journal   = {Kidney \& blood pressure research : official organ of the Gesellschaft f{\"u}r Nephrologie ; official organ of the Deutsche Liga zur Bek{\"a}mpfung des Hohen Blutdruckes e.V., Deutsche Hypertonie-Gesellschaft},
  number    = {4},
  publisher = {Karger},
  address   = {Basel},
  issn      = {1420-4096},
  doi       = {10.1159/000482004},
  pages     = {654 -- 663},
  year      = {2017},
  abstract  = {Background/Aims: The ET system might be involved in the pathogenesis of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy. The objective is to analyse the impact of ET-1 in hypertensive pregnant women by a strict meta-analysis of published human clinical studies. Methods: Based on the principle of Cochrane systematic reviews, Cohort studies in PubMed (Medline), Google Scholar and China Biological Medicine Database (CBM-disc) designed to identify the role of endothelin-1 (ET-1) in the pathophysiology of gestational hypertension and preeclampsia were screened. Review Manager Version 5.0 (Rev-Man 5.0) was applied for statistical analysis. Mean difference and 95\% confidence interval (CI) were shown in inverse variance (IV) fixed-effects model or IV random-effects model. Results: Sixteen published cohort studies including 1739 hypertensive cases and 409 controls were used in the meta-analysis. ET-1 plasma concentrations were higher in hypertensive pregnant women as compared to the controls (mean difference between groups: 19.02 [15.60～22.44], P < 0.00001,). These finding were driven by severity of hypertension and/or degree of proteinuria. Conclusion: Plasma ET-1 concentrations are elevated in hypertensive disorders during human pregnancy. In particular women with preeclampsia (hypertensive pregnant women with proteinuria) have substantially elevated plasma ET-1 concentration as compared to pregnant women with normal blood pressure.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{XuLuHasanetal.2017,
  author    = {Xu, Mei and Lu, Yong-Ping and Hasan, Ahmed A. and Hocher, Berthold},
  title     = {Plasma ET-1 concentrations are elevated in patients with hypertension meta-analysis of clinical studies},
  series = {Kidney \& blood pressure research : official organ of the Gesellschaft f{\"u}r Nephrologie ; official organ of the Deutsche Liga zur Bek{\"a}mpfung des Hohen Blutdruckes e.V., Deutsche Hypertonie-Gesellschaft},
  volume    = {42},
  journal   = {Kidney \& blood pressure research : official organ of the Gesellschaft f{\"u}r Nephrologie ; official organ of the Deutsche Liga zur Bek{\"a}mpfung des Hohen Blutdruckes e.V., Deutsche Hypertonie-Gesellschaft},
  number    = {2},
  publisher = {Karger},
  address   = {Basel},
  issn      = {1420-4096},
  doi       = {10.1159/000477572},
  pages     = {304 -- 313},
  year      = {2017},
  abstract  = {Background/Aims: A recent study revealed that global overexpression of ET-1 causes a slight reduction in systemic blood pressure. Moreover, heterozygous ET-1 knockout mice are hypertensive. The role of ET-1 in human hypertension was so far not addressed by a strict meta-analysis of published human clinical studies. Methods: We included studies published between January 1, 1990 and February 28, 2017. We included case control studies analyzing untreated essential hypertension or hypertensive patients where antihypertensive medication was discontinued for at least two weeks. Based on the principle of Cochrane systematic reviews, case control studies (CCSs) in PubMed (Medline) and Google Scholar designed to identify the role of endothelin-1 (ET-1) in the pathophysiological of hypertension were screened. Review Manager Version 5.0 (Rev-Man 5.0) was applied for statistical analysis. Mean difference and 95\% confidence interval (CI) were shown in inverse variance (IV) fixed-effects model or IV random-effects models. Results: Eleven studies fulfilling our in-and exclusion criteria were eligible for this meta-analysis. These studies included 450 hypertensive patients and 328 controls. Our meta-analysis revealed that ET-1 plasma concentrations were higher in hypertensive patients as compared to the control patients [mean difference between groups 1.57 pg/mL, 95\%Ci [0.47 similar to 2.68, P = 0.005]. These finding were driven by patients having systolic blood pressure higher than 160 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure higher than 100 mmHg. Conclusions: This meta-analysis showed that hypertensive patients do have elevated plasma ET-1 concentrations. This finding is driven by those patients with high systolic/diastolic blood pressure. Given that the ET-1 gene did not appear in any of the whole genome association studies searching for hypertension associated gene loci, it is very likely that the elevated plasma ET-1 concentrations in hypertensive patients are secondary to hypertension and may reflect endothelial cell damage.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{FrommBeisswangerKaebohreretal.2014,
  author    = {Fromm, Sabine and Beisswanger, Elena and Kaebohrer, Annemarie and Tenhagen, Bernd-Alois},
  title     = {Risk factors for MRSA in fattening pig herds - A meta-analysis using pooled data},
  series = {Preventive veterinary medicine : an international journal on research and development in veterinary epidemiology, animal disease prevention and control, and animal health economics},
  volume    = {117},
  journal   = {Preventive veterinary medicine : an international journal on research and development in veterinary epidemiology, animal disease prevention and control, and animal health economics},
  number    = {1},
  publisher = {Elsevier},
  address   = {Amsterdam},
  issn      = {0167-5877},
  doi       = {10.1016/j.prevetmed.2014.08.014},
  pages     = {180 -- 188},
  year      = {2014},
  abstract  = {The importance of livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) as an infectious agent for humans has increased in recent years in Germany. Although it is well known that the prevalence of MRSA in pig farms is high, risk factors for the presence of MRSA in herds of fattening pigs are still poorly understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate available data from previous studies on MRSA in fattening pigs in a meta-analysis to answer the question: What are the factors associated with the occurrence of MRSA in fattening pig herds? The studies on MRSA in pigs that were identified by literature research were heterogeneous with respect to the risk factors investigated and the type of herds focused on. Therefore we decided to carry out a pooling analysis on herd level rather than a typical meta-analysis. Eligible herd data were identified based on the published literature and communication with the authors. The final data set covered 400 fattening pig herds from 10 different studies and 12 risk factors. The prevalence of MRSA in the 400 fattening pig herds was 53.5\%. Data were analyzed using generalized estimating equations (GEE). The resulting multi-variate model confirmed previously identified risk factors for MRSA in pig herds (herd size and herd type). It also identified further risk factors: group treatment of fattening pigs with antimicrobial drugs (OR=1.79) and housing fattening pig herds on at least partially slatted floors (OR=2.39) compared to plain floor. In contrast, according to the model, fattening pig herds on farms keeping other livestock along with pigs were less likely to harbor MRSA (OR=0.54). The results underline the benefits from a pooling analysis and cooperative re-evaluation of published data. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.},
  language  = {en}
}