Mga erbal pandagdag ay malawak na ginamit, and some of these supplements may stimulate the immune system in ways that could be harmful for people who have or are prone to autoimmune diseases.
There are a number of herbal medications that have been studied and have immunostimulatory effects. Among these are Echinacea, the algae Spirulina platensis and Aphanizomenon flos-aquae. We recently reported three patients with autoimmune disease, dalawa ng kanino ay pempigus vulgaris, na ang sakit exacerbated sa ilang sandali lamang matapos ang simula ng isa sa mga ito erbal gamot (Lee at Werth, Arko Dermatol 140:723, 2004). In one case of dermatomyositis, the patient re-flared several months later after rechallenging herself with the same herbal product.
Ang mga herbs na ito ay mukhang makakaapekto sa immune system sa pamamagitan ng pagtaas ng mga pro-nagpapaalab mga proteins ginawa sa pamamagitan ng nagpapaalab cell, and their effects have been studied in a number of experimental models. Studying the potential mechanisms and effects of these herbs in humans has been done in only a few studies, and much more work will be needed in order to document their potential toxicity in patients with autoimmune diseases. Until these studies are performed, magiging masinop para sa mga pasyente sa pempigus vulgaris upang maiwasan ang potensyal na immunostimulatory erbal gamot.
