Page 55 - EJMO-9-2

Eurasian Journal of
Medicine and Oncology TCM regulates gut microbiota in pediatric MP pneumonia

Table 1. Baseline characteristics of the included studies
Study ID Gender Sample Age (mean or Course (mean Intervention Therapy Outcomes
(male/female) size (I/C) range, years) or range, days) versus control duration
Hua 28 I, 19/24 I, 43 I, 5.22±1.90 I, 6.25±2.36 A versus G 5 days (a) (b) (c)
C, 21/22 C, 43 C, 5.16±1.83 C, 6.52±2.41
Zhong 24 I, 32/25 I, 62 I, 4.81±1.05 I, 9.53±1.74 E versus H 2 weeks (a) (d) (e) (f)
C, 41/21 C, 62 C, 4.76±1.01 C, 9.62±1.79
Di et al. 27 I, 26/19 I, 45 I, 7.09±2.43 I, 3.45±1.09 A versus G 2 weeks (a) (d) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j)
C, 24/21 C, 45 C, 7.14±2.38 C, 3.29±1.04
Yang 23 I, 17/15 I, 32 I, 6.59±1.62 I, 22.15±1.94 B versus J 20 days (a) (d) (e) (g)
C, 18/14 C, 32 C, 6.63±1.45 C, 22.63±1.88
Bao and Jiang 26 I, 14/16 I, 30 I, 4.63±1.16 I, NR A versus H 5 days (a) (b) (f) (g) (k)
C, 16/14 C, 30 C, 4.63±1.13 C, NR
Huang 18 I, 16/14 I, 30 I, 4.70±2.37 I, 7.53±2.46 A versus H 1 week (a) (d) (g)
C, 12/18 C, 30 C, 5.17±2.93 C, 6.97±2.75
Liu 21 I, 31/25 I, 56 I, 7.91±1.05 I, 4.45±1.37 F versus K 21 days (a) (d) (f) (h) (l) (m) (n)
C, 32/24 C, 56 C, 7.97±1.09 C, 4.35±1.35
Sha 22 I, 19/15 I, 34 I, 6.53±1.34 I, 11.09±0.41 B versus J 14 days (a) (d) (f) (h) (k)
C, 18/16 C, 34 C, 6.50±1.32 C, 11.16±0.27
Bao 25 I, 14/16 I, 30 I, 4.63±1.16 I, NR D versus L 5 days (a) (b) (c) (f) (n)
C, 17/13 C, 30 C, 4.47±1.14 C, NR
Li and Bai 20 I, 30/25 I, 55 I, 3.6±1.72 I, 5.5±1.9 A versus G 2 weeks (a) (b) (d) (e) (k)
C, 28/27 C, 55 C, 3.6±1.37 C, 5.8±1.2
Ke 19 I, 27/21 I, 48 I, 7.6±2.6 I, 6.5±3.5 D versus L 2 weeks (a) (g) (o) (p)
C, 26/22 C, 48 C, 7.5±2.4 C, 6.3±3.4
Notes: “I” denotes the intervention group, and “C” denotes the control group. The “I/C” or “Intervention and Control” column outlines the specific
definitions of all treatment interventions as follows: A, traditional Chinese medicine combined with conventional treatment; B, traditional Chinese
medicine combined with conventional treatment and azithromycin; D, traditional Chinese medicine combined with azithromycin; E, traditional
Chinese medicine acupressure combined with conventional treatment and budesonide; F, traditional Chinese medicine acupressure combined with a
bacterial lysis product capsule; G, conventional treatment; H, conventional treatment and budesonide; J, conventional treatment and azithromycin; K,
a bacterial lysis product capsule; L, azithromycin. The meanings of the “Outcomes” column are as follows: (a) indicates clinical efficacy; (b) indicates
changes in intestinal microbiota; (c) denotes fecal slgA levels; (d) denotes inflammatory markers; (e) refers to cellular immune function; (f) refers to
adverse reactions; (g) indicates traditional Chinese medicine syndrome elements; (h) indicates pulmonary function indices; (i) denotes salivary sIgA
levels; (j) denotes hBD2 levels and fecal CAL content; (k) refers to symptom resolution time; (l) refers to Toll-like receptor 4 levels; (m) indicates nuclear
factor κB mRNA levels; (n) indicates immunoglobulin levels; (o) denotes clinical treatment outcomes; (p) denotes the comparison of CD4+CD25+Treg
% and CD4+Foxp3+Treg % pre- and post-treatment. Abbreviations: CAL: Fecal calprotectin; CD: Cluster of differentiation; Foxp3: Forkhead box P3;
hBD2: Human beta-defensin-2; mRNA: Messenger RNA; sIgA: Secretory immunoglobulin A; Treg: Regulatory T cell.

Z = 7.04, p < 0.05), with a shorter time for rales resolution studies 19,21,22,28 found no significant difference in the
in the TCM and Western medicine combined group incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups,
compared to the Western medicine-only group. After while one study reported a lower incidence in the TCM
27
excluding the study by Li and Bai,20 no heterogeneity was and Western medicine combined group. No serious
observed (p = 0.916, I = 0.0%, Z = 21.8, p < 0.05), further adverse reactions were reported in either group across
2
confirming the superiority of the combined treatment.
all studies. The meta-analysis revealed no significant
3.4.5. Adverse events difference in adverse reaction incidence between the
A total of five studies 19,21,22,27,28 were included in the analysis groups (RR = 0.666, 95% CI: 0.364, 1.221, p = 0.189),
of reported adverse reactions and their incidence, which indicating that TCM treatment does not increase the risk
included loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal of adverse events during MPP treatment. The results are
discomfort, dizziness, headache, rash, and malaise. Four shown in Figure 4.

Volume 9 Issue 2 (2025) 47 doi: 10.36922/ejmo.8602