Immunological, hematological and biochemical benefits of adjuvant nigella sativa to pharmacotherapy in immune thrombocytopenic purpura patients.

BACKGROUND

Patients having acute and chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) suffer from thrombocytopenia, decreased T regulatory lymphocytes (causing immunological tolerance) and abnormal biochemistry (increased inflammatory mediators, autoimmunity, and oxidative stress). Nigella sativa is a prophetic medicine remedy rich in pharmacological ingredients exerting anti-inflammatory and thrombocytosis effects that may improve the biochemistry of ITP patients.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the benefits of nigella sativa to ITP patients.

METHODS

Ethical committee approval and patients' consents were gained and complied with the declaration of Helsinki. Children's parents or legal guardians provided informed consent. 15 acute ITP patients received steroids or Eltrombopag olamine (revolade) for one month then complete blood count was done in addition to counting CD4 T helper cells and Treg cells using flow cytometry. Then, same patients continued the same treatments plus adjuvant 2 grams/day grinded nigella sativa seeds (taken orally added to foods or drinks) for the next month followed by doing the same blood tests. Another 15 patients having chronic ITP received same treatments and investigations.

RESULTS

In acute ITP patients on steroids or revolade, platelets count was low (29.26±5.88 × 103/cc) by the end of the first month and significantly increased to (275±33 × 103/cc) (P<0.001) upon adding adjuvant nigella sativa treatment for one month. Likewise, platelets count was low (28.86±5.88 × 103 platelets/cc) in chronic ITP patients by the end of the first month and significantly increased to (267±26 × 103 platelets/cc) (P<0.001) upon adding adjuvant nigella sativa treatment for one month. Nigella sativa treatment significantly increased the percentage of CD4 T-helper lymphocytes (P<0.05) and Tregs (P<0.01) in both acute and chronic ITP patients.

CONCLUSION

Adjuvant nigella sativa potentiated pharmacological treatments, exerted potent thrombocytosis effects and increased immunological tolerance in acute and chronic ITP patients possibly due to its anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and biochemical effects. Nigella sativa is a recommended adjuvant natural remedy to ITP patients. This study is registered among our hematological studies using nigella sativa in treating hematological diseases in ClinicalTrials.gov.

TRIAL ID: NCT02816957.