SynthesisBMC infectious diseases2015
Effects of long-term use of macrolides in patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Synthesis in BMC infectious diseases, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 23 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
23 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 64 citations in OpenAlex.
- Efficacy and safety of DPP-1 inhibitors in bronchiectasis: a GRADE-assessed meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Respiratory research · 2025Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Azithromycin or erythromycin? Macrolides for non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis in adults: A systematic review and adjusted indirect treatment comparison.Chronic respiratory diseasePooled it
- Trial
- Brensocatib-Another Therapeutic "Window of Opportunity" for Patients with Bronchiectasis.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
- FDA approval of brensocatib: a new therapeutic breakthrough in non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis.Annals of medicine and surgery (2012) · 2025Article
- Research advances and clinical management of bronchiectasis: Chinese perspective.ERJ open research · 2022Review
- Long-term, low-dose macrolide antibiotic treatment in pediatric chronic airway diseases.Pediatric research · 2022Review
- Chronic Lung Disease in Primary Antibody Deficiency: Diagnosis and Management.Immunology and allergy clinics of North America · 2020Review
- Brazilian consensus on non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis.Jornal brasileiro de pneumologia : publicacao oficial da Sociedade Brasileira de Pneumologia e Tisilogia · 2019Article
- Effects of Azithromycin on Behavior, Pathologic Signs, and Changes in Cytokines, Chemokines, and Neutrophil Migration in C57BL/6 Mice Exposed to Dextran Sulfate Sodium.Comparative medicine · 2019Article
- Bronchiectasis Management in China, What We Can Learn from European Respiratory Society Guidelines.Chinese medical journal · 2018Article
- Endoscopic Therapies for Gastroparesis.Current gastroenterology reports · 2018Review
- [Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease : Role of long-term antibiotic treatment].Der Internist · 2017Review
- Macrolides selectively inhibit mutant KCNJ5 potassium channels that cause aldosterone-producing adenoma.The Journal of clinical investigation · 2017Article
- The Bronchiectasis Toolbox-A Comprehensive Website for the Management of People with Bronchiectasis.Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2017Article
- Inhaled Antibiotic Therapy in Chronic Respiratory Diseases.International journal of molecular sciences · 2017Review
- Latin America validation of FACED score in patients with bronchiectasis: an analysis of six cohorts.BMC pulmonary medicine · 2017Article
- Evaluation of obstructive sleep apnea in non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis: A cross-sectional study.PloS one · 2017Article
- Review: Quality of Life in Children with Non-cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2017Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical benefits and safety of the long-term use of macrolides in patients with non-cystic fibrosis (non-CF) bronchiectasis.
methodsEmbase, Pubmed, the Cochrane Library and Web of Science databases were searched from inception up to March 2014. The primary outcome was the improvement of exacerbations of bronchiectasis. Secondary endpoints included changes of microbiology, lung function, quality of life, sputum volume, adverse events and macrolide resistance.
resultsThe literature search yielded 139 studies, ten of which containing 601 patients were included in this meta-analysis. Macrolides showed a statistically-significant improvement in reducing acute exacerbations per patient during follow-up treatment (RR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.47, 0.64, P < 0.001), increasing the number of patients free from exacerbations (OR = 2.81, 95% CI: 1.85, 4.26, P < 0.001), and prolonging time to a first exacerbation (HR = 0.38, 95% CI: 0.28, 0.53, P < 0.001). Macrolides maintenance treatment was superior to control with respect to attenuating FEV1 decline (p = 0.02), improving sputum volume (p = 0.009) and SGRQ total scores (p = 0.02), but showed a higher risk of adverse events, especially diarrhea (OR = 5.36; 95% CI: 2.06, 13.98, P = 0.0006). Eradication of pathogens was improved in the macrolide group (OR = 1.76, 95% CI: 0.91, 3.41, P = 0.09), while pathogen resistance caused by macrolides dramatically increased (OR = 16.83, 95% CI: 7.26, 38.99, P < 0.001). The new appearance of a microbiologic profile or participant withdrawal due to adverse events showed no significant differences between the two groups.
conclusionIn patients with non-CF bronchiectasis, macrolide maintenance treatment can effectively reduce frequency of exacerbations, attenuate lung function decline, decrease sputum volume, improve quality of life, but may be accompanied with increased adverse events (especially diarrhea) and pathogen resistance.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.