Swine Flu Cytokine Storm Cures
Turmeric, Fish Oil and Aspirin Provide Anti-Inflammatory Protection
Apr 28, 2009
The swine flu epidemic centered in Mexico City appears to be a modern replay of the Spanish influenza epidemic of 1918-19. Infants and elderly were spared. It was the young adults with robust immune systems that were the prime victims and the disease took them literally by storm.
Cytokine Storm -- Immune System out of Control
The Spanish flu killed by producing a virulent immune response with production of large amounts of the immune system hormones, the inflammatory cytokines IL-1, IL-6 and TNF. These are the cytokines associated with the symptoms of infection, fever, fluid retention/swelling, malaise, headache, etc. These are the inflammatory symptoms that normally transition into recovery, but in the case of swine flu, additional cytokines are produced, including anti-inflammatory IL-10. The problem appears to be that the sudden IL-10 signaling disrupts the natural transition from inflammation to recovery and the inflammatory signaling becomes acute and life-threatening.
Acute Inflammation Kills by Fluid in Lungs
The swine flu epidemics in Spain and once again in Mexico kill by immunological inflammation that causes fluid to accumulate in lungs, i.e. acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) triggered by a cytokine storm.
This type of organ failure is similar to the consequences of systemic infection, septicemia. These severe infections initiate an acute inflammatory response that may be very dangerous, but in many ways their similarity to swine flu symptoms may be fortuitous. Treatment for cytokine mediated multiple organ failure may provide some possible approaches to the treatment of swine flu, which avoid evolution of H1N1 caused by antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu.
Anti-inflammatory Treatment for Swine Flu
Cytokine storms associated with sepsis and ARDS have been treated by forcing progression of the inflammatory process into its recovery phase. Some of the most effective approaches use recognizable anti-inflammatory compounds: aspirin, omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil; flax seed is not as effective) and curcumin (turmeric).
Aspirin may block cytokine storms by altering COX-2 to produce anti-inflammatory eicosanoids and lipoxins. Aspirin also blocks the major inflammatory transcription factor, NFkB. Of course, the administration of aspirin to children with viral diseases, is counter-indicated, because of the risk of Reye syndrome. The omega-3 fatty acid EPA is converted by COX-2 into an anti-inflammatory prostaglandin. Curcumin is one of the most potent inhibitors of NFkB. This trio of anti-inflammatory natural compounds may ultimately be major players in blocking the killing capacity of swine flu.
references:
Singer P, Shapiro H. Enteral omega-3 in acute respiratory distress syndrome. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2009 Mar;12(2):123-8.
Siddiqui AM, Cui X, Wu R, Dong W, Zhou M, Hu M, Simms HH, Wang P. The anti-inflammatory effect of curcumin in an experimental model of sepsis is mediated by up-regulation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma. Crit Care Med. 2006 Jul;34(7):1874-82.
