Background: Kidney stone disease (KSD) is a common illness that causes an economic burden globally. It is easy for patients to relapse once they have suffered from this disease. The reported recurrence rate of KSD ranged from 6.1% to 66.9%. We performed this meta-analysis to identify various potential risk factors for the recurrence of KSD. Methods: The PubMed, Embase and Web of Science databases were searched using suitable keywords from inception to Mar 2022. A total of 2,663 records were collected initially. After screening the literature according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 53 articles (40 retrospective studies; 13 prospective studies) including 488,130 patients were enrolled. The study protocol was registered with PROSPERO (No. CRD42020171771). Results: The pooled results indicated that 12 risk factors including younger age (n = 18), higher BMI (n = 16), family history of kidney stones (n = 12), personal history of kidney stones (n = 11), hypertension (n = 5), uric acid stone (n = 4), race of Caucasian (n = 3), suspected kidney stone episode before the first confirmed stone episode (n = 3), surgery (n = 3), any concurrent asymptomatic (nonobstructing) stone (n = 2), pelvic or lower pole kidney stone (n = 2), and 24 h urine test completion (n = 2) were identified to be associated with KSD recurrence. In the subgroup analysis, patients with higher BMI (OR = 1.062), personal history of nephrolithiasis (OR = 1.402), or surgery (OR = 3.178) had a higher risk of radiographic KSD recurrence. Conclusions: We identified 12 risk factors related to the recurrence of KSD. The results of this analysis could serve to construct recurrence prediction models. It could also supply a basis for preventing the recurrence of KSD.

The aberrant expression of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) X inactivate-specific transcript (XIST) has been demonstrated to be involved in the tumourigenesis and the development of various cancers. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to assess the prognostic role of lncRNA XIST expression in solid tumors. The databases of PubMed, EMBase, Web of Science, Cochrane library (up to Dec 31, 2017) were searched for the related studies and identified 15 eligible studies containing 1209 patients to include in the meta-analysis. Hazards ratios (HRs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled to estimate the association between lncRNA XIST expression and survival of cancer patients from Asian. The result showed that higher lncRNA XIST expression in cancer tissue was related to a worse overall survival (OS) (HR = 1.54, 95% CI 1.07–2.23). In subgroup analysis, it revealed that lncRNA XIST overexpression was significantly associated with worse OS in digestive system tumors (HR = 1.67, 95% CI 1.11–2.51, p = 0.031). In addition, the association between high lncRNA XIST expression and poor OS was also statistically significant in other subgroups, including multivariate analysis (HR = 2.39, 95% CI 1.28–4.46, p = 0.006, random-effect), patients’ number was greater than 65 (HR = 1.75, 95% CI 1.24–2.47, p = 0.001, random-effect), and reported in text (HR = 2.50, 95% CI 1.49–4.18, p = 0.000, random-effect). The expression of lncRNA XIST could be regarded as a poor prognostic biomarker for solid tumors, which might shed new light on epigenetic diagnostics and therapeutics in tumors.

Triglyceride (TG) is a known risk factor for kidney stones, but its association with stone recurrence remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between serum TG levels and recurrence of upper urinary tract calcium stones. Patients with upper urinary tract calcium stones hospitalized between May 2021 and August 2024 were retrospectively enrolled. Multivariable logistic regression was applied to evaluate the association between TG and stone recurrence after adjusting for potential confounders. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis was used to explore dose-response relationships. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed to assess result robustness. A total of 303 patients were included, with a mean age of 46.44 ± 13.04 years and a mean TG level of 1.83 ± 1.43 mmol/L. The overall recurrence rate was 45.54%. Recurrence rates varied across TG quartiles (Q1-Q4: 35.06%, 44.00%, 40.00%, and 63.16%), with the highest rate observed in Q4. Higher TG levels were significantly associated with increased stone recurrence risk. Compared with the lowest quartile, the highest TG quartile showed a 2.98-fold increased risk (95% CI: 1.42-6.39). RCS analysis demonstrated a linear dose-response relationship. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of these findings. Elevated triglyceride levels were associated with a higher risk of calcium stone recurrence.

Background: Systemic inflammation is associated with the prognosis of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). The C-reactive protein-to-lymphocyte ratio (CLR) combines systemic inflammation and host immune status. However, its prognostic value in non-metastatic ccRCC remains unclear. This study evaluated the association between preoperative CLR and survival outcomes in patients with non-metastatic ccRCC. Methods: We retrospectively included 414 patients with non-metastatic ccRCC who underwent partial or radical nephrectomy. The primary Cox analyses treated ln(CLR) as a continuous variable and assessed overall survival (OS) and the cause-specific hazard of ccRCC-related death. Sensitivity analyses included expanded adjustment and time-varying effects. Cut-off-based analyses were exploratory. Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curves were used to compare CLR with other inflammatory markers. Incremental discrimination and calibration were assessed using bootstrap internal validation. Results: After adjustment for age, Fuhrman grade, and T stage, ln(CLR) remained independently associated with OS (HR = 1.589, 95% CI 1.257–2.009; P < 0.001) and ccRCC-related death (HR = 1.612, 95% CI 1.266–2.052; P < 0.001). The associations persisted in sensitivity analyses addressing additional pathological factors and time-varying effects. The 3- and 5-year AUCs of CLR for OS were 0.810 and 0.776, respectively. No statistically significant AUC differences were detected between CLR and CRP, NLR, or CAR. Adding CLR increased the apparent C-index from 0.843 to 0.885. After bootstrap optimism correction, the C-indices were 0.832 and 0.873, respectively (ΔC-index = 0.041). Calibration was assessed at 3 and 5 years. Conclusions: Preoperative CLR was independently associated with OS and the cause-specific hazard of ccRCC-related death in this single-center cohort. Adding CLR improved discrimination after internal validation, but its superiority over other inflammatory markers and clinical utility remain unestablished. Independent multicenter validation is needed.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common disorder in men. It frequently induces anxiety, a low quality of life, and psychological problems in patients. The lipid accumulation product (LAP) indicates the accumulation of visceral fat and is calculated using waist circumference and triglyceride levels. However, the correlation between LAP and ED risk remains unclear. Data from 21,162 participants were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in the United States between 2001 and 2004. Multivariate logistic regression models, restricted cubic spline analyses, and subgroup analyses were used to explore the relationship between LAP and ED risk. The analysis revealed a significant J-shaped nonlinear correlation between LAP and ED risk. The inflection point was 6.80. The LAP was negatively and positively correlated with ED risk before and after the LAP value reached 6.80, respectively. These findings suggest that maintaining the LAP within a certain range is crucial for reducing ED risk in clinical practice. Subgroup analysis supported consistency in all study cohorts. A J-shaped relationship was observed between baseline LAP levels and ED risk in the general US population, with an inflection point of 6.80. Therefore, the LAP may be a valuable biomarker for detecting ED and may offer a new approach for the evaluation of ED.

Simple renal cysts (SRC) are associated with a high incidence of proteinuria and renal insufficiency. However, the effects of renal function, particularly estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), on SRC size remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the impact of renal function on SRC size. This retrospective study included 502 patients diagnosed with SRC from Sir Run Run Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, between August 2019 and February 2022. Among them, 185 patients were followed up. SRC size and growth were monitored by B-ultrasound. The relationship between eGFR levels and SRC size/growth was analyzed by linear regression and logistic regression analysis. We found that patients with lower eGFR had significantly larger SRC sizes and higher growth rates. Low eGFR level was associated with increased the risk of larger maximum SRC volume. Furthermore, eGFR level was also negatively correlated with the growth rate of SRC. Multivariate analysis revealed that low eGFR levels were related to larger size and faster growth of SRC. Renal function, as measured by eGFR, was inversely associated with both the size and growth rate of SRC. Monitoring renal function in patients with low eGFR could help in early detection and management of SRC growth.