Effect of Chinese herbal medicine combined with acitretin capsule in treating psoriasis of blood-heat syndrome type.
OBJECTIVE
To observe the clinical curative effect of Chinese herbal medicine combined with acitretin capsule in treating psoriasis of blood-heat syndrome (P-BH).


METHODS
Eighty patients of P-BH were randomly assigned to two groups, 39 in Group A and 41 in Group B. Both was treated with Chinese herbal medicines for clearing heat, cooling blood and removing toxic substance, and acitretin capsule was given to Group A additionally, with 8 weeks as one therapeutic course. The clinical curative effect was compared between groups, and the change of psoriasis activity severe index (PASI) scores before and after treatment was observed.


RESULTS
The total effective rate in Group A was 84.2% and that in Group B 68.2%, also showing significance between groups (P<0.01). PASI score lowered significantly after treatment in both groups, showing statistical significance (P<0.01), but no significant difference between groups. Little adverse reaction was found in Group B, while in Group A, the adverse reaction was of even milder degree, which could be alleviated by adjusting the herbal medicine and symptomatic treatment administration.


CONCLUSIONS
The effect of Chinese herbal medicine combined with acitretin capsule was superior to Chinese herbal medicine alone in treating P-BH, but the adverse reaction of acitretin capsule could be alleviated by adjusting the herbs used. However, the result is waiting to be verified further by larger samples.
Zhang
Li-xin
LX
Department of Dermatology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, 100029, China. dongyan3211@163.com
Bai
Yan-ping
YP
Song
Pei-hua
PH
You
Li-ping
LP
Yang
Ding-quan
DQ
D017255:Acitretin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002214:Capsules; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D007641:Keratolytic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013577:Syndrome; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
D002214:Capsules; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D007641:Keratolytic Agents; C504928:Qingkailing; D017255:Acitretin