When our body encounters something foreign in its environment it needs to be able to mount an immune response against that substance to protect itself from potential harm. In order to do this effectively it must be able to recognize what is self in order to respond to non-self or foreign. In autoimmune diseases there is a failure to recognize some part of self, with potential serious consequences. Autoimmune disorders result in destruction of one or more types of body tissues, abnormal growth of an organ, or changes in organ function. The disorder may affect only one organ or tissue type or may affect multiple organs and tissues. Organs and tissues commonly affected by autoimmune disorders include blood components such as red blood cells, blood vessels, connective tissues, endocrine glands such as the thyroid or pancreas, muscles, joints, and skin. Frequently more than one autoimmune disease will be seen in the same person, as well as an increased susceptibility to bacterial infection.
What are some types
of Autoimmune diseases?
There are several recognized diseases that are considered
autoimmune disorders. Here they are in alphabetical order:
Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) and immune mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA).
A rare case may be due to
lecithin supplement use.
Autoimmune myositis is usually divided between polymyositis and masticatory
muscle myositis. Autoimmune hemolytic anemia is a group of disorders due
to a malfunction of the immune system that produces autoantibodies, which attack
red blood cells as if they were substances foreign to the body. Some
people have no symptoms, and other people are tired, short of breath, and pale.
Severe disease may cause jaundice or abdominal discomfort and fullness.
Histiocytosis
I am an college professor (MD) who has been doing research online for a holistic
protocol for an autoimmune condition called cutaneous histiocytosis (also the
possibility of systemic histiocytosis) that has afflicted my precious furkid
Basset Hound for two years now (we did not get the actual diagnosis until now).
This is where the body is making too many histiocytes and I am being told that
his immune system needs to be supressed. So I was curious if you knew of any
holistic products that help modulate the immune system when it is in overdrive
such as with histiocytosis (knows as Langerhans histiocytosis in humans). I am
sure there must be some herbs or other holistic supplements that help modulate
the immune system as well as some herbs that have a strong inflammatory response
as well? Since this disease also had a strong inflammatory component associated
with it as well. Thanks for ANY suggestions of holistic supplements you may have
used in humans successfully to help modulate the immune system and help control
inflammation.
The whole issue of the effects of different herbs on the
immune system is complicated since there are times when some herbs are initially
immunostimulants and then after a few days or weeks or months they become
immunosuppressive and vice versa.
Immune-mediated thrombocytopenia (ITP). Immune - mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA) and immune- mediated thrombocytopenia (ITP) are diseases in which the body's own immune system attacks its red blood cells (IMHA) or platelets (ITP). Symptoms that develop are caused by a massive, often sudden, depletion of red blood cells or platelets.
Autoimmune thyroiditis (hypothyroidism)
Hypoadrenocorticism (Addison’s disease)
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
SLE, systemic lupus erythematosus
Pemphigus is a rare autoimmune blistering disorder of the skin.
Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which joints, usually including those of the hands and feet, are symmetrically inflamed, resulting in swelling, pain, and often the eventual destruction of the joint's interior. Rheumatoid arthritis is the most common inflammatory joint disease and a major cause of disability, morbidity, and mortality. It occurs worldwide, affecting approximately one per cent of adults. Rheumatoid arthritis may be accompanied by fatigue, weight loss, anxiety, and depression.
Myasthenia gravis
Autoimmune diseases occur when the body's immune system destroys its own healthy tissues instead of the foreign, harmful substances it was designed to fend off. The immune system typically defends the body from germs and toxins. Autoimmune disorders can affect organs and tissues including red blood cells, blood vessels, the thyroid, pancreas, muscles, joints and skin. Common autoimmune diseases include type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, Grave's disease and Celiac disease. Most of these diseases are chronic, but depending on the condition, many can be controlled with treatment.
Autoimmune Disease Research Update
Activation of autoimmunity following use of immunostimulatory herbal
supplements.
Lee AN, Werth VP.
Section of Dermatology, University of Chicago, IL, USA.
Arch Dermatol. 2004 Jun;140(6):723-7.
Evidence for the scientific basis of purported therapeutic
effects and adverse effects of herbal supplements continues to grow. Many
herbal supplements are touted for their immunostimulatory properties, and
both in vitro and in vivo experiments have supported this claim. Although
this explains their beneficial effects in preventing or curtailing
disease, to our knowledge, no immunostimulatory herbal supplements have
been reported to exacerbate disorders of immune system overactivity.
We describe 3 patients whose autoimmune disease onset and/or
flares correlated with ingestion of herbal supplements with proven immunostimulatory effects. Echinacea and the
alga Spirulina platensis are implicated in 2
patients' flares of pemphigus vulgaris, and a supplement containing the
algae Spirulina platensis and Aphanizomenon flos-aquae was ingested by a
third patient days before both onset and a severe flare of dermatomyositis.
The third patient showed heterozygosity for a tumor necrosis factor alpha
(TNF-alpha) promoter polymorphism (-308A), leading to increased production
of TNF-alpha, which may have predisposed her to developing dermatomyositis.
Immunostimulatory herbal supplements may exacerbate
preexisting autoimmune disease or precipitate autoimmune disease in
persons genetically predisposed to such disorders. Increased production of
TNF-alpha may play a role, although more research is needed to clarify the
mechanisms of such phenomena.
High maternal intake of retinol, β-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, zinc, or manganese does not protect the child from development of advanced β cell autoimmunity in early childhood. Am J Clinical Nutrition 2008;88 458-464
Herbs for autoimmune
disease
There are many herbs that would be helpful for autoimmune diseases, and with
time we will add to this list.
Herbs for autoimmune disease
There are many herbs that would be helpful for autoimmune diseases, and
with time we will add to this list.
Q. I am Wanzhu Hou, C.M.D., L.Ac., C.H., a practitioner of acupuncture and herbal medicine in
Rockville, MD. I was trained in both western and Chinese medicine, have had
clinical experience for over 30 years. I am interesting in treating autoimmune
disease with natural medicine and received great clinical results. Therefore I
have published a book called "treating autoimmune disease with Chinese
medicine." Chinese medicine can heal asthma, allergies, can lead autoimmune
diseases going to remission phase, why? Because of Chinese medicine mediates the
immune system, specially T cells (Help T cell and Suppressor T cell) and also
could cover the antigens that will reduce it continuing to stimulate B cell,
recover damaged tissues. Although, there has various diseases that caused by
immune function disorder but there has pattern between it. So, Chinese medicine
is not like western medicine, steroids, just suppress the immune system, but
work on antigen, antibody and also restore the function of the destroyed organ.
Such great treatment method have no body found it yet! The method of the
treatment will benefit to heal asthma, allergies, hyperthyroidism,
hypothyroidism, autoimmune hepatitis, and also benefit to those patients had
organ transplanted, and anti-aging. Wanzhu Hou, C.M.D., L.Ac., C.H. All Natural
Medicine Clinic 4801 Randolph Rd. Rockville, MD 20852. The book published by
Elsevier named Treating Autoimmune Disease with Chinese Medicine.