Table 4.
Summary of findings for studies in this meta-analysis.
| Intervention and Comparator Intervention | Outcomes | Number of Participants (Studies) | Anticipated Absolute Effects (95% CI) | Quality of the Evidence (GRADE) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IM compared to CM for inflammatory pain of rheumatoid arthritis | PASI60 | 8367 (96) | 224 more per 1000 (from 139 more to 318 more) | ⨁⨁⨁◯ MODERATE a |
| PASI score | 5801 (69) | MD 3.3544 PASI score lower (3.7608 lower to 2.9481 lower) |
⨁⨁⨁◯ MODERATE b |
|
| PASI70 | 1276 (13) | 239 more per 1000 (From 154 more to 337 more) |
⨁⨁⨁◯ MODERATE a |
|
| Recurrence rate | 692 (12) | 252 fewer per 1000 (From 282 fewer to 210 fewer) |
⨁⨁⨁◯ MODERATE a |
|
| DLQI | 811 (10) | MD 2.6072 DLQI lower (3.71 lower to 1.5043 lower) |
⨁⨁⨁◯ MODERATE a |
|
| VAS | 273 (3) | MD 0.89 VAS lower (1.4769 lower to 0.3008 lower) |
⨁⨁◯◯ LOW a,b |
|
| TNF-α | 997 (12) | SMD 1.9948 SD lower (2.5964 lower to 1.3932 lower) |
⨁⨁◯◯ LOW a,b |
|
| IL-8 | 657 (7) | SMD 1.0752 SD lower (1.9647 lower to 0.1856 lower) |
⨁⨁◯◯ LOW a,b |
|
| IL-17 | 842 (10) | SMD 2.0009 SD lower (3.2927 lower to 0.7091 lower) |
⨁⨁◯◯ LOW a,b |
|
| IL-22 | 348 (4) | SMD 3.1874 SD lower (6.0441 lower to 0.3307 lower) |
⨁⨁◯◯ LOW a,b |
|
| IL-23 | 428 (5) | SMD 1.7398 SD lower (2.6139 lower to 0.8657 lower) |
⨁⨁◯◯ LOW a,b |
|
| INF-γ | 524 (6) | SMD 2.4211 SD lower (3.2187 lower to 1.6235 lower) |
⨁⨁◯◯ LOW a,b |
CM, conventional medicine; DLQI, dermatology life quality index; IM, integrative medicine; MD, mean difference; RR, risk ratio; RCT, randomized clinical trial; SD, standardized difference; SMD, standardized mean difference; TNF-α, tumor necrosis factor-α; a: substantial concerns of publication bias; b: the confidence intervals are less overlapping.