Diagnostic and clinical significance of antigen-specific pancreatic antibodies in inflammatory bowel diseases: A meta-analysis

Table 3 Investigation of heterogeneity (meta-regression)

Covariate		Population	Ig Type	Number of studies	Relative diagnostic odds ratio (95%CI)
Funding type	State vs Other	CD vs All	IgG	6 vs 9	1.91 (0.87-4.21)
			IgA	5 vs 9	1.08 (0.38-3.06)
		CD vs UC	IgG	5 vs 8	1.21 (0.81-1.80)
COI	Industry-related COI vs no apparent industry-related COI	CD vs All	IgG	7 vs 8	0.73 (0.32-1.66)
			IgA	6 vs 8	0.53 (0.21-1.30)
		CD vs UC	IgG	9 vs 4	0.48 (0.19-1.20)
Method	ELISA vs IFF	CD vs All	IgG	13 vs 2	0.84 (0.38-1.85)
			IgA	12 vs 2	4.25 (1.26-14.37)
		CD vs UC	IgG	11 vs 2	1.60 (0.40-6.54)
Blind assay	No/not stated vs Yes	CD vs All	IgG	12 vs 3	3.28 (1.33-8.09)
			IgA	11 vs 3	1.77 (0.63-5.00)
		CD vs UC	IgG	10 vs 3	1.15 (0.32-4.15)
Consecutive sampling	No/not stated vs Yes	CD vs All	IgG	11 vs 4	1.47 (0.65-3.32)
			IgA	10 vs 4	1.31 (0.53-3.21)
		CD vs UC	IgG	9 vs 4	1.88 (0.65-5.38)
Kit manufacturer	GA vs All other	CD vs All	IgG	12 vs 3	1.04 (0.51-2.11)
			IgA	11 vs 3	1.28 (0.80-2.03)
		CD vs UC	IgG	10 vs 3	1.47 (0.48-4.48)
Female participants	≥ 50% vs < 50%	CD vs All	IgG	11 vs 4	1.24 (0.79-1.94)
			IgA	10 vs 4	0.75 (0.30-1.93)
		CD vs UC	IgG	10 vs 3	1.15 (0.54-2.45)

CD: Crohn’s disease; CI: Confidence interval; COI: Conflict of interest; GA: Generic assays; ELISA: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; IFF: Indirect immune-fluorescence; Ig: Immunoglobulin; UC: Ulcerative Colitis.