Hydrogen Therapy Improves Lung Disease in Patient Unresponsive to Standard Treatments
Molecular hydrogen is associated with immunophenotypic modulation and changes in T-cell exhaustion markers in refractory primary Sjögren's syndrome-associated interstitial lung disease: A case report
Research hubs: Respiratory System
- Evidence type
- Case report or series · Human study
- Authors
- Wei-Hung Hsu, Jeng-Wei Lu, Yi-Jung Ho, Shan-Wen Lui, Ting-Yu Hsieh, Kuang-Yih Wang, Feng-Cheng Liu
- Journal
- SAGE Open Medical Case Reports
- Year
- 2026
- PMID
- 42255997
- Study Type
- Human
- Participants
- 1
- Delivery
- Gas (Sustained Release)
- Dose
- oral molecular hydrogen capsule therapy
- Funding
- National Science and Technology Council (NSTC 112-2314-B-016-033); National Science and Technology Council (NSTC 113-2314-B-016-052); National Science and Technology Council (NSTC 114-2314-B-016-052-MY3); National Science and Technology Council (NSTC 114-2313-B-019-012); Tri-Service General Hospital (TSGH-E-112218); Tri-Service General Hospital (TSGH-E-113238)
- Conflicts of interest
- None declared
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 0 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- Taiwan
TL;DR
In a single refractory Sjögren’s-associated interstitial lung disease case, oral hydrogen capsules were associated with clinical stabilization, improved gas exchange, lower anti-Ro titers, and no adverse events.
Key Finding
A patient with treatment-resistant Sjögren's syndrome-associated lung disease showed clinical improvement in lung function, decreased disease antibodies, and normalized immune cell populations after receiving molecular hydrogen therapy, though causality cannot be definitively established from a single case.
Summary
A 72-year-old woman with severe lung disease caused by Sjögren's syndrome (an autoimmune condition affecting moisture-producing glands) that had not responded to standard treatments was given molecular hydrogen capsules as an additional therapy. After treatment, her lung function improved, her immune system markers shifted toward normal patterns, and her disease stopped progressing. However, this is a single patient case, so it's unclear whether the hydrogen caused these improvements or if they resulted from her previous treatments or natural disease changes.
Practical Takeaway
This single-patient case report suggests hydrogen therapy may be safe and potentially helpful as an add-on treatment for severe autoimmune lung disease, but it provides very limited evidence. Because this is one case rather than a controlled study, and the patient had received multiple prior treatments, we cannot conclude that hydrogen caused the improvements. Much larger and more rigorous studies would be needed before drawing any conclusions about hydrogen's effectiveness for this or similar conditions.
Abstract (excerpt)
Sjögren's syndrome-associated interstitial lung disease is a severe systemic complication that often proves refractory to conventional immunosuppressive and biologic therapies. Molecular hydrogen has recently emerged as a novel therapeutic agent known for its selective antioxidant…