Efficacy and safety of total glucosides of paeony combined with acitretin in the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis: a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial

Although acitretin has been widely used for the treatment of psoriasis, additional safer and more effective approaches, including traditional Chinese medicine, are needed. To investigate the efficacy and safety of total glucosides of paeony (TGP) combined with acitretin in the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-centre clinical study was conducted. In total, 108 patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis were randomly assigned to treatment with "TGP plus acitretin" (group A) or "placebo plus acitretin" (group B) for 12 weeks. After 12 weeks of therapy, the percentage of patients achieving a 50% reduction in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index was 90% in group A and 70.5% in group B (p<0.05). The rate of serum alanine aminotransferase elevation was 6.25% in group A and 20.4% in group B (p<0.05). TGP is conducive to enhancing anti-psoriatic efficacy and reducing liver damage due to acitretin. TGP combined with acitretin is a safe and effective treatment approach for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.