Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33687643›Full record

Trial reportFrontiers of medicine2021

Tocilizumab in patients with moderate or severe COVID-19: a randomized, controlled, open-label, multicenter trial.

Dongsheng Wang, Binqing Fu, Zhen Peng, Dongliang Yang, Mingfeng Han, Min Li, Yun Yang, Tianjun Yang, Liangye Sun, Wei Li and 18 more

Open access · bronzeAbstract readMulticenter StudyRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Frontiers of medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 47 papers, 12 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
47citing papers in PubMed, 12 pooled it
4.6field-weighted citation impact, top 4% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

47 citing papers in PubMed, 12 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 78 citations in OpenAlex.

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  3. Effect of tocilizumab, sarilumab, and baricitinib on mortality among patients hospitalized for COVID-19 treated with corticosteroids: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Clinical microbiology and infection : the official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases · 2023
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

28 authors at 8 institutions in 1 country.

Dongsheng Wang *Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (Anhui Provincial Hospital), Hefei, 230001, China.
Binqing Fu *Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China.
Zhen Peng *Drug Clinical Trail Institution, the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (Anhui Provincial Hospital), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230001, China.
Dongliang YangDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430000, China.
Mingfeng HanDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, the Second People's Hospital of Fuyang, Fuyang, 236000, China.
Min LiDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, National Key Clinical Specialty, Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Xiangya Lung Cancer Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Hunan Provincial Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases, Changsha, 410000, China.
Yun YangIntensive Care Unit, the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (Anhui Provincial Hospital), Hefei, 230001, China.
Tianjun YangIntensive Care Unit, the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (Anhui Provincial Hospital), Hefei, 230001, China.
Liangye SunLu'an People's Hospital Affiliated to Anhui Medical University, Lu'an, 237005, China.
Wei LiDepartment of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease (tumor) in Anhui Province, Bengbu, 233004, China.
Wei ShiDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Anqing Hospital Affiliated to Anhui Medical University, Anqing, 246000, China.
Xin YaoThe First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210000, China.
Yan MaDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (Anhui Provincial Hospital), Hefei, 230001, China.
Fei XuDepartment of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (Anhui Provincial Hospital), Hefei, 230001, China.
Xiaojing WangDepartment of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (Anhui Provincial Hospital), Hefei, 230001, China.
Jun ChenDepartment of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (Anhui Provincial Hospital), Hefei, 230001, China.
Daqing XiaDepartment of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (Anhui Provincial Hospital), Hefei, 230001, China.
Yubei SunDepartment of Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (Anhui Provincial Hospital), Hefei, 230001, China.
Lin DongDepartment of Endocrinology, the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (Anhui Provincial Hospital), Hefei, 230001, China.
Jumei WangDepartment of Endocrinology, the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (Anhui Provincial Hospital), Hefei, 230001, China.
Xiaoyu ZhuDepartment of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (Anhui Provincial Hospital), Hefei, 230001, China.
Min ZhangDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (Anhui Provincial Hospital), Hefei, 230001, China.
Yonggang ZhouDivision of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China.
Aijun PanIntensive Care Unit, the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (Anhui Provincial Hospital), Hefei, 230001, China.
Xiaowen HuDepartment of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (Anhui Provincial Hospital), Hefei, 230001, China.
Xiaodong MeiDepartment of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (Anhui Provincial Hospital), Hefei, 230001, China. hfmxd@sina.com.
Haiming WeiDivision of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China. ustcwhm@ustc.edu.cn.
Xiaoling XuDepartment of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (Anhui Provincial Hospital), Hefei, 230001, China. xxlahh8@ustc.edu.cn.
University of Science and Technology of China · CNAnhui Provincial Hospital · CNAnhui Medical University · CNFirst Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College · CNFuyang Second People's Hospital · CNHuazhong University of Science and Technology · CNNanjing Medical University · CNXiangya Hospital Central South University · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Tocilizumab has been reported to attenuate the "cytokine storm" in COVID-19 patients. We attempted to verify the effectiveness and safety of tocilizumab therapy in COVID-19 and identify patients most likely to benefit from this treatment. We conducted a randomized, controlled, open-label multicenter trial among COVID-19 patients. The patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either tocilizumab in addition to standard care or standard care alone. The cure rate, changes of oxygen saturation and interference, and inflammation biomarkers were observed. Thirty-three patients were randomized to the tocilizumab group, and 32 patients to the control group. The cure rate in the tocilizumab group was higher than that in the control group, but the difference was not statistically significant (94.12% vs. 87.10%, rate difference 95% CI-7.19%-21.23%, P = 0.4133). The improvement in hypoxia for the tocilizumab group was higher from day 4 onward and statistically significant from day 12 (P = 0.0359). In moderate disease patients with bilateral pulmonary lesions, the hypoxia ameliorated earlier after tocilizumab treatment, and less patients (1/12, 8.33%) needed an increase of inhaled oxygen concentration compared with the controls (4/6, 66.67%; rate difference 95% CI-99.17% to-17.50%, P = 0.0217). No severe adverse events occurred. More mild temporary adverse events were recorded in tocilizumab recipients (20/34, 58.82%) than the controls (4/31, 12.90%). Tocilizumab can improve hypoxia without unacceptable side effect profile and significant influences on the time virus load becomes negative. For patients with bilateral pulmonary lesions and elevated IL-6 levels, tocilizumab could be recommended to improve outcome.

Indexed as

COVID-19 Drug TreatmentAntibodies, Monoclonal, HumanizedHumansSARS-CoV-2Treatment OutcomeAntibodies, Monoclonal, HumanizedtocilizumabCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)cytokine stormtocilizumab

Identifiers

PMID33687643
PMCPMC7940448
OpenAlexW3134507486

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.