ScienceDaily (Feb. 25, 2010) — A new study found that fluoxetine (Prozac®) and citalopram (Celexa®) treatment significantly inhibited disease progression of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in mice. Research led by Sandra Sacre, Ph.D. from the Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) in the UK studied the anti-arthritic potential of these drugs, known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), most commonly used to treat depression. Both SSRIs exhibited anti-inflammatory effects and may provide drug development opportunities for arthritic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Full findings of this study are published in the March issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology.
RA is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in the lining of the joints. Typically, RA first affects hand and foot joints and later the disease spreads to larger joints. Inflammation eventually erodes the cartilage between the joints (articular cartilage) causing pain, stiffness, joint deformity, and physical disability. According to the 2000 Global Disease Burden study by the World Health Organization (WHO), RA affects approximately 1% of the world population.
To understand the anti-inflammatory properties of SSRIs, the research team at The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology investigated the use of fluoxetine and citalopram in mouse and human models of RA. Dr Sacre, a lecturer in molecular cell biology at BSMS, a partnership between the universities of Brighton and Sussex, said: "We were interested in SSRIs because of their reported anti-inflammatory effects." "Prior studies have shown that patients with depression who respond to treatment with SSRIs display a reduction in cytokine levels (signals that can induce inflammation), suggesting a connection between SSRIs and the immune system."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100225082441.htmSo maybe this is why people on antideppresants respond better to treatment on biologics?