Table 1. Studies of Herbal Medicine for the Treatment of Psoriasis

Study Control Group Experimental Group Treatment Period Outcome
Xi13) A : Amylodextrin(n=10) B : Xiaoyin Jiedu Granules(n=15) 8 weeks 1. PASI  A : - B : decreasea2. DLQIs  A : increasea B : decreasea3. Itching score  A : increasea B : decreasea4. Laboratory test 1) The number of Th9 cells  A : -  B : decreasea2) The number of Th17 cells  A : -  B : decreasea3) The mRNA and protein expression levels of Th17-related ROR-γt IL-17, IL-22 and IL-23  A : -  B : decreasea4) The mRNA expression levels of Foxp3, IL-10  A : decreasea  B : decreasea5) The difference value of PU.1, ROR-γt, IL-9, IL-17, IL-22, IL-23  A>Ba6) The difference value of Foxp3, IL-10  -
Lei14) A : Secukinumab(n=34) B : Secukinumab + Qing-Ying Decotion(n=34) 16 weeks 1. PASI therapeutic index  A : 27.59±8.87 → 12w 8.87±0.36d → 16w 8.36±0.31d  B : 7.63±2.08 → 12w 5.29±0.27d → 16w 4.76±0.18d2. TCM Score  A : 48.89±1.31 → 12w 12.39±1.23d → 16w 11.27±1.13d  B : 48.93±1.29 → 12w 5.83±0.21d → 16w 4.98±0.19d3. Laboratory test 1) CD3+ T cell  A : 48.7±4.4 → 12w 59.6±5.8d → 16w 60.9±5.9d  B : 48.7±4.4 → 12w 73.0±7.0d → 16w 76.9±7.6d 2) CD4+ T cell  A : 30.9±3.0 → 12w 43.3±4.8d → 16w 45.0±4.9d  B : 30.7±3.3 → 12w 53.0±5.1d → 16w 55.3±4.4d3) CD8+ T cell   A : 48.6±4.9 → 12w 36.5±3.5d → 16w 35.0±3.4d  B : 48.3±5.0 → 12w 30.7±3.2d → 16w 32.9±2.9d4) IFN-γ  A : 39.6±4.0 →12w 27.0±3.8d → 16w 25.2±2.4d  B : 39.7±3.2 → 12w 20.1±3.8d → 16w 18.2±3.8d5) IL-2  A : 86.4±8.0 → 12w 67.8±6.8d → 16w 65.9±5.3d  B : 85.6±8.9 → 12w 42.0±4.4d → 16w 28.7±3.2d6) IL-8  A : 96.3±9.3 → 12w 71.1±4.4d → 16w 69.9±4.1d  B : 96.4±9.8 → 12w 47.9±4.3d → 16w 44.4±3.3d7) IL-17  A : 81.6±8.7 → 12w 59.9±7.2d → 16w 58.9±6.7d  B : 81.7±8.9 → 12w 41.1±6.7d → 16w 38.9±3.8d8) TNF-α  A : 28.2±2.0 → 12w 16.8±1.1d → 16w 15.3±1.1d  B : 28.2±2.4 → 12w 11.3±1.0d → 16w 10.3±0.9d4. Evaluation of Psychological Stress 1) The Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale  A : 26.8±3.5 → 12w 15.5±0.5d → 16w 14.4±0.4d  B : 26.8±3.3 → 12w 9.7±0.4d → 16w 9.0±0.3d 2) Hamilton Depression Rating Scale  A : 30.4±4.3 → 12w 17.9±1.3d → 16w 17.0±1.2d  B : 30.9±4.4 → 12w 12.4±1.0d → 16w 11.9±1.0d
Xing15) A : Diyin Tablets + 0.06% Tazarotene Cream + Conventional Nursing(n=60) B : Cooling Blood Detoxification Decoction + TCM Nursing(n=60) 4 weeks 1. Immune function indicators - T lymphocyte 1) CD3+  A : 25.11±3.21 → 39.21±4.52ef  B : 25.12±3.25 → 47.89±5.32ef 2) CD4+  A : 16.22±2.32 → 28.51±2.65ef  B : 16.12±2.15 → 36.21±2.12ef 3) CD4+/CD8+  A : 0.56±0.23 → 1.32±0.21ef  B : 0.56±0.21 → 1.65±0.35ef2. Inflammatory factor levels 1) IL-6(ng/L)  A : 180.32±11.23 → 129.52±10.56ef  B : 180.21±10.22 → 105.23±12.33ef 2) IL-23(ng/L)  A : 81.00±5.23 → 67.21±6.56ef  B : 81.23±5.21 → 55.56±5.23ef 3) TNF-α(㎍/L)  A : 1.71±0.54 → 1.32±0.53ef  B : 1.70±0.56 → 0.89±0.35ef3. PASI  A : 13.22±6.11 → 3w 10.56±5.23f → 6w 8.80±2.10f → 9w 6.54±2.23f  B : 13.21±6.10 → 3w 9.25±5.20f → 6w 6.15±2.54f → 9w 4.65±2.21f4. Quality Of Life 1) physical function  A : 61.21±10.22f B : 70.21±10.23f 2) emotional function  A : 65.56±12.32f B : 77.52±11.22f 3) role function  A : 62.23±11.25f B : 75.56±10.32f 4) social function  A : 64.32±13.25f B : 76.52±12.36f Overall response  markly effective / effective / invalid  A : 30.0(18) / 53.3(32) / 16.7(10)  B : 46.7(28) / 50.0(30) / 3.3(2)6. Nursing satisfaction  very satisfied / satisfied / dissatisfied // total satisfaction  A : 30.0(18)b / 50.0(30)b / 20.0(12)b // 80.0(48)b  B : 53.3(32)b / 43.3(26)b / 3.3(2)b // 96.7(58)b
Zhang16) A : Acitretin Capsules 20㎎ + Calcipotriol Ointment(n=65) B : Yiyi Baijiang Decoction + Yiyi Baijiang Patch(n=65) 4 weeks 1. Efficacy   A : 83.1b B : 98.5b2. Clinical indicators 1) PASI  A : 6.87±0.83 → 3.15±0.72ab  B : 6.91±0.85 → 1.76±0.64ab 2) Blood vessel count in the superficial dermis  A : 11.53±1.95 → 5.16±1.26ab  B : 11.05±2.03 → 3.71±1.07ab 3) Skin thickness  A : 239.61±31.59 → 191.25±27.64ab  B : 240.62±35.24 → 160.08±23.58ab 4) TCM score  A : 21.56±5.26 → 18.64±3.61ab  B : 22.69±5.19 → 5.26±1.43ab3. Serum Growth factors 1) EGF  A : 72.1±6.26 → 81.26±6.94ab  B : 71.82±6.31 → 95.26±7.12ab 2) ESM-1  A : 1.01±0.21 → 0.97±0.18ab  B : 1.04±0.19 → 0.75±0.11ab 3) FGF-23  A : 170.26±13.41 → 169.42±13.15ab  B : 171.13±15.26 → 151.91±11.37ab 4) TGF-β1  A : 15.23±2.15 → 12.18±2.03ab  B : 15.06±2.21 → 9.43±1.95ab4. Growth factors in skin tissues 1) EGF  A : 131.56±17.34 → 194.61±20.67ab  B : 129.43±18.34 → 253.64±29.64ab 2) ESM-1  A : 2.91±0.46 → 2.44±0.43ab  B : 2.87±0.45 → 2.01±0.37ab 3) FGF-23  A : 261.29±25.34 → 257.41±25.06ab  B : 265.35±24.67 → 207.34±19.28ab 4) TGF-β1  A : 26.53±4.62 → 21.28±4.31ab  B : 26.71±4.29 → 13.58±2.76ab5. Serum Inflammatory factors 1) NF-κB  A : 3.61±0.65 → 2.71±0.54ab  B : 3.59±0.67 → 2.03±0.42ab 2) Proalbumin  A : 221.06±35.26 → 276.52±39.43ab  B : 218.43±34.64 → 327.15±42.67ab 3) CCL20  A : 716.53±52.61 → 642.61±46.82ab  B : 719.58±54.36 → 504.68±42.58ab 4) Procalcitonin  A : 14.65±3.72 → 7.62±2.63ab  B : 15.26±3.79 → 4.67±1.85ab6. Inflammatory factors in skin tissue 1) NF-κB  A : 1.42±0.51 → 1.23±0.46ab  B : 1.46±0.53 → 1.05±0.37ab 2) Proalbumin  A : 158.62±21.26 → 194.28±24.68ab  B : 159.26±22.64 → 237.58±26.75ab 3) CCL20  A : 312.26±36.23 → 274.36±32.15ab  B : 309.42±37.15 → 231.36±29.42ab 4) Procalcitonin  A : 11.52±2.91 → 6.42±2.04ab  B : 11.94±2.93 → 3.42±1.63ab
Wang17) A : Acitretin Capsules 10㎎(n=36) B : Chinging Tang 150㎖(n=36) 12 weeks 1. TCM score 1) 搔痒  A : 2.29±0.53 → 1.22±0.47cd  B : 2.31±0.35 → 0.61±0.39cd 2) 心煩  A : 2.28±0.48 → 1.56±0.31cd  B : 2.11±0.42 → 1.25±0.33ab 3) 口渴  A : 1.98±0.76 → 1.34±0.37cd  B : 1.92±0.45 → 0.68±0.26cd 4) 便秘  A : 1.95±0.23 → 1.13±0.31cd  B : 1.87±0.46 → 0.42±0.29cd 5) 尿黄  A : 1.58±0.34 → 0.95±0.55cd  B : 1.52±0.53 → 0.55±0.32ab2. PASI  A : 18.86±4.59 → 9.36±3.75ab  B : 18.76±5.66 → 5.36±1.76ab3. DLQI  A : 15.37±4.13 → 10.66±2.58ab  B : 15.25±3.85 → 6.84±1.53ab4. Clinical efficacy  A : 75.0b B : 88.8b5. Serum Inflammatory factors 1) Th17  A : 3.39±1.07 → 1.89±0.35ab  B : 3.33±0.91 → 1.12±0.32ab 2) IL-17  A : 68.74±16.42 → 39.56±7.05ab  B : 67.45±17.28 → 27.44±6.68ab 3) IL-23  A : 152.75±29.11 → 82.63±17.22ab  B : 146.38±31.29 → 71.53±16.35ab 4) IL-22  A : 95.39±17.65 → 51.65±11.67ab  B : 92.44±31.61 → 42.54±8.77ab 5) IL-21  A : 83.22±19.66 → 41.63±10.72ab  B : 80.06±23.44 → 34.49±7.54ab6. Inflammatory factors in skin tissue 1) STAT3  A : 11.64±2.44 → 4.72±1.15cb  B : 11.73±3.56 → 3.46±0.78cb 2) RORγt  A : 13.88±3.12 → 4.42±1.17cb  B : 13.67±4.15 → 3.22±0.75cb
Wen18) A : Compound Capsule of Natural Indigo(n=28) B : Xiobi Decoction(n=30) 90 days 1. PASI score  A : 20.00±10.86 → 14.14±10.87ab  B : 20.48±11.87 → 8.39±9.10ab2. The total effective rate  A : 64.3%b B : 83.3%b3. The level of IL-18  A : 241.27±111.11 → 178.51±108.80ab  B : 240.51±111.80 → 127.12±89.33ab4. The level of IL-10  A : 15.95±1.89 → 20.89±1.9ab  B : 16.55±1.74 → 22.35±1.7ab
Cai19) A : Compound Qingdai Pill and Combined with External Using of Urea Ointment(n=105) B : Xiaoyin Jiedu Bag Decoction Combined with Fumigation(n=118) 40 days 1. PASI score  A : 13.08±2.76 → 7.18±0.98  B : 14.15±1.80 → 5.74±0.672. serum VEGF  A : 44.19±10.13 → 28.43±12.57b  B : 42.01±14.43 → 20.23±16.34b3. TNF-α  A : 116.98±32.76 → 85.77±15.43b  B : 102.56±25.08 → 63.16±17.56b
significant differences in group(before vs. after medication, p<0.05)
significant differences between groups(p<0.05)
significant differences in group(before vs. after medication, p<0.01)
significant differences between groups(p<0.01)
significant differences in group(before vs. after medication, p<0.001)
significant differences between groups(p<0.001)
PASI: Psoriasis Area and Severity Index, DLQIs: Dermatology Life Quality Index, EGF: Epidermal Growth Factor, ESM-1: Endothelial cell Specific Molecule-1, FGF-23: Fibroblast Growth Factor 23, TGF-β1: Transforming Growth Factor β1, CCL: C-C motif Chemokine Ligand 20, VEGF: Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor