Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41541602›Full record

ReviewJournal of asthma and allergy2026

Traditional Chinese Medicine for Allergic Rhinitis: Mechanisms, Evidence, and Gut-Immune Axis Targets.

Shuang Liu, Yu Zhang, Jian Lv, Ling Zhou

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Journal of asthma and allergy, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. [A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial of Acupuncture at the Sphenopalatine Ganglion for the Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis].Sichuan da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Sichuan University. Medical science edition · 2026
    Trial
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Shuang LiuFirst Clinical Medical College, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, Heilongjiang, People's Republic of China.
Yu ZhangSecond Clinical Medical College, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, Heilongjiang, People's Republic of China.ORCID 0009-0005-0484-0984
Jian LvGraduate School, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, Heilongjiang, People's Republic of China.
Ling ZhouOtolaryngology Department, The First Hospital Affiliated, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, Heilongjiang, People's Republic of China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objective: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a highly prevalent allergic disorder with increasing global incidence, and gut microbiota dysbiosis has emerged as a key pathogenic factor. This review systematically synthesizes evidence on how traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)-including single herbs, herbal formulas, and auxiliary therapies-alleviates AR by targeting gut microbiota, aiming to clarify mechanistic pathways and provide evidence-based support for clinical practice. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Embase databases. Keywords included ["Traditional Chinese Medicine" or "TCM" or "Chinese herbal medicine" or "herbal formula"], ["allergic rhinitis" or "AR"], ["gut microbiota" or "intestinal microbiota"], ["immune regulation"], ["intestinal barrier"], and ["inflammatory mediator"]. Only peer-reviewed studies (human or animal models) focusing on TCM-gut microbiota-AR interactions were included; non-relevant, non-peer-reviewed, or duplicate articles were excluded. Results: A total of 210 relevant studies were initially identified from the three databases (PubMed: 67, Embase: 55, CNKI: 88); subsequently, 122 duplicate records, 44 irrelevant records (38 with title mismatch, 6 including meetings, case reports, and protocols), and 22 low-quality studies were excluded, and finally 24 studies were included in this review. TCM exerts anti-AR effects through multi-targeted modulation of the gut microbiota-intestinal barrier-immune axis. TCM (eg, Astragalus membranaceus, Xiaoqinglong Decoction) increases the abundance of beneficial bacteria (eg, Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium) and reduces pathogenic taxa, while promoting the production of microbial metabolites like short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). TCM components upregulate tight junction proteins (ZO-1, Occludin) and activate the PI3K/Akt pathway to enhance intestinal epithelial integrity, reducing barrier permeability. TCM balances Th1/Th2/Treg cell subsets, inhibits NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis, and reduces pro-inflammatory mediators (IL-4, IL-5, TNF-α) while elevating anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10, IFN-γ). Clinical trials confirm TCM alleviates AR symptoms (nasal congestion, rhinorrhea), lowers serum IgE levels, and reduces disease recurrence. Conclusion: TCM ameliorates AR by integrating gut microbiota modulation, intestinal barrier repair, and immune regulation-highlighting its multi-pathway, multi-target advantages. Current limitations include insufficient large-scale randomized controlled trials and unclear TCM-microbiota crosstalk at the molecular level. Future research should leverage multi-omics technologies to decipher precise mechanisms and explore TCM-Western medicine combinations for optimized AR management.

Indexed as

allergic rhinitisgut microbiotaimmune regulationinflammatory mediatorintestinal barriertraditional Chinese medicine

Identifiers

PMID41541602
PMCPMC12998586

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.