Real-time quaking-induced conversion assay is accurate for Lewy body diseases: a meta-analysis

Objective Real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) is a novel in vitro acellular seed amplification analysis and has been widely used to detect prion diseases. Due to the similar mechanism of abnormal aggregation of alpha-synuclein, RT-QuIC has great potential for diagnosing Lewy body diseases. This meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of RT-QuIC for Lewy body diseases. Methods This study followed the PRISMA statement. We searched six databases for relevant studies published until February 20, 2022. Meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.3, Stata 17.0, and Meta-Disc 1.4. Subgroup analyses were performed to explore sources of heterogeneity. Results A total of 16 studies were included in this study. The pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.91 (95%CI: 0.85-0.94) and 0.95 (95%CI: 0.90-0.97), respectively. The pooled positive and negative likelihood ratios were 17.16 (95% CI: 9.16-32.14) and 0.10 (95% CI: 0.06-0.17), respectively. The pooled diagnostic odds rate and area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve were 171.16 (95% CI: 66.64-439.62) and 0.97 (95% CI: 0.96-0.99), respectively. Conclusions This study was the first meta-analysis on RT-QuIC for Lewy body diseases. RT-QuIC is a reliable and accurate method to diagnose Lewy body diseases.

Automated summary

This meta-analysis evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of RT-QuIC for Lewy body diseases and found that it is a reliable and accurate method for diagnosing these diseases.