Subjective improvement in patients with psoriatic arthritis after short-term oral treatment with seal oil. A pilot study with double blind comparison to soy oil.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate effects of short-term oral treatment with seal oil in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA).


METHODS
Forty-three patients with polyarticular PsA were randomized to receive oral treatment for 2 weeks with either seal oil or soy oil in a double blind controlled trial. Clinical and biochemical variables were assessed at baseline, after treatment, and 4 weeks post-treatment. Patients were allowed to continue nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAID) and disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARD) during the study.


RESULTS
Forty patients completed the study, 20 in each treatment group. Patients in the seal oil group reported a significant improvement in global assessment of the disease 4 weeks post- treatment (p < 0.01), and both groups showed a trend toward improvement in tender joint count, but the differences between the groups were not significant. There was a fall in the ratio of n-6 to n-3 fatty acids and in arachidonic acid (AA) to eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in serum after treatment with seal oil (p < 0.01). Twenty-one percent of all patients had elevated values of calprotectin in feces suggestive of asymptomatic colitis.


CONCLUSIONS
Treatment with seal oil was followed by a modest improvement in patient's global assessment of the disease and a trend towards a decrease in number of tender joints. There was a shift in fatty acid composition in serum toward a putative antiinflammatory profile. Oral treatment with seal oil may have NSAID-like effects in PsA.
Madland
Tor Magne
TM
Section for Rheumatology and Gastroenterology, Institute of Medicine, University of Bergen, Norway. tor.madland@helse-bergen.no
Björkkjaer
Tormod
T
Brunborg
Linn Anne
LA
Fröyland
Livar
L
Berstad
Arnold
A
Brun
Johan G
JG
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015535:Arthritis, Psoriatic / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D010865:Pilot Projects; D046048:Seals, Earless; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013024:Soybean Oil / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D013024:Soybean Oil