Akcali 2014.

Study characteristics
Methods	RCT, active‐controlled, open‐label trial Date of study: January 2008 ‐ January 2009 Location: Gaziantep, Turkey (1 centre)
Participants	Randomised: 55 participants (mean age 39 years, 33 male) Inclusion criteria Participants with moderate‐severe psoriasis (PASI ≥ 10) Exclusion criteria None Dropouts and withdrawals 9/55 (16.4%) AEs: 5 Other reason: 4
Interventions	Intervention A. Acitretin (n = 25), orally, 0.3 ‐ 0.5 mg/kg/d Control intervention B. Cyclosporin (n = 21), orally, 3 mg/kg/d
Outcomes	Assessment at 8 weeks Primary outcome of the trial Not stated Outcomes of the trial PASI score Adverse effects
Notes	Funding source: Quote (p 1121): "No specific grant" Declarations of interest: Quote (p 1121): "The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest."
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Low risk	Quote (p1119): "Patients were stratified into one of two groups via a computer‐generated randomisation schedule" Comment: probably done
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Comment: no description of the method used to guarantee allocation concealment
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes	High risk	Comment: not stated that it was a blinded trial. Acitretin has visible side effects (muco cutaneous dryness)
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes	High risk	Comment: no independent assessor. Not stated that it was a blind trial. Acitretin has visible side effects.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	Randomly assigned 55, analysed 46 Management of missing data: not stated
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	High risk	Comment: no primary or secondary outcomes stated. No protocol available