Patient-Specific Responses Towards Homeopathic Preparations Revealed by Chromatographic Patterns of an In Vitro Human Blood Test

Background: Classical homeopathy is a medical system that focuses on the individualized treatment of patients. To investigate the effects of homeopathic preparations on human blood in vitro , an ascending paper chromatography test known as the Kaelin blood test was adapted, with an emphasis on possible inter-individual differences in response rates. Methods: Blood samples treated with EDTA were collected from thirteen patients prescribed homeopathic remedies. Each sample was divided into sub-samples, which were then treated in vitro with four different interventions: either the patients’ individually prescribed remedy, Pulsatilla , Natrium muriaticum , or placebo. Potency levels were either 30c or 200c. All samples were analyzed using the Kaelin blood test. To assess the stability of the experimental setup, thirteen analogous systematic negative control (SNC) experiments were conducted. Additionally, 16 untreated blood samples were analyzed in a separate investigation to correlate the chromatographic pattern features with blood parameters. The scanned chromatograms from both experimental series were evaluated using computerized image analysis. Results: Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), with patient and treatment as independent factors, revealed statistically significant interactions ( p < 0.05) in all ten pattern evaluation parameters, and only three parameters showed significant main effects ( p < 0.05) across all patients. The findings suggest that the response of blood samples to homeopathic treatments was dependent on individual patients, highlighting patient-specific effects. Strong correlations were identified between pattern features and blood parameters related to haemoglobin and liver function. The SNC experiments showed no statistically significant effects, indicating a robust and stable experimental setup. Conclusion: The Kaelin blood test holds significant potential as an experimental model for basic homeopathy research, particularly as an ex vivo/in vitro tool to investigate individualization in homeopathy. Further studies are required to assess the test’s sensitivity, robustness, repeatability, and practical applicability.