Whether immunostimulants are effective in susceptible children suffering from recurrent respiratory tract infections: a modeling analysis based on literature aggregate data

Abstract

Background: Immunostimulants are gradually being used in the prevention\nand treatment of recurrent respiratory tract infection (RRTIs) in\nsusceptible children, but its drug effects have not been quantified. The\npurpose of this paper is to confirm the efficacy of immunostimulants in\nthe prevention and treatment of RRTIs in susceptible children. Methods:\nModel-based meta-analysis (MBMA) was used to describe the time-course of\nplacebo and immunostimulants in the prevention of RRTIs in children. The\ncumulative number of acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) was used\nas the indicator of efficacy. The single-arm meta-analysis was used to\nanalyze the incidence of drug related adverse events. Results: A total\nof 14 articles with 2,400 pediatric subjects were finally included for\nanalysis. The results showed that the cumulative number of ARTIs\nincreased linearly with time, and the incidence of ARTIS in the placebo\ngroup was 0.65 (95% CI: 0.55 to 0.75) per month. OM-85 BV and pidotimod\nsignificantly reduced the incidence of ARTIs by 0.21 (95% CI: 0.16 to\n0.26) and 0.19 (95% CI: 0.17 to 0.21) compared with placebo per month,\nrespectively. The incidence of drug-related adverse events of pidotimod\nand OM-85 BV was comparable with that of placebo. Conclusions: Pidotimod\nand OM-85 BV can effectively reduce the incidence of ARTIs in\nsusceptible children, and there is no significant increase in the\nincidence of drug-related adverse events. This study provides\nquantitative support for the application of immunostimulants for the\nprevention of recurrent respiratory tract infection in children.