Medical Condition Disorders Involving The Immune Mechanism

Source:

2009 icd-9-cm diagnosis 279 - disorders involving the immune mechanism

Active Ingredients used for Disorders Involving The Immune Mechanism:

Zinc, Dhea, Copper, Vitamin D, Vitamin B6, Beta Carotene, Vitamin A, Arginine, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Omega 3 Fatty Acids Fish Oil Alpha Linolenic Acid, Echinacea, Ginseng

Active Ingredient	Uses based on scientific evidence	Grade*
arginine (l-arginine)	early study results suggest that arginine supplementation may boost the immune response elicited by the pneumonia vaccine in older people. more studies are needed to confirm these results.	c
beta-carotene	preliminary research of beta-carotene for immune system maintenance or stimulation shows mixed results. further research is needed before a strong conclusion can be drawn.	c
copper	copper is involved in the development of immune cells and immune function in the body. severe copper deficiency appears to have adverse effects on immune function, although the exact mechanism is not clear.	c
dhea	it is suggested by some textbooks and review articles that dhea can stimulate the immune system. however, current scientific evidence does not support this claim.	d
echinacea (echinacea angustifolia dc, echinacea pallida, echinacea purpurea)	echinacea has been studied alone and in combination preparations for immune system stimulation (including in patients receiving cancer chemotherapy). it remains unclear if there are clinically significant benefits. additional studies are needed in this area before conclusions can be drawn regarding safety or effectiveness.	c
ginseng (american ginseng, asian ginseng, chinese ginseng, korean red ginseng, panax ginseng: panax spp. including p. ginseng c.c. meyer and p. quinquefolius l., excluding eleutherococcus senticosus)	several studies report that ginseng may boost the immune system, improve the effectiveness of antibiotics in people with acute bronchitis, and enhance the body's response to flu vaccines. additional studies are needed before a clear conclusion can be reached.	b
lactobacillus acidophilus	early studies fail to show consistent evidence of benefit of lactobacillus acidophilus in immunomodulation. additional studies are needed.	c
omega-3 fatty acids, fish oil, alpha-linolenic acid	some research suggests that fish oil supplementation during pregnancy may speed up the infant's immune system development. however, it is unclear if this affects the infant's health in the future. other research suggests that supplements during pregnancy may affect the functioning of white blood cells, called neutrophils. more research is needed to fully understand how fish oil affects the immune system.	c
vitamin a (retinol)	vitamin a deficiency may compromise immunity, but there is no clear evidence that additional vitamin a supplementation is beneficial for immune function in patients who are not vitamin a deficient.	c
vitamin b6	vitamin b6 is important for immune system function in older individuals. one study found that the amount of vitamin b6 required to reverse immune system impairments in elderly people was more than the current recommended dietary allowance (rda). well-designed clinical trials on vitamin b6 supplementation for this indication are needed before a recommendation can be made.	c
vitamin d	preliminary human evidence suggests that vitamin d and its analogues, such as alfacalcidol, may act as immunomodulatory agents. more studies are needed to confirm these results.	c
zinc	zinc appears to be an essential trace element for the immune system, but research on the effect of zinc supplementation on immune function is scant and mostly focuses on patients with specific diseases. zinc gluconate appears to have beneficial effects on immune cells. there are relatively few studies that examine zinc levels and the effects of zinc supplementation on the health of the elderly population. further research is needed before a recommendation can be made.	b

*Key to grades
A: Strong scientific evidence for this use;
B: Good scientific evidence for this use;
C: Unclear scientific evidence for this use;
D: Fair scientific evidence against this use;
F: Strong scientific evidence against this use.