Efficacy of tacrolimus and clobetasol in the treatment of oral lichen planus: a systematic review and meta-analysis

This study was carried out to assess and compare the efficacy of tacrolimus and clobetasol in the treatment of oral lichen planus (OLP). The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Springer Journals, and Elsevier databases were searched using specific keywords relevant to the research question for articles published from 1998 to December 31, 2012. Finally, 15 articles that assessed the effects of tacrolimus, clobetasol, and pimecrolimus on improvements in OLP were reviewed. In addition, a meta-analysis of odds ratios (ORs) was carried out for data in 10 of the 15 articles. The results showed that the ORs for improvements in OLP in patients taking clobetasol or tacrolimus, compared with those taking placebo or other drugs, were 1.19 and 8.00, respectively. It appears that topical tacrolimus is an effective alternative to topical clobetasol and may be considered as a first-line therapy in the management of OLP.