Topical tacrolimus with different frequency for exfoliative cheilitis: a pilot study

Abstract

Background

Tacrolimus is a new type immunosuppressant. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of topical tacrolimus 0.1% ointment at 2 different frequencies in treating patients with exfoliative cheilitis.

Methods

A total of 40 patients with exfoliative cheilitis were randomly divided into the QD group receiving topical tacrolimus 0.1% ointment once a day or the QOD group receiving topical tacrolimus 0.1% ointment once-two-day. Patients were also applied wet dressing of saline twice a day. The effectiveness of treatment was defined as the percentage of improvement in signs or symptoms.

Results

37 patients completed the 2-week treatment. And, a full set was analyzed. The effectiveness of topical tacrolimus 0.1% ointment for relief in objective sign and subjective symptom was 50% and 67.5%% in the QD group, respectively. For the QOD group, the effectiveness of sign and symptom relief was 50% and 73.5%. There was no significant difference of effectiveness between application topical tacrolimus once a day and once 2 days.

Conclusion

Our data suggested that application of topical tacrolimus 0.1% ointment once a day and once 2 days had similar clinical effectiveness for sign and symptom relief in patients with exfoliative cheilitis.

Keywords:

• Exfoliative cheilitis
• tacrolimus
• treatment
• effectiveness

Acknowledgments

The authors sincerely thank Dr Zhenyu Wu, Department of Biostatistics of Fudan University, for assistance in statistical analysis.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflict of interest in relation to this study.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by research grants of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant no. 81671036) and the National Construction Project of Clinical Key Specialized Department [(2013)544].