Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40542385›Full record

SynthesisEuropean journal of medical research2025

Investigating the efficacy of calcipotriol-acitretin combination therapy versus monotherapy protocols in psoriasis and its effect on serum inflammatory factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Huiyun Wang, Tiantian Deng, Jian Wang, Xuesong Bai, Yuhua Shen, Yan Qiu

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in European journal of medical research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Huiyun WangDepartment of Pharmacy, Shanghai Pudong New Area People's Hospital, Shanghai, 201299, China.
Tiantian DengDepartment of Pharmacy, Shanghai Pudong New Area People's Hospital, Shanghai, 201299, China.
Jian WangDepartment of Pharmacy, Shanghai Pudong New Area People's Hospital, Shanghai, 201299, China.
Xuesong BaiDepartment of Pharmacy, Shanghai Pudong New Area People's Hospital, Shanghai, 201299, China.
Yuhua ShenDepartment of Pharmacy, Shanghai Pudong New Area People's Hospital, Shanghai, 201299, China.
Yan QiuDepartment of Pharmacy, Shanghai Pudong New Area People's Hospital, Shanghai, 201299, China. qiuyan@shpdph.com.

Funding

Outstanding Leaders Training Program of Pudong New Area Health System of Shanghai PWRl 2020-08
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND/

objectivesThe mechanism of action of treatment drugs for psoriasis is based on anti-inflammation and the inhibition of epidermal proliferation, and retinoids and vitamin D3 derivatives are first-line therapy drugs for psoriasis. This meta-analysis aimed to comprehensively evaluate the efficacy and safety of calcipotriol-acitretin combination therapy for psoriasis and investigate its effect on serum inflammatory factors.

methodsA systematic search of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data, Chinese biomedical literature service system (SinoMed), and Chinese Biomedical Journal Database (VIP), from the earliest record until Dec.13, 2024, was conducted. The outcomes were overall effective rate, Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) scores, inflammatory factor level and side effects.

resultsA total of 13 studies with 1196 patients were included in this meta-analysis. The results of this study show that the calcipotriol-acitretin combination therapy could improve the total effective rate when compared with acitretin [RR = 1.25, 95% CI (1.18, 1.33)] or calcipotriol [RR = 1.36, 95% CI (1.20, 1.56)] monotherapy. The combined therapy could decrease the PASI score observably when compared with acitretin monotherapy [SMD =  - 2.26, 95% CI (-3.24, -1.28)] or calcipotriol monotherapy [SMD =  - 3.79, 95% CI (-5.78, -1.79)]. Calcipotriol-acitretin combination therapy remarkably reduced the levels of TNF-α, IL-23, IL-17, INF-γ and IL-6 in serum, while increasing the levels of IL-4 and IL-10 within the serum, compared to acitretin monotherapy. This combination therapy did not increase the risk of skin irritation & burning pain, dry skin and perioral dermatitis. Notably, the incidence of perioral dermatitis was lower in combination therapy than acitretin monotherapy [P = 0.04, RR = 0.24, 95% CI (0.06, 0.93)].

conclusionsThe calcipotriol-acitretin combination therapy could be a safe and effective therapeutic strategy in the treatment of psoriasis. However, the lack of PROSPERO registration and the high heterogeneity in this study limited the conclusion, and more high-quality RCTs were needed for further evaluation.

Indexed as

AcitretinCalcitriolDermatologic AgentsPsoriasisDrug Therapy, CombinationHumansTreatment OutcomeAcitretincalcipotrieneCalcitriolDermatologic AgentsAcitretinCalcipotriolCombination therapyMeta-analysisPsoriasis

Identifiers

PMID40542385
PMCPMC12180256

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.