Silybin treatment is associated with reduction in serum ferritin in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

GOALS: The goal of this study was to examine the effect of a standardized silybin and soy phosphatidylcholine complex (IdB 1016) on serum markers of iron status. BACKGROUND: Milk thistle and its components are widely used as an alternative therapy for liver disease because of purported antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and iron chelating properties. STUDY: Thirty-seven patients with chronic hepatitis C and Batts-Ludwig fibrosis stage II, III, or IV were randomized to 1 of 3 doses of IdB 1016 for 12 weeks. Serum ferritin, serum iron, total iron binding capacity, and transferrin-iron saturation were measured at baseline, during treatment, and 4 weeks thereafter. Wilcoxon signed rank tests were used to compare baseline and posttreatment values. RESULTS: There was a significant decrease in serum ferritin from baseline to end of treatment (mean, 244 vs. 215 mug/L; median, 178 vs. 148 mug/L; P=0.0005); 78% of subjects had a decrease in serum ferritin level. There was no significant change in serum iron or transferrin-iron saturation. Multivariate logistic regression analysis in a model that included dose, age, sex, HFE genotype, history of alcohol use, and elevated baseline ferritin levels demonstrated that stage III or IV fibrosis was independently associated with decreased posttreatment serum ferritin level. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with IdB 1016 is associated with reduced body iron stores, especially among patients with advanced fibrosis stage.

Survival in HIV-1-positve adults practicing psychological or spiritual activities for one year.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate associations between survival and use of psychological and spiritual activities practiced over 1 year in HIV-positive (HIV+) patients. METHOD: Nine hundred one HIV+ adults living in the United States using at least 1 form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) completed a questionnaire 3 times between 1995 and 1998. Information on specific mind-body therapies included psychotherapy (group therapy, support groups, individual therapy) and spiritual therapies (self-defined "spiritual" activities, prayer, meditation, affirmations, psychic healing, visualizations). Subsequent death was ascertained from the National Death Index (NDI). Cox proportional-hazards regression assessed risk of death through 1999. RESULTS: Use of any psychological therapy reported in both the 6-month and 12-month follow-up questionnaires (1 year continuous use) was associated with a reduced risk of death (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.5, 95% CI: 0.3-0.9) adjusted for income, clinical acquired immune deficiency syndrome, CD4 count, smoking, alcohol use, and use of antiretroviral therapy or highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). The relationship between spiritual activities and survival was modified by use of HAART, which may reflect severity of illness. Individuals not currently using HAART and who participated in spiritual activities over the previous year were found to be at a reduced risk of death (HR: 0.4, 95% CI: 0.2-0.9) compared to those not practicing spirituality. CONCLUSIONS: Participation in spiritual and psychological therapies may be related to beneficial clinical outcomes in HIV+ individuals, including improved survival. Due to the self-selection of therapies in this observational cohort, it is not possible to distinguish use of the therapies from other characteristics or activities of the people participating in them.