Table 1.
Characteristics of the included studies and NOS quality assessment.
|
Author (pub. year) |
Study setting | Study period MM/YY–MM/YY | Psoriasis, blood heat syndrome | Healthy control | NOS quality assessment | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | Mean age, years, mean (SD) | Males (%) | Mean PASI (SD) | Duration, years, mean (SD) | N | Mean age, years, mean (SD) | Males (%) | Selection | Comparability | Exposure/outcome | Overall star rating |
|||
| Cao et al. (2014) [10] | China | 07/2011–04/2012 | 16 | 46.36 (13.04) | 63.33 | 10.35 (5.84) | NR | 16 | 27.31 (1.40) | 56.67 | ++ | +++ | 5 | |
| Chen et al. (2014) [11] | China | 09/2011–04/2012 | 15 | 46.20 (13.97) | 53.33 | 15.8 (8.60) | 3.26 (2.98) | 16 | 42.31 (13.61) | 53.33 | + | ++ | +++ | 6 |
| Chen and Yang (2012) [23] | China | 01/2010–12/2010 | 17 | 31.00 (1.50) | 52.94 | 24.21 (7.03) | 7–10 | 15 | 30.00 (0.50) | 53.33 | + | ++ | +++ | 6 |
| Fan et al. (2015) [12] | China | 11/2010–10/2011 | 30 | 37.50 (7.50) | 53.33 | 11.05 (9.10) | 0–30 | 10 | 40.29 (9.91) | 70.00 | + | ++ | +++ | 6 |
| He et al. (2015) [13] | China | 09/2012–09/2013 | 40 | 35.92 (12.91) | 62.50 | 18.619 (3.403) | 5.53 (5.25) | 20 | 33.30 (10.96) | 60.00 | + | ++ | +++ | 6 |
| Hu and Yang (2015) [24] | China | NR | 30 | NR | 54.44 | NR | NR | 30 | Match | 50.00 | + | ++ | +++ | 6 |
| Li (2010) [14] | China | 03/2009–03/2010 | 30 | 41.59 (14.73) | 70.59 | 10.99 (11.62) | NR | 18 | NR | NR | + | +++ | 4 | |
| Li (2011) [15] | China | 04/2009–08/2010 | 24 | NR | NR | NR | NR | 20 | Match | Match | ++ | +++ | 5 | |
| Lin et al. (2008) [16] | China | 10/2005–03/2006 | 30 | 33.13 (11.10) | 70.00 | 10.78 (3.51) | 10.47 (9.02) | 20 | Match | Match | + | ++ | +++ | 6 |
| Liu (2011) [17] | China | 10/2009–10/2010 | 20 | 42.45 (13.55) | 65.00 | 12.80 (4.30) | 11.98 (10.23) | 20 | 37.05 (14.16) | 40.00 | ++ | +++ | 5 | |
| Liu et al. (2012) [18] | China | 03/2010–12/2010 | 20 | 34.11 | 60.00 | NR | NR | 10 | 30.50 | 50.00 | ++ | +++ | 5 | |
| Sun and Zhao (2010) [19] | China | 10/2008–02/2010 | 30 | 33.00 (13.57) | 43.33 | 21.42 (3.06) | 6.70 (5.24) | 18 | 31.72 (12.06) | 44.44 | + | ++ | +++ | 6 |
| Wu et al. (2013) [25] | China | NR | 30 | NR | NR | NR | NR | 30 | NR | NR | + | +++ | 4 | |
| Zhang (2003) [20] | China | 05/2001–01/2003 | 20 | NR | NR | NR | NR | 10 | NR | NR | +++ | 3 | ||
| Zhang et al. (2010) [21] | China | 06/2006–05/2009 | 47 | Match | 56.00 | NR | 16.67–34 | 31 | 41.50 (9.20) | 67.742 | ++ | +++ | 5 | |
| Zhou (2007) [22] | China | 06/2006–03/2007 | 14 | Match | Match | NR | NR | 31 | 41.50 | 64.50 | ++ | +++ | 5 | |
| Zhou and Wang (2011) [26] | China | 10/2009–04/2011 | 30 | 32.21 (8.33) | 70.00 | 8.92 (2.07) | 16.67–32 | 10 | Match | Match | ++ | ++ | +++ | 7 |
PASI, Psoriasis Area and Severity Index; NR, not reported; NOS, Newcastle-Ottawa Scale; NOS quality assessment: a star system was used to allow a semiquantitative assessment of study quality. A study could be awarded a maximum of one star for each numbered item within the selection and exposure categories. A maximum of two stars could be awarded for comparability. The NOS ranges from zero to nine stars. We consider those that achieve seven or more stars as high-quality studies, those that achieve four to six stars as medium-quality studies, and those that achieve fewer than four stars as poor-quality studies.