Hydrogen Therapy Shows Promise for Lupus Heart Complications
Immunomodulatory Effects of Molecular Hydrogen Therapy in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus With Pericarditis and Pleuritis: A Case Report
Research hubs: Cardiovascular System · Respiratory System
- Evidence type
- Case report or series · Human study
- Authors
- TING-HAO TU, JENG-WEI LU, YI-JUNG HO, SHAN-WEN LUI, TING-YU HSIEH, KUANG-YIH WANG, FENG-CHENG LIU
- Journal
- In Vivo
- Year
- 2025
- PMID
- 40877145
- Study Type
- Human
- Participants
- 1
- Delivery
- Gas (Sustained Release)
- Dose
- One molecular hydrogen capsule daily (170 mg hydrogen-rich coral calcium) starting October 10, 2024
- Funding
- Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST 111-2314-B-016-026); National Science and Technology Council (NSTC 112-2314-B-016-033)
- Conflicts of interest
- None declared
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 1 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- Taiwan
TL;DR
Hydrogen therapy may help regulate the immune system and ease symptoms in autoimmune conditions like lupus with heart complications.
Key Finding
In this single patient with lupus and heart inflammation, molecular hydrogen therapy was associated with measurable changes in immune cell populations, including decreased Tr1 cells and increased naïve regulatory T cells.
Summary
This case report describes a 49-year-old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus (an autoimmune disease where the body attacks its own tissues) who had inflammation in the heart lining and lungs. When she received molecular hydrogen therapy as an additional treatment in October 2024, doctors observed changes in her immune cells—specifically, certain regulatory immune cells increased while others decreased. The study suggests hydrogen may have affected how her immune system was functioning, though much more research is needed to confirm whether this actually helped her symptoms.
Practical Takeaway
This is a single case report, not a clinical trial, so it provides only preliminary evidence that hydrogen therapy may influence immune responses in lupus patients. The immune cell changes observed are interesting but do not prove the therapy helped the patient's condition or symptoms. Much larger and more rigorous studies are needed before any conclusions can be drawn about hydrogen's usefulness for lupus or other autoimmune diseases.
Abstract (excerpt)
Background/aim: Pericarditis is a common cardiovascular complication associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Oxidative stress plays a significant role in disease pathology. Molecular hydrogen has emerged as a promising therapeutic option with its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory…