Is fungal foot infection the initiating and maintaining cause of knee osteoarthritis?

Summary So far fungal foot infection (FFI) has been considered as troubling, however, not dangerous, by the general public as well as doctors. Nevertheless, new immunology information and anatomy dispositions led us to the distinct suspicions. We propose a FFI–induced knee joint osteoarthritis (OA)...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Mycoses 2013-11, Vol.56 (6), p.631-637
Main Author: Renc, Arnost
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
arthritis
Autoimmune Diseases - etiology
Autoimmune Diseases - immunology
Collagen
Computer Simulation
Dermatomycoses - complications
Dermatomycoses - immunology
Dermatomycoses - microbiology
Dermatomycosis
Extracellular Matrix Proteins - immunology
Foot Diseases - complications
Foot Diseases - immunology
Foot Diseases - microbiology
Humans
Osteoarthritis, Knee - etiology
Osteoarthritis, Knee - immunology
pathogenesis
Trichophyton - immunology
Trichophyton rubrum
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Summary:Summary So far fungal foot infection (FFI) has been considered as troubling, however, not dangerous, by the general public as well as doctors. Nevertheless, new immunology information and anatomy dispositions led us to the distinct suspicions. We propose a FFI–induced knee joint osteoarthritis (OA) model. We suppose repeated recurrences of fungal foot disease to be the initiating immunology impulse. The aim of the work is to introduce a new model and to determine antigen epitopes initiating and maintaining the knee OA using computer simulation. Freely accessible immunological databases and servers were used in this search. Presentable antigen epitopes in Trichophyton rubrum dermatophyte products were identified for molecules of the six most abundant alleles of DRB1 locus of human major histocompatibility complex. Subsequently, similar sequences in human joint peptides (collagens, aggrecan and others) were matched to these antigen epitopes by a comparative program. A number of pairs with very similar fungal and joint peptide sequences, supposed to initiate and maintain the knee OA antigen epitopes, were found. A FFI‐induced knee joint OA model is shown to the medical community which can initiate further discussion, research and practical verification.
ISSN:0933-7407
1439-0507
DOI:10.1111/myc.12080