Efficacy and Safety of Iguratimod for the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Table 2

Summary of the findings for the main comparison: iguratimod compared to placebo for rheumatoid arthritis.

Outcomes	Illustrative comparative risks* (95% CI)		Relative effect (95% CI)	No. of participants (studies)	Quality of the evidence (GRADE)	Comments
	Assumed risk	Corresponding risk
	Placebo	Iguratimod
ACR20/24 weeks	219 per 1000	514 per 1000 (398 to 660)	RR 2.35 (1.82 to 3.02)	636 (3 studies)	⊕ ⊕ ⊕ ⊝moderate^1	Important
Tender joint count		The mean tender joint count in the intervention groups was −0.44 lower (−0.61 to −0.27 lower)		593 (3 studies)	⊕ ⊕ ⊕ ⊝moderate^1	Important
Swollen joint count		The mean swollen joint count in the intervention groups was −0.49 lower (−0.66 to −0.32 lower)		592 (3 studies)	⊕ ⊕ ⊕ ⊝moderate^1	Important
Assessment of rest pain		The mean assessment of rest pain in the intervention groups was −0.71 lower (−0.89 to −0.54 lower)		590 (3 studies)	⊕ ⊕ ⊕ ⊝moderate^1	Important
Physician global assessment of disease activity		The mean physician global assessment of disease activity in the intervention groups was −0.74 lower (−0.93 to −0.55 lower)		592 (3 studies)	⊕ ⊕ ⊕ ⊝moderate^1	Important
Patient global assessment of disease activity		The mean patient global assessment of disease activity in the intervention groups was −0.58 lower (−0.80 to −0.36 lower)		591 (3 studies)	⊕ ⊕ ⊕ ⊝moderate^1	Important
HAQ score		The mean HAQ score in the intervention groups was −0.67 lower (−0.84 to −0.50 lower)		591 (3 studies)	⊕ ⊕ ⊕ ⊝moderate^1	Important
CRP		The mean CRP in the intervention groups was −0.31 lower (−0.53 to −0.09 lower)		587 (3 studies)	⊕ ⊕ ⊕ ⊝moderate^1	Important
ESR		The mean ESR in the intervention groups was −0.64 lower (−0.82 to −0.45 lower)		530 (3 studies)	⊕ ⊕ ⊕ ⊝moderate^1	Important

∗The basis for the assumed risk (e.g., the median control group risk across studies) is provided in footnotes. The corresponding risk (and its 95% confidence interval) is based on the assumed risk in the comparison group and the relative effect of the intervention (and its 95% CI). CI: confidence interval; RR: risk ratio; MTX: methotrexate; SASP: salazosulfapyridine.
GRADE working group grades of evidence.
High quality: further research is very unlikely to change our confidence in the estimate of effect.
Moderate quality: further research is likely to have an important impact on our confidence in the estimate of effect and may change the estimate.
Low quality: further research is very likely to have an important impact on our confidence in the estimate of effect and is likely to change the estimate.
Very low quality: we are very uncertain about the estimate.
¹Two studies had unclear selective biases and no intent-to-treat analyses.