WITHDRAWN: Chinese herbal medicine for atopic eczema

Clinical Efficacy of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine in the Treatment of Eczema: A Meta-Analysis

Background

Both traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine are widely applied in the treatment of eczema, but there are few reports on integrated TCM and Western medicine for eczema.

Objective

This meta-analysis carried out the evaluation on the efficacy of integrated TCM and Western medicine in the treatment of eczema.

Methods

PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, CNKI, and Wanfang databases were searched for all possible randomized controlled trials from 2000 to 2021. A meta-analysis of the included studies was also performed using Stata16 software.

Results

A total of 16 studies including 1946 patients were included. Compared with the control group, the pooled results of the 16 studies showed that effective rate in the treatment group was higher (OR = 4.50, 95% CI: 3.16-6.40, P < 0.05), and the pooled data of 15 studies revealed that the cure rate was increased in the treatment group (OR = 2.60, 95% CI: 2.13-3.18, P < 0.05). Additionally, compared with the control group, pooled data of 11 studies demonstrated that lesion area after treatment was reduced in the treatment group (SMD = -1.91; 95% CI: -2.51, -1.31; P < 0.05), and pooled data of 9 studies showed that the degree of pruritus after treatment in the treatment group was lower (SMD = -1.69; 95% CI: -2.07, -1.30; P < 0.05).

Conclusion

In comparison with Western medicine alone, integrated TCM and Western medicine are a more effective treatment for eczema, which can not only significantly improve the effective rate and cure rate but also reduce the lesion area and degree of pruritus.

The Roles of Serotonin in Neuropsychiatric Disorders

The serotonergic system extends throughout the central nervous system (CNS) and the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. In the CNS, serotonin (5-HT, 5-hydroxytryptamine) modulates a broad spectrum of functions, including mood, cognition, anxiety, learning, memory, reward processing, and sleep. These processes are mediated through 5-HT binding to 5-HT receptors (5-HTRs), are classified into seven distinct groups. Deficits in the serotonergic system can result in various pathological conditions, particularly depression, schizophrenia, mood disorders, and autism. In this review, we outlined the complexity of serotonergic modulation of physiologic and pathologic processes. Moreover, we provided experimental and clinical evidence of 5-HT's involvement in neuropsychiatric disorders and discussed the molecular mechanisms that underlie these illnesses and contribute to the new therapies.