The prevalence of autoimmune diseases continues to rise. The risk of celiac disease, type one diabetes, and autism have reached one in a hundred. What is happening?
We know that families can carry genetic dispositions for developing autoimmune diseases. The HLA gene is a risk factor for celiac disease but is not required for the development of the disease. The HLA gene is however a clue. HLAs are in essence the mailboxes for our Tcells to look for viral infections inside of cells. Seems logical to suspect a viral infection is involved in celiac disease.
We know that celiac patients tend to have a history of bladder infections so we could also suspect a bacterial infection. However when patients are examined the infection is often not present which suggests that these infection may merely be the triggers.
By definition an autoimmune disease is when the immune system attacks the patient's own body. How would the immune system confuse either of these infections with self? How are these infections triggers?
Cross-targeting. Two infections targeting one place.
My hypothesis is that cross-targeting occurs for all autoimmune diseases. This blog is dedicated to examining each autoimmune disease with their suspected infections and seeing if the pattern of cross-targeting exists.
We know that families can carry genetic dispositions for developing autoimmune diseases. The HLA gene is a risk factor for celiac disease but is not required for the development of the disease. The HLA gene is however a clue. HLAs are in essence the mailboxes for our Tcells to look for viral infections inside of cells. Seems logical to suspect a viral infection is involved in celiac disease.
We know that celiac patients tend to have a history of bladder infections so we could also suspect a bacterial infection. However when patients are examined the infection is often not present which suggests that these infection may merely be the triggers.
By definition an autoimmune disease is when the immune system attacks the patient's own body. How would the immune system confuse either of these infections with self? How are these infections triggers?
Cross-targeting. Two infections targeting one place.
My hypothesis is that cross-targeting occurs for all autoimmune diseases. This blog is dedicated to examining each autoimmune disease with their suspected infections and seeing if the pattern of cross-targeting exists.
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