Efficacy and safety of compound glycyrrhizin in the patients with vitiligo: a systematic review and meta-analysis

ABSTRACT

Objective

Compound glycyrrhizin (CG) is widely used to treat vitiligo in China, and the efficacy and adverse events (AEs) of CG for vitiligo need further analysis. This study aimed to systematically reevaluate the efficacy and safety of CG in the patients with vitiligo.

Research design and methods

Eight literature databases were searched up to 31 December 2022, and randomized controlled trials which compared CG plus conventional treatments with conventional treatments alone were included.

Results

17 studies with 1492 patients were included. The pooled results showed that the combination of CG and conventional treatments was superior to conventional treatments alone in the total efficacy rate (risk ratio (RR) = 1.54, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.40 to 1.69, P < 0.00001), cure rate (RR = 1.62, 95%CI = 1.32 to 1.99, P < 0.00001), the levels of serum IL-6, TNF-α, IL-17, and TGF-ß, and the ratio of CD4⁺/CD8⁺ T cell in blood. Moreover, few patients suffered from the mild and tolerable AEs of CG.

Conclusions

CG plus conventional treatments is an effective treatment for vitiligo with mild and tolerable AEs. More high-quality and large-sample studies are required in the future to provide more evidence of CG for vitiligo.

PROSPERO registration

CRD42023401166

KEYWORDS:

• Compound glycyrrhizin
• Vitiligo
• Efficacy
• Safety
• Meta-analysis

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewer disclosures

A reviewer on this manuscript has disclosed that they are an inventor on patents targeting CXCR3 and IL15 for the treatment of vitiligo. Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no other relevant financial relationships or otherwise to disclose.

Author contributions

M Li and Y Li conceived and designed the study. M Li and Y Li conducted the literature research, study selection, data extraction, and quality evaluation. L Xiang verified the literature research, study selection, data extraction, and quality evaluation. M Li and Y Li analyzed the data and performed the statistical analysis. M Li wrote the manuscript. Y Li revised the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. All authors agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Data availability statement

The datasets supporting this article’s conclusions are included within the article and its supplementary materials.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/17512433.2023.2213887.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the Beijing Postdoctoral Research Foundation [No.2022-ZZ-017] and Research Foundation of Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University [No. yybsh2021015].