Pycnogenol as Adjunctive Therapy Helps Manage Autoimmune Disease in Lupus Patients
01/08/2002
Hillside, New Jersey - January 8, 2002-A pilot study, published in the December 2001 issue of Phytotherapy Research, shows the anti-inflammatory agent Pycnogenol® may prevent immune cells from over-reacting when used as an adjunctive therapy to glucocorticoids and/or hydroxychloroquine to treat Lupus patients. In the study conducted through a collaboration between the Universities of Bucharest (Romania) and Munster (Germany), 11 patients with the autoimmune disease Lupus continued their normal medication (glucocorticoids and/or hydroxychloroquine), while 6 of them additionally received 120 mg Pycnogenol per day for 1 month, and 60 mg/day for the following month. The remaining five patients continued their normal medication and received a placebo, as control group.
The researchers took blood samples from the study patients and investigated the status of their immune cells. It was discovered that a particular subset of white blood cells (granulocytes) produced significantly less reactive oxygen species when patients had taken Pycnogenol. Immune cells produce reactive oxygen species as toxins to eliminate germs and other infections. In Lupus patients, these weapons are taking the body's own tissue under "friendly fire". Pycnogenol seems to calm down these over-reacting immune cells.
Lupus patients who took Pycnogenol experienced a normalizing of their immune cells suggesting that Pycnogenol may be helpful for patients diagnosed with Lupus. Specifically, in these patients, their immune cells attacked their own body tissue with less aggressiveness. Future studies will need to be conducted in order to show whether Pycnogenol may be beneficial for autoimmune diseases in general.
Another phenomenon typical in Lupus is the premature death of lymphocytes, the subset of immune cells responsible for orchestrating the body's immune response. It is believed that the failure of the immune system to distinguish between "body-own" and "foreign" is largely a consequence of the premature decay of lymphocytes. Pycnogenol significantly increased the lifetime of lymphocytes, which allows them to exert their influence to prevent the immune-system from over-reacting. This effect was significant in patients taking Pycnogenol but not in those receiving placebo.
Pycnogenol and Immunology Studies
These actions of Pycnogenol on immune cells are in agreement with various studies by Benjamin Lau (Loma Linda University) and Lester Packer (University of California, Berkeley), whose studies demonstrated that Pycnogenol is an anti-inflammatory and prevents immune cells from over-reacting. In one study Lester Packer has described a possible benefit of Pycnogenol for psoriasis, an inflammatory skin disorder. In another clinical study with human volunteers he demonstrates that Pycnogenol taken orally can prevent inflammation of the skin in response to UV-irradiation (sunburn).
Lupus Background
Lupus erythematosus represents a particular type of autoimmune disease, which often can be recognized by a butterfly-shaped rash over the cheeks. This gives people something of a wolf-like appearance, and this gave the disease its name (Lupus (latin) = wolf). Lupus usually develops between the age of 15-35, and more than 90% of patients are women.
A commonality between Lupus and other autoimmune diseases is that the immune system mistakenly recognizes body components as foreign and attacks them, as if they were invading bacteria or viruses. The body develops antibodies against parts of its own body, and immune cells excrete toxic substances causing destruction of the body's own organs and tissues.
In the case of Lupus, the result is a chronic inflammation of skin, blood vessels, joints, kidneys, and other tissues. The first symptoms resemble those of arthritis, with swollen and painful fingers and other joints. Typically there are periodic flare-ups followed by periods of remission. The severity of Lupus ranges from mild to life threatening forms. Currently, Lupus cannot be cured and medical treatment involves turning-down the immune system in general (e.g. with glucocorticoids) to prevent it from attacking its own tissue.
Medline-link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11746863&dopt=Abstract
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