Clinical efficacy of self-designed Xiaoban Huoxue Prescription on chloasma derived from liver stagnation and blood stasis.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the therapeutic effect and specific mechanism of self-designed Xiaoban Huoxue Prescription on chloasma derived from liver stagnation and blood stasis.

METHODS

This study retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 94 patients with chloasma derived from liver stagnation and blood stasis. The patients were divided into a control group (treated with tranexamic acid tablets) and an experimental group (treated with self-designed Xiaoban Huoxue Prescription), with 47 cases in each group. Both groups were treated for 3 months, and the clinical efficacy was compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

The total response rate of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group (P<0.05). Compared with before treatment, the traditional Chinese medicine syndrome scores and Melasma area severity index scores in the two groups were lower 1, 2 and 3 months after treatment, and lower scores were seen in the experimental group than in the control group (all P<0.001); there was an opposite trend in the ITA° value (all P<0.001). Compared with before treatment, serum levels of estradiol, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone and tyrosinase absorbance in both groups were lower 3 months after treatment, and those in the experimental group were lower than those in the control group (all P<0.001). The experimental group had lower incidence of adverse reactions than the control group (2.13% vs. 12.77%, P<0.05). The satisfaction scores regarding pigmentation area regression, pigmentation regression and facial beauty in the experimental group were higher than those in the control group (all P<0.001).

CONCLUSION

The self-designed Xiaoban Huoxue Prescription is safe and effective for chloasma derived from liver stagnation and blood stasis. Its mechanism may be related to the downregulation of serum sex hormone expressions and tyrosinase absorbance.