Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Our study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of anti-tumour-necrosis-factor Infliximab (IFX) in treating patients with severe and/or refractory vascular manifestations of Behçet's disease (BD) through a systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases for eligible studies. Meta-analysis of proportions was performed. Heterogeneity was assessed with Cochrane's Q test and I(2) statistics. Random effects models were used for all statistical analyses which were conducted on R software (version 4.4.2), PROSPERO registry number CRD42025640970. RESULTS: Of the 2127 results initially identified, 11 studies with a total of 284 patients were included in the final analysis. Infliximab induced complete vascular response in 78.17% of patients (95% CI 63.11-90.61). The remission rates in the subgroups of patients with pulmonary artery aneurysm and the venous thrombosis events were respectively 99.13% (95% CI 86.21-100) and 86.48 % (95% CI 71.81-97.15). CONCLUSION: Our systematic review and meta-analysis support the use of infliximab in patients with severe and/or refractory vascular Behçet's disease, particularly in cases involving pulmonary artery aneurysms.