Assessment of the Effectiveness of Vitamin Supplement in Treating Eczema: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Table 1

Characteristics of the included studies.

First author year (Reference)	Country	Study design	Sample size (I vs. C)	Inclusion criteria	Exclusion criteria	Intervention	Control	Main outcome	Mean change (I vs. C)
Amestejani 2012 [11]	Iran	RCT	29 vs. 24	Age 14 and older, with no concomitant pyretic, systemic disease or inflammatory processes^1	Pregnancy, concomitant systemic inflammatory disorder^1, and use of vitamins, minerals and fatty acids supplements, oral contraceptive pills, antiepileptic agents, steroid hormones^2, anticoagulant drugs	1600 IU vitamin D3 60 days	Placebo filled with starch identical in size and color	SCORAD	−9.5, −1.84
Javanbakht 2011 [12]	Iran	RCT	GD^3: 12; GE^4: 11; GDE^5: 11 vs.; GP^6: 11	Patients with SCORAD from 10 to 70	Patients taking vitamins, minerals and fatty acids supplements, oral contraceptive pills, steroid hormones^2, antiepileptic agents, anticoagulant drugs, and pregnant or nursing mothers	GD^3: 1600 IU vitamin D3 and vitamin E placebo daily; GE^4: 600 IU vitamin E and vitamin D3 placebo daily; GDE^5: 1600 IU vitamin D3 and 600 IU vitamin E placebo daily 60 days	Vitamin D3 placebo filled with starch, vitamin E placebo filled with mineral oil	SCORAD	GD^3: −12.7, −9.4; GE^4: −12.9, −9.4; GDE^5: −23.1, −9.4
Sanchez Armendariz 2018 [13]	Mexico	RCT	29 vs. 29	Patients diagnosed with moderate-severe AD	Patients with primary immunodeficiency, renal tubular acidosis, and pregnancy and those taking other supplements, as well as lack of follow-up at 12 weeks	5000 IU vitamin D3 daily for 3 months	Cellulose	SCORAD	−21.2, −13.9
Lara-Corrales 2018 [14]	Canada	RCT	21 vs. 24	Patients aged between 0 and 18 with a clinical diagnosis of AD	Patients with known renal or liver disease or chronic dermatological conditions other than AD	2000 IU vitamin D3 (2 drops of vitamin D3, 1000 IU/drop) daily for 3 months	Identical-appearing placebo drops	SCORAD	−15.4, −15.3
Januchowski 2009 [15]	America	RCT	21 vs. 21	Children aged 6 months to 18 years with eczema and the ability to understand the consent process	Unwillingness of the parents to consent to the study protocol; pregnancy or lactation; eczema with superinfection present; known history of allergy to vitamin B12 or components of the base cream; topical treatment with corticosteroids in the 4 weeks prior to enrollment; or inability to speak and read English	0.07% vitamin B12 twice a day for 4 weeks	The same moisturizing base without vitamin B12	SCORAD	−4.52, −1.61
Jaffary 2015 [16]	Iran	RCT	33 vs. 32	Patients aged 10–50 years with a clinical diagnosis of AD	Severe disease, requiring hospitalization, pregnant women, nursing mothers, coagulopathies, use of anticoagulant medications, systemic corticosteroids or immunosuppressants, as well as having a history of allergy to vitamin E, and living in long distances from Isfahan city; those patients who showed severe allergic symptoms to vitamin E and those who became pregnant during the therapy	400 IU vitamin E daily 4 months oral	Placebo with no active ingredient and without smell	SCORAD	−11.12, −3.89
Sidbury 2008 [17]	America	RCT	5 vs. 6	Unclear	Unclear	1000 IU vitamin D2 daily for 1 month	Identical looking placebo	EASI	−4.6, −2.2
Camargo 2014 [18]	Mongolia	RCT	57 vs. 47	Patients aged 2–17 years with winter-related AD	Patients with an active skin infection	1000 IU vitamin D3 daily for 1 month	Colorless, odorless and tasteless placebo	EASI	−6.5, −3.3
Galli 2015 [19]	Italy	RCT	41 vs. 48	Children with chronic eczema (48 boys) with a median age of 68 months (range 6–195 months), with a clinical diagnosis of AD	Unclear	2000 IU vitamin D3 daily for 3 months	No vitamin D3 supplementation	SCORAD	−0.2, −1.3
Nistico 2017 [20]	Italy	RCT	22 vs. 22	Male or female Caucasian patients with a confirmed clinical diagnosis of mild AD measured with total SCORAD Index up to 25 points	Unclear	0.07% vitamin B12 imbedded in a polysorbate carrier system 3 times a day for 12 weeks	Glycerol-petrolatum-based emollient cream	SCORAD	−4.65, −1.09

¹Other than diabetic mellitus and chronic viral hepatitis. ²Oral or parenteral. ³Vitamin D3 supplement group. ⁴Vitamin E supplement group. ⁵Vitamin D3 and vitamin E supplements in combined group. ⁶Placebo group.