Efficacy and Safety of Interleukin-1 Inhibitors in the Management of Patients with Recurrent Pericarditis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Background

The efficacy and safety of interleukin-1 (IL-1) inhibitors in patients with recurrent pericarditis (RP) remain to be determined.

Objective

We aimed to conduct a meta-analysis to investigate the impact of IL-1 inhibitors on patients suffering from RP.

Methods

The Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Web of Science databases were systematically searched to identify articles investigating the effects of IL-1 inhibitors in patients with RP up until January 2024. Relevant data on study characteristics and results were selected based on predefined criteria. The results were combined using a random effects model.

Results

The study included a total of 102 patients from three open-label randomized controlled trials. Overall, the use of IL-1 inhibitors, in comparison to placebo, demonstrated a significant reduction in the risk of pericarditis recurrence [risk ratio (RR) 0.13; 95% confident interval (CI) 0.05–0.30; p < 0.05; I² = 0%]. However, the administration of IL-1 inhibitors may lead to certain adverse events (AEs), including infections and injection-site reactions. The risk of AEs is significantly higher with IL-1 inhibitors compared with placebo (RR 1.88; 95% CI 1.30–2.72; p < 0.05; I² = 0%). Nevertheless, the occurrence of serious AEs among patients was relatively rare, and no fatalities were reported.

Conclusion

This meta-analysis showed that IL-1 inhibitors can effectively reduce the risk of recurrence in patients with RP and are relatively safe.

Registration

PROSPERO identifier number CRD42023492904.