ESTRIOL THERAPY FOR AUTOIMMUNE AND NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASE AND DISORDERS
The present invention discloses administering steroid hormones to mammals to treat autoimmune related diseases, including post-partum auto immune diseases) and more particularly. Most preferably the invention uses estrogens, estranges, estriol or estrogen receptor active agents to prevent or ameliorate clinical symptoms of these Th1-mediated (cell-mediated) autoimmune diseases known to either have an initial onset following the birth of a child or which are exacerbated in patients in the post-partum period.
1 - 47 . (canceled)
48 . A method of treating a patient exhibiting at least one symptom of secondary progressive form of multiple sclerosis comprising administering estriol at a therapeutically effective dosage in an effective dosage form.
49 . The method of claim 50 wherein the therapeutically effective dosage is about 0.001 to about 16 milligrams about every 24 hours.
50 . The method of claim 50 wherein the therapeutically effective dosage is about 8 milligrams about every 24 hours.
51 . The method of claim 50 wherein the treatment results in patient serum concentrations of estriol of about 2 to about 30 nanograms per milliliter.
52 . A method of treating at least one clinical symptom of secondary progressive multiple sclerosis in a patient comprising administering about 8 milligrams of estriol orally about every 24 hours.