Krill oil supplementation raises Omega-3 Index of Lupus patients in recent study

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A recent study¹ found that supplementation with krill oil concentrate raise the omega-3 index of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The study was conducted at 20 research centers in the United States by Aker BioMarine and the Lupus Clinical Investigators Network (LuCIN) with oversight by Lupus Therapeutics, the clinical research affiliate of the Lupus Research Alliance (LRA), and additional support from AMPEL BioSolutions in planning, execution, and reporting on the study.

In the multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 78 adult SLE patients were given either 4 grams of the krill oil extract (SuperbaBoost from Aker BioMarine, based in Kysaker, Norway) or placebo for 24 weeks. Changes in red blood cell Omega-3 Index was the primary outcome, however researchers also monitored SLE Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K) disease activity scores as well.

Results showed that patients taking the krill oil experienced significant increases in their Omega-3 Index as early as four weeks. At baseline, mean Omega-3 Index was 4.43%. After four weeks, those taking the krill oil saw their Omega-3 Index increase to 7.17%. After 24 weeks, their Omega-3 Index was 8.05%. No significant changes were observed in the placebo group. After 24 weeks, those in the placebo group were given the option to switch to krill oil for an additional 24 weeks. Those that did saw a rapid increase in Omega-3 Index from 4.63% to 7.50%.

When it came to disease activity, there were no significant changes in the study population overall, however those that had the strongest disease activity at baseline did see significant decreases in SLEDAI-2K following krill oil supplementation compared to placebo at four, eight, and 16 weeks, respectively.

“This clinical study is hopeful for the estimated 5 million people worldwide living with lupus,” said Line Johnsen, senior vice president of Human Health Ingredients R&D for Aker BioMarine, in a press release. “We were pleased to work with the Lupus Research Alliance and the clinical affiliate Lupus Therapeutics to conduct the study. We were also pleased to see that in a small subset of study participants with severe lupus, phospholipid-rich krill oil temporarily lessened the severity of symptoms associated with the disease while increasing the Omega-3 Index.”

“It’s gratifying that we were able to correct the deficiency of Omega-3 fatty acid levels in lupus patients,” said principal investigator Jane E. Salmon, MD, director of the Lupus APS Center of Excellence and co-director of the Mary Kirkland Center for Lupus Research, at Hospital for Special Surgery, in New York.“Restoring these levels has the potential to influence cardiovascular risk and there are suggestions that it improves disease activity. The clinical benefits must be demonstrated in future studies.”

Reference

Salmon, J.; Wallace, D.J.; Rus, V.; Cox, A.; Dykas, C.; Williams, B.; Ding, Y.; Hals, P.A.; Johnsen, L.; Lipsky, P.E. Correction of omega-3 fatty acid deficiency and improvement in disease activity in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus treated with krill oil concentrate: a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Lupus Science & Medicine. 2024, 11 (2). DOI: 10.1136/lupus-2024-001201