Role of Haptoglobin as a Marker of Muscular Improvement in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis after Administration of Epigallocatechin Gallate and Increase of Beta-Hydroxybutyrate in the Blood: A Pilot Study

• Main Authors: Jose Enrique de la Rubia Ortí, Jose Luis Platero, María Benlloch, Lorena Franco-Martinez, Asta Tvarijonaviciute, Jesús Escribá-Alepuz, Sandra Sancho-Castillo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-04-01
• Series: Biomolecules
• Subjects: epigallocatechin gallate; beta-hydroxybutyrate; multiple sclerosis; haptoglobin; interleukin 6; muscle
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/11/5/617

Here, we report on the role of haptoglobin (Hp), whose expression depends on the synthesis of interleukin 6 (IL-6), related to the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS), as a possible marker of muscle improvement achieved after treatment with the polyphenol epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and an increase in the ketone body beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) in the blood. After 4 months of intervention with 27 MS patients, we observed that Hp does not significantly increase, alongside a significant decrease in IL-6 and a significant increase in muscle percentage. At the same time, Hp synthesis is considerably and positively correlated with IL-6 both before and after treatment; while this correlation occurs significantly reversed with muscle percentage before treatment, no correlation is evident after the intervention. These results seem to indicate that Hp could be a marker of muscle status and could be a diagnosis tool after therapeutic intervention in MS patients.