Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40601920›Full record

ArticleJMIR research protocols2025

Efficacy of WuSheZhiYang Pills in Mild-to-Moderate Atopic Dermatitis: Protocol for a Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Xiangjin Gao, Yuning Ding, Ruiqi Cai, Xiuqi Zhang, Zhen Duan, Quanruo Xu, Fanlingzi Shen, Siyuan Li, Rui Zhang, Ruiping Wang

Abstract readClinical Trial Protocol
In one paragraph

Article in JMIR research protocols, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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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

10 authors.

Xiangjin Gao *Clinical Research Center, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, Shanghai, China.ORCID 0000-0002-1793-7970
Yuning Ding *Clinical Research Center, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, Shanghai, China.ORCID 0009-0006-9470-3277
Ruiqi Cai *School of Public Health, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.ORCID 0009-0003-2287-6660
Xiuqi ZhangClinical Research Center, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, Shanghai, China.ORCID 0009-0008-8606-7105
Zhen DuanSchool of Public Health, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.ORCID 0009-0007-5878-3641
Quanruo XuSchool of Public Health, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.ORCID 0009-0005-2864-2886
Fanlingzi ShenSchool of Public Health, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.ORCID 0009-0000-1911-9691
Siyuan LiSchool of Public Health, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.ORCID 0009-0005-0170-5170
Rui ZhangClinical Research Center, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, Shanghai, China.ORCID 0000-0003-0035-5074
Ruiping WangClinical Research Center, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, Shanghai, China.ORCID 0000-0003-4183-5795

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAtopic dermatitis (AD) is a recurrent, inflammatory, and chronic skin disease that influences over 200 million individuals around the world and is viewed as an important health problem due to its elevated prevalence, long course of disease, and heavy disease burden. WuSheZhiYang (WSZY) pills are composed of 11 Chinese herbs and have the effects of nourishing the blood, drying dampness, and relieving itching. In clinical practice, WSZY pills are recommended for itching skin diseases, but high-quality clinical trial evidence is still limited.

objectiveIn this study, we will implement a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of WSZY pills for mild-to-moderate AD. We hypothesized that WSZY pills can effectively alleviate the disease condition of patients with mild-to-moderate AD.

methodsIn this study, we will recruit 60 patients with mild-to-moderate in Shanghai Skin Diseases Hospital from December 2024 through December 2025. In this study, 60 male and female patients with AD aged 18 years to 65 years will be randomly assigned (2:1) to the treatment group (urea ointment and WSZY pills; n=40) or control group (urea ointment and placebo WSZY pills; n=20), and both groups will receive 4 weeks of treatment and 4 weeks of follow-up. The treatment group will receive 3 sessions of urea ointment and 7.5 g of WSZY pills each day for 4 weeks, and the control group will also receive 3 sessions of urea ointment and 7.5 g of placebo WSZY pills each day for 4 weeks. The primary indicator is the change in the objective Scoring Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) score between baseline and week 4. The secondary indicators include SCORAD at week 2 and week 8; Peak Pruritus Numerical Rating Scale (PP-NRS), Investigator's Global Assessment (IGA), Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM), and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) at week 2, week 4, and week 8; and the proportion of participants receiving remedial treatment, amount of levocetirizine tablets used, and recurrence rate at week 8. In this study, we will analyze the full analysis set and per-protocol set using SAS software version 9.4, and a 2-tailed alpha level of .05 will be viewed as statistically significant.

resultsThe study received ethics permission in September 2024, and trial registration was completed in October 2024. Recruitment started in December 2024 and is expected to be completed by December 2025. As of June 2025, 30 participants with mild-to-moderate AD were enrolled. Data analysis will begin in January 2026. The main results of the trial are expected to be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed scientific journals in the summer of 2026.

conclusionsThis study will evaluate the efficacy of WSZY pills for AD and provide additional evidence, suggest new therapeutic options for patients, and reduce their disease burden.

trial registrationInternational Traditional Medicine Clinical Trial Registry ITMCTR2024000724; http://itmctr.ccebtcm.org.cn/zh-CN/Home/ProjectView?pid=bda070f8-a733-4f52-87b0-39e4be57ac00. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/77927.

Indexed as

Dermatitis, AtopicDrugs, Chinese HerbalAdolescentAdultAgedChinaDouble-Blind MethodFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicSeverity of Illness IndexTreatment OutcomeYoung AdultDrugs, Chinese Herbalatopic dermatitisclinical trial protocolrandomized controlled trialskin diseasesWSZY pills

Identifiers

PMID40601920
PMCPMC12268214

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Registered trials

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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.