The Effect of Combination Therapy of Yukmijihwang-tang and Western Medicine on Primary Glomerulonephritis: Systemic Review and Meta-analysis

Abstract

Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the combination therapy of Yukmijihwang-tang and Western medicine on primary glomerulonephritis.Methods: We conducted a search using keywords, such as Yukmijihwang-tang and Liuwei Dihuang, in eight databases (CNKI, CiNii, Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane, Science On, OASIS, RISS). There was no limit to the publication period of the papers. A meta-analysis was conducted and classified according to the outcome measurements, such as the total effective rate (TER), serum creatinine (SCr), and blood urea nitrogen (BUN). Data analysis was performed using the RevMan 5.4.1 software, and Cochrane’s risk of bias (ROB) was used to assess the quality of the papers.Results: A total of 12 randomized control trials were selected. The meta-analysis showed that the treatment group combining Yumijihwang-tang and Western medicine was more efficient than the control group using Western medicine alone (RR: 1.29, CI: 1.20 to 1.39 p=<0.00001). The treatment group also reduced the BUN (MD: -2.40, CI: -2.90 to -1.89, p<0.00001) and Scr (MD: -33.34, CI: -40.85 to -25.82, P<0.00001) more than the control group.Conclusion: This study suggests that the combination therapy of Yukmijihwang-tang with Western medicine is effective in treating primary glomerulonephritis. However, these findings should be interpreted cautiously due to the unknown or high risk of bias in the included trials.