Helminthic therapy and giant cell arteritis
Giant cell arteritis (GCA), also called temporal arteritis, Horton's disease or Cranial arteritis, is an inflammatory autoimmune disease of large blood vessels.
The disorder may co-exist (in about half of cases) with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR).
The scientific evidence[edit | edit source]
The following papers all concern aspects of the effects on GCA of helminths and their products.
- 2019 Mar Helminth-Related Tuftsin-Phosphorylcholine Compound and its Interplay with Autoimmune Diseases -- PDF
See also
- 2014 Oct 23 Etude de la réponse immunitaire T au cours de l'artérite à cellules géantes (Maladie de Horton) -- PDF (thesis, french)
The aim of this thesis was to investigate the T-cell immune response in the course of giant-cell arteritis (GCA) and polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) (...) We firstly demonstrated the implication of Th17 and CD4+CD161+ T cells in the pathogenesis of these two diseases, thus extending the knowledge in the plasticity mechanisms arising between Th1 and Th17 cell-immune responses in GCA and PMR. Furthermore, we investigated the regulatory T cell immune response in these two affections, demonstrating that although being functional, the percentage of circulating Treg was decreased in GCA and PMR patients.
Helminths downregulate Th17 and stimulate Treg.
The anecdotal evidence[edit | edit source]
- My mom, who is 81, came down with giant cell arteritis and they had her on prednisone and biologic infusions. I’ve been providing her with doses of about 5 NA every 12 weeks for about a year now, and it appears that helminthic therapy is having a positive effect on her health and autoimmune condition because she has had no more flare ups of the arteritis. She is completely off the prednisone (she was on a high dose of 60mg a day), and her doctor is getting close to stopping the biologic infusions. (Edited from posts in this thread.)