Autoimmune disease study
disorder autoimmune hepatitis

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)

Autoimune myositis is usually divided between polymyositis and masticatory muscle myositis.

Immune-mediated thrombocytopenia (ITP)

Autoimmune thyroiditis (hypothyroidism)

Hypoadrenocorticism (Addison’s disease)

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

SLE, systemic lupus erythematosus

Pemphigus

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. CONCLUSIONS: 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. You can buy Spirulina here.

Herbs for autoimmune disease
There are many herbs that would be helpful for autoimmune diseases, and with time we will add to this list.
Tripterygium herb is one possibility.

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