Antioxidant profiles of a prepared extract of Chinese herbs for the treatment of atopic eczema

Therapeutic Benefits of Natural Ingredients for Atopic Dermatitis

Although a variety of regimens are available for the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD), severe adverse reactions and unpopular costs often limit their usage. In contrast, certain inexpensive, naturally-occurring ingredients are proven effective for AD with fewer side effects. The beneficial effects of these ingredients can be attributed to inhibition of cytokine and chemokine expression, IgE production, inflammatory cell infiltration, histamine release, and/or the enhancement of epidermal permeability barrier function. Since herbal medicines are widely available, inexpensive and generally safe, they could be valuable alternatives for the treatment of AD, particularly for those patients who are not suitable for the utilization of immune modulators. In this review, we summarize the therapeutic benefits of natural ingredients for the treatment of AD and the mechanisms of their actions.

The Traditional Chinese Medicine and Relevant Treatment for the Efficacy and Safety of Atopic Dermatitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

BACKGROUND

Atopic dermatitis (AD) has become a common skin disease that requires systematic and comprehensive treatment to achieve adequate clinical control. Traditional Chinese medicines and related treatments have shown clinical effects for AD in many studies. But the systematic reviews and meta-analyses for them are lacking.

OBJECTIVE

The systematic review and meta-analysis based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement were conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicines and related treatments for AD treatment.

METHODS

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were searched based on standardized searching rules in eight medical databases from the inception up to December 2016 and a total of 24 articles with 1,618 patients were enrolled in this meta-analysis.

RESULTS

The results revealed that traditional Chinese medicines and related treatments did not show statistical differences in clinical effectiveness, SCORAD amelioration, and SSRI amelioration for AD treatment compared with control group. However, EASI amelioration of traditional Chinese medicines and related treatments for AD was superior to control group.

CONCLUSION

We need to make conclusion cautiously for the efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine and related treatment on AD therapy. More standard, multicenter, double-blind randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of traditional Chinese medicine and related treatment for AD were required to be conducted for more clinical evidences providing in the future.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Decreases the Stroke Risk of Systemic Corticosteroid Treatment in Dermatitis: A Nationwide Population-Based Study

Epidemiological studies have shown a strong association between dermatitis and stroke. Systemic corticosteroid, the mainstay treatment for dermatitis, could enhance the atherosclerotic process. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been used for dermatitis to decrease the side effects of corticosteroid. However, the different stroke risk in dermatitis patients treated with systemic corticosteroid or TCM remains unclear. This study identified 235,220 dermatitis patients and same comorbidity matched subjects between 2000 and 2009 from database of NHRI in Taiwan. The two cohorts were followed until December 31, 2011. The primary outcome of interest was new diagnosis of stroke. The crude hazard ratio (HR) for future stroke among dermatitis patients treated with systemic corticosteroid was 1.40 (95% CI, 1.34–1.45; P < 0.0001) and TCM was 1.09 (95% CI, 1.05–1.13; P < 0.0001). The log-rank test showed a higher cumulative incidence of ischemic stroke in the patient treated with only systemic corticosteroid group than that treated with systemic corticosteroid and TCM, only TCM, and neither systemic corticosteroid nor TCM in the matched cohort during the follow-up period (P < 0.0001). We demonstrated that patients treated with systemic corticosteroid had an increased risk of stroke and that the risk probably decreased by TCM treatment.

Integrative medicine as adjunct therapy in the treatment of atopic dermatitis--the role of traditional Chinese medicine, dietary supplements, and other modalities

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is becoming increasingly prevalent in the pediatric population, with rates reportedly as high as 18-25 %. Westernized medicine has traditionally used a combination of emollients, antihistamines, corticosteroids, and immunomodulating agents to combat this often frustrating disease. Of late, integrative medicine has become the subject of more research as concerns grow regarding prolonged use of corticosteroids and their side effects in pediatric patients. Probiotics have been extensively studied to define their role in the treatment and prevention of AD in children. Unfortunately, results are varying showing significant improvement in some patients but not all. With regard to prevention, studies show that the use of probiotics during pregnancy does decrease the incidence of AD in children. Prebiotics and synbiotics are also a conceivable option for prevention of AD. A number of studies on Chinese herbal medicine have been performed, with a collective result of symptom improvement and decreased levels of inflammatory cytokines. However, there were reports of asymptomatic transaminitis in a few patients that warrant further testing. While the herbs tested in more recent randomized clinical trials were free from corticosteroids, a previous study showed high levels of dexamethasone in unlabeled herbal eczema creams. Vitamins and minerals have also been suggested as an alternative treatment of AD. Studies however have not yet demonstrated improvement of AD with vitamin or mineral supplementation. Topical vitamin B(12) is the exception to this; however, no topical vitamin B(12) preparation is available for use. Finally, relaxation techniques are also being investigated as adjunctive methods of treatment, but well-designed scientific studies are lacking.