info - DHEA

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info - DHEA may help allergies, asthma -

If research on mice holds up, DHEA may be an important new therapy for allergies

and asthma.

Researchers in Taiwan have uncovered mechanisms that explain how the hormone may

affect allergic reactions.

The research correlates with studies showing that adults with asthma have

below-normal levels of DHEA.

DHEA

(dehydroepiandrosterone)

is the most abundant adrenal hormone in the body.

Known for its control over the immune system, DHEA has been used to reverse

age-related immune decline.

DHEA can actually alter the biochemistry of the immune system, and make it more

balanced.

In asthma, DHEA suppresses biochemicals that provoke the closing of air tubes

and fluid build-up.

In mice exposed to house dust mites, DHEA reduced the allergic response and

counteracted inflammation.

The hyper-immune response characteristic of asthma was dampened down to become

more like the response an animal without asthma would have to the same allergen.

It appears that one of the functions of DHEA is to counteract glucocorticoids

and keep the body's responses to potential allergens on an even keel.

The authors of the study note that people who develop asthma as adults do so

around age 40—the same time when DHEA levels naturally drop.

It has been shown that older women who have asthma have lower levels of DHEA

(and the sex hormones it converts to) than women without asthma.

In a study on men and women, 40% with asthma had as low levels of DHEA as people

with medical conditions that cause abnormally low adrenal function.

Clearly, a lack of DHEA is associated with asthma—at least in adults.

No correlation between DHEA levels and asthma has been found in children.

http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2001/oct2001_itn.html