title: Effect of tumor necrosis factor-α antagonism in asthma: a meta-analysis of the published literature.
abstract: It remains controversial whether tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α antagonism is effective for asthma. This meta-analysis was performed to evaluate efficacy of TNF-α antagonism in treatment of patients with asthma. MEDLINE, EMBASE, LILACS, and CINAHL databases were searched for English-language studies published through January 3, 2010. Randomized-controlled trials comparing TNF-α antagonism with control therapy were selected. For each report, data were extracted in relation to the outcomes analyzed: asthma exacerbation, asthma quality of life questionnaire scores, and forced expiratory volume in 1 second. Four assessable trials were identified including 641 patients with asthma. TNF-α antagonism therapy was superior to control therapy in preventing exacerbations in asthmatics [pooled odds ratio 0.52 (95% confidence interval 0.29-0.88), P=0.02]; however, there was a nonsignificant reduction in asthma quality of life questionnaire scores [0.23 (0 to 0.47), P=0.05], forced expiratory volume in 1 second [0.03, (-0.14 to 0.10), P=0.74] when analyzed using standardized mean differences. TNF-α antagonism was superior to control chemotherapy in terms of asthma exacerbation, but not asthma quality of life questionnaire scores or forced expiratory volume in 1 second.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Diseases, Union Hospital, Key Lab of Pulmonary Diseases of Health Ministry, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.|The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoju
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Diseases, Union Hospital, Key Lab of Pulmonary Diseases of Health Ministry, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.affiliation: First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, China.
authors.forename: Shouming
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Diseases, Union Hospital, Key Lab of Pulmonary Diseases of Health Ministry, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.
authors.forename: Wanli
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Diseases, Union Hospital, Key Lab of Pulmonary Diseases of Health Ministry, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China. zhouqiongtj@126.com.
authors.forename: Qiong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha