title: Efficacy and safety of iguratimod for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of iguratimod for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to assess its efficacy and safety are included in this paper. The Review Manager software was used for meta-analysis to assess risk bias of the studies included, and GRADE profiler software was used for the evidence quality of the studies included. Four RCTs involving 1407 patients with RA were included. Meta-analyses showed that, after 24-week therapy, ACR20, tender joint count, swollen joint count, rest pain, physician and patient global assessment of disease activity, HAQ score, ESR, and CRP in iguratimod group were better than those in placebo group and that the difference between those of iguratimod group and those of other DMARDs (MTX and SASP) group was not significant. GRADE evidence classification of the studies included was moderate. Iguratimod for RA had few adverse events, and its efficacy and safety were the same as those of MTX and SASP for RA. The results of this systematic review suggest that more high-quality and large-scaled RCTs were needed to determine the efficacy of iguratimod for RA and whether iguratimod is as effective as other DMARDs besides MTX and SASP.
authors.affiliation: West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China ; Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The First People's Hospital of Yibin, Yibin, Sichuan 644000, China.
authors.forename: Jiangtao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, The First People's Hospital of Yibin, Yibin, Sichuan 644000, China.
authors.forename: Hejuan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.affiliation: West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China.
authors.forename: Yanrong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: The Chinese Cochrane Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China.
authors.forename: Shuo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China.
authors.forename: Nanping
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen 361003, China.
authors.forename: Guixiu
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shi
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002867:Chromones / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D002867:Chromones; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D013449:Sulfonamides; C519076:iguratimod