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What Is Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Researchers Uncover a Promising Link Between 5-HTP and Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a condition that causes pain and inflammation in the joints. Unlike osteoarthritis, which is related to age and wear-and-tear, rheumatoid arthritis is caused by an autoimmune attack. The body perceives healthy joint tissue as a threat and attacks it with immune cells. This can lead to not just pain, but permanent damage to joints and permanent loss of mobility.

One of the key problems with rheumatoid arthritis is that it is difficult to diagnose. People often begin having vague symptoms that are not treated until they worsen. By the time most people get a diagnosis and treatment, their joints have already suffered irreparable damage. Doctors call this undefined phase the “preclinical phase.” Treating the preclinical phase of RA can make an immense difference in a person’s quality of life and future response to treatment.

5-HTP and Rheumatoid Arthritis

In a recent study, researchers induced an autoimmune reaction similar to rheumatoid arthritis in mouse cells. These cells were then treated with 5-HTP, a metabolite of tryptophan, an essential amino acid that must be obtained from the food we eat. When given 5-HTP, these cells exhibited decreased production of inflammatory immune cells that have been linked to the damage seen in rheumatoid arthritis. These cells also produced more serotonin and other hormones that play a key role in reducing pain.

This new link between 5-HTP and rheumatoid arthritis is especially important for people in the preclinical phase when T-cells and cytokines are actively attacking collagen and other joint tissues. Taking 5-HTP during the preclinical phase of rheumatoid arthritis may help protect against joint damage in the months before a firm diagnosis can be made and treatment can begin.

5-HTP: A Promising Supplement

Researchers Uncover a Promising Link Between 5-HTP and Rheumatoid Arthritis 1

This is not the first time that 5-HTP has been shown to have positive effects relating to certain conditions that involve minor pain and discomfort. It has been helpful in the treatment of fibromyalgia in prior clinical trials, improving symptoms across the board. Because 5-HTP is a precursor to serotonin, researchers believed that its serotonergic effects were mainly responsible for the improvement. However, the new evidence of its effects on the immune system suggests a second mechanism for 5-HTP in the treatment of certain health conditions.

5-HTP is all-natural and made by the human body, although sometimes not in the amounts that are needed to help alleviate minor discomfort. With very few side effects and drug interactions, this amino acid offers hope for people who struggle to live with painful and debilitating conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a debilitating autoimmune disease that can lead to joint pain and a host of other health issues. As with many autoimmune diseases, patients often have to try many therapies before finding one that works. Unfortunately, some never get total relief of debilitating symptoms. However, a new paper on chronotherapy and rheumatoid arthritis suggests that carefully timing medications may lead to more relief of symptoms as well as fewer side effects.

The Circadian Rhythm of Autoimmune Disease

The immune system runs on a distinctive circadian rhythm, as well as seasonal and other rhythms, so it is no surprise that autoimmune disease does so as well. Immune system tends to peak while we are sleeping, allowing the body to detect and repair inflammation when it can be quickly repaired. Glucocorticoids, which suppress immune activity, as well as performing many other essential tasks, peak early in the day. There are also many other hormones that affect the immune system and show a 24-hour cycle.

Because of the circadian rhythm involved in immune activities, it is no surprise that many autoimmune diseases show a 24-hour cycle. In rheumatoid arthritis, also known as RA, pain and stiffness in joints are worse in the morning, usually immediately upon waking. This timing of symptoms is so predictable that it is used to differentiate RA from other joint diseases in diagnosis.

A Day with RA

People with rheumatoid arthritis develop inflamed nodules on their joints that can make movement painful. Over time, these nodules can degrade healthy joints so that they don’t function well. In general, people with rheumatoid arthritis wake with joint pain, swelling, and stiffness. This is likely to due to an increase in IL-6, an important immune mediator of inflammation. The glucocorticoid peak in the morning gradually decreases symptoms, which are generally manageable throughout the day.

The intense morning pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis begins early enough in the morning that it can interfere with sleep, leaving people who have this disease fatigued. While people with RA are more likely to use pain medication in the morning, other medications such as immune suppressants generally are not given at any particular time. A new paper suggests that this may be a mistake.

Chronotherapy and Rheumatoid Arthritis

How can chronotherapy be used to help rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases? Researchers suggest that taking a delayed release glucocorticoid at night that prevents the immune system from reaching as high of a nighttime peak, may alleviate much of the morning stiffness and other symptoms. People with RA commonly take glucocorticoids but often do so in the morning. Levels are often too low at night to have a large effect at the time when they are most needed.

This approach may also be helpful with methotrexate, monoclonal antibodies and other medications used to treat RA. These drugs target very specific cellular processes. Taking them when they are most likely to have an impact could mean a more effective treatment, as well as lower dosing and fewer side effects.

New and sophisticated drugs are coming out every day for autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, offering hope to people who desperately need answers. Understanding the circadian and seasonal rhythms of autoimmune diseases will lead to more effective treatments, which ultimately means more quality of life for those who desperately seek it.

Researchers Discover a Promising Link Between 5-HTP and Rheumatoid Arthritis