Table 1. Characteristics of studies included in this meta-analysis.
| Study ID | Design | Country | Population | Age (years) | Female (%) | BMI (kg/m2) | Intervention | Control | Number of patients | Time of follow-up | Funding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sima, UC 2005 [9] | RCT | USA, Canada | DPN | NR | NR | NR | 3000mg/d, p.o. | Placebo | 118 | 52 weeks | NR |
| Sima, UCE 2005 [9] | RCT | USA, Canada, Europe | DPN | NR | NR | NR | 3000mg/d, p.o. | Placebo | 119 | 52 weeks | NR |
| De Grandis, 2002 [10] | RCT | Italy | DPN | NR | 43.5 | NR | 1000mg/d, i.m., for 10days;then 2000mg/d, p.o. for 355days | Placebo | 147 | 1 year | Sigma-Tau, Italy |
| Youle, 2007 [11] | RCT | Argentina, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands and the UK | PN caused by ATV | 44.4 | 20.0 | 23.88 | 1000mg/d i.m. for 14days;then 2000mg/d p.o. | Placebo | 87 | 14 days | Sigma-Tau, Italy |
BMI = body mass index; RCT = randomized controlled trial; DPN = diabetic peripheral neuropathy; PN = peripheral neuropathy; ATV = antiretroviral agent; NR = not reported