Broncho-Vaxom in pediatric recurrent respiratory tract infections: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objectives: Assess the efficacy and safety of Broncho-Vaxom in pediatric recurrent respiratory tract infections (RRTIs).

Methods: Published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of Broncho-Vaxom for pediatric RRTI were searched using PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CBM, CNKI, WanFang Data, and VIP databases up to January 2017. Risk of bias was evaluated in accordance to the guidelines of the Cochrane collaboration and the level of evidence was graded according to the GRADE.

Results: 53 RCTs involving 4851 pediatric patients were included in this meta-analysis. It showed that Broncho-Vaxom was positively correlated with a reduction in the frequency of respiratory infection [MD=-2.33, 95% CI (-2.75, -1.90), P<0.00001] compared to the control group. The Broncho-Vaxom group was more effective than control groups in relation to the duration of antibiotics course, infections, fever, cough, and wheezing, increasing serum immunoglobulin levels (IgG, IgA or IgM), and T-lymphocytes subtype (CD3+, CD4+, or CD8+). However, Broncho-Vaxom had higher adverse event rates [RR=1.39, 95% CI (1.02, 1.88), P=0.04]; these were not serious and did not influence the treatment course.

Conclusion: Broncho-Vaxom shows a good efficacy for pediatric RRTIs on the basis of routine therapy (e.g. anti-infection and antiviral therapy). However, the level of evidence was low and more international multicenter clinical trials are needed to explore the efficacy and safety of Broncho-Vaxom.