Licorice that has the active ingredient of glycyrrhiza can have serious side effects. Another type of licorice, called DGL or deglycyrrhizinated licorice, doesn't seem to have the same side effects and is sometimes used to treat peptic ulcers, canker sores, and reflux (GERD).
Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) can be associated with systemic or autoimmune diseases. Vasculitides (leucocytoclastic, periarteritis nodosa, micropolyangeitis, Wegener's granulomatosis), relapsing polychondritis, and Sweet's syndrome are the most commonly reported.
As to why certain autoimmune diseases would be more common among patients with HIV/AIDS, the researchers noted that HIV proteins have been detected in macrophages within salivary glands, which could lead to damage in the glands and Sjogren's syndrome.