There is also something called calorie restriction which can sometimes 'eliminate' or reduce auto antibodies. I know that it totally prevents Sjogren's disease in animals...
I posted this in another forum for some people that got 'floxed' by quinolone antibiotics, but this might be useful for you as you have some real immune disorders which is found on blood results and other tests?
Calorie Restriction
Calorie restriction was able to prevent salivary gland dysfunction and damage by eliminating the rise in TNF-a and IL6 in these mice. CR is effective in preventing this auto immune disease. CR is known to be effective in MS, Lupus, Sjogren's, and other auto immune diseases.
Effects of calorie restriction on transforming growth factor beta 1 and proinflammatory cytokines in murine Sjogren's syndrome.
The present study was carried out to determine whether restricting dietary calories prevents salivary gland abnormalities and modulates expression of transforming growth factor beta and proinflammatory cytokines, IL-6, and TNF alpha in major salivary glands (SG) of autoimmune lupus-prone (NZB x NZW)F1 (B/W) female mice. These mice develop focal lymphocytic interstitial and periductal round cell infiltrates in salivary glands similar to those of humans with Sjogren's syndrome. Weanling B/W mice were fed a nutritionally adequate semipurified diet either ad libitum (AL) or a calorie-restricted (CR; 40% less calories than AL) diet. The mice were sacrificed at 3.5 months (young) and 8.5 months (old) of age. Histopathologic and histomorphometric analyses as well as growth factor and cytokine protein and mRNA expression were carried out in the SG.
Histomorphometric analysis of SG from young mice showed no differences between AL and CR mice, but old AL (vs old CR) had a 7.3-fold higher focus score and a 34-fold increase in percentage area inflammation.
mRNA analysis revealed significantly higher levels of TGF beta 1 in SG of old CR (6.8-fold) mice. In contrast, CR reduced mRNA expression of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6, 2.9-fold for young and 4.8-fold for old; TNF alpha, old 3.9-fold). By immunoblotting, significantly higher levels of TGF beta 1 protein was detected in old CR mice (vs old AL; 13.2-fold).
IL-6 and TNF alpha proteins were undetectable in both young and old CR groups, whereas an increase in IL-6 (4.7-fold) and TNF alpha (9.3-fold) was observed in old AL mice.
These results indicate that amelioration of the histological severity of disease in SG of B/W mice is paralleled and possibly mediated by increased expression of immunosuppressive TGF beta 1 and decreased expression of proinflammatory cytokines
OMEGA 3
http://www.docguide........rs&count=10"For patients who received the fish-oil supplement, there were significant improvements in unstimulated salivary flow rate (P <.01), stimulated salivary flow rate (P <.48), and dry mouth symptom improvement (P <.0002). No significant improvements were seen in either stimulated or unstimulated saliva production among patients who received the placebo."
"However, there were significant improvements in dry eye symptom scores for patients who received the fish and flaxseed oil supplements (43% of the omega-3 group vs. 14% of the placebo group).
Improvements in dry mouth symptoms were also verified through dental exams. Gingival and plaque scores were improved by 71% and 53% respectively in the study group, and Perception of oral improvement was noted in 61% of the omega-3 group and 36% of the placebo group."
Green tea
http://www.news-medical.net/?id=23932Green tea may help protect against autoimmune disease, Medical College of Georgia researchers say.
Researchers studied an animal model for type I diabetes and primary Sjogren's Syndrome, which damages the glands that produce tears and saliva.
They found significantly less salivary gland damage in a group treated with green tea extract, suggesting a reduction of the Sjogren's symptom commonly referred to as dry mouth. Dry mouth can also be caused by certain drugs, radiation and other diseases.
Approximately 30 percent of elderly Americans suffer from degrees of dry mouth, says Dr. Stephen Hsu, a researcher in the MCG School of Dentistry and lead investigator on the study. Only 5 percent of the elderly in China, where green tea is widely consumed, suffer from the problem.
"Since it is an autoimmune disease, Sjogren's Syndrome causes the body to attack itself and produce extra antibodies that mistakenly target the salivary and lacrimal glands," he says.
There is no cure or prevention for Sjogren's Syndrome.
Researchers studied the salivary glands of the water-consuming group and a green tea extract-consuming group to look for inflammation and the number of lymphocytes, a type of white blood cells that gather at sites of inflammation to fend off foreign cells.
The group treated with green tea had significantly fewer lymphocytes, Dr. Hsu says. Their blood also showed lower levels of autoantibodies, protein weapons produced when the immune system attacks itself, he says.
Researchers already know that one component of green tea , EGCG , helps suppress inflammation, according to Dr. Hsu.
"So, we suspected that green tea would suppress the inflammatory response of this disease. Those treated with the green tea extract beginning at three weeks, showed significantly less damage to those glands over time."
These results, published in a recent issue of Autoimmunity, reinforced findings of a 2005 study showing a similar phenomenon in a Petrie dish, Dr. Hsu says.
Researchers also suspect that the EGCG in green tea can turn on the body's defense system against TNF-alpha , a group of proteins and molecules involved in systemic inflammation.
TNF-alpha, which is produced by white blood cells, can reach out to target and kill cells. "The salivary gland cells treated with EGCG had much fewer signs of cell death caused by TNF-alpha," Dr. Hsu says. "We don't yet know exactly how EGCG makes that happen. That will require further study. In some ways, this study gives us more questions than answers."
Further study could help determine green tea's protective role in other autoimmune diseases, including lupus, psoriasis, scleroderma and rheumatoid arthritis, he says.
Green tea polyphenols reduce autoimmune symptoms in a murine model for human Sjogren's syndrome and protect human salivary acinar cells from TNF-alpha-induced cytotoxicity.
Hsu SD, Dickinson DP, Qin H, Borke J, Ogbureke KU, Winger JN, Camba AM, Bollag WB, Stöppler HJ, Sharawy MM, Schuster GS.
Department of Oral Biology and Maxillofacial Pathology, School of Dentistry, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA, USA. shsu@mail.mcg.edu
Sjogren's syndrome (SS) is a relatively common autoimmune disorder. A key feature of SS is lymphocytic infiltration of the salivary and lacrimal glands, associated with the destruction of secretory functions of these glands. Current treatment of SS targets the symptoms but is unable to reduce or prevent the damage to the glands. We reported previously that the major green tea polyphenol (GTP) epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) inhibits autoantigen expression in normal human keratinocytes and immortalized normal human salivary acinar cells (Hsu et al. 2005). However, it is not known whether GTPs have this effect in vivo, if they can reduce lymphocytic infiltration, or protect salivary acinar cells from tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)-induced cytotoxicity. Here, we demonstrate that in the NOD mouse, a model for human SS, oral administration of green tea extract reduced the serum total autoantibody levels and the autoimmune-induced lymphocytic infiltration of the submandibular glands. Further, we show that EGCG protected normal human salivary acinar cells from TNF-alpha-induced cytotoxicity. This protection was associated with specific phosphorylation of p38 MAPK, and inhibitors of the p38 MAPK pathway blocked the protective effect. In conclusion, GTPs may provide a degree of protection against autoimmune-induced tissue damage in SS, mediated in part through activation of MAPK elements.
Edited by Matt, 27 April 2008 - 04:14 PM.
