Back to Search Start Over

Results of a Pilot Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial in Primary and Secondary Raynaud's Phenomenon with St. John's Wort: Detecting Changes in Angiogenic Cytokines When RP Improves

Results of a Pilot Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial in Primary and Secondary Raynaud's Phenomenon with St. John's Wort: Detecting Changes in Angiogenic Cytokines When RP Improves

Authors :
Lisa Petrlich
Louise Vanderhoek
Sharon Watson
Ashley Bonner
Nooshin Samadi
Deanne Malenfant
Shannon Seney
Donna McBain
Janet E. Pope
Kelly L. Summers
Source :
ISRN Rheumatology
Publication Year :
2011
Publisher :
International Scholarly Research Network, 2011.

Abstract

Objectives.To perform a 6-week double-blind RCT in Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) comparing the plant extract St. John's Wort (SJW) to placebo. Methods. RP patients having at least 7 attacks per week were stratified by primary and secondary RP and within secondary by systemic sclerosis or other connective tissue disease. Subjects completed a daily standardized diary recording all RP attacks (frequency, duration and severity). Serum levels of 18 inflammatory and angiogenic cytokines were measured pre- and post-treatment. Results. Eighteen patients completed the study; 8 received SJW and 10 placebo. The decrease in mean number of attacks per day was 0.75 with SJW and 1.01 with placebo, P=0.06. Attack duration and severity were not different between groups. Cytokine analyses demonstrated no between-groups differences. Combining treatment groups, those with >50% improvement in frequency of attacks yielded a significant increase in E-selectin (P=0.049), MMP-9 (P=0.011), G-CSF (P=0.02), and VEGF (P=0.012) pre- versus post-treatment. A ≥50% improvement in severity of attacks corresponded to a significant increase in levels of sVCAM-1 (P=0.003), sICAM-1 (P=0.007), and MCP-1 (P=0.004). Conclusions. There were no clinical or biomarker benefit of SJW versus placebo in RP. However, combining all patients, there were changes in some cytokines that may be further investigated.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
20905475 and 20905467
Volume :
2011
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
ISRN Rheumatology
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....05241de00c3fa12f7cad92cc33f1c01e