Coenzyme Q10 supplementation ameliorates inflammatory markers in patients with multiple sclerosis: a double blind, placebo, controlled randomized clinical trial

Objectives: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated neurodegenerative disease of central nervous system and recent studies show that inflammatory processes are highly associated with neurodegeneration in the brain. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of coenzyme Q10 supplementation on inflammatory and anti-inflammatory markers in patients with MS. Methods: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study was performed among 48 patients with relapsing-remitting MS. Subjects were randomly assigned to a placebo group (n = 24) or coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)-supplemented group (500 mg/day, n = 24). The intervention was administered for 12 weeks. Peripheral blood samples were collected at baseline and after 12-week intervention, to measure inflammatory (tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin (IL)-6, and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9) and anti-inflammatory (IL-4 and TGF-beta) markers. Results: Forty-five patients completed the study. After 12 weeks of intervention, the TNF-alpha levels (P = 0.003) decreased significantly in the CoQ10 group. Subjects in the CoQ10 group had significantly lower IL-6 levels (P = 0.037), compared to the placebo group. CoQ10 supplementation also resulted in decreased serum levels of MMP-9 as compared to the placebo group (P = 0.011). However, CoQ10 supplementation did not alter the IL-4 and TGF-beta levels (P = 0.16 and P = 0.81, respectively). Discussion: CoQ10 supplementation at a dosage of 500 mg appears to decrease the inflammatory markers (TNF-alpha, IL-6, and MMP-9) in patients with MS.