Instructor: Datis Kharrazian, PhD, DHSc, DC, MS, MMSc, DACNB, DACBN, FACN

Location: On Demand Video

Credit Available: 12 hours with successful completion of 2 exams. See complete credit information HERE.

Course Description

This course will provide an extensive literature review of autoimmunity. An evidence-based model incorporating diet, nutrition, and lifestyle medicine will be presented. Clinical applications of cross-reactivity, oral tolerance, microbiome diversity, and immune modulation will be highlighted.

Learning Objectives

  1. A basic review of immunology
  2. Review the fundamental concepts of autoimmunity
  3. Review the scientific literature for nutrients, dietary approaches, and lifestyle factors that impact autoimmune diseases
  4. Understand T-cell, B-cell, and antibody laboratory testing
  5. Learn clinical history and physical examination findings found with autoimmunity
  6. Learn a clinical approach to managing autoimmunity with a functional medicine model

Autoimmunity Clinical Strategies and Treatment Applications

On Demand Course Schedule

PART 1

Session 1 (90 minutes): Review of basic immunology and autoimmunity

  • The role of cell-mediated and humoral immunity
  • The complement system
  • The role of antibodies
  • The role of the intestinal and blood-brain barriers

Session 2 (90 minutes): Fundamental concepts of autoimmunity

  • Molecular mimicry/cross-reactivity
  • Agglutination
  • Citrullination
  • Haptenation
  • Immunological tolerance

Session 3 (90 minutes): Dietary proteins and autoimmunity

  • Principals of cross-reactivity including amino acid sequence homology and topographical antibody binding homogeneity
  • Dietary proteins, antigens, and chemicals that bind cross-reactive with target proteins
  • How to develop the appropriate diet for autoimmune disease

Session 4 (60 minutes): Infections and autoimmunity

  • Principals of antigen cross-reactivity
  • Clinical strategies with autoimmunity and infections

Session 5 (15 minutes): Review of Part 1 

Session 6 (15 minutes): Questions and Answers

PART 2

Session 7 (90 minutes): Environmental and lifestyle triggers for autoimmunity

  • Chemical triggers for autoimmunity
  • Lifestyle triggers for autoimmunity
  • Clinical strategies to manage environmental and lifestyle triggers for autoimmunity

Session 8 (90 minutes): How to perform a comprehensive evaluation of patients suffering from autoimmunity

  • Key principals of conducting a medical history and physical examination for autoimmunity
  • How to evaluate autoimmune laboratory tests

Session 9 (90 minutes): How to clinically manage patients suffering from autoimmunity

  • How to develop a dietary, nutritional, and lifestyle strategy for patients suffering from autoimmunity.
  • How to develop realistic clinical outcomes

Session 10 (60 minutes):  Autoimmunity Case Study

  • Clinical principals learned from case studies

Session 11 (15 minutes): Review of Part 2

Session 12 (15 minutes): Questions and Answers