Table 1.
Main characteristics of the studies included in the meta-analysis.
| Included studies | Research type | Patient no. | Sex (F/M) | Age (yr) | AQP4-Ab (+) | Duration of disease (yr/mo) | Follow-up (yr/mo) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabre et al 2018[2] | Prospective | 32 | 30/2 | 39.9 (12.1) | 20 | NC | 2 yr |
| Dastjerdi et al 2018[5] | Prospective | 56 | 46/10 | 36.86 | 30 | 87.60 ± 59.65 mo | 6/12 mo |
| Fernández-Megía et al 2015[6] | Retrospective | 6 | 6/0 | 46 (38–58) | 3 | NC | NC |
| Jacob et al 2008[7] | Retrospective | 25 | 22/3 | 38 (7–65) | 14 | 4.5 (0.8–17) yr | 19 (6–40) mo |
| Kim et al 2015[3] | Retrospective | 100 | 92/8 | 43 (11) | 94 | 11 (5) yr | 67 (9–108) mo |
| Nikoo et al 2017[8] | RCT | 33 | 29/4 | 35.33 (8.98) | 13 | 6.23 (4.29) yr | 12 mo |
| Shaygannejad et al 2019[9] | Prospective | 44 | 35/9 | 37.2 ± 10.4 | 14 | 6.3 ± 4.1 yr | 31.6 ± 7.3 mo |
| Zephir et al 2015[10] | Retrospective | 32 | 27/5 | 45 ± 12.1 | 28 | 6.5 (1–410) mo | 28.7 ± 21 mo |
| Zhang et al 2017[11] | Retrospective | 31 | 23/8 | 42.2 ± 16.9 | 25 | 4.05 ± 2.11 yr | >2 yr |
| Annovazzi et al 2016[12] | Retrospective | 73 | 64/9 | 46.5 ± 12.5 | 53 | 6 ± 7.2 yr | 35.6 ± 27 |
| Pellkofer et al 2011[13] | Prospective | 9 | 8/1 | 36.1 (11.5) | 9 | 11 (7.7) yr | 29.6 (14.5) mo |
| Lindsey et al 2012[14] | Retrospective | 8 | 7/1 | 37.6 (14.4) | 4 | 65.1 (53.7) mo | 39.9 (40.7) mo |
| Ip et al 2013[15] | Retrospective | 7 | 6/1 | 52 (22–62) | 4 | 57 (40–272) mo | 24 (1–42) mo |
| Jeong et al 2016[16] | Retrospective | 55 | 50/5 | 42 (15–68) | 52 | 41.7 (2.1–231.5) mo | 64.7 (6.2–99.8) mo |
| Collongues et al 2016[17] | Retrospective | 21 | 19/2 | 37.8 (15.5) | 19 | 46.9 (51.2) mo | 31 (18) mo |
| Cohen et al 2017[18] | Prospective | 40 | 33/7 | 40.2 (22–62) | 20 | 40 (2–165) mo | 2 yr |
| Yang et al 2018[19] | Prospective | 20 | 19/1 | 40.7 (11.4) | 10 | 11 (0.2–240) mo | 29 (18–40) mo |
| Bedi et al 2011[20] | Retrospective | 23 | 21/2 | 37.1 ± 14.6 | 15 | 114 (13–266) mo | 32.5 (7–63) mo |
| Casallas-Vanegas et al 2020[21] | Retrospective | 66 | 54/12 | 36.2 ± 12.01 | 44 | 5.85 ± 4.03 yr | NC |
| Correa Diaz et al 2019[22] | Retrospective | 21 | 18/2 | 36.7 (13.3) | NC | NC | 24.8 (6–47) mo |
| Flores et al 2012[23] | NC | 13 | 12/1 | 33.3 ± 13.8 | NC | NC | 24 mo |
| Kim et al 2009[24] | NC | 27 | 24/3 | 33.5 ± 11.6 | NC | 5.6 ± 3.6 yr | NC |
| Kim et al 2013[25] | Retrospective | 30 | 27/3 | 38 (23–58) | NC | 61 (49–82) mo | NC |
| Lin et al 2018[26] | RCT | 14 | NC | 32.9 ± 13.6 | NC | 20.5 ± 6.8 mo | NC |
| Wu and Niu 2019[27] | Retrospective | 15 | 13/2 | 31.8 ± 13.2 | NC | 1–144 mo | NC |
| Xiao et al 2020[28] | Retrospective | 36 | NC | NC | NC | NC | 19.83 ± 7.74 mo |
| Bai 2016[29] | RCT | 9 | 9 | 38.28 | NC | NC | 7–40 mo |
| Li 2019[30] | Retrospective | 29 | 27/2 | 38.3 ± 13.9 | 27 | NC | 3.1/2.1 yr |
| Liu 2017[31] | RCT | 15 | 15 | 37.84 ± 4.12 | NC | 6.93 ± 1.52 yr | NC |
| Niu 2019[32] | Retrospective | 15 | 13/2 | 31.8 ± 13.2 | NC | 1–144 mo | NC |
| Wang et al 2018[33] | Prospective | 21 | 20/1 | 26.2 ± 12.3 | NC | 9.2 ± 5.9 yr | 28.4 ± 4.9 mo |
| Zhang 2016[34] | Prospective | 19 | NC | 21-59 | NC | NC | NC |
| Zhu 2018[35] | Retrospective | 8 | NC | 48.52 ± 3.25 | NC | NC | NC |
| Jia et al 2018[36] | RCT | 9 | 8/1 | 42.78 | NC | 4.7 yr | NC |
| Zhang 2020[37] | Retrospective | 29 | 25/4 | 29 (15–54) | 24 | 39 (12–260) mo | NC |
| Cao et al 2021[38] | Retrospective | 29 | 25/4 | 16 (55.2) | NC | NC | NC |
| Uzunköprü et al 2021[39] | Retrospective | 85 | 69/16 | 43.78 ± 13.75 | 58 | 10.15 ± 7.93 | 21 mo |
AQP4-Ab = aquaporin 4 antibody, NC = no clear, RCT = randomized clinical trial.