A new iron free treatment with oral fish cartilage polysaccharide for iron deficiency chronic anemia in inflammatory bowel diseases: A pilot study

Abstract

AIM:To investigate the effect of a new oral preparation, highly concentrated in fish cartilage, in a group of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) patients with chronic iron deficient anemia. METHODS:In an open label pilot study, we supplemented a group of 25 patients (11 with Crohn's disease and 14 with ulcerative colitis) in stable clinical conditions and chronic anemia with a food supplement which does not contain iron but contains a standardized fraction of fish cartilage glycosaminoglycans and a mixture of antioxidants (Captafer Medestea, Turin, Italy). Patients received 500 mg, twice a day during meals, for at least 4 mo. Patients were suggested to maintain their alimentary habit. At time 0 and after 2 and 4 mo, emocrome, sideremia and ferritin were examined. Paired data were analyzed with Student's t test. RESULTS:Three patients relapsed during the study (2 in the 3 rd mo, 1 in the 4 th mo), two patients were lost to follow up and two patients dropped out (1 for orticaria, 1 for gastric burning). Of the remaining 18 patients, levels of serum iron started to rapidly increase within the 2 nd mo of treatment, P < 0.05), whereas serum ferritin and hemoglobin needed a longer period to significantly improve their serum levels (mo 4) P < 0.05. The product was safe, easy to administer and well tolerated by patients. CONCLUSION:These data suggest a potential new treatment for IBD patients with iron deficiency chronic anemia and warrant further larger controlled studies.

Lactoferrin efficacy versus ferrous sulfate in curing iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia in pregnant women

“…Yet in spite of this important contribution to the understanding of systemic iron homeostasis and attempts to develop better therapy strategies for treating ID and IDA, oral ferrous sulfate is still widely used. Notwithstanding its known side effects, few papers have explored the underestimated problems with this therapy (Dejaco and Gasche 2002;Paesano et al 2006Paesano et al , 2009Paesano et al , 2010Belluzzi et al 2007). By any standard of care current options for treating anemia are unsatisfying and represent a large unmet medical need.…”

“…Few papers have explored the underestimated problems of side effects subsequent to this therapy (Paesano et al 2006(Paesano et al , 2009(Paesano et al , 2010Schümann et al 2007;Provenzano et al 2009). Recently, it has been reported that use of oral ferrous sulfate in inflammatory bowel disease decreases the quality of life (Dejaco and Gasche 2002;Belluzzi et al 2007). By any standard of care, current options for treating anemia are unsatisfying and represent a large unmet medical need.…”

Lactoferrin Efficacy versus Ferrous Sulfate in Curing Iron Disorders in Pregnant and Non-Pregnant Women

“…The pathophysiology of iron homeostasis disorders, such as iron overload in tissues and iron deficiency in blood, has remained enigmatic until the recent discovery of the hepcidin-ferroportin complex (10). Notwithstanding the discovery of this complex, oral ferrous sulfate is still widely used and few papers have explored the underestimated scarce efficacy, and side effects of this therapy (21)(22)(23)(30)(31)(32). Lactoferrin (Lt), a glycoprotein synthesized by exocrine glands and neutrophils, capable of strongly chelating two ferric ions per molecule, represents an attractive and promising alternative to ferrous sulfate oral administration.…”

The effect of puppyhood and adolescent diet on the incidence of chronic enteropathy in dogs later in life

“…Both collagen and collagen hydrolysate treatments have been shown to significantly reduce the mucosal damage score and facilitate faster regeneration of damaged GI mucosa 69 . Cartilage glycosaminoglycans have been shown to increase the uptake of iron from the diet, avoiding anemia -a symptom very commonly seen in CE 70,71 .…”