Condition
Ankylosing Spondylitis
Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic autoimmune disease, tied to the HLA-B27 gene, in which inflammation of the spine and sacroiliac joints causes pain and stiffness and can eventually fuse the vertebrae. Among supplements, thunder god vine has been tried, and a small case series found disease activity measures improved over six weeks. Only 12 people took part, with no comparison group, so the evidence is very limited.
Sources: PMID 20563618
- Supplements studied
- 1
- Graded outcomes
- 1
Evidence by supplement
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ankylosing Spondylitis Symptoms A case series of 12 ankylosing spondylitis patients treated with 60 mg/day Tripterygium wilfordii extract for 6 weeks showed meaningful improvements in disease activity measures with no adverse changes in liver function or blood counts. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Moderate effect | 2 studies | 12 people | ||
Studies that measured ankylosing spondylitis symptoms | ||||||
Key findings
- Ankylosing Spondylitis SymptomsImproves (the measure goes down)
Safety notes in the studies
- A case series of 12 ankylosing spondylitis patients treated with 60 mg/day Tripterygium wilfordii extract for 6 weeks showed meaningful improvements in disease activity measures with no adverse changes in liver function or blood counts.
The Ankylosing Spondylitis Supportive Care protocol
2 primary supplements · 6 supporting supplements
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids3–4 g EPA+DHA daily
- Vitamin D2,000–4,000 IU daily (target 40–60 ng/mL)
Shop the evidence-backed picks
Support alongside medical care. These supplements are not a treatment for Ankylosing Spondylitis. If you are being treated for it, talk to your clinician before adding one: supplements can interact with medicines.
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Studies cited
7 studies from PubMed
- A novel SPE-LC-MRM strategy for serum demethylzeylasteral quantitation developed with an 18O-labeled internal standard
- Celastrol inhibits dengue virus replication via up-regulating type I interferon and downstream interferon-stimulated responses
- Toxic effects of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F on the reproductive system of adolescent male rats
- Celastrol blocks binding of lipopolysaccharides to a Toll-like receptor4/myeloid differentiation factor2 complex in a thiol-dependent manner
- Traditional immunosuppression--Lei Gong Teng in modern medicine
- Triptolide inhibits the proliferation of prostate cancer cells and down-regulates SUMO-specific protease 1 expression
- Report of 12 cases of ankylosing spondylitis patients treated with Tripterygium wilfordii