TABLE 2.
GRADE summary of outcomes for XNJ+CTs versus CTs for patients with AIS.
| Outments | No. of participants (studies) | Anticipated absolute effects (95% CI) | Relative effect (95% CI) | Certainty of the evidence (GRADE) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Risk with CTs | Risk difference with XNJ+CTs | ||||
| Functional independence rate (14d) | 126 (1) | 262 per 1,000 | 184 more per 1,000 (8 more to 475 more) | RR 1.70 (1.03–2.81) | ⊕○○○ VERY LOW a , b , c |
| Incidence of adverse reactions | 873 (9) | 124 per 1,000 | 53 fewer per 1,000 (77 fewer to 16 more) | RR 0.57 (0.38–0.87) | ⊕⊕○○ LOW a , b |
| NIHSS (14d) | 2,387 (25) | The mean NIHSS (14d) ranged from 4.9 to 21.41 | The mean NIHSS (14d) in the XNJI+CT group was 3.46 lower (3.56 lower to 3.36 lower) | - | ⊕○○○ VERY LOW a , b , d |
| CSS (14d) | 739 (7) | The mean CSS (14d) ranged from 7.42 to 24.62 | The mean CSS (14d) in the XNJI+CT group was 5.79 lower (6.68 lower to 4.89 lower) | - | ⊕○○○ VERY LOW a , b , d |
| ESS (14d) | 321 (3) | The mean ESS (14d) ranged from 36.51 to 65.28 | The mean ESS (14d) in the XNJI+CT group was 14.23 higher (4.12 higher to 24.34 higher) | - | ⊕○○○ VERY LOW a , b , d , e |
| ADL–Barthel (14d) | 1,112 (12) | The mean ADL–Barthel (14d) ranged from 37.82 to 70.64 | The mean ADL–Barthel (14d) in the XNJI+CT group was 9.97 higher (9.29 higher to 10.65 higher) | - | ⊕⊕○○ LOW a , b |
| IL-6 | 793 (8) | The mean IL-6 ranged from 10.31 to 89.48 | The mean IL-6 in the XNJI+CT group was 2.19 lower (3.00 lower to 1.38 lower) | - | ⊕○○○ VERY LOW a , b , d |
| TNF-α | 620 (6) | The mean TNF-α ranged from 1.98 to 19.62 | The mean TNF-α in the XNJI+CT group was 3.12 lower (4.33 lower to 1.91 lower) | - | ⊕○○○ VERY LOW a , b , d |
| hs-CRP | 731 (7) | The mean hs-CRP ranged from 2.93 to 14.56 | The mean hs-CRP in the XNJI+CT group was 3.35 lower (4.68 lower to 2.02 lower) | - | ⊕○○○ VERY LOW a , b , d |
| MMP-9 | 330 (3) | The mean MMP-9 ranged from 72.69 to 110.40 | The mean MMP-9 in the XNJI+CT group was 13.93 lower (18.66 lower to 9.20 lower) | - | ⊕○○○ VERY LOW a , b , d , e |
XNJ, Xingnaojing injection; CTs, conventional treatments; CI, confidence interval; RR, relative risks.
a
Poor methodology including method of randomization and blinding.
b
Publication bias.
c
Only one study provided data.
d
I 2 ≥ 50% for heterogeneity.
e
Small number of RCTs, with small sample sizes.