Can Germs Prevent Arthritis?
According to a theory from researchers who study our body’s natural defenses, by protecting ourselves from germs, we could be setting ourselves up for health problems. This “cleanliness theory” proposes that without germs to fight, the immune system may instead attack components that it’s supposed to protect. The result can be autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), lupus, multiple sclerosis (MS) or type 1 diabetes.
Increasing evidence suggests that germs can trigger autoimmune diseases. A recent study by researchers at Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City helped confirm a connection between the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and the development of lupus. Using blood samples taken periodically from United States military recruits who developed lupus later in life, the researchers identified the point at which those with lupus began to produce the self-destructive antibodies that targeted and damaged their own tissues. For many of them, the scientists found, the initial point was when they were infected with EBV.
Avoiding infections now could prime certain people for autoimmune diseases later, says Nora Sarvetnick, PhD, professor of research immunology at Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif., and an author of the paper describing the cleanliness theory, which appeared in the journal Cell.
People who have more infections in childhood may be less likely to develop autoimmune diseases as adults. In a recent study published in the Journal of Immunology, infection with certain bacteria prevented the development of an autoimmune disease similar to MS in mice predisposed to the disease.
Even older than the notion that infections are protective is the idea that infections may trigger certain diseases.
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