title: Treatment of vitiligo with NB-UVB: A systematic review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effect and safety of NB-UVB for vitiligo using an evidence-based approach.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the treatment of vitiligo with NB-UVB were identified by searching PubMed and the Cochrane Library. The primary outcome was re-pigmentation degree.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of seven RCTs involving 232 participants with vitiligo were included in this systematic review. The methodological qualities of included studies were generally moderate. Two trials compared narrow-band ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) with UVA control, showing no significant differences between two methods on the number of patients who achieved >60% re-pigmentation [relative risk (RR) = 2.50, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.11-56.97, p > 0.05]. Two trials compared NB-UVB with psoralens plus UVA (PUVA) control, and no difference was seen between the two treatments on the number of patients who achieved >50 re-pigmentation (RR = 1.16, 95% CI: 0.64-2.11, p > 0.05) or >75% re-pigmentation (RR = 2.00, 95% CI: 0.89-4.48, p > 0.05). Three trials compared NB-UVB with 308-nm excimer light/laser (EL) control, and again no significant difference was found between the two methods (p > 0.05). The adverse events of NB-UVB in the included studies were slight and tolerated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NB-UVB showed equivalent efficacies to UVA, PUVA or 308-nm EL control in the treatment of vitiligo. Side effects of NB-UVB were acceptable. More RCTs were needed to validate the results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, No. 1 Hospital of China Medical University , Shenyang , China.
authors.forename: Bi-Huan
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Hong-Duo
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xing-Hua
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D054018:Lasers, Excimer / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011701:PUVA Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D014467:Ultraviolet Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D014820:Vitiligo / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: Randomized controlled trials; UVB; vitiligo