The efficacy and safety of pioglitazone in psoriasis vulgaris

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Pioglitazone may have potential benefits in the treatment of cutaneous and metabolic derangements of psoriasis, but its role in the treatment of psoriasis remains in debate. We therefore conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of pioglitazone in psoriasis vulgaris (PsV). We performed a comprehensive search in database of PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane library, Embase and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wan fang database through March 2019 to identify eligible studies. Randomized controlled trials that have evaluated the effect and safety of pioglitazone in PsV were included. Treatment success was defined as ≥75% reduction in psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) score after treatment. Weighted mean differences (WMD), relative risks (RRs) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled to compare the clinical efficacy and safety between different groups. Six randomized controlled trials (n = 270) were included. Meta-analysis showed that pioglitazone was associated with a remarkable reduction in PASI score in patients with PsV (weight mean difference: 2.68, 95% CI 1.41–3.94, P