Autoimmune Hepatitis Quotes

Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) has been studied in the treatment of liver disease. The active component, silymarin, is found in the entire plant but is concentrated in the fruit and seeds. Silymarin is a potent antioxidant and acts as a toxin blockade by inhibiting toxins from binding to membrane receptors on the surface of liver cells (called hepatocytes). Silymarin can protect the liver from being injured by, for example, different toxins, radiation, and iron overload. It has been successfully used to treat alcoholic liver disease, acute and chronic viral hepatitis, and toxin-induced liver diseases. (There are also some studies showing no effect of silymarin and many studies showing that vitamin C is just as good.) While seeds are generally avoided on the Paleo Approach, milk thistle seed extract may be a beneficial supplement (unless the very small amount of alcohol in the supplement is not tolerated; see here). Milk thistle tea is also a good option.

Herpesvirus. Herpes is actually a very large family of viruses, several of which are strongly linked to autoimmune disease. For example, Guillain-Barré syndrome and systemic lupus erythematosus are associated with infections from viruses in the Cytomegalovirus genus. Although most people infected are completely asymptomatic, some experience symptoms similar to mononucleosis (sore throat, swollen glands, prolonged fever, and mild hepatitis). However, cytomegaloviral infections remain latent in the body and may cause serious disease should you become immunocompromised later in life. An estimated 40 percent of adults worldwide have had cytomegaloviral infections. Epstein-Barr virus is a member of the Herpesvirus family. It is responsible for infectious mononucleosis (mono or glandular fever). Infection with Epstein-Barr is associated with a higher risk of dermatomyositis, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren’s syndrome, and multiple sclerosis. Human herpesvirus 6 is another type of Herpesvirus, with infections typically presenting as a combination of rash and fever. (The childhood disease roseola is an example.) A strong link between Human herpesvirus 6 and multiple sclerosis has been observed, and there is an increased risk of chronic fatigue syndrome associated with Human herpesvirus 6 infection.

Fundamental mysteries remained, of course. How this system achieved the acrobatic balancing act between generating a forceful immune response against pathogens, while ensuring that same response did not turn on our own bodies—how the Kampf against microbial invaders did not degenerate into the civil war of horror autotoxicus—was still somewhat of a profound riddle (in Sam P.’s case, we could never control the autoimmune hepatitis induced by the cancer-rejecting immunotherapy).