Meta-analyses of remission maintenance treatment in GPA and MPA
| Study ID | Intervention | Control | Outcome | Included studies | No. of participants | Summary estimate | Effects size | Heterogeneity |
| Prolonged maintenance treatment | ||||||||
| Walters et al15 | Extended AZA | Standard AZA | Death | 2 RCT | 162 | RD (95% CI) | 0.06 (–0.01 to 0.13) | I2=0% |
| Walters et al15 | Extended AZA | Standard AZA | Relapse | 2 RCT | 162 | RR (95% CI) | 0.41 (0.26 to 0.64) | I2=0% |
| TMS for maintenance treatment | ||||||||
| Walters et al15 | TMS | Placebo | Remission at 1 year | 2 RCT | 111 | RR (95% CI) | 1.14 (0.98 to 1.33) | I2=0% |
| Monti et al67 | TMS | No treatment | Relapse | 2 RCT, 2 NRIS | 357 | RR (95% CI) | 0.69 (0.46 to 1.05) | I2=0% |
| Monti et al67 | TMS | Immunosuppression | Relapse | 3 NRIS | 131 | RR (95% CI) | 1.87 (0.35 to 10.04) | I2=82% |
| Monti et al67 | TMS | All comparators | Relapse | 2 RCT, 5 NRIS | 488 | RR (95% CI) | 1.15 (0.51 to 2.55) | I2=79% |
I2 refers to the proportion of overall variability that rises from between-study heterogeneity. Bayesian network meta-analysis of RCTs comparing RTX, MMF, MTX, CYC, AZA for maintenance reported in online supplemental file 1.58
AZA, azathioprine; CYC, cyclophosphamide; GPA, granulomatosis with polyangiitis; MMF, mycophenolate mofetil; MPA, microscopic polyangiitis; MTX, methotrexate; NRIS, non-randomised intervention study; RCT, randomised controlled trial; RD, risk difference; RR, risk ratio; RTX, rituximab; TMS, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.