Genetic Association of Beta-Lactams-Induced Hypersensitivity Reactions: A Protocol for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Beta-lactam (BL) antibiotics are among the drugs commonly related to hypersensitivity reactions. Several candidate gene studies and genome-wide association studies have reported associations of genetic variants and hypersensitivity reactions induced by BL antibiotics. However, the results were inconclusive. This protocol details a comprehensive systematic review of genetic factors associated with BL-induced hypersensitivity. A systematic search of literature related to genetic associations of BL-induced hypersensitivity will be performed through PubMed, Medline, Scopus, EMBASE, Web of Science, CINAHL, and the Cochrane central register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) from their inception dates with no language restrictions. Two reviewers will independently screen, extract, and appraise the risk of bias. Frequencies of genetic variants that comply with Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium will be extracted and pooled. Genetic models will be applied to variant effect calculation as per allele and genotype analysis. Based on statistical heterogeneity among studies, common effect estimation (odds ratio) and its corresponding 95% confidence interval will be analyzed. Sensitivity and subgroup analyses will be performed to determine the robustness of eligible studies. This systematic review and meta-analysis will provide comprehensive evidence of genetic effects regarding BL-induced hypersensitivity. The findings will enlighten the determination of disease-related genotypes that would potentially reveal allergy profiling in patients.