Comparative Efficacy and Safety of Antifungal Agents in the Prophylaxis of Oropharyngeal Candidiasis among HIV-Infected Adults: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis

Rajadurai, Shamala Gopal, Maharajan, Mari Kannan, Veettil, Sajesh K., and Gopinath, Divya (2022) Comparative Efficacy and Safety of Antifungal Agents in the Prophylaxis of Oropharyngeal Candidiasis among HIV-Infected Adults: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis. Life, 12. 515.

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Abstract

The objective of the study was to compare the efficacy and safety of antifungal agents used in the prevention of oropharyngeal candidiasis among HIV-infected adults. A systematic search was conducted in four databases (MEDLINE, Scopus, CENTRAL, and Embase) for eligible randomized control trials (RCTs). The network meta-analyses (NMA) were performed using a random-effects model. Interventions were ranked based on the efficacy and safety using the surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA). The quality of evidence was assessed using the GRADE approach. From a total of 1574 studies screened, 7 RCTs comprising 959 participants were included in NMA. The use of fluconazole as a prophylactic agent was associated with a significant reduction in incidence of OPC compared to placebo (RR, 0.45 (95% CI: 0.27–0.77)) in HIV-infected adults. The overall quality of evidence was graded as moderate. Fluconazole was ranked the best antifungal for efficacy (SUCRA—95.6%) as well as safety (SUCRA—39.3%) in HIV-infected adults. Overall, the quality of evidence was graded as moderate. Fluconazole can be considered as an effective agent with a better safety profile for the prophylaxis of OPC in HIV-infected adults. However, similar to any other antimicrobial agent, the risk of possibility of resistance must be weighed against the benefits.

Item ID: 90363
Item Type: Article (Research - C1)
ISSN: 2075-1729
Copyright Information: © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Date Deposited: 13 Aug 2026 03:20
FoR Codes: 42 HEALTH SCIENCES > 4299 Other health sciences > 429999 Other health sciences not elsewhere classified @ 100%
SEO Codes: 20 HEALTH > 2099 Other health > 209999 Other health not elsewhere classified @ 100%
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