Efficacy, safety and the lymphocyte subsets changes of low-dose IL-2 in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Introduction: Existing therapies of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are efficacious only in certain patients. Developing new treatment methods is urgent. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of low-dose IL-2 (LD-IL-2). Methods: According to published data from PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, ClinicalTrials.gov, MEDLINE, MEDLINE, Web of Knowledge, Cochrane Library, and FDA.gov, eight trials were included. Results: After the LD-IL-2 treatment, 54.8% of patients had distinct clinical remission. The SRI-4 response rates were 0.819 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.745–0.894), and the SELENA-SLEDAI scores were significantly decreased (SMD = −2.109, 95% CI: [−3.271, −0.947], p .05). Besides, the proportions of Th17 (SMD = 1.121, 95% CI: [0.709, 1.533], p