Improvement of psoriasis-associated arthritis and skin lesions by treatment with molecular hydrogen: a report of three cases
Ishibashi T, Ichikawa M, Sato B, Shibata S, Hara Y, Naritomi Y, Okazaki K, Nakashima Y, Iwamoto Y, Koyanagi S, Hara H, Nagao T. · Mol Med Rep. 2015;12(2):2757–2764.
What kind of evidence is this?
Human
Case series with alternating H₂ modalities
Skin, wound and aging research
Inhaled H₂
Exploratory case observations; indeterminate efficacy.
Clinical scores and inflammatory biomarkers in three selected cases.
Methods at a glance
Three people with psoriasis and/or psoriatic arthritis.
3 cases.
Five-day modality periods with case-specific sequences and washouts.
Sequences of hydrogen-rich saline infusion, 3% H₂ inhalation and hydrogen-rich water.
Infused H₂-rich saline, inhaled H₂ gas and H₂-rich drinking water.
Saline 1 ppm, 500 mL over 40 minutes; inhalation 3% for one hour; water 5–7 ppm, 500 mL/day.
Inhalation delivery described as 3% H₂ for one hour daily.
No therapeutic oxygen co-intervention was reported.
Within-case periods, including one placebo-saline phase; no randomized parallel control.
Outcomes and reported result
DAS28, PASI, pain visual-analogue scores and cytokines.
The cases show changes in selected clinical scores and cytokines across modality periods, with variable sequences and concomitant care.
The full article methods, intervention, outcomes, positive and null findings, funding and conflict statements were checked.
A reported association, difference or mechanism is not automatically a clinical benefit. Null findings, outcome type, study design and precision all matter.
Cautions and applicability
Three selected cases, open treatment periods, varying sequences, co-interventions and product-affiliated support create serious bias.
These three cases only.
JBI case-report or case-series checklist — preliminary
Serious concerns
Selection, period effects, co-interventions, nonrandom sequencing and outcome multiplicity prevent causal inference.
Selection and allocation checked · Confounding and co-interventions remain possible · Missing observations checked where reported · Outcome measurement varies by endpoint · Selective reporting cannot be excluded
No single-study GRADE certainty rating is assigned. Certainty is assessed by important outcome across a complete eligible evidence set, not by attaching a final grade to one source.
Sources and record status
PMID: 25936373 · DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2015.3707
A free publisher or repository full article was checked.
Publisher or repository full article and bibliographic record; checked 10 August 2026.
2026-08-10