Leigang Chen¹ , Huimin Ren², Yuanhui Wu¹, Guozhi An¹, Xiaolei Jing³, Tongxin Zhao³

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the efficacy and clinical outcomes of compound betamethasone and triamcinolone acetonide on interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-17 (IL-17) in keloid management. Methods: This study was a retrospective analysis of 118 keloid patients treated at The First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou, China from January 2020 to December 2022. Patients were randomly divided into Group A (comprising 62 patients who received compound betamethasone) and Group B (comprising 56 patients who received triamcinolone acetonide). Treatment efficacy after 6 months using the Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS), changes in IL-6 and IL-17 levels, and incidence of treatment-related adverse reactions were compared in both groups. Results: Group A demonstrated significantly higher overall response rate compared to Group B (p < 0.05). Both groups showed significant reductions in IL-6 and IL-17 levels after treatment (p < 0.05). However, Group A showed significantly lower IL-6 and IL-17 (p < 0.05) and significantly higher VSS scores t Group B (p < 0.05). Incidence of adverse reactions was comparable between the groups (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Compound betamethasone shows superior efficacy in reducing IL-6 and IL-17 levels and improves scar appearance in keloid patients comparable to triamcinolone acetonide. Prospective studies with larger sample sizes to evaluate the efficacy of various treatments or combination therapies should be conducted.