Tocilizumab as treatment for COVID-19:A systematic review and meta-analysis

摘要

BACKGROUNDThe majority of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have goodprognoses, but some develop a critical illness that can lead to death. Evidenceshows severe acute respiratory syndrome is closely related to the inducedcytokine storm. Interleukin-6 is a key player;its role in systemic inflammation iswell known.AIMTo evaluate the effect of tocilizumab (TCZ), an interleukin-6 receptor antagonist,on the outcomes for patients with COVID-19 pneumonia.METHODSPubMed, EMBASE, SCOPUS, Web of Science, MedRxiv, Science Direct, and theCochrane Library were searched from inception to 9th June 2020 for observationalor prospective studies reporting results of hospitalized adult patients withCOVID-19 infection treated with TCZ. Effect sizes were reported as odds ratios(ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and an OR less than 1 was associatedwith a better outcome in those treated with TCZ.RESULTSOverall 13476 patients (33 studies;n = 3264 received TCZ) with COVID-19pneumonia and various degree of severity were included. Outcome wasimproved with TCZ. In the primary analysis (n = 19 studies reporting data),mortality was reduced in patients treated with TCZ (OR = 0.64, 95%CI: 0.47-0.87;P < 0.01). In 9 studies where risk of death with TCZ use was controlled for othervariables mortality was reduced by 57% (OR = 0.43, 95%CI: 0.27-0.7;P < 0.01).Intensive care need (mechanical ventilation) was also reduced (OR = 0.36, 95%CI:0.14-0.89;P = 0.02).CONCLUSIONIn COVID-19-infected patients treated with TCZ, outcome may be improvedcompared to those not treated with TCZ.