Repurposing Colchicine in Treating Patients with COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Lien et al.,
Repurposing Colchicine in Treating Patients with COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis,
Life, doi:10.3390/life11080864
Meta analysis of 11 colchicine studies showing significantly lower mortality with treatment.
Currently there are
46 colchicine studies and meta analysis shows:
risk of death, 43.0% lower, OR 0.57, p = 0.008, RR approximated with OR.
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risk of mechanical ventilation, 33.0% lower, OR 0.67, p = 0.15, RR approximated with OR.
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Effect extraction follows pre-specified rules prioritizing more serious outcomes. Submit updates
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Lien et al., 23 Aug 2021, peer-reviewed, 12 authors.
Contact:
mmhped.lin@gmail.com (corresponding author), 4976@mmh.org.tw, 4554@mmh.org.tw, 4467@mmh.org.tw, 3099@mmh.org.tw, drlawrenceliu@gmail.com, superlof@gmail.com, lazyleisure@gmail.com, chi.4531@mmh.org.tw, ncc88@mmh.org.tw, mento1218@gmail.com, yvon1207@gmail.com.
Abstract: life
Systematic Review
Repurposing Colchicine in Treating Patients with COVID-19:
A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Chi-Hone Lien 1,† , Ming-Dar Lee 1,† , Shun-Long Weng 1,2 , Chao-Hsu Lin 1,3 , Lawrence Yu-Min Liu 1,2 ,
Yu-Lin Tai 1 , Wei-Te Lei 1,4 , Jui-Ming Liu 5 , Ya-Ning Huang 6 , Hsin Chi 2,6 , Nan-Chang Chiu 2,6
and Chien-Yu Lin 1,2, *
1
2
3
4
5
6
*
†
Hsinchu MacKay Memorial Hospital, Hsinchu 30071, Taiwan; 4976@mmh.org.tw (C.-H.L.);
4554@mmh.org.tw (M.-D.L.); 4467@mmh.org.tw (S.-L.W.); 3099@mmh.org.tw (C.-H.L.);
drlawrenceliu@gmail.com (L.Y.-M.L.); superlof@gmail.com (Y.-L.T.); lazyleisure@gmail.com (W.-T.L.)
Department of Medicine, MacKay Medicine College, New Taipei City 25160, Taiwan;
chi.4531@mmh.org.tw (H.C.); ncc88@mmh.org.tw (N.-C.C.)
Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Chiao-Tung University, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan
Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University,
Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
Department of Urology, Taoyuan General Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taoyuan 33004, Taiwan;
mento1218@gmail.com
Department of Pediatrics, MacKay Children’s Hospital, Taipei 10449, Taiwan; yvon1207@gmail.com
Correspondence: mmhped.lin@gmail.com; Tel.: +886-3-6119595
These authors contributed equally to the work.
Citation: Lien, C.-H.; Lee, M.-D.;
Weng, S.-L.; Lin, C.-H.; Liu, L.Y.-M.;
Tai, Y.-L.; Lei, W.-T.; Liu, J.-M.;
Huang, Y.-N.; Chi, H.; et al.
Repurposing Colchicine in Treating
Patients with COVID-19:
A Systematic Review and
Meta-Analysis. Life 2021, 11, 864.
https://doi.org/10.3390/life11080864
Academic Editors:
Dimitrios Paraskevis,
Sotirios Tsiodras and
Maria Yavropoulou
Received: 30 June 2021
Accepted: 19 August 2021
Published: 23 August 2021
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral
Abstract: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) had caused huge health losses worldwide. Several
drugs had been applied to treat patients with COVID-19, and repurposing colchicine had been
proposed for its anti-inflammatory properties via several pathways. In this systematic review,
we evaluated the effects of colchicine treatment. From inception to May 31, 2021, databases, including
PubMed, EMbase, medRxiv, and Research Square were searched, and 11 studies were enrolled.
A total of 17,205 COVID-19 patients with male predominance (62.9%) were analyzed. Patients with
colchicine treatment had a significantly lower risk of mortality (odds ratio (OR): 0.57, 95% confidence
interval (CI): 0.38–0.87, I2 : 72%; p < 0.01) and a non-significantly lower rate of mechanical ventilation
(OR: 0.67, 95%CI: 0.39–1.15). The side effects were mild and not significantly different (OR: 2.03,
95%CI: 0.51–8.09). Subgroup analysis with randomized controlled trials showed no statistically
significant difference in the mortality (OR: 0.80, 95%CI: 0.44–1.46, I2 : 33%; p = 0.22). In conclusion,
our meta-analysis found that colchicine treatment was associated with a significantly lower risk
of mortality in patients with COVID-19. However, this benefit was not observed in the subgroup
analysis of randomized controlled trials. Further randomized controlled studies are required to
confirm the potential benefits of colchicine treatment.
Keywords: COVID-19; novel coronavirus; SARS-CoV-2; colchicine; immunomodulation
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