Continuous glucose monitoring versus conventional glucose monitoring in the ICU: A randomized controlled trial.

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the clinical utility of continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS) in critically ill patients. METHODS: In this randomized controlled trial, we randomly assigned critically ill participants with diabetes or stress-induced hyperglycemia to the CGMS group (n = 48) or to the conventional point-of-care monitoring (POCM) group (n = 48). The glucose values and clinical outcome were compared between the two group. The primary endpoint was 28-day mortality after intensive care unit admission. RESULTS: The 28-day mortality was not significantly different between the CGMS and POCM group (20.8% vs 31.3%, P = 0.25). The mean glucose, time-weighted average glucose, glucose standard deviation and time in range (3.9-10.0) were significantly improved in the CGMS group (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Compared with conventional POCM, CGMS did not decrease the 28-day mortality in critically ill participants with diabetes or stress-induced hyperglycemia. But CGMS may improve the glycemic control and may be increasingly used in critically ill patients.

Comparison of tube shunt implantation and trabeculectomy for glaucoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy and safety of tube shunt implantation with trabeculectomy in the treatment of patients with glaucoma. METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed for studies comparing tube with trabeculectomy in patients with glaucoma (final search date: 27 February 2022). Comparisons between tube and trabeculectomy were grouped by the type of tube (Ahmed, Baerveldt, Ex-PRESS and XEN). The primary endpoints included intraocular pressure (IOP), IOP reduction (IOPR), IOPR percentage (IOPR%), complete success rate (CSR), qualified success rate (QSR) and adverse events (AEs). RESULTS: Forty-nine studies were included in this meta-analysis and presented data for 3795 eyes (Ahmed: 670, Baerveldt: 561, Ex-PRESS: 473, XEN: 199, trabeculectomy: 1892). Ahmed and Ex-PRESS were similar to trabeculectomy in terms of IOP outcomes and success rate (Ahmed vs trabeculectomy: IOPR%: mean difference (MD)=1.34 (-5.35, 8.02), p=0.69; Ex-PRESS vs trabeculectomy: IOPR%: MD=0.12 (-3.07, 3.31), p=0.94). The IOP outcomes for Baerveldt were worse than those for trabeculectomy (IOPR%: MD=-7.51 (-10.68, -4.35), p<0.00001), but the QSR was higher. No significant difference was shown for the CSR. XEN was worse than trabeculectomy in terms of IOP outcomes (IOPR%: MD=-7.87 (-13.55, -2.18), p=0.007), while the success rate was similar. Ahmed and Ex-PRESS had a lower incidence of AEs than trabeculectomy. Baerveldt had a lower incidence of bleb leakage/wound leakage, hyphaema and hypotonic maculopathy than trabeculectomy but a higher incidence of concurrent cataracts, diplopia/strabismus and tube erosion. The incidence of AEs was similar for the XEN and trabeculectomy procedures. CONCLUSION: Compared with trabeculectomy, both Ahmed and Ex-PRESS appear to be associated with similar ocular hypotensive effects and lower incidences of AEs. However, Baerveldt and XEN cannot achieve sufficient reductions in IOP outcomes similar to those of trabeculectomy. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42021257852.

Decrease of Membrane B7-H5 on CD14+ Cells in Severe Acute Pancreatitis Is Related to RANSON Scores and APACHE II Scores.

BACKGROUND: B7-H5 is an important ligand which is deeply involved in the immune response in various diseases. However, its clinical usefulness as an early indicator in acute pancreatitis (AP) remains unclear. AIMS: To determine the role of B7-H5 in severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). METHODS: Whole blood samples from patients with SAP (n = 20) and healthy donors (n = 20) were collected. Expression of soluble B7-H5 (sB7-H5) in plasma was determined by ELISA and membrane B7-H5 (mB7-H5) on the peripheral CD14+ cells was determined by flow cytometry. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from healthy donors and stimulated with serum from SAP patients, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), TNF-α, or IFN-γ, then, sB7-H5 and mB7-H5 were measured. The relationship between expression levels of mB7-H5 and clinical features of SAP patients were analyzed. RESULTS: The expression levels of sB7-H5 in plasma were increased and the expression levels of mB7-H5 on the peripheral CD14+ cells were decreased in SAP patients. These changes of B7-H5 expression pattern in cultured PBMCs could be induced by stimulation with serum from SAP patients, LPS, TNF-α, or IFN-γ. Expression levels of mB7-H5 were negatively related to levels of hematocrit, urea nitrogen, creatinine, lactic acid, RANSON scores, and APACHE II scores. CONCLUSION: Changes of B7-H5 expression pattern were involved in immune response of SAP. Innate immunity activation-induced decrease of mB7-H5 might be related to poor prognosis of SAP patients.

Preoperative hypoalbuminemia in patients undergoing cardiac surgery: a meta-analysis.

The preoperative serum albumin level has been shown to be associated with adverse postoperative complications, meaning that hypoalbuminemia may also be a risk factor. We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the association of serum albumin levels with survival and complication rates after cardiac surgery. Relevant articles were identified through seven databases. Twenty studies with 22553 patients (hypoalbuminemia group, n = 9903; normal group, n = 12650) who underwent cardiac surgery met the inclusion criteria after screening. The primary outcomes were that hypoalbuminemia was significantly correlated with serious long-term all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.95 [1.54-2.48]; P < 0.00001) and increased mortality (risk ratio [RR] = 1.91 [1.61-2.27], P < 0.00001). Hypoalbuminemic patients with cardiopathy were more likely to suffer postoperative complications (bleeding, infections, renal injury, and others) than those whose serum albumin levels were normal. Furthermore, hypoalbuminemia increased the time in the intensive-care unit (ICU) (mean difference [MD] = 1.18 [0.49-1.87], P = 0.0008), length of hospital stay (LOS) (MD = 3.34, 95% CI: 1.88-4.80, P < 0.00001), and cardiopulmonary bypass time (CPB) (MD = 12.40 [1.13-23.66], P = 0.03). Hypoalbuminemia in patients undergoing cardiac surgery appears to have a poor all-cause mortality or increased risk of complications. Adjusted perioperative serum albumin levels and treatment strategies for this high-risk population have the potential to improve the survival.

Prognostic Value and Immune Landscapes of m5C-Related lncRNAs in Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

5-methylcytosine (m5C) modification is involved in tumor progression. However, the lncRNAs associated with m5C in lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) have not been elucidated. The Cancer Genome Atlas database was used to get the open-accessed transcriptional profiling and clinical information of LUSC patients. All the statistical analyses were performed based on R software v 4.0.0 and SPSS13.0. First, there were 614 m5C-related lncRNAs identified under the criterion of |R|>0.4 and p < 0.001 with m5C genes. Next, a prognosis model based on ERICD, AL021068.1, LINC01341, AC254562.3, and AP002360.1 was established, which showed good prediction efficiency in both the training and validation cohorts. Next, a nomogram plot was established by combining the risk score and clinical features for a better application in clinical settings. Pathway enrichment analysis showed that the pathways of angiogenesis, TGF-ß signaling, IL6-JAK-STAT3 signaling, protein secretion, androgen response, interferon-α response, and unfolded protein response were significantly enriched in the high-risk patients. Immune infiltration analysis showed that the risk score was positively correlated with neutrophils, resting CD4+ memory T cells, and M2 macrophages, yet negatively correlated with follicular helper T cells, CD8+ T cells, and activated NK cells. Moreover, we found that high-risk patients might be more sensitive to immunotherapy, imatinib, yet resistant to erlotinib, gefitinib, and vinorelbine. In summary, our prognosis model is an effective tool that could robustly predict LUSC patient prognosis, which had the potential for clinical guidance.

The Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation in Children With Asthma: A Meta-Analysis.

Background: An increasing number of studies have suggested that vitamin D can be used to treat childhood asthma, but its clinical effects are still unclear. We conducted this meta-analysis to examine the latest estimates of the effectiveness and safety of using vitamin D to treat childhood asthma. Methods: The PubMed, The Cochrane Library, ScienceDirect, Embase, Scopus, Ovid MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) describing vitamin D supplementation interventions for asthmatic children. Asthma exacerbation, vitamin D levels, the predicted percentage of forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1%) and adverse effects (AEs) were analyzed as the main outcome measures. Results: After screening, eight RCTs with 738 children were included. Compared with placebos, vitamin D supplementation had a stronger effect on serum vitamin D levels [mean difference (MD) = 13.51 (4.24, 22.79), p = 0.004]. The pooled results indicated that no significant changes were found between the groups in asthma control, as measured by adopting the following indicators: asthma exacerbation [risk ratio (RR) = 0.92 (0.68, 1.25), p = 0.60]; Childhood Asthma Control Test (CACT) scores [MD = 0.15 (-0.43, 0.74), p = 0.61]; hospitalizations for asthma exacerbation [RR = 1.20 (0.48, 2.96), p = 0.70]; acute care visits [RR = 1.13 (0.77, 1.65), p = 0.63]; steroid use [RR = 1.03 (0.41, 2.57), p = 0.95]; and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) [MD =-3.95 (-22.87, 14.97), p = 0.68]. However, vitamin D supplementation might reduce the FEV1% [MD = -4.77 (-9.35, -0.19), p = 0.04] and the percentage of predicted forced vital capacity (FVC%) [MD =-5.01 (-9.99, -0.02), p = 0.05] in patients. Subgroup analysis revealed no difference in AEs between the two groups. Conclusions: Vitamin D supplementation significantly increased patients' serum vitamin D levels, but it had no benefit for asthma control. However, vitamin D supplementation might reduce patients' lung function. It is essential to systemically search for more large-scale, rigorous, and well-designed RCTs to fully confirm these conclusions. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021288838, PROSPERO CRD42021288838.

Upregulation of B7-H4 Is Involved in and Related to the Severity of Acute Pancreatitis.

The expression and clinical significance of co-stimulator B7-H4 in acute pancreatitis (AP) is still unclear. In vitro study showed that the expression of soluble B7-H4 (sB7-H4) and proportions of membrane B7-H4-positive CD14+ cells in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells were upregulated in response to stimulation with plasma from AP patients, lipopolysaccharides, or tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α). sB7-H4 in the plasma of AP patients were positively correlated with interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, IL-17A, TNF-α, and interferon-γ The areas under the curves (AUCs) of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of plasma sB7-H4 to distinguish the AP patients from healthy donors, the mild AP (MAP) from the moderately severe acute pancreatitis (MSAP)+severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) or the SAP from the MAP+MSAP were 0.78 (P < 0.001) or 0.773 (P < 0.001) or 0.764 (P < 0.001). sB7-H4 in the plasma of patients were positively correlated with the RANSON scores, Bedside Index of Severity of Acute Pancreatitis scores, Marshall scores, and Acute Physiology And Chronic Health Evaluation II scores; and the AUCs of ROC curves of plasma sB7-H4 in the prediction of local complications was 0.726 (P = 0.001). In conclusion, the co-stimulator B7-H4 is involved in the immune response in AP.

Soluble B7-H5 Is a Novel Diagnostic, Severity, and Prognosis Marker in Acute Pancreatitis.

As an important ligand in T lymphocyte costimulatory pathways, B7-H5 is involved deeply in the immune response in various diseases. However, its clinical usefulness as an early indicator in acute pancreatitis (AP) remains unclear. In this study, the levels of sB7-H5 and cytokines in plasma samples of 75 AP patients, 20 abdominal pain patients without AP, and 20 healthy volunteers were determined. Then, the correlation of sB7-H5 and clinical features, cytokines, the Ranson score, APACHE II score, Marshall score, and BISAP score was analysed, and the value of sB7-H5 for diagnostic, severity, and prognosis of AP was evaluated. We found that the levels of sB7-H5 were specifically upregulated in AP patients. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis revealed that sB7-H5 can identify AP patients from healthy or abdominal pain patients with 78.9% or 86.4% sensitivity and 93.3% or 90.0% specificity. Further analysis showed that the levels of sB7-H5 were significantly correlated with WBC (p = 0.004), GLU (p = 0.008), LDH (p < 0.001), Ca2+ (p = 0.006), AST (p = 0.009), PLT (p = 0.041), IL-6 (p < 0.001), IL-10 (p < 0.001), and TNF-α (p < 0.001). And levels of sB7-H5 were gradually increased among patients with mildly acute pancreatitis (MAP), moderately severe acute pancreatitis (MSAP), and severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). It can distinguish the severity of AP with good sensitivity and specificity. Moreover, when dividing the patients into two groups according to the median level of sB7-H5, the local complication and length of stay of low levels of the sB7-H5 group were significantly less than those in high levels of the sB7-H5 group. And the levels of sB7-H5 in AP patients were significantly correlated with the Ranson score (p < 0.001), APACHE II score (p < 0.001), Marshall score (p < 0.001), and BISAP score (p < 0.001). The AUCs of assessing local complications of sB7-H5 at day 1 and day 3 were 0.704 (p = 0.0024) and 0.727 (p = 0.0373). These results showed the potential value of sB7-H5 as a diagnostic, severity, and prognosis marker of AP.

The benefits and risks of pembrolizumab in combination with chemotherapy as first-line therapy in small-cell lung cancer: a single-arm meta-analysis of noncomparative clinical studies and randomized control trials.

BACKGROUND: Although pembrolizumab has shown clinical benefit in patients with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), its actual efficacy in combination with a conventional chemotherapy drug has not been determined. We performed this study to discern the efficacy and risk of pembrolizumab in combination with chemotherapy as first-line therapy in SCLC patients. METHODS: We systematically searched the PubMed, ScienceDirect, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases for relevant studies. The main outcomes were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). RESULTS: We identified 2980 articles and included 6 studies (5 were noncomparative open-label studies and 1 was a randomized controlled trial [RCT]) involving 396 patients in our meta-analysis. The pooled median OS (mOS) was 9.6 months (95% CI, 8.0-11.2), and the pooled median PFS (mPFS) was 4.2 months (95% CI, 2.2-6.1). The 1-year overall survival rate (OSR-1y) and 6-month progression-free survival rate (PFSR-6m) were 45.1% (95% CI, 33-57.2%) and 41.6% (95% CI, 24.3-59%), respectively. The objective response rate (ORR) was 38.8% (95% CI, 11.9-65.67%), disease control rate (DCR) was 69.30% (95% CI, 51.6-87.0%), complete response (CR) was 2.20% (95% CI, 0.8-3.7%), partial response (PR) was 34.70% (95% CI, 7.8-61.5%), and stable disease (SD) was 20.90% (95% CI, 9.1-32.6%). The grade 3-4 adverse effect (AE) rate was 20.88% (95% CI, 1.22-54.85%). The most common AEs were neutropenia (90.16%), anemia (53.21%), dysphagia (41.96%), platelet count decrease (34.87%), and esophagitis (32.89%); severe AEs included neutropenia, respiratory failure, pneumonitis, acute coronary syndrome, and colitis/intestinal ischemia. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of pembrolizumab with conventional chemotherapy is an effective therapeutic schedule with acceptable and manageable efficacy and toxicity in patients with SCLC. More high-quality and well-designed RCTs with large sample sizes are warranted to further validate our findings.

Value of Magnifying Chromoendoscopy and Magnifying Optical Enhancement Technology in Classifying Colorectal Polyps: A Prospective Controlled Study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Magnifying chromoendoscopy (ME-CE) through the observation of pit patterns is a productive way to distinguish between neoplastic and nonneoplastic polyps. Magnifying optical enhancement technology (ME-OE) is an emerging virtual chromoendoscopy imaging technology and appeared to be a promising approach. However, this information is currently not available. This study is aimed at comparing the differential diagnostic value of ME-CE and OE for neoplastic and nonneoplastic polyps. Patients and Methods. Consecutive patients undergoing colonoscopy were randomized (1 : 1) into examination by ME-OE or ME-CE. Histopathological findings were utilized as the reference standard. Accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of two endoscopy methods were compared using ME-OE (were classified according to the JNET classification) and ME-CE (were classified according to the Kudo pit pattern classification), respectively, and the time to predict the histological polyp type was compared. And the agreements between the pathological and clinical diagnosis by ME-OE or ME-CE were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 365 polyps were found in the 220 patients included (ME-OE: 185; ME-CE: 180.202 had nonneoplastic polyps, 163 had neoplastic polyps). The diagnostic accuracy of ME-OE was higher than that of ME-CE (93% vs. 92%, p > 0.05). The average diagnosis time was lower in ME-OE than ME-CE (83 ± 26.4 s vs. 194 ± 17.7 s, p < 0.001). The agreements between the pathological and clinical diagnosis were at least substantial in both groups. CONCLUSION: ME-OE was superlative to ME-CE in predicting the histology of polyps. OE devoted classification would possibly similarly enhance the endoscopist performance. The trial is registered with ChiCT2000032075.

The prevalence and risk factors of sarcopenia in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia was a frequent chronic complication in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and previous evidence showed conflicting results regarding the prevalence and risk factors of sarcopenia in T2DM. In the current study, we aimed at systematically exploring the prevalence and risk factors of sarcopenia in patients with T2DM. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were systematically searched to identify observational studies which investigated the prevalence and risk factors of sarcopenia in patients with T2DM. The quality of individual included studies was evaluated using The Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Pooled effects regarding prevalence and associated factors were calculated using random-effects models. The potential publication bias was assessed via funnel plot and Egger test. RESULTS: Twenty-eight studies involving 16,800 patients were included in our meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of sarcopenia in patients with T2DM was 18% (95% CI 0.15-0.22; I2 = 97.4%). The pooled results showed that elder age (OR 4.73; 95% CI 4.30-5.19; I2 = 85.6%), male gender, chronic hyperglycemia (higher HbA1c) (OR 1.16; 95% CI 1.05-2.47; I2 = 99.2%) and osteoporosis (OR 1.16; 95% CI 1.05-2.47; I2 = 99.2%) was predictors for sarcopenia, whereas patients with lower BMI (OR 1.16; 95% CI 1.05-2.47; I2 = 99.2%) and metformin administrations (OR 1.16; 95% CI 1.05-2.47; I2 = 99.2%) were not prone to get sarcopenia. The funnel plot and statistical tests showed no obvious publication bias. CONCLUSIONS: Sarcopenia was frequent in T2DM patients. Elder age, male gender and chronic hyperglycemia, Osteoporosis were significant risk factors for Sarcopenia. Lower BMI and metformin administrations were associated with lower risk of sarcopenia.

The benefits and risks of CTLA4 inhibitor plus PD1/PDL1 inhibitor in stage IIIB/IV non-small cell lung cancer: A systematic analysis and meta-analysis based on randomized controlled trials.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: Although immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have shown clinical benefit for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the efficacy of the combination of ICIs targeting different pathways is still unclear. We performed this meta-analysis to explore the efficacy of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) inhibitor plus programmed cell death 1 receptor (PD-1)/programmed cell death receptor ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitor therapy (CP) for NSCLC IIIB/IV patients. METHODS: We systematically searched the main databases for relevant studies. The main outcomes were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: We identified 3526 articles, including 5 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) (4377 patients), in our meta-analysis. We conducted two comparisons of CP versus chemotherapy or PD1/PDL1 inhibitor (P). Compared with chemotherapy, CP was more effective, with better OS (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.77, 95% CI [confidence interval]: 0.66-0.91; p = 0.001), better PFS (HR: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.70-0.85; p < 0.00001) and comparable objective response rate (ORR) (risk ratio [RR]: 1.27, 95% CI: 0.98-1.65; p = 0.07); in terms of toxicity, CP was comparable to chemotherapy across all-grade adverse events (AEs) (RR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.73-1.03; p = 0.11) and grade 3-5 AEs (RR: 0.85, 95% CI: 0.63-1.14; p = 0.27). Compared with P, CP had no superiority in efficacy in terms of the OS (HR: 1.04, 95%CI: 0.86-1.24; p=0.70), PFS (HR: 0.95, 95%CI: 0.75-1.22; p = 0.70) and the ORR (RR: 1.07, 95% CI: 0.95-1.21; p = 0.27) but CP was more effective than P when PD-L1 expression was <1% (RR: 0.77,95%CI: 0.60-0.98; p = 0.04); in terms of toxicity, CP was associated with increased all-grade AEs (RR:1.07, 95% CI: 0.97-1.19; p = 0.18) and grade 3-5 AEs (RR:1.58, 95% CI: 1.21-2.07; p = 0.0008). WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: CP is a beneficial therapeutic schedule with longer PFS and OS than chemotherapy and has an acceptable, manageable grade 3-4 AE rate in IIIB/IV NSCLC. However, compared with P, CP results in better OS only in patients with PD-L1 expression <1%.

Use of dexamethasone and a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist with or without aprepitant to prevent chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting among patients with lung cancer who are treated with platinum-based chemotherapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Researchers have not clearly determined whether adding aprepitant (ADH) to dexamethasone and one 5-HT3 receptor antagonist (DH) is clinically effective at preventing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) among patients with lung cancer (LC) treated with platinum-based chemotherapy (PBC). Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to examine the efficacy and safety of ADH and DH. METHODS: We searched the PubMed, ScienceDirect, Cochrane Library, and Scopus databases, among others, for relevant studies. The primary outcomes were the complete response (CR) and the no nausea rate (NNR). The secondary endpoints were the number of patients who needed rescue antiemetic treatment (RAT), adverse events (AEs), and the Functional Living Index Emesis (FLIE) score. RESULTS: We initially screened 2,118 articles; ultimately, four randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with 518 patients were included. The ADH group had a superior overall CR [risk ratio (RR): 1.16 (1.06, 1.27), P=0.002] and a lower number of patients who needed RAT [RR: 0.44 (0.29, 0.65), P<0.0001]. The ADH group also had a better overall NNR [RR: 1.11 (0.97, 1.26), P=0.12] and delayed CR [RR: 1.12 (0.97, 1.31), P=0.13]. No significant differences were observed in acute CR, acute NNR, or delayed NNR. In the subgroup analysis of the overall CR and NNR, ADH was superior in certain clinical characteristics (China, cisplatin-based chemotherapy, 2nd-generation 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, ADC <50%, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score of 0-2). No significant differences in the AEs characterized as hematological or nonhematological toxicity were observed between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with DH, ADH appears to be superior at preventing CINV and achieving a better CR among patients with LC treated with PBC.

Angiographic and clinical outcomes of patients implanted with ultrathin, biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting stents versus durable polymer drug-eluting stents for percutaneous coronary intervention: an updated meta-analysis based on randomized controlled trials.

INTRODUCTION: Whether sirolimus-eluting stents constituted with ultrathin-strut and biodegradable polymers (BP-SESs) can achieve a preferable effect over current drug-eluting stents with durable polymers (DP-DESs) remains highly controversial. The aim of this analysis based on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was to detect the clinical and angiographic differences between ultrathin (defined as a strut thickness <70 µm) BP-SESs and DP-DESs. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: We searched seven databases to identify eligible articles. Late lumen loss (LLL) and target lesion failure (TLF) were assessed as the primary endpoints for angiographic and clinical outcomes, respectively. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Nineteen articles containing thirteen RCTs with 14801 patients were analyzed. For the 9-month angiographic outcomes, similar results were discovered between BP-SESs and DP-DESs in terms of in-stent LLL (mean difference [MD]: -0.02 [-0.05, 0.01], P=0.23), in-segment LLL (MD: -0.01 [-0.04, 0.03], P=0.74), in-stent minimum lumen diameter (MLD) (MD: -0.01 [-0.06, 0.04], P=0.72), in-segment MLD (MD: -0.01 [-0.06, 0.05], P=0.75), in-stent diameter stenosis (DS) (MD: -1.10 [-3.36, 1.15], P=0.34), in-segment DS (MD: -0.78 [-1.97, 0.40], P=0.20), in-stent binary restenosis (BR) (risk ratio [RR]: 2.27 [0.99, 5.21], P=0.05) and in-segment BR (RR: 1.46 [0.78, 2.75], P=0.24). Regarding the 12-month clinical outcomes, there was a significant decrease in TLF and a trend of a lower incidence of target vessel failure (RR: 0.89 [0.78,1.01], P=0.08), myocardial infarction (MI) and target vessel MI. CONCLUSIONS: With similar angiographic results, BP-SESs appeared to be superior to DP-DESs with better clinical prognoses, especially for female patients, patients with STEMI and ACS and patients without diabetes. More high-quality randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm these results.