title: Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F treatment for idiopathic refractory nephrotic syndrome in adults: a meta-analysis.
abstract: Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F (TwHF) is a Chinese herbal medicine with immunosuppressive effects and an established history of use in the treatment of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. We have carried out a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-RCTs which assessed the effectiveness of TwHF in the treatment for idiopathic refractory nephrotic syndrome (IRNS). After reading the full text, only three RCTs or quasi-RCTs meeting our inclusion criteria were selected. Our meta-analysis indicated that TwHF has beneficial effects on the remission of IRNS. There was no significant publication bias in the meta-analysis studies. However, studies with a larger sample size and including patients with both a mild and severe histopathological change involvement separately are needed to assess the effects of TwHF in IRNS patients before exact conclusions can be drawn.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Nanchang University, No. 1 Minde Road, Nanchang, PR China. xugaosi@gmail.com
authors.forename: Gaosi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Weiping
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.forename: Dongfeng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Chengyun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009404:Nephrotic Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015995:Prevalence; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D029757:Tripterygium / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts