Pesticides doc. to commonly cause AI Conditions-Lupus, Systemic Sclerosis, RA, etc.

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Subject: pesticides & Autoimmune Conditions(Lupus, Scleroderma, RA)

Studies have found pesticides or occupational exposure to pesticides or

herbicides to be a factor in autoimmune conditions such as lupus(151abcdeh),

scleroderma(151f), and rheumatoid arthritis(151b) as well as death from

autoimmune conditions(151d). Studies have found more specific associations with

organophosphate pesticides(151) and pyrethrins(151h). A large occupational

health study found that those exposed to mercury or pesticides occupationally

had a significantly higher likelihood of having the autoimmune condition, lupus

(SLE) (151a). This was especially true for dental workers. In a study of more

than 75,000 women, those who used insecticides six or more times a year had

nearly two-and-a-half times the risk of developing the autoimmune diseases such

as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis than women who adopted a live-and-let-live

attitude toward bugs. Similarly, the risk more than doubled if bug sprays were

used in the home for 20 or more years. Hiring a gardener or commercial company

to apply insecticides also resulted in a doubling of risk, but only if they were

used long-term(151c). Experimental studies(151b) suggest two different effects

of these exposures: an enhanced proinflammatory (TH1) response (e.g., TNF-alpha

and IL-1 cytokine production with T cell activation), and increased apoptosis of

lymphocytes leading to exposure to or modification of endogenous proteins and

subsequent autoantibody formation. The former is a general mechanism that may be

relevant across a spectrum of autoimmune diseases, whereas the latter may be a

mechanism more specific to particular diseases such as lupus. Treatment with the

organochlorine pesticide chlordecone, methoxychlor, or o,p

-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (o,p -DDT) significantly decreased the time to

onset of renal impairment in autoimmune susceptible mice, as did treatment with

17ss-estradiol used as a positive control. There was also dose-related early

appearance of elevated anti-double-strand DNA autoantibody titers that

corresponded with subsequent development of glomerulonephritis(151g).

Ref: see (151) in www.flcv.com/pesticid.html