Environmental factors linked to development of autoimmune diseases

[Guest guest]

Here's a news article on the papers published in Nature that I posted

yesterday, linking autoimmune diseases with environmental toxins:

" Scientists working at the MRC National Institute for Medical Research

have shown that environmental factors can influence the development of

autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis.

A team led by Dr Brigitta Stockinger has identified a molecular

mechanism that links a wide range of environmental factors to the

autoimmune reactions in which immune system cells attack body tissue.

The results are published online in Nature..... "

http://www.mrc.ac.uk/NewsViewsAndEvents/News/MRC004475

I've mentioned before that the pro-inflammatory Th17 cells which

promote autoimmunity and inflammation, are suppressed by a vitamin A

metabolite (retinoic acid):

Mucida D, Park Y, Kim G, Turovskaya O, I, Kronenberg M, Cheroutre

H (2007) Reciprocal TH17 and regulatory T cell differentiation mediated

by retinoic acid. Science 317: 256-260.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17569825

So it would be interesting to see if vitamin A deficiency further

accelerates the development of autoimmune disease caused by exposure to

environmental toxins.

Dave

(father of (22); PSC 07/03; UC 08/03)