Clinical Study Outcome Indicators for Henoch-Schonlein Purpura Nephritis: a Scoping Review

Background Henoch-Schonlein purpura is a vascular inflammatory illness that develops in childhood and in some children involves the kidneys, clinically known as Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis. Different studies have suggested different interventions, and there is a wide variation in the outcome indicators used for the intervention approaches. Objective To investigate and analyze the current status of clinical research outcome indicators for Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis in China, so as to provide a reference basis for the establishment of a core set of outcome indicators in this field. Methods CNKI, CBM, VIP, Wanfang Data, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase and Web of Science were systematically searched to collect publicly available Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis studies from January 2010 to June 2021. The Chinese databases were searched using the search strategy of title or keywords combined with subject terms, and the English databases were searched using subject terms combined with free words. Two investigators independently screened the literature and extracted information according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, processed and analyzed the data on outcome indicators. Results A total of 148 randomized controlled trials of Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis were included, and the outcome indicators of Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis studies were mainly physical and chemical indicators, with fewer symptomatic indicators. The highest frequency of outcome indicators were clinical efficacy (121 times, 81.76%), adverse reactions (74 times, 50.00%), 24-hour urine protein (68 times, 45.95%), urinary red blood cells (43 times, 29.05%), and recurrence rate (20 times, 13.51%). The division between primary and secondary outcome indicators was clearly distinguished in only two articles. Conclusion There are several indicators for the research outcomes of Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis in China, primarily physical and chemical variables, with significant variation. The research focuses on efficacy measures but ignores adverse reactions. As a result, it is necessary to establish a set of outcome indicators for clinical intervention studies on Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis in order to provide a reference basis for selecting outcome indicators and guiding clinical decision-making in future similar studies.