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Meta-Analysis
. 2023 Jan 26:14:1069894.
doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1069894. eCollection 2023.

Efficacy of interferon alpha for the treatment of hospitalized patients with COVID-19: A meta-analysis

Mykhailo Buchynskyi  1 , Iryna Kamyshna  2 , Katerina Lyubomirskaya  3 , Olena Moshynets  4 , Nazarii Kobyliak  5   6 , Valentyn Oksenych  7 , Aleksandr Kamyshnyi  1
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Efficacy of interferon alpha for the treatment of hospitalized patients with COVID-19: A meta-analysis

Mykhailo Buchynskyi et al. Front Immunol. .

Abstract

Introduction: IFN-α intervention may block SARS-CoV-2 replication and normalize the deregulated innate immunity of COVID-19.

Aim: This meta-analysis aimed to investigate the efficacy of interferon IFN-α-containing regimens when treating patients with moderate-to-severe COVID-19.

Material and methods: PubMed, SCOPUS, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched from inception to 15 January 2022. A systematic literature search was conducted by applying relevant terms for 'COVID-19' and 'interferon-α'. The primary outcome enclosed the all-cause hospital mortality. The secondary outcomes constituted the length of hospital stay; hospital discharge; nucleic acid negative conversion.

Results: Eleven studies are enclosed in the meta-analysis. No significant difference in the all-cause mortality rate was found between the study and control groups (OR 0.2; 95% CI 0.05-1.2; I2 = 96%). The implementation of interferon did not influence such outcomes as the length of hospital stay (OR 0.9; 95% CІ, 0.3-2.6; I2 = 91%), nucleic acid negative conversion (OR 0.8; 95% CI, 0.04-17.2; I2 = 94%). Nevertheless, IFN-α treatment resulted in a higher number of patients discharged from the hospital (OR 26.6; 95% CІ, 2.7-254.3; I2 = 95%).

Conclusions: Thus, IFN-α does not benefit the survival of hospitalized COVID-19 patients but may increase the number of patients discharged from the hospital.

Systematic review registration: www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero, identifier (CRD42022374589).

Keywords: COVID-19; IFN-α; SARS-CoV-2; interferon-α; mortality.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA flow diagram.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Risk of bias.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Forest plot mortality (random model).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Funnel plot mortality (in Supplementary Figures ).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Forest plot length of hospital stay.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Forest plot discharged from hospital.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Forest plot nucleic acid negative conversion.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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