OBJECTIVES: Tuberculin skin reaction size is one indicator of bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine efficacy and a way to diagnose latent infection. Several primary studies have examined this issue. Combining the results of these studies using a meta-analysis will provide reliable evidence regarding this indicator for policymakers. This study aimed to estimate the total frequency of different tuberculin skin test reactions among Iranian children and teenagers who received the BCG vaccination at birth. METHODS: National and international databanks were searched using relevant keywords. After the search strategy was restricted and duplicates were excluded, the titles and abstracts of the remaining papers were screened. All included studies included healthy children who received the BCG vaccine without confirmed tuberculosis exposure. Heterogeneity of the results was assessed using the Cochrane test and I² index showed the random effects model as the best model for estimating the pooled results. RESULTS: We combined the results of 14 primary studies including purified protein derivative reaction test measures of 26,281 Iranian children. The frequencies (95% confidence intervals) of the reactions were 8.5% (6.2–10.8) for patients with a reaction size ≥ 10 mm, 29.9% (22.3–37.4) for a reaction size of 5–9 mm, and 60% (48.9–71.1) for a reaction size < 5 mm. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that large numbers of Iranian children and teens have no positive BCG vaccine reaction and a considerable number of children have been exposed to Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Adolescent* ; Bacillus* ; BCG Vaccine ; Child* ; Humans ; Mycobacterium bovis ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; Parturition* ; Population Characteristics ; Skin Tests* ; Skin* ; Tuberculin* ; Tuberculosis ; Vaccination*

OBJECTIVES:: Investigating the survival of patients with cancer is vitally necessary for controlling the disease and for assessing treatment methods. This study aimed to compare various statistical models of survival and to determine the survival rate and its related factors among patients suffering from lung cancer. METHODS:: In this retrospective cohort, the cumulative survival rate, median survival time, and factors associated with the survival of lung cancer patients were estimated using Cox, Weibull, exponential, and Gompertz regression models. Kaplan-Meier tables and the log-rank test were also used to analyze the survival of patients in different subgroups. RESULTS:: Of 102 patients with lung cancer, 74.5% were male. During the follow-up period, 80.4% died. The incidence rate of death among patients was estimated as 3.9 (95% confidence [CI], 3.1 to 4.8) per 100 person-months. The 5-year survival rate for all patients, males, females, patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), and patients with small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) was 17%, 13%, 29%, 21%, and 0%, respectively. The median survival time for all patients, males, females, those with NSCLC, and those with SCLC was 12.7 months, 12.0 months, 16.0 months, 16.0 months, and 6.0 months, respectively. Multivariate analyses indicated that the hazard ratios (95% CIs) for male sex, age, and SCLC were 0.56 (0.33 to 0.93), 1.03 (1.01 to 1.05), and 2.91 (1.71 to 4.95), respectively. CONCLUSIONS:: Our results showed that the exponential model was the most precise. This model identified age, sex, and type of cancer as factors that predicted survival in patients with lung cancer.
Cohort Studies ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Iran ; Lung Neoplasms ; Lung ; Male ; Models, Statistical ; Multivariate Analysis ; Retrospective Studies ; Small Cell Lung Carcinoma ; Survival Rate

OBJECTIVES: : Investigating the survival of patients with cancer is vitally necessary for controlling the disease and for assessing treatment methods. This study aimed to compare various statistical models of survival and to determine the survival rate and its related factors among patients suffering from lung cancer. METHODS: : In this retrospective cohort, the cumulative survival rate, median survival time, and factors associated with the survival of lung cancer patients were estimated using Cox, Weibull, exponential, and Gompertz regression models. Kaplan-Meier tables and the log-rank test were also used to analyze the survival of patients in different subgroups. RESULTS: : Of 102 patients with lung cancer, 74.5% were male. During the follow-up period, 80.4% died. The incidence rate of death among patients was estimated as 3.9 (95% confidence [CI], 3.1 to 4.8) per 100 person-months. The 5-year survival rate for all patients, males, females, patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), and patients with small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) was 17%, 13%, 29%, 21%, and 0%, respectively. The median survival time for all patients, males, females, those with NSCLC, and those with SCLC was 12.7 months, 12.0 months, 16.0 months, 16.0 months, and 6.0 months, respectively. Multivariate analyses indicated that the hazard ratios (95% CIs) for male sex, age, and SCLC were 0.56 (0.33 to 0.93), 1.03 (1.01 to 1.05), and 2.91 (1.71 to 4.95), respectively. CONCLUSIONS : Our results showed that the exponential model was the most precise. This model identified age, sex, and type of cancer as factors that predicted survival in patients with lung cancer.