Similar to many complex autoimmune diseases, genetic and environmental factors including diet, infection and xenobiotics play a critical role in the development of autism. In this study, we postulated that infectious agent antigens such as streptokinase, dietary...
Silicone Breast Implants and Autoimmunity: Causation or Myth?
In vivo and in vitro studies, case reports and population studies show that: (1) silicone is immunogenic; (2) silicone is biodegradable and transported via the reticuloendothelial system to distant locations; (3) silicone breast implants "leak" and in turn silicone...
Regulatory T Cells, a Potent Immunoregulatory Target for CAM Researchers: Modulating Tumor Immunity, Autoimmunity and Alloreactive Immunity (III)
Regulatory T (T(reg)) cells are the major arbiter of immune responses, mediating actions through the suppression of inflammatory and destructive immune reactions. Inappropriate T(reg) cell frequency or functionality potentiates the pathogenesis of myriad diseases with...
Infectious agents and autoimmunity in acute coronary atherothrombosis
Our understanding of the pathogenesis of the acute thrombotic complications of the atherosclerosis has burgeoned in recent years. We now understand that many acute thrombotic coronary occlusions do not necessarily result from critically stenosed sites in the arteries....
Molecular mimicry as a mechanism for food immune reactivities and autoimmunity
The mucosal immune system is constantly exposed to challenges from the antigenic substances found in food and released from the body's own microbial flora. The body's normal tolerance to friendly antigenic substances can be disrupted by a number of factors, such as...
A Potential Link between Environmental Triggers and Autoimmunity
Abstract Autoimmune diseases have registered an alarming rise worldwide in recent years. Accumulated evidence indicates that the immune system's ability to distinguish self from nonself is negatively impacted by genetic factors and environmental triggers. Genetics is...