The relationship between doctors and patients becomes a public hot topic recently, which becomes more prominent during the reforming and transition of the health care system. The emergence of evidence-based medicine corresponds to the requirement of the clinical practice brought by the transition of the health care system. It will play an important role in improving the relationship between doctors and patients. The promotion of evidence-based practice will be helpful to alleviate the conflict between doctors and patients and to increase the quality of health care.
Background Hepatitis B virus infection is a serious health problem worldwide. Traditional Chinese medicinal herbs have been widely used to treat chronic liver diseases, and many controlled trials have been done to investigate their efficacy. Objectives To assess the efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicinal herbs for chronic hepatitis B infection. Search strategy Searches were applied to the following electronic databases: the CHBG Trials Register, the Cochrane Complementary Medicine Field Trials-Register, the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE and BIOSIS. Five Chinese journals and conference proceedings were handsearched. No language restriction was used. Selection criteria Randomized or quasi-randomized trials with at least three months follow-up. Thais of Chinese medicinal herbs (single or compound) compared with placebo, no intervention, general non-specific treatment or interferon treatment were included. Trials of Chinese medicinal herbs plus interferon versus interferon alone were also included. Trials could be double-blind, single-blind or not blinded. Data collection and analysis Data were extracted independently by two reviewers. The methodological quality of trials was evaluated using the Jadad-scale plus allocation concealment. Intention-to-treat analyses were performed. Main Resuits Nine randomized trials, including 936 patients, met the inclusion criteria. Methodological quality was considered adequate in only one trial. There was a significant funnel plot asymmetry (regression coefficient= 3.37, standard error 1.40, P=0.047). Ten different medicinal herbs were tested in the nine trials. Compared to non-specific treatment or placebo, Fuzheng Jiedu Tang (compound of herbs) showed significantly positive effects on clearance of serum HBsAg, HBeAg, and HBV DNA; Polyporus umbellatus, polysaccharide on serum HBeAg and HBV DNA; Phyllanthus amarus on serum HBeAg. Phyllanthus compound and kurorinone showed no significant effect on clearance of serum HBeAg and HBV DNA and on alanine aminotransferase normalization compared to interferon treatment. There were no significant effects of the other examined herbs. Reviewer’s conclusions Some Chinese medicinal herbs may work in chronic hepatitis B. However, the evidence too weak to recommend any single herb. Rigorously designed, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials are required.
Objective To assess the efficacy and safety of Chinese medicinal herbs for asymptomatic hepatitis B virus(HBV) infection. Data Source The trials registers of the Cochrane Hepato-Biliary Group, the Cochrane Library and the Cochrane Complementary Medicine Field were searched in combination with MEDLINE, EMBASE, and handsearches of Chinese journals and conference proceedings. Data Selection Randomized clinical trials with 3 months follow-up comparing Chinese medicinal herbs versus placebo, no intervention, non-specific treatment, or interferon treatment for asymptomatic HBV carriers were included. No language and blinding limitations were applied. Data Extraction Data were extracted independently by two reviewers. The methodological quality of trials was assessed by the Jadad-scale plus allocation concealment. Results Three randomized clinical trials (307 patients) with low methodological quality following patients for three months or more after the end of treatment were included. Herbal compound Jianpi Wenshen recipe showed significant effects on clearance of HBV markers compared to interferon: relative risk 2.40 (95 % CI 1.01 to 5.72) for clearance of serum HBsAg, and 2.54 (1.13 to 5.70) for seroconversion of HBeAg to anti-HBe. Phyllanthus amarus and Astragalus membranaceus showed no significant antiviral effect compared with placebo. Analysis of pooling eight randomized clinical trials with less than three months follow-up did not show a significant benefit of Chinese medicinal herbs on viral markers. No serious adverse event was observed. Conclusions There is insufficient evidence for treatment of asymptomatic HBVcarriers using Chinese medicinal herbs due to the low quality of the trials. Further randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled trials are needed.
Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of genus Phyllanthus for chronic HBV infection. Design a systematic review of randomized clinical trials. Methods Randomized trials comparing genus Phyllanthus versus placebo, no intervention, general non-specific treatment, other herbal medicine, or interferon treatment for chronic HBV infection were identified by electronic and manual searches. Trials of Phyllanthus herb plus interferon versus interferon alone were also included. No blinding and language limitations were applied. The methodological quality of trials was assesses, by the Jadadscale plus allocation concealment. Results Twenty-two randomized trials (n=1 947) were identified. The methodological quality was high in five double blind trials and rest was low. The combined results showed that Phyllanthus species had positive effect on clearance of serum HBsAg (relative risk 5.64, 95%C1 1.85 to 17.21) compared with placebo or no intervention. There was no significant difference on clearance of serum HBsAg, HBeAg and HBV DNA between Phyllanthus and interferon. Phyllanthus species were better than non-specific treatment or other herbal medicines on clearance of serum HBeAg, HBeAg, HBV DNA, and liver enzyme normalization. Analyses showed a better effect of the Phyllanthus plus interferon combination on clearance of serum (1.56, 1.06 to 2.32) and HBV DNA (1.52, 1.05 to 2.21) than interferon alone. No serious adverse events were reported. Conclusions Based on the review Phyllanthus species may have positive effect on antiviral activity and liver biochemistry in chronic HBV infection. However, the evidence is not b due to the general low methodological quality and the variations of the herb. Further large trials are needed.