Malignancy: OR, RR, and RD for all treatment comparisons using the random-effects model. Estimates are derived from random-effects, Bayesian network metaanalysis, which treats between-study variance as an informative prior (log normal distribution). The similarity of residual deviance for random-effects model compared with the fixed-effects model shows the robustness of our finding.
| Treatment | Reference | OR (95% CrI) | RR (95% CrI) | RD % (95% Crl) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MMF | AZA | 0.19 (0.02–1.08) | 0.20 (0.02–1.08) | −0.01 (−0.03 to 0.00) |
| CYC, SD or HD | 0.32 (0.05–1.79) | 0.33 (0.05–1.77) | −0.01 (−0.03 to 0.01) | |
| CS | 0.24 (0.00–3.02) | 0.24 (0.00–2.94) | −0.01 (−0.03 to 0.03) | |
| CYC, SD or HD | MMF | 1.68 (0.29–12.33) | 1.68 (0.29–12.14) | 0.00 (−0.01 to 0.02) |
| CS | 1.21 (0.02–24.24) | 1.21 (0.02–23.37) | 0.00 (−0.01 to 0.04) | |
| CS | CYC, SD or HD | 0.73 (0.02–9.28) | 0.73 (0.02–8.97) | 0.00 (−0.02 to 0.04) |
| Random-effect model | Residual deviance | 16.28 vs 15 data points | ||
| Deviance information criteria | 50.439 | |||
| Fixed-effect model | Residual deviance | 16.61 vs 15 data points | ||
| Deviance information criteria | 50.503 | |||
| Total patients, n | 1128 | |||
| Total studies, n | 15 | |||
| 2-arm, n | 14 | |||
| 3-arm, n | 1 | |||
HD PRED was defined as one of the following: (1) PRED or methylprednisolone 1 gm/m2 QD IV × 3 at entry, and then 1 dose IV Q month for 1 year, and (2) PRED 1 mg/kg PO daily with a slow taper up to 1 year. PRED was defined as one of the following: (1) PRED 40 mg PO QOD for 8 weeks, and then taper to 10 mg QD within a year, and (2) 60 mg QD for 1–3 months reduced to 20 mg/day by 6 months (SD). CYC, SD: IV CYC 0.5–1.0 gm/m2 Q2 month for 1 year or PO CYC 1–4 mg/kg daily for 3–4 years. HD CYC: IV CYC 0.5–1.0 gm/m2 Q month × 6–9 months, and then Q3 months for 0.5–4 years or PO CYC 10 mg/kg daily. HD LEF was LEF at 1 mg/kg QD × 3 days, and then 30 mg QD × 6 months. RR: relative risk; RD: risk difference; CrI: credible interval; MMF: mycophenolate mofetil; CYC: cyclophosphamide; SD: standard dose; HD: high dose; CS: corticosteroids; AZA: azathioprine; PRED: prednisone; QD: once daily; IV: intravenous; Q month: once every month; PO: oral; QOD: every other day; Q2: every 2; Q3: every 3; LEF: leflunomide.