Neutrophils and Colchicine

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Getting neutrophils to behave better

Several articles on this site presented introductory comments, and results of measurements of neutrophil size and shape.

Related to that task, some sources of learning about neutrophils, the most numerous of the circulating White Blood Cells, have also been offered.

Since this site is primarily a Users' Manual for participants in our studies of "long-term" COVID-19 (LTC), that illness remains the principle object of focus. But sometimes other "trees" appear in the "forest" of LTC. This page is one such example.

Below, a list of links to articles about colchicine.

Why such a list?

Hopefully it can serve as an unguided tour through some of the literature pertaining to that substance.

Since LTC is the primary focus of the site, articles that combine the subjects of COVID-19 and colchicine seem appropriate, and some have been included below.

As mentioned, other articles on this site have suggested that the findings observed in studying neutrophils, showed differences between these cells in those with LTC and Normal Controls.

This statement does not derive from a meta-analysis including thousands of patients.

Instead, thousands of neutrophils from a few subjects might be categorized as a pilot study.

The application of small group statistical methods have nevertheless been applied to clarify results obtained and point towards possible directions for further work, if not conclusions.

That said, what are we doing here?

Colchicine is an ancient plant product (the Egyptians used it so, it's got to be ancient) that has anti-inflammatory properties. One might ask: "Did the Egyptians disappear because of colchicine use?" - but I don't think so.

The first word that comes to mind after colchicine might be "gout."

The articles provided below should help expand colchicine's associations for the reader, just a bit. And again, the COVID-19 context is what one might like to pull out of one's readings here. Some articles get deeply into the mechanics of what colchicine does to cells central to an inflammatory response, like our beloved neutrophils. Think of that level of exploration of colchicine, as delicate and refined benchwork in the lab. Others open a view on more clinical settings. Like:

"What's the dose ?"
"Is it good or bad?"
"Is that what gave me diarrhea?"
"How should one treat colchicine toxicity?"
"Will it's use result in problems from beating back the inflammatory process?"

Next, a very simple (simplistic?) introductory thought.

Neutrophils behave differently in those with LTC, or so we have argued.

That altered behaviour, is a big part of the "damage" associated wirh COVID-19.

(You remember: "cytokine storm" and stuff like that?)

Here (on other pages), results suggest that less than ideal situation for neutrophils, is equally true for those with LTC.

Colchicine can be thought of as a safe poison. ("What the hell?!!")

As long as one gets the dose right, it is proven safe ("it's ancient!") for the person taking it, and a poison for a neutrophil. The level of poisoning is such, when all goes well, that the neutrophil population is just somewhat hampered, in setting off explosions left and right in the circulation and tissues, which is a good thing when too much inflammation results from their enthusiastic approach to their work with biologic hand grenades.

Now how much should we be messing with our neutrophils?

Millions of years of human evolution have formed them to be just as they are, on most good days.

Do we know better than a neutrophil, what the correct limits of behaviour should be, for a neutrophil? Do you?

Names like Claude Bernard and words like "homeostasis" are part of the science that says that when our physiology gets out of kilter, and pushed off the middle of the road, nature has evolved all the required tools to bring things back to a stable mid-point.

When something like SARS-CoV-2 comes along, is that just yet another challenge for our evolutionary skills?

Is it a distinct but still natural set of genetic material, that poses a challenge to our own genetic material? Something along the line of: "What doesn't kill me, makes me stronger!"

(I quickly set aside here for this article, the idea that SARS-CoV-2 is not natural, something arising in nature that our cells should be able to deal with, like with other illnesses, but instead a man-made mess, unknown to our immune system, so it, and we, are lost:

Not something that our evolutionary-based health has ever seen before, nor reacted to.

Ah, yes, a conspiracy. Okay. I set that aside).

"Are we there yet?"

Pretty close.

Colchicine, old or new, is a drug.

Drugs have their benefits, margins of safety, risks, contraindications, and we possess varying levels of knowledge about their mechanisms of action.

It's proven to be pretty safe if used thoughtfully, when such use is directed by someone familiar with the risks. ("It's okay! It's ancient!").

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This site exists primarily to guide subjects who kindly participate in study of photobiomodulation (PBM), using light to help in the setting of "long-term" COVID-19.

I'm happy with how that's coming along.

I have yet to find during several years in this work, or in that reported by others, any harmful effects of PBM.

Such interventions should be effective, or they risk a loss of time, energy, money, patient confidence, etc.

With participants, we're also always aiming at translating what we learn, into increasing effectiveness.

So far, no harmful effects noted from PBM. Such interventions must be safe.

That's not always true for the generally very safe drug, colchicine, a tried-and-true anti-inflammatory plant-based substance.