SynthesisRMD open2026
Effect of targeted therapies on pulmonary function in rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in RMD open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
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.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionInterstitial lung disease (ILD) is a serious extra-articular manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The pulmonary safety of biologic Disease-Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs (bDMARDs) and targeted synthetic DMARDs (tsDMARDs) in RA-associated ILD (RA-ILD) remains uncertain. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the effect of bDMARDs and tsDMARDs on ILD progression in RA, focusing on pulmonary function test (PFT) parameters-forced vital capacity (FVC) and diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO)-and, when available, high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) outcomes.
methodsPubMed and Cochrane databases were searched up to 2025 for controlled trials and observational studies, including patients with RA fulfilling the 1987 ACR or 2010 ACR/EULAR criteria. Studies reporting longitudinal changes in PFTs or HRCT after bDMARD or tsDMARD treatment were included. Meta-analyses were conducted using the inverse variance method (RevMan V.5.4.1) for pooled estimates of FVC and DLCO.
results18 observational studies including 958 patients (mean age 65 years; 57% female) were analysed. The most frequent ILD patterns were usual interstitial pneumonia (48%) and nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (40%). Data were available for rituximab (six studies), abatacept (4), JAK inhibitors (4), tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors (1) and tocilizumab (1). Pooled analysis showed no significant overall change in FVC (mean difference -0.85%, 95% CI -2.40 to 0.71; p=0.29) or DLCO (+0.79, 95% CI -0.30 to 1.88; p=0.16).
conclusionbDMARDs and tsDMARDs appear to stabilise pulmonary function in RA-ILD, without significant differences between agents. Further prospective studies integrating PFT and HRCT endpoints are needed to better define their pulmonary safety and long-term effects.
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.