Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34141180›Full record

ArticleClinical and translational allergy2021

Allergen immunotherapy for respiratory allergy: Quality appraisal of observational comparative effectiveness studies using the REal Life Evidence AssessmeNt Tool. An EAACI methodology committee analysis.

Danilo Di Bona, Giovanni Paoletti, Derek K Chu, Jack Pepys, Luigi Macchia, Enrico Heffler, Giorgio Walter Canonica

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Clinical and translational allergy, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
1.8field-weighted citation impact, top 15% 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

6 citing papers in PubMed, 14 citations in OpenAlex.

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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

7 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Danilo Di BonaDepartment of Emergency and Organ Transplantation School and Chair of Allergology and Clinical Immunology University of Bari Aldo Moro Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9728-3806
Giovanni PaolettiPersonalized Medicine, Asthma and Allergy Humanitas Clinical and Research Center IRCCS Rozzano Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3953-9225
Derek K ChuDepartments of Medicine and Health Research Methods Evidence & Impact McMaster University.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8269-4496
Jack PepysDepartment of Biomedical Sciences Humanitas University Pieve Emanuele Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1441-0145
Luigi MacchiaDepartment of Emergency and Organ Transplantation School and Chair of Allergology and Clinical Immunology University of Bari Aldo Moro Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5896-086X
Enrico HefflerPersonalized Medicine, Asthma and Allergy Humanitas Clinical and Research Center IRCCS Rozzano Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0492-5663
Giorgio Walter CanonicaPersonalized Medicine, Asthma and Allergy Humanitas Clinical and Research Center IRCCS Rozzano Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8467-2557
Humanitas University · ITUniversity of Bari Aldo Moro · ITSt. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundObservational comparative effectiveness studies in allergen immunotherapy (AIT) represent an important evidence source answering research questions that can be challenging to obtain from randomized controlled trials (RCTs), such as long-term benefits of AIT, the effects on asthma prevention and the onset of new allergen sensitizations. However, observational studies are prone to several sources of bias, which limit their reliability.The REal Life Evidence AssessmeNt Tool (RELEVANT) was recently developed to assist in quality appraisal of observational comparative research to enable identification of useful nonrandomized studies to be considered within guideline development.

objectiveTo systematically appraise the quality of published observational comparative AIT studies using RELEVANT.

methodsObservational studies comparing AIT to pharmacotherapy for respiratory allergies, assessing as outcome measures reduction of symptoms and/or medication use reduction, were retrieved by computerized bibliographic searches. According to RELEVANT, a failure to meet any one of primary items (background, design, measures, analysis, results, discussion/interpretation, and conflict of interest) represents a critical flaw, significantly undermining the validity of the study results.

resultsThe 14 studies identified supported the benefit of AIT in real-life, which persists after treatment discontinuation. However, none of them met all the 7 primary RELEVANT criteria. The main defects were reported in the design (28.6% of studies), measures and analysis (64.3% of studies), and results (78.6% of studies) items, due to selection bias and lack of methods for adjusting controls. Half of the studies did not report on conflict of interest.

conclusionThere is a need for more robust observational research in AIT. RELEVANT appears as an easy-to-use and sensitive tool for quality appraisal in AIT studies.

Indexed as

AITRELEVANTrespiratory allergySCITSLIT

Identifiers

PMID34141180
PMCPMC8203181
OpenAlexW3170067034

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.