Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42073486›Full record

ArticleLife (Basel, Switzerland)2026

Adjunctive Use of VGH4 for Moderate-to-Severe Atopic Dermatitis: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Crossover Pilot Trial.

Ying-Ju Liao, Ta-Peng Wu, Chou-Cheng Lai, Yen-Ying Kung, Cheng-Hung Tsai, Yun-Ting Chang, Chih-Chiang Chen, Ching-Mao Chang, Shinn-Jang Hwang, Fang-Pey Chen

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Life (Basel, Switzerland), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
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.

Ying-Ju LiaoInstitute of Traditional Medicine, College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112, Taiwan.ORCID 0000-0002-5242-8741
Ta-Peng WuCenter for Traditional Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
Chou-Cheng LaiSchool of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
Yen-Ying KungInstitute of Traditional Medicine, College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
Cheng-Hung TsaiCenter for Traditional Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 112, Taiwan.ORCID 0000-0002-9331-8725
Yun-Ting ChangDepartment of Dermatology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
Chih-Chiang ChenDepartment of Dermatology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
Ching-Mao ChangInstitute of Traditional Medicine, College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
Shinn-Jang HwangFamily Medicine Division, Chang Bin Show Chuan Memorial Hospital, Changhua County 505, Taiwan.ORCID 0000-0003-3217-6193
Fang-Pey ChenInstitute of Traditional Medicine, College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112, Taiwan.

Funding

Clinical Innovation Center (CIC), Taipei Veterans General Hospital CiC013
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD) requires safe, long-term management strategies to complement conventional pharmacotherapy. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of VGH4, a standardized multi-herb traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula, as an adjunct to standard care. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover pilot trial, 19 patients with moderate-to-severe AD (SCOring Atopic Dermatitis Index (SCORAD) ≥ 25) received VGH4 or placebo for 6 weeks, separated by a 2-week washout. Primary outcomes assessed disease severity (SCORAD), while secondary outcomes included quality of life (DLQI/CDLQI) and safety. Eighteen patients completed the study. VGH4 yielded a median within-patient SCORAD reduction 10.2 points greater than placebo (

Indexed as

atopic dermatitisChinese herbal medicinequality of liferandomized controlled trialtraditional Chinese medicine

Identifiers

PMID42073486
PMCPMC13117100

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.