SynthesisRMD open2023
Association between infection and the onset of giant cell arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in RMD open, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis 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
6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 10 citations in OpenAlex.
- Seasonality and latitude as linked environmental factors in giant cell arteritis incidence: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Rheumatology international · 2025Pooled it
- Recurrent ischemic strokes with normal inflammatory markers: when tests mislead.Acta neurologica Belgica · 2026Article
- The Association of Polymyalgia Rheumatica and Giant Cell Arteritis With COVID-19 Vaccination: A Systematic Review.Clinical medicine insights. Arthritis and musculoskeletal disorders · 2026Review
- Association between antibiotic use and the onset of giant cell arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica: A nested case-control study from E3N-European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition.Journal of internal medicine · 2025Article
- Giant cell arteritis in Finland from 2010 to 2020: incidence, developing diagnostic methods and disease presentation.Rheumatology advances in practice · 2025Article
- Infective agents and polymyalgia rheumatica: key discussion points emerging from a narrative review of published literature.Reumatologia · 2024Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveWe aimed to analyse the association between infections and the subsequent risk of giant cell arteritis (GCA) and/or polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) by a systematic review and a meta-analysis of observational studies.
methodsTwo databases (Medline and Embase) were systematically reviewed. Epidemiological studies studying the association between any prior infection and the onset of GCA/PMR were eligible. Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa quality assessment scale. Outcomes and pooled statistics were reported as OR and their 95% CI.
resultsEleven studies (10 case-control studies and one cohort study) were analysed, seven of them were included in the meta-analysis. Eight were at low risk of bias. A positive and significant association was found between prior overall infections and prior
conclusionOur study showed a positive association between the risk of GCA and prior overall infections (occurring in the year before), and prior HZ infections. Infections might be the reflect of an altered immunity of GCA patients or trigger the disease. However, reverse causation cannot be excluded.CRD42023404089.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
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.