The mammalian target of rapamycin, mTOR, plays key roles in cell growth and proliferation, acting at the catalytic subunit of two protein kinase complexes: mTOR complexes 1 and 2 (mTORC1/2). mTORC1 signaling is switched on by several oncogenic signaling pathways and is accordingly hyperactive in the majority of cancers. Inhibiting mTORC1 signaling has therefore attracted great attention as an anti-cancer therapy. However, progress in using inhibitors of mTOR signaling as therapeutic agents in oncology has been limited by a number of factors, including the fact that the classic mTOR inhibitor, rapamycin, inhibits only some of the effects of mTOR; the existence of several feedback loops; and the crucial importance of mTOR in normal physiology.
Background. Antibiotic administration to individuals with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infection remains controversial. We assessed if antibiotic administration to individuals with STEC infection is associated with development of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).Methods. The analysis included studies published up to 29 April 2015, that provided data from patients (1) with STEC infection, (2) who received antibiotics, (3) who developed HUS, and (4) for whom data reported timing of antibiotic administration in relation to HUS. Risk of bias was assessed; strength of evidence was adjudicated. HUS was the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes restricted the analysis to low-risk-of-bias studies employing commonly used HUS criteria. Pooled estimates of the odds ratio (OR) were obtained using random-effects models.Results. Seventeen reports and 1896 patients met eligibility; 8 (47%) studies were retrospective, 5 (29%) were prospective cohort, 3 (18%) were case-control, and 1 was a trial. The pooled OR, including all studies, associating antibiotic administration and development of HUS was 1.33 (95% confidence interval [CI], .89-1.99; I 2 = 42%). The repeat analysis including only studies with a low risk of bias and those employing an appropriate definition of HUS yielded an OR of 2.24 (95% CI, 1.45-3.46; I 2 = 0%).Conclusions. Overall, use of antibiotics was not associated with an increased risk of developing HUS; however, after excluding studies at high risk of bias and those that did not employ an acceptable definition of HUS, there was a significant association. Consequently, the use of antibiotics in individuals with STEC infections is not recommended.
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