Abstract: Objective To evaluate the efficacy of combined total glucosides of paeony capsules in the treatment of oral lichen planus. Methods Multiple electronic databases including Chinese databases such as China Knowledge Network, Wanfang Database, and foreign websites such as PubMed and Web of Science were screened for relevant studies using the following key words “white glucosides”, “Pavlin”, “oral lichen”, “total glucosides of paeony” and “oral lichen planus”. All randomized controlled trials comparing the effect of conventional therapy of OLP and combined therapy with total glucosides of paeony (TGP) were included in this meta-analysis. We named the conventional therapy as the conventional control group and the combined therapy with total glucosides of paeony (TGP) as the combined group. Results The search identified 20 studies, which included 1567 cases. The analysis of the effective rate showed the combined group (89.91%) was significantly higher than the conventional control group (P<0.01). When the observation period was extended to three months, the effectiveness of the combined group was improved; however, the conventional group did not make any obvious improvement. Concerning the recurrence rate, the combined group was lower than the conventional group (P<0.01); and the pain relief was better in the combined group (P<0.01). Conclusions The combination of total glucosides of paeony capsules and conventional therapy can improve the therapeutic efficiency and reduce the recurrence rate of OLP, and relieve the pain of OLP patients without severe adverse reactions. Prolonged medication time can also improve the treatment effect and the recommended period is 3 months.

Key words: oral lichen planus, total glucosides of paeony, therapeutic effects, meta analysis