Amaryan 2003.
Methods | RCT. Parallel design. Location: Armenia. Single centre. Carried out from January 2001 until January 2002. |
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Participants | 24 people with FMF, diagnosed according to the Tel‐Hashomer criteria, without prior colchicine therapy. 14 participants randomised to ImmunoGuard™ and 10 to placebo. Age: 3 ‐ 15 years. Gender: 10 females, 14 males. |
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Interventions | Intervention: ImmunoGuard™ (containing Andrographolide, Eleuteroside E, Schisandrins and Glycyrrhizin) Control: placebo (containing lactose 170 mg, calcium hydrophosphate, potato starch, microcristalline cellulose, magnesium stearate, silicagel) Administration: 4 tablets orally, 3 times daily for 1 month. | |
Outcomes |
All outcomes measured at 1 month. |
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Notes | ||
Risk of bias | ||
Bias | Authors' judgement | Support for judgement |
Random sequence generation (selection bias) | Low risk | Using simple randomization procedure. "Each jar of tablets was given a sequential number (1, 2, 3..) with the code concealed to the investigator. The sequential numbers were matched with the order of arrival of the participants". |
Allocation concealment (selection bias) | Low risk | Quote: "Each jar was given a sequential number(1, 2, 3..) with the code concealed to the investigator. The sequential numbers were matched with the order of arrival of the participants." |
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes | Low risk | Quote: "The current study is a double blind placebo‐controlled trial." "Placebo tablets were organoleptically and visually identical to the verum ImmunoGuard." |
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes | Low risk | Stated as double blind, but we do not know whether outcome assessment was blinded. The review's secondary outcome of acute phase response was not influenced by lack of blinding. |
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes | Low risk | Quote: "Of the 24 patients who completed the clinical trial, 23 patients had complete laboratory results." One (less than 5%) participant in the control group lost to follow‐up. |
Selective reporting (reporting bias) | Low risk | Protocol could not be reviewed, however, comparison of methods section and results section indicated all outcome measurements were reported. |
Other bias | Low risk | No other source of bias identified. |