Autoimmunity

[Claire]

This entire site is very good. I have just used this excerpt for a teaser. Claire

AUTOIMMUNITY

 

Autoimmune diseases are strongly associated with wheat gluten -- Celiac Disease is just one of many such autoimmune diseases.  Roughly 10%-30% of general autoimmune patients are also classic Celiacs.  As much as a third of autoimmune patients have anti-gliadin antibodies detected in their blood.  4 out of 5 autoimmune patients have anti-gliadin antibodies detected in their stool.

 

One hypothesis for the association between autoimmune diseases and gluten intolerance is that the continuous presence offending proteins, an infection that never goes away, causes the immune system to become over sensitive and over aggressive.  The spectrum of symptoms of untreated gluten intolerance is similar to the spectrum of symptoms associated with cancers and transplanted organ rejection.

 

Another hypothesis: In a normal immune reaction, the main cells destroyed would be virus and bacteria.  But if a never ending continuously damages the body's own tissue, then the body has to deal with the damage cell tissue that remains.  This damaged "self" tissue may well be the actual target of the organ specific antibodies associated with autoimmune diseases, rather than the undamaged "self" tissue of healthy organs.

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[jerseyangel]

Claire--As usual, you provide us with interesting reading--thanks

[jenvan]

interesting looking site...will look over, thanks claire!