DHEA- What's New?

DHEA Significantly Enhances Immune Function

We know that aging involves a decline in immune function as well as in DHEA levels. While a number of animal studies have indicated that DHEA can have immune- enhancing effects, no study has shown this to be true in humans ... until now. In a study led by SS Yen, nine healthy elderly men (mean age, 63 years) took 50 mg per day of DHEA orally for 20 weeks. Afterwards, their immune levels were checked and compared with their pre-DHEA baseline. The results were unambiguous: post DHEA immune function was significantly enhanced. ¹

The immune system performs biological functions that are indispensable for survival. According to the researchers, "Immunologic competence is largely dependent on both the ability and rapidity of response to antigens by specific cellular elements." As immune function deteriorates, there is an increased incidence of infection, cancer, and autoimmune diseases: in a word, aging. Therefore, activation of immune function opposes aging.

Although the immuno-enhancing mechanisms of DHEA are not well-understood, the Yen study found that subjects' DHEA-sulfate levels increased by a factor of 3 to 4 times within the first 2 weeks of administration and remained elevated throughout, compared with the men's original low baseline levels. Among the measures of immune function noted to improve within a 2- to 20- week period were the following:*

The study noted significant, across-the-board activation of immune function with DHEA administration, and no adverse effects. The researchers thought that an increase in bioavailable IGF-I could help to explain what was happening because of its possible mitogenic effects on immune cell function. This is an important study and strongly indicates that DHEA may very well have a specific role in immunodeficient states, such as the process of aging itself.

IGF-1 levels (insulin-glucose factor 1)	Up 20%
IGF-1/IGFBP-1	Up 32%
Monocytes	Up 35%
	Up 45% after the first 2 weeks
B-cell population	Up 29% at 10 weeks
	Up 35% after the first 2 weeks
B cell mitogenic response without changes in serum IgG, IgA, and IgM levels	Up 62% at 12 weeks
T cell mitogenic response	Up 40%
IL-2R (CD25+)	Up 39%
Serum sIL-2R levels (suggests functional T- lymphocyte activation)	Up 20% (12-20 weeks)
In-vitro mitogen-stimulated release of IL-2 and IL-6	Up 50% and 30%, respectively
NK cell number	Up 22-37%
Concomitant cytotoxicity	Up 45%
All figures at 20 weeks unless otherwise indicated.