Propolis Aids Patients with Peyronies Disease

Propolis has an amazing integral element biologically, in that it regulates or re-regulates on a cellular level, anomolies in the biological structure of humans, as well as animals. It's a protector on numerous levels and merits greater appreciation in the medical profession, albeit that complementary and alternative health care professionals are slowly discovering this natural protector...

PROPOLIS, IMMUNOLOGY AND PEYRONIE'S DISEASE

Published in Rev Int Androl. 2012 Oct 

Abstract

Introduction: 

In several previously published articles, we have shown clinical improvement in Peyronie's disease (PD) with propolis. Among the properties of propolis, immunostabilization is that which hypothetically corresponds to these effects.

Objectives:

To analyze and determine the associations among PD, propolis, immunology and clinical improvement.

Material and methods:

We performed a prospective, paired clinical trial of 30 patients. A dose of 900 mg propolis daily was administered for 6 months. The variables studied were age, race, direction of the curvature, pain, size of the plaque (pre- and post-treatment), as measured by physical examination, ultrasound and angle of curvature; levels of IgA, IgG, IGm, C3, C4, rheumatoid factor and C-reactive protein, and the results of skin tests.

Results:

There was no predominant age, while 70% of the patients were white. The curvature was predominantly upwards (40%). Pain was present in 53.3%, and was more frequent when the curvature was upwards (8 of the 12 patients). The mean change in the degree of angulation (pre- vs. post- treatment) was 38.1º(pre-treatment) vs. 29.5º(post-treatment) (p < 0.001). The variation in the size of the plaque, expressed as the mean of each of the three dimensions was as follows: physical measurement (cm) (1.9×1.3×1.3 pre-treatment) vs. (1.5×1.1×1.1 post-treatment). 

The results of humoral immunological tests were as follows: C3 levels were low in the majority of the patients; C4 levels were within the normal range; C3 concentrations increased after treatment to within the normal range and levels increased after treatment in the remaining patients who had levels at the lower limit of normal before treatment. The results of cellular immunity tests (IGg, IGm, IGa and C4) showed that before treatment 18 patients were immunodepressed, two showed moderate immunodepression and 10 showed normal cellular immune function (33.3%). After treatment, only one patient was immunodepressed.

Discussion:

On evaluating the main variables, we found that the angle of the penis after 6 months of treatment with propolis was significantly reduced. The size of the plaque measured physically by the physician and sonographically by the sonographer was also reduced at the end of the treatment. In patients who were immunodepressed before treatment, immune function returned to normal to a greater or lesser extent. Patients with low values before treatment showed improved immune function after treatment.

Conclusions:

There is an association between immunodepression and PD. The clinical improvement in patients with PD treated with propolis was associated with improved immune function. Propolis reduces the angle of penile curvature and the size of the plaque and improves immune function.