Study summary · research use only
Potential Therapy for Rheumatoid Arthritis and Sjögren Syndrome With Human Chorionic Gonadotropin
Plain-language summary
Paraphrased from the published abstract below — not a verdict on whether anything works.
This review discusses potential use of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and Sjogren syndrome (SS). The abstract notes these autoimmune diseases ameliorate during pregnancy through immunotolerance that protects the fetus, and that studies suggest hCG contributes to this tolerance. It states animal-model studies reaffirmed that hCG treatment mimics benefits of pregnancy, and the authors call for randomized clinical trials comparing hCG with current therapies or placebo for RA, SS, and other autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes and ankylosing spondylitis, which also improve during pregnancy.
Abstract
Autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and Sjögren syndrome (SS) ameliorate during pregnancy, through dampening (immunotolerance) of the maternal immune system which protects the fetus from rejection. A large number of studies have shown that human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) contributes to this tolerance. Studies on animal models have reaffirmed that hCG treatment mimics the benefits of pregnancy. Based on the scientific evidence, randomized clinical trials comparing hCG with current therapies and/or placebo are recommended for RA, SS, and for other autoimmune diseases such as, type 1 diabetes and ankylosing spondylitis, which also get better during pregnancy and hCG treatment seems to help.
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