title: Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of a Chinese herbal formula (RCM-106) for atopic dermatitis: study protocol for a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Atopic dermatitis is a chronic, inflammatory skin rash that greatly affects quality of life. The current therapies are inadequate in managing atopic dermatitis and often have associated adverse effects or drug tolerance development. Chinese medicine is expected to have promising prospects in the management of atopic dermatitis and recent studies have shown encouraging results. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a newly formulated Chinese herbal formula, RMIT Chinese Medicine-106 (RCM-106), in the management of moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis in children aged 6-18 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study is a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-armed clinical trial. Participant, investigator and assessors will remain blinded to the treatment assignment until after the study has been completed. After a 2-week run-in period, 90 participants will be randomised, using block randomised sequences generated by computer, to receive either RCM-106 or matching placebo capsules, twice daily, for a treatment period of 8 weeks and followed up for 4 weeks. Primary outcome measures include the evaluation of disease severity and extent using two validated scoring instruments-Scoring Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) and Patient-Oriented Scoring Atopic Dermatitis (PO-SCORAD). Secondary outcome measures include the evaluation of quality of life using the Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI); occurrence of adverse events and total usage of other therapies as recorded in the participants' daily diary and laboratory studies which include eosinophil count, total IgE, full blood count and liver and kidney function tests. Intention-to-treat analysis will be applied to all data analyses.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  This trial has received human ethics approval from the Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) of RMIT University (Project number 15/12). The study findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at the national and international conferences.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Australia and New Zealand Clinical Trials Register (ANZCTR): ACTRN12612001181897. TGA CTN Scheme: Trial number 2012/0713; Protocol number 15/12.
authors.affiliation: Traditional & Complementary Medicine Research Program, Health Innovations Research Institute, School of Health Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Hsiewe Ying
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Anthony L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Charlie C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Dacan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Cliff
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Da Costa
authors.forename: George B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Lenon
keywords: COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE; IMMUNOLOGY; STATISTICS & RESEARCH METHODS; THERAPEUTICS