Cytokine Levels After Consumption of a Medicinal Agaricus blazei Murill-Based Mushroom Extract, AndoSan™, in Patients with Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis in a Randomized Single-Blinded Placebo-Controlled Study

Authors: S. P. Therkelsen, G. Hetland, T. Lyberg, I. Lygren, E. Johnson

Journal: Scandinavian Journal of Immunology

Study Design: Randomized, single-blinded, placebo-controlled trial

Participants: 50 patients with symptomatic ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD)

Intervention:

• AndoSan™ extract (Agaricus blazei-based, 82% AbM, 15% Hericium erinaceus, 3% Grifola frondosa): 30 ml twice daily for 21 days
• Placebo: Equivalent volume of a color-matched, inert liquid
• Blood samples were taken before (visit 1) and after 21 days (visit 3)

Outcome Measures:

• Plasma cytokine levels: IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4-8, IL-10, IL-12-13, IL-17, G-CSF, GM-CSF, IFN-γ, MCP-1, MIP-1β, TNF-α
• Comparative analysis of inflammatory markers in Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC)
• Assessment of systemic anti-inflammatory effects

Summary:
This study examined whether the clinical benefits of AndoSan™, a mushroom-based extract, in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) could be linked to reductions in pro-inflammatory cytokines. Cytokine levels were largely unchanged in CD patients, except for a slight reduction in IL-2, IL-1β, IL-6, and G-CSF in the AndoSan™ group. In UC patients, IL-2, IL-5, and MIP-1β were reduced, with IL-5 levels significantly lower compared to placebo. Despite these limited reductions in systemic cytokines, the observed clinical improvements in CD and UC were not strongly supported by cytokine changes alone, suggesting that other mechanisms such as antioxidant or anti-allergic effects may contribute to the benefits of AndoSan™.