(19-12-14) Autoimmunity and the Gut

Review Article
Andrew W. Campbell
The Wellness Center, 23144 Emerson Way, Land O Lakes, FL 34639, USA
Received 31 December 2013; Accepted 11 February 2014; Published 13 May 2014
Academic Editor: Aristo Vojdani
Copyright © 2014 Andrew W. Campbell. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract

Autoimmune diseases have registered an alarming increase worldwide since the end of the Second World War. This pandemic includes more than 80 autoimmune disorders and increases in both the incidence and prevalence of autoimmune disorders such as Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and type I diabetes [1, 2]. In the United States, it is far more commonly found in women and is one of the top 10 leading causes of death in female children and women of all age groups. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates that 23.5 million Americans have an autoimmune disease. In contrast, cancer affects 13 million Americans. Symptoms involve many medical specialties and can affect all body organs (http://www.aarda.org/autoimmune-information-statistics/).
Genetic predisposition, environmental factors (including infections), and gut dysbiosis play major roles in the development of autoimmune diseases (Figure 1). Autoimmunity develops over time, and preclinical autoimmunity precedes clinical disease by many years and can be detected in the peripheral blood in the form of circulating autoantibodies [3]. Initially, symptoms of autoimmune disorders are vague and include fatigue, low-grade fever, muscle and joint aches, and malaise. They usually progress and become debilitating with significant morbidity. Patients are often seen by physicians only after their disease process has become symptomatic, clouding the understanding of the early events leading to disease. The clinician familiar with triggers for autoimmunity can order the right combination of laboratory analyses necessary to elucidate the type and stage of the patient’s autoimmune reaction. This in some cases may help the clinician initiate preventive therapies aimed at removing the offending triggers and thereby reverse the progression of the autoimmune disorder with the possibility of eliminating the autoimmune disease.



Conclusion
Factors such as genetics, the environment, infections, and the gut microbiota all play a role in the mediation of autoimmune disorders. There have been tremendous recent advances in our understanding of the interplay of these factors. It is clear that the gut microbiota has a profound and long-term effect starting at birth on the host immune system. It is also evident that it plays a significant role in autoimmune diseases both inside and outside the gut. There are still questions that remain to be answered: does the immune system shape the gut microbiota or vice-versa? This complex and dynamic symbiosis needs further elucidation and may help in determining the outcome of autoimmune diseases in patients. The clinician can assist the patient by being aware of the triggers of autoimmune disorders and monitoring immune and autoimmune markers in the peripheral blood, thereby being able to take preventive measures to hopefully avert the progression towards an autoimmune disease.


Source: Autoimmune Diseases
Volume 2014 (2014), Article ID 152428, 12 pages
http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/152428

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