Abstract

ALBERTO PORRAS, Carlos; DIAZ, Harold; DELIA URBINA, Carmen  and  PILA PEREZ, Rafael. Systemic lupus erythematosus: calcium and immunoregulation. AMC [online]. 2006, vol.10, n.6, pp.5-23. ISSN 1025-0255.

The use of calcium in vitro has been involved with the increase of serum interleukin levels and these molecules stimulate lymphocyte production. A clinical assay early stage II was carried out with the objective to determine if calcium administration, by oral via, to the patients with Lupus, provokes an increase of T lymphocyte levels, particularly T lymphocyte suppressors, to improve the clinic. If it is true, calcium could be used as part of the therapeutic arsenal in this group of patients. Twelve patients with Lupus were studied in a period of three months. Patients were chosen at random, and two groups were conformed one of them received 600mgs of calcium daily, as calcium carbonate (A) (six patients) and the other one received placebo (B) (six patients). Before the administration of calcium or placebo a clinical evaluation, complete hematological exams, lymphocyte subpopulation, serum creatinine, simple urine analysis and electrocardiogram to each patient, were performed. All patients were followed by a period of three months and at the end of the study, initial exams were repeated again. There were no differences, from the clinical point of view, among patients that received calcium and those who received placebo. Three (50 %) of the patients that received calcium showed a decrease of the total leukocytes equal to the group that received placebo. Four (66, 6 %) of the patient groups (A) showed a decrease of total lymphocyte counting and only two (33, 3 %) of group (B) (F=0. 089). Five (83, 3 %) of the patients that received calcium showed an increase of lymphocyte CD3 levels versus two (33, 3 %) of the patients that received placebo (F=3, 2449). Three (50, 0 %) of the group (A) increase lymphocyte CD4 levels and two (33, 3 %) of the group (B) (F=0, 024). Four (66,6 %) of the patients that received calcium showed an increase of lymphocyte CD8, versus one (16, 6 %) of those that received placebo (F= 2, 444). All the results were expressed in the Fisher table with 0,05 level. There was no statistically significant difference among groups, regarding to other paraclinical studies performed.

Keywords : LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS SYSTEMIC; CALCIUM.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )