The association of IL-33 and systemic sclerosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

A meta-analysis of the association between IL-33 and these diseases is lacking, and we aimed to perform a meta-analysis of the association between IL-33 and systemic sclerosis (SSc). We searched relevant papers through PubMed (via Medline), Embase (via Ovid), and the Cochrane Library through May 18th, 2022. Odds ratios (ORs) and weighted mean differences (WMDs) were estimated using a random effect model. A total of 8 papers were included in our meta-analysis. The pooled results showed that SSc patients had significantly higher serum IL-33 levels than healthy controls (HCs) (SMD = 0.64; 95% CI = 0.34, 0.93; P < 0.001); early SSc patients had significantly higher serum IL-33 levels than late SSc patients (SMD = 1.04; 95% CI = 0.28, 1.80; P = 0.007). However, no significant difference was observed between limited cutaneous SSc and diffuse cutaneous SSc (SMD =  - 0.35; 95% CI =  - 0.76, 0.06; P = 0.094). Our meta-analysis provided important evidence for the use of IL-33 in therapeutic strategies for fibrotic disorders.