TY - JOUR T1 - The clinical effect of dietary supplementation with omega-3 fish oils and/or copper in systemic lupus erythematosus. JF - The Journal of Rheumatology JO - J Rheumatol SP - 1551 LP - 1556 VL - 31 IS - 8 AU - Emeir M Duffy AU - Gary K Meenagh AU - Stanley A McMillan AU - John J Strain AU - Bernadette M Hannigan AU - Aubrey L Bell Y1 - 2004/08/01 UR - http://www.jrheum.org/content/31/8/1551.abstract N2 - OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of dietary supplementation with omega-3 fish oils with or without copper on disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Fish oil supplementation has a beneficial effect on murine models of SLE, while exogenous copper can decrease the formation of lupus erythematosus cells in rats with a hydralazine-induced collagen disease. METHODS: A double blind, double placebo controlled factorial trial was performed on 52 patients with SLE. Patients were randomly assigned to 4 treatment groups. Physiological doses of omega-3 fish oils and copper readily obtainable by dietary means were used. One group received 3 g MaxEPA and 3 mg copper, another 3 g MaxEPA and placebo copper, another 3 mg copper and placebo fish oil, and the fourth group received both placebo capsules. Serial measurements of disease activity using the revised Systemic Lupus Activity Measure (SLAM-R) and peripheral blood samples for routine hematological, biochemical, and immunological indices were taken at baseline, 6, 12, and 24 weeks. RESULTS: There was a significant decline in SLAM-R score from 6.12 to 4.69 (p < 0.05) in those subjects taking fish oil compared to placebo. No significant effect on SLAM-R was observed in subjects taking copper. Laboratory variables were unaffected by either intervention. CONCLUSION: In the management of SLE, dietary supplementation with fish oil may be beneficial in modifying symptomatic disease activity. ER -