Fig. 2

Network diagrams for composite study outcomes in lupus nephritis, renal remission or renal response (a), renal relapse or renal flare (b), fertility issues (c), and bone marrow toxicity (d). Legend: Each node shows the treatment compared along with the number of RCTs that provide evidence. The size of each node is proportional to the sample size. a shows only the direct evidence, while b–d show both direct and indirect evidence. Direct evidence is indicated by lines indicating the number of RCTs providing the evidence and indirect by lines without this information. This was done since there were several direct comparator studies available for a, and addition of connections based on indirect evidence to a would make the network diagram very complex and difficult to visualize and understand