Yes, There Is Now Nontoxic, Clinically Proven Help For Psoriasis

October 30th, 2008 by admin

Yes, There Is Now Nontoxic, Clinically Proven Help For Psoriasis

Psoriasis, which has recently become established as a disease of the immune system, is currently thought by medical professionals to be a condition for which no treatment can offer permanent remission while maintaining the patient’s quality of life. Most treatments today only offer a temporary remission and generate significant side effects, some of which are life threatening. There are new breakthrough formulas available for those who suffer from mild to moderate psoriasis and have clinically proven efficacy and safety. These new formula are rich in growth factors and peptides, which are naturally occurring molecules found in the human body that modulate cell functions. In contrast to the medications that are now prescribed, the active ingredients of herbal remedies for psoriasis are derived from a natural growth factor and peptide-rich source and no side effects related to these types of products have been reported during the clinical studies that have been conducted up to this point. Some growth factors and bioactive peptides inhibit the proliferation and differentiation of T-cells which are involved in the inflammatory process, resulting in the immune system’s response. Also, natural growth factors and bioactive peptides can reduce the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines from T-lymphocytes. T-lymphocytes have been demonstrated to be a key element in the inflammatory process of immune-mediated inflammatory disorders, along with the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Natural herbal psoriasis supplements also contain proteins including beta-lactoglobulin, alpha-lactalbumine, and lactoferrin, which possess many recognized immune activities. Additionally, active ingredients like, XP-828L works well upstream at the entire immune system level by down modulating pro-inflammatory Th1 cytokines. The first study to demonstrate XP-828L’s potential to relieve psoriasis symptoms was conducted in Canada in 2004 by Dr. Yves Poulin, M.D., a leading dermatologist and psoriasis specialist who has participated in more than 75 clinical studies on psoriasis. The objective of the first phase of the study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of XP-828L in 11 adults who were suffering from mild-to-moderate psoriasis. The study took place over an eight-week period and led to an extension of a further eight weeks of treatment to asses the efficacy of XP-828L after the initial eight-week treatment. The patients were not allowed to use any other treatment during the study or the period preceding it. The results of this study concluded that the product was safe and no clinically significant adverse reactions or laboratory abnormalities were observed during treatment. Natural remedies for psoriasis are now available in health food stores and natural product markets, finally allowing help without side effects for psoriasis. For those 7.5 million Americans who have to deal with the suffering associated with psoriasis, this is really good news. In the United States, these supplements will be used orally as a support treatment for those patients using topical or systemic medications; as an alternative therapy for patients who experience side effects or have agreement issues with tropical’s; and to extend the remission period between topical and systemic medications. Stop in your local health food store and ask about what can help with your psoriasis problem.

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How Do You Know If Your Skin Cancer Is Potentially Fatal?

October 30th, 2008 by admin

Technically speaking, all skin cancer is potentially lethal if not treated. However, there are more serious forms of the condition, though they are a lot rarer.

Technically speaking, all skin cancer is potentially lethal if not treated. However, there are more serious forms of the condition, though they are a lot rarer.

Mycosis Fungoides

Mycosis Fungoides is an extremely rare form of skin cancer and it tends to affect twice as many men as it does women. Many people assume that it is an innocent fungal infection when they first hear the name; however it is in fact a much more sinister condition which is a type of cutaneous T cell Lymphoma.

Generally a cutaneous T-cell Lymphoma is an uncontrollable growth within the skin of the T cells within the body. Whilst most people do not notice any change to their daily life once they do have Mycosis Fungoides, it still does need to be treated as soon as possible.

Who Mycosis Fungoides affects the Most and what causes it:

Mycosis Fungoides seems to affect black skinned people more than fair skinned people, and as mentioned earlier, it tends to affect men more than women.

Whilst it is possible for the condition to strike at any age, it does seem to affect older people generally over the age of fifty. Why the condition appears is currently unknown but you definitely cannot pass it on to anybody else. The condition is also not hereditary and the symptoms do tend to vary from person to person.

Itching seems to be the most common form of symptom in most people, and the condition itself seems to appear in various stages. During its early stages, the skin will develop small patches of redness, though in darker skins the patches may simply just look darker than usual.

The patches are generally extremely itchy and you may notice that some patches are raised from the skin. They tend to appear mainly on the buttocks, under the arms, on the hips and on the chest.

The second stage usually includes skin tumors. The color of the lu

mps seems to now be a violet color and they are also raised. They are sometimes ulcerated, though that does not happen all the time.

Next is the redness stage where as well as skin patches and raised lumps, large sections of the skin also turn red. These areas of the skin also tend to be really itchy and they often look quite scaly too. You may also notice that the folds of skin on your face and in the palms of your hands become quite thick and they could even crack.

Finally, if not treated, the condition tends to spread to other parts of the body and usually the first parts of the body to be affected are the lymph nodes.

These then become inflamed and at this stage they can become cancerous. If they are cancerous, the condition can spread to the liver, the lungs and even the bone marrow.

Usually, it takes around six years to diagnose Mycosis Fungoides from the start of the symptoms appearing. This can make it difficult to treat early and as mentioned, people generally do not know they have the condition and so their normal lives are usually not disrupted.

It is extremely common to confuse the condition with other conditions and usually in order to fully diagnose this condition; a skin sample will need to be taken.

Usually if caught early, steroid creams can be used to clear up the condition, though if it is cancerous, chemotherapy may need to be used. As rare as it is, Mycosis Fungoides does occur in some people and it does take an extremely long time to realize that you actually have it.

It usually does not turn out to be fatal, but if it is left untreated for an extremely long length of time from diagnosis, it can unfortunately lead to death.

Any type of skin cancer is potentially dangerous, you just have to catch it early enough and look out for any symptoms whatsoever that give the condition away.

Article Source: http://www.BestToRead.com/

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How Vaccines Work by Peter Nisbet - ArticleCity.com

October 29th, 2008 by admin

When an organism gets into your body and causes an infection, your body gathers its defences and fights against them. This is the basic principle of how vaccines work.

Certain cells in your blood make what are called ‘antibodies’, molecules which are designed to attack specific germs and viruses. These attach to the invaders in your bloodstream and prevent them from invading other cells. Each virus or bacterium has an individual shape, and the antibodies are designed to fit exactly to that shape.

This is how vaccines work to convince your body that the vaccination is a ‘full-blooded’ attack by the offending viruses or bacteria, and stimulate them into action to develop the ‘memory’ or ‘blueprint’ for the antibody in the event of future invasion.

This is all done by your white blood cells. You have two types called B cells and T cells. The B cells manufacture the antibodies while the T cells have two functions. The ‘helper’ T cells help the B cells to make the antibodies while the ‘killer’ T cells kill any cells which have been invaded by the viruses or bacteria, and prevent them from reproducing. . How vaccines work to stimulate this action is to mislead the white cells into believing that your body has been infected.

Your body reacts to kill the invaders in two ways: directly through the antibodies, and indirectly through the T cells destroying any infected cells and preventing reproduction.

Viruses cannot reproduce by themselves: they have to use the host’s cells for this. If the T cells continually kill off any invaded cells, the invaders themselves must eventually be killed off by the antibodies If the virus or bacterium is strong and reproduce too quickly, the host can be overcome before it can produce enough antibodies to kill them off. The pus which occurs during an infection is the mix of dead white blood cells and bacteria/virus cells destroyed by them.

If your body survives the attack, your B cells retain a memory of the structure of the invaders and should the same viruses or bacteria ever return, antibodies can rapidly be produced and the infection killed off before it starts. The stimulation of this memory is exactly how vaccines work.

Vaccines produce the same memory effect without the patient having to suffer the disease. The organisms that cause the disease are either killed or weakened, then introduced into your body. The strength is calculated to be just enough to enable your white cells to manufacture the antibodies. This is how vaccines work to give you protection against future infection without actually making you ill. The strength of the vaccine is designed to allow this. The dead vaccine can also work, but less efficiently, and the effect is not generally as long lasting.

The ‘live’ vaccines produce life-long immunity after only one or two doses, but the ‘dead’, or ‘inactivated’, ones need multiple doses to get the correct effect. Some dead vaccines even need booster doses throughout your life. Examples of these are tetanus and diphtheria vaccines, normally given together every 10 years as the Td vaccine. The measles vaccine is an example of a ‘live’ vaccine’.

Vaccinations do not affect your ability to fight off other infections you have not been immunized against

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Complete Information on Autoimmune Inner Ear disease with Treatment and Prevention

October 28th, 2008 by admin

Complete Information on Autoimmune Inner Ear disease with Treatment and Prevention

Autoimmune inner ear disease (AIED) is an incendiary circumstance of the inner ear. The reason of AIED is mostly assumed to be related to either antibodies or exempt cells that induce harm to the inner ear. There is evidence that genetically controlled aspects of the immune system may increase or otherwise be associated with increased susceptibility to common hearing disorders such as menieres disease. It seems that allergies can cause or at least are associated with autoimmune inner ear disease. Observation suggests there is a genetic component as autoimmune diseases seem to cluster in families. Interestingly, this trait may show up as several different autoimmune diseases within the same family. However, this genetic predisposition alone does not cause autoimmune diseases to develop. Other factors need to be present as well in order to initiate the disease process.Autoimmune inner ear disease is a rare disease occurring in less than one percent of the 28 million Americans with a hearing loss. Both allergy and traditional autoimmune disease such as ankylosing spondylitis, systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjoegren’s syndrome, cogan’s disease, ulcerative colitis, wegener’s granulomatosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and scleroderma can cause or be associated with AIED. The condition has been suggested to be more common in female patients who may or may not have concomitant systemic autoimmune disease than in male patients. Autoimmunity occurs with loss of homeostatic control in the immune system. Host tissues become recognized as foreign and induce damaging vasculitis and fibrosis. Veldman described a continuum of autoimmunity. On one end, organ specific responses with organ specific autoantibodies and T cells produce tissue alteration.The symptoms of autoimmune inner ear disease are abrupt hearing departure in one ear progressing quickly to the second ear. The hearing departure can advance over weeks or months. Vestibular role may be lost gradually so that intense symptoms do not happen, but patients may produce ataxia and unsteadiness more evident in dark with long-term, multilateral vestibular hypofunction. More experience with the disease has revealed this to be a rare finding and it is not considered a routine occurrence in the syndrome. Outer Ear symptoms that may be attributed to allergy include chronic itching or frequent infections of the ear canal. Meniere’s disease in one or both ears may sometimes be aggravated by allergies. Diagnosis of autoimmune inner ear disease is difficult and is often mistaken for otitis media until the patient develops a loss in the second ear. There are several protocols for treatment of autoimmune inner ear disease. Treatment goals in autoimmune inner ear disease include improving speech thresholds to levels treatable with hearing aids in severely affected patients and recovery of hearing to near normal levels in those with mild to moderate losses. Most patients with autoimmune inner ear disease respond to the initial treatment of steroids, prednisone, and methotrexate, a chemotherapy agent. Some patients may benefit from the use of hearing aids. In persons with response to steroids, in most cases a chemotherapy type of medication such as cytoxan or will be used over the long term. The medicine can be put right into the inner ear under local anesthesia, or through the use of tiny ear tubes put in place surgically. Not all people respond to steroid therapy the same way. Treatment in some people results in better hearing, or better discrimination or both.

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What are Antibodies? by Joe Manny

October 28th, 2008 by admin

What are Antibodies?

Antibodies, also called immunoglobulins are large y-shaped proteins which function to identify and help remove foreign antigens such as viruses and bacteria.

Antibodies are created by plasma cells which are derived from the B-cells in the immune system.

Every different antibody recognizes a specific foreign antigen. This is because the two tips of its “Y” are different to each antibody are allow different antibodies to bind to different foreign antigens. When the antibody binds to a bacteria, it tags the microbe or virus for attack by the immune system such as killer T-cells. Sometimes, antibodies can directly neutralize the foreign body. The production of antibodies by B-cells is the main function of the humoral immune system.

Due to the amazing specificity of antibodies, they have some important practical applications in both medicine for the detection of HIV and other viruses in blood, and in research to purify and detect proteins in the study of molecular biology.

For all your Antibody needs and for more antibody information, please visit Antibody Station.

http://www.antibodystation.com

You may ONLY use this article, if you maintain the author’s information and website address.

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How Does Maitake Mushroom Boost the Immune System?

October 27th, 2008 by admin

How Does Maitake Mushroom Boost the Immune System?

Medical practices treat the symptoms of disease. They do not prevent the illness itself. Alternative medicine offers a complement to the traditional methods. More and more physicians are realizing this and responding to it in their own practices.It is becoming more common for physicians to enlist the aid of the natural world in treating their patients. Often, along with traditional medicine, doctors will suggest using a natural product in conjunction with a prescription. One such natural healer is the mushroom.The Maitake and Other MushroomsMushrooms come in many different varieties and species. They contain a large number of compounds that offer potent healing properties. One of the most useful species of healing mushrooms being recognized for its effectiveness is the maitake mushroom. This mushroom is being tested for its ability to enhance the production of infection-fighting cells in the human body.Mushrooms are found in wooded areas all over the world and cultivated by both professionals and amateur collectors. If you wish to harvest your own mushrooms, it is vital to your health and safety that you research what each species looks like. Some mushrooms are poisonous to the point of being life-threatening.These spongy fungal foods are used to make certain immune system enhancing extracts, either alone or in combination with other members of the healing mushroom family.Mushrooms contain compounds known as alpha and beta glucans. These glucan phytonutrients are actually long-chain polysaccharide molecules. They consist of millions of glucose molecules that are chemically bound to each other.The beta-glucan compound has been found to have great abilities to enhance the function of the human immune system. Lab studies are finding that the beta-glucans activate production of T-cells and NK (natural killer) cells. These are the cells that fight viral and bacterial infection and, in some cases, even cancer.A healthy immune system is the only sure way for a human being to remain disease free. When the body’s immune system is not in optimal shape, infections attacking the body are much more serious and can even be life threatening.The Different Healing MushroomsThere are many different mushrooms that are studied and used for their medicinal properties. Of the many species of mushrooms, the most common and most used by alternative medicinal healers are:* Maitake. The maitake mushroom can be found growing on oak trees all over the world. The maitake mushroom is best known for its ability to stimulate the production of T-cells in the blood.* Shitake. The shitake mushroom is the best known and most widely used as an immune system booster.* Cordyceps. The extract from the cordyceps mushroom has proven to be effective in fighting various forms of bacteria. It is also known to increase physical stamina. The sports world took notice of the possible benefits of cordyceps mushrooms in 1993 when nine women who were taking cordyceps reportedly broke world records at the Chinese National Games.* Reishi. This mushroom has been used by the Chinese for thousands of years as an immune system enhancer.Safety and EffectivenessA consumer warning states that consumers should be aware of false advertising of mushroom extracts. Many beta-glucan products on the market are not 100% pure. A large number of them only contain about 1% beta-glucan. It is wise to always speak with a trained and knowledgeable store employee before purchasing any product you are unfamiliar with. It is also important that you read the labels of any product you are considering purchasing.Although not widely recognized yet, the maitake mushroom is fast becoming a leader in the mushroom world for its immune boosting properties. Physicians and consumers are becoming more open to and educated about the medicinal uses of mushrooms. They are in abundant supply all over the world and are waiting to be discovered.

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Multiple Sclerosis – Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

October 26th, 2008 by admin

Multiple Sclerosis – Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Multiple sclerosis (abbreviated MS, also known as disseminated sclerosis or encephalomyelitis disseminata) is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks the central nervous system (CNS), leading to demyelination. It may cause numerous physical and mental symptoms, and often progresses to physical and cognitive disability. Symptoms of Multiple SclerosisNumbness or weakness in one or more limbs, which typically occurs on one side of your body at a time or the bottom half of your body.Partial or complete loss of vision, usually in one eye at a time, often with pain during eye movement.The central nervous system (CNS) controls much of the body’s functioning and much of this activity passes through the white matter at some point. It is not surprising, therefore, that a disease which damages white matter can produce a very wide range of symptoms. Indeed, there are few diseases with more potential symptoms than multiple sclerosis.What causes Multiple Sclerosis?Demyelination is associated with an abnormal immune system response that causes a type of white blood cell (called T cells) to attack myelin. Damage to the myelin then leads to sclerosis of nerve fibers in the central nervous system (CNS). The CNS has the ability to repair some of the damage but may not be able to achieve complete restoration.Polygene inheritance accounts for a familial rate of 10-20%; yet, most studies confirm that a monozygotic twin has only a 30% risk of acquiring MS, suggesting a genetic predisposition to an environmental viral agent. As in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), human leukocyte antigen (HLA) patterns of patients with MS tend to differ from those of the general population.Treatment For Multiple Sclerosis As its precise cause remains unclear, it’s not possible to prevent the condition and there’s no cure. Treatments include medication to relieve pain and spasms, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, steroids and beta-interferon. Complementary therapies used include acupuncture, massage and yoga.FDA today licensed a new biologic approach to treat patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) to reduce the frequency of symptom flare-ups or exacerbations of the disease. MS is a chronic, often disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord.Natalizumab, the new product, is a monoclonal antibody bioengineered from part of a mouse antibody to closely resemble a human antibody. It is being marketed under the trade name Tisbury. The product is given intravenously once a month in a physician’s office. Beta Interferon’sInterferon beta-1b (Betaseron) and interferon beta-1a (Avonex, Rebif) are genetically engineered copies of proteins that occur naturally in the body. These medications reduce flare-ups of MS. It’s uncertain which of their many actions lead to a reduction in disease activity and what their long-term benefits are.What is the prognosis?A physician may diagnose MS in some patients soon after the onset of the illness. In others, however, doctors may not be able to readily identify the cause of the symptoms, leading to years of uncertainty and multiple diagnoses punctuated by baffling symptoms that mysteriously wax and wane. The vast majority of patients are mildly affected, but in the worst cases, MS can render a person unable to write, speak, or walk.

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Graft versus host disease

October 24th, 2008 by admin

Graft versus host disease

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a common side effect of an allogeneic bone marrow or cord blood transplant (also called a BMT). An allogeneic transplant uses blood-forming cells donated by a family member, unrelated donor or cord blood unit. GVHD occurs when immunocompetent cells react against an immunocompromised host. Removal of T cells from the hematopoietic inoculum can prevent GVHD but at the cost of graft failure and loss of the graft-versus-leukemia reaction.In GVHD, the immune cells from the donated marrow or cord blood harass the body of the transplant patient (the host). GVHD can affect various different parts of the body. The skin, eyes, stomach and intestines are affected most often. The goal of treatment is to suppress the immune response without damaging the new marrow. Medicines commonly used include methotrexate and cyclosporine, either alone or in combination. Using drugs to prevent GVHD you will be given drugs to help prevent GVHD. These drugs work well for many patients. Some examples of drugs often used for this include cyclosporine and methotrexate. High-dose corticosteroids are the most effective treatment for acute GVHD. The corticosteroids used to treat GVHD will weaken your immune system. (The GVHD itself also weakens your immune system.) That puts you at a higher risk for getting an infection. Treatment of chronic GVHD includes prednisone with or without cyclosporin (an immune suppressant). If these medicines do not work, experimental treatments are the only option. Before a transplant, your blood type and tissue type will be carefully matched with eligible donors. This matching will reduce the risk of GVHD. Using umbilical cord blood after a cord blood transplant fewer patients get GVHD and those who do tend to get less severe GVHD. Successful treatment of GVHD does not guarantee that the bone marrow transplant itself will succeed in treating the original disease.

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What are Antibodies? by Joe Manny

October 24th, 2008 by admin

What are Antibodies?

Antibodies, also called immunoglobulins are large y-shaped proteins which function to identify and help remove foreign antigens such as viruses and bacteria.

Antibodies are created by plasma cells which are derived from the B-cells in the immune system.

Every different antibody recognizes a specific foreign antigen. This is because the two tips of its “Y” are different to each antibody are allow different antibodies to bind to different foreign antigens. When the antibody binds to a bacteria, it tags the microbe or virus for attack by the immune system such as killer T-cells. Sometimes, antibodies can directly neutralize the foreign body. The production of antibodies by B-cells is the main function of the humoral immune system.

Due to the amazing specificity of antibodies, they have some important practical applications in both medicine for the detection of HIV and other viruses in blood, and in research to purify and detect proteins in the study of molecular biology.

For all your Antibody needs and for more antibody information, please visit Antibody Station.

http://www.antibodystation.com

You may ONLY use this article, if you maintain the author’s information and website address.

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What are Antibodies? by Joe Mann

October 24th, 2008 by admin

What are Antibodies?

Antibodies, also called immunoglobulins are large y-shaped proteins which function to identify and help remove foreign antigens such as viruses and bacteria.

In mammals there are five main types of antibodies including: IgA, IgD, IgE, IgG, and IgM. There are 4 IgG and 2 IgA subtypes present in humans.

Antibodies are created by plasma cells which are derived from the B-cells in the immune system. Due to the fact that antibodies exist freely in the bloodstream or bound to cell membranes, they are said to be part of the humoral immune system.

Every different antibody recognizes a specific foreign antigen. This is because the two tips of its “Y” are different to each antibody are allow different antibodies to bind to different foreign antigens. When the antibody binds to a bacteria, it tags the microbe or virus for attack by the immune system such as killer T-cells. Sometimes, antibodies can directly neutralize the foreign body. The production of antibodies by B-cells is the main function of the humoral immune system.

Autoimmune disorders can usually be traced to antibodies which bind the body’s own proteins or epitopes, and these types of antibodies can be detected through serological blood tests. Due to the amazing specificity of antibodies, they have some important practical applications in both medicine for the detection of HIV and other viruses in blood, and in research to purify and detect proteins in the study of molecular biology. For example, currently medicine is using biotechnologically designed monoclonal antibodies which work as an antibody therapy. These methods are being employed recently and are the result of numerous clinical trials in a number of diseases including cancer, and rheumatoid arthritis.

For all your antibody needs and for more antibody information, please visit Antibody Station.

You may ONLY use this article, if you maintain the author’s information and website address.

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