Slipping through the Cracks: Linking Low Immune Function and Intestinal Bacterial Imbalance to the Etiology of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Autoimmune diseases (ADs) are considered to be caused by the host immune system which attacks and destroys its own tissue by mistake. A widely accepted hypothesis to explain the pathogenic mechanism of ADs is “molecular mimicry,” which states that antibodies against an infectious agent cross-react w...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Autoimmune Diseases 2015-01, Vol.2015 (2015), p.58-69
Main Authors: Terato, Kuniaki, Shionoya, Hiroshi, Do, Christopher T.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antibodies
Antigens
Autoantigens
Autoimmune diseases
Bacteria
Care and treatment
Development and progression
Diabetes
Epitopes
Etiology
Females
Gastrointestinal tract
Gender
Health aspects
Hypotheses
Immune response
Immune system
Immunoglobulins
Inflammation
Intestine
Microbiota (Symbiotic organisms)
Mimicry
Mucosal immunity
Observations
Pathogenesis
Pathogens
Permeability
Pneumonia
Proteins
Review
Rheumatoid arthritis
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Summary:Autoimmune diseases (ADs) are considered to be caused by the host immune system which attacks and destroys its own tissue by mistake. A widely accepted hypothesis to explain the pathogenic mechanism of ADs is “molecular mimicry,” which states that antibodies against an infectious agent cross-react with a self-antigen sharing an identical or similar antigenic epitope. However, this hypothesis was most likely established based on misleading antibody assay data largely influenced by intense false positive reactions involved in immunoassay systems. Thus reinvestigation of this hypothesis using an appropriate blocking agent capable of eliminating all types of nonspecific reactions and proper assay design is strongly encouraged. In this review, we discuss the possibility that low immune function may be the fundamental, common defect in ADs, which increases the susceptibility to potential disease causative pathogens located in the gastrointestinal tract (GI), such as bacteria and their components or dietary components. In addition to these exogenous agents, aberrations in the host’s physical condition may disrupt the host defense system, which is tightly orchestrated by “immune function,” “mucosal barrier function,” and “intestinal bacterial balance.” These disturbances may initiate a downward spiral, which can lead to chronic health problems that will evolve to an autoimmune disorder.
ISSN:2090-0430
2090-0422
2090-0430
DOI:10.1155/2015/636207