Ribavirin treatment for respiratory syncytial virus infection in patients with haematologic malignancy and haematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Background: Ribavirin use for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in patients with haematologic malignancies (HM) and haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients remains controversial.

Objectives: To summarize the current evidence of ribavirin treatment in association with mortality and progression to lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) among patients with HM/HSCT with RSV infection.

Data sources: MEDLINE, Embase, and the Institute for Scientific Information Web of Science.

Study eligibility criteria: Randomized controlled trials and observational studies investigating the effects of ribavirin, compared with treatment without ribavirin, for RSV infection.

Participants: Patients with HM/HSCT.

Interventions: Ribavirin versus no ribavirin.

Assessment of risk of bias: The risk of bias in non-randomized studies of exposure (ROBIN-E).

Methods of data synthesis: The random-effects model was used to calculate the pooled OR (pOR) with 95% CI for the pooled effect estimates of ribavirin benefits. Grading of recommendation assessment, development, and evaluation was used to evaluate the certainty of evidence.

Results: One randomized controlled trial and 14 observational studies were included, representing 1125 patients with HM/HSCT. Ribavirin use was not associated with lower all-cause or RSV-associated mortality with pORs [95% CI] of 0.81 [0.40, 1.66], I² = 55% (low certainty of evidence) and 0.48 [0.11, 2.15], I² = 64% (very low certainty of evidence), respectively. In subgroup analyses, ribavirin use was associated with lower mortality in patients with HM/HSCT with LRTI with pOR [95% CI] of 0.19 [0.07, 0.51], I² = 0% (moderate certainty of evidence). In subgroup analyses among studies providing adjusted OR, ribavirin use was associated with lower all-cause mortality with pOR of 0.41 [0.23, 0.74], I² = 0% (moderate certainty of evidence). In addition, aerosolized ribavirin was associated with lower progression to LRTI with pOR [95% CI] of 0.27 [0.09, 0.80], I² = 71% (low certainty of evidence).

Conclusions: Ribavirin may be a reasonable option to treat RSV in patients with HM/HSCT in the absence of other effective antiviral agents.

Keywords: Haematologic malignancy; Haematopoietic stem cell transplant; RSV; Respiratory syncytial virus; Ribavirin.