Effectiveness of low-dose radiation therapy to improve mortality in coronavirus disease (COVID-19): A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Abstract Background Before antibiotics were available, X-ray therapy was used to treat pneumonia, but its effectiveness is unknown. It was not fully understood how low-dose radiation could reduce inflammation in early attempts to treat pneumonia with X-rays. Exposure to low-dose radiation therapy (LDRT) may activate anti-inflammatory molecules such as TGF-b1 and IL-10. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine whether LDRT effectively treats COVID-19-associated pneumonia. Methods This study followed the PRISMA guidelines (Principles for Reporting Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses). A search was conducted on Google Scholar and PubMed for articles published before June 12, 2022. The Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to evaluate the included research quality. Results In these studies, patients were given lung radiation at doses ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 Gy. Except for one study, all clinical, radiological, and survival outcomes improved. The study showed that whole-lung radiation at doses of 0.5–1.5 Gy was beneficial to patients with COVID-19-associated pneumonia who were oxygen-dependent. In these studies, the reported SR was 59% (95% CI, 44–75%). Conclusions LDRT has the potential to be a viable therapy option, although large-scale randomized trials are necessary, particularly in the elderly, who are more at risk of mortality from COVID-19.