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; Efficacy; Meta-analysis; Safety; Vitiligo.