Autoimmune Disease: A Case Of Mistaken Identity
In 2010, a UK teacher gave the wrong twin detention for not finishing his homework—to the giggling delight of the offending brother.
Sharing the exact same DNA has its perks. And sometimes, it leads to hilarious situations.
In a gesture of girl power, an Australian woman proposed to her beloved of several years. Only he wasn’t the right guy. She proposed to the wrong twin!
Cases of mistaken identity happen all the time. They happen in sitcoms and movies. They can even happen in our bodies.
In this post, we talk of the biological face of mistaken identity—that of autoimmune diseases.
The Immune System: Works Like A Charm
The Immune System is the body’s defense force—a network of cells and organs, whose job it is to protect the body from infectious diseases.
The immune system performs roles like the following:
Phagocytosis—When bacteria and viruses enter the body, “patrolling” white blood cells detect these “foreign invaders” and immediately destroy them. The white blood cell membranes extend to engulf the foreign cells. Once surrounded, enzymes are released to digest or break down the intruder cell.
“Phagocytosis” comes from the Greek “phago,” which means “to devour”—which is pretty much what happens here.
Antibody Production—Antibodies are special proteins that bind on the surface of bacteria and viruses. The bonded proteins then become specific “red flags” for other immune system cells so they’ll be able to recognize and act on the invaders.
Complement Activation—Through a series of chemical reactions, a special group of proteins can be activated to help protect the body. They have a variety of roles, like poking holes in the membranes of viruses, coordinating phagocytes, or facilitating an inflammatory response.
Inflammation—We’ve all experienced that red, warm, and painful swelling in an infected part of our body. That’s an inflammation, and it occurs when the immune system is busy working at a local site. The area swells because there is an increased number of immune cells concentrated in one area.
These are just some of the duties performed by the immune system. Ordinarily, the whole thing works like a charm. It’s a well-coordinated act.
The immune system even has a “memory” and remembers viruses and diseases it has dealt with before. It “remembers” how to fight a specific virus—which is what immunity is all about. If you’ve had mumps, measles, or chickenpox before, you become largely immune from them later in life because your immune system has learned how to handle these diseases.
What Are Autoimmune Diseases?
Autoimmune diseases are an interesting lot because the culprit doesn’t come from outside the body. It is, in fact, the immune system itself. This is when the good guys turn bad.
And there’s the rub. You are attacking you.
The body’s defenses mistake healthy cells and tissues as invaders and try to attack them.
Autoimmune diseases are cases of mistaken identity. And you are the unfortunate victim.
There are around 80 different autoimmune diseases, which affect 4% of the world’s population.
The most common ones are:
Rheumatoid arthritis—a chronic disease causing the painful inflammation of joints and surrounding tissues.
Lupus—a chronic disease that attacks different organ systems as a result of white blood cells not functioning properly.
Type 1 Diabetes—what happens when immune cells attack the insulin-producing pancreas.
Multiple sclerosis—a chronic condition affecting the brain and spinal cord.
Hashimoto's thyroiditis—an autoimmune disease of the thyroid gland.
Myasthenia gravis—a disease affecting muscle movement and control.
Psoriasis—a chronic condition that leads to red, scaly patches on the skin.
Scleroderma—another chronic skin condition caused by the hardening and thickening of the skin and connective tissues.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)—is an autoimmune condition of the digestive tract.
Sjogren's syndrome—an autoimmune condition of the tear glands and salivary glands.
You may have noticed, no organ system is safe. Immune cells can attack everything—the kidney, brain, lungs, heart, muscles, blood vessels, glands, joints, skin, etc.—the very organs they are sworn to protect.
Autoimmune diseases attack women 3x more than men and have been considered a public health issue in countries like the United States, where around 50 million women are living with the condition.
And researchers have pointed out how these types of diseases go together. For example, they’ve found that people with rheumatoid arthritis have a greater chance of also having Hashimoto's thyroiditis or Grave’s disease. In 25% of the cases, patients suffer from more than one autoimmune condition.
Why Do They Happen?
The short and honest answer is: We don’t know.
We are a long way from understanding why immune cells go awry and create all sorts of damage to the body. But we are slowly filling in the missing pieces and know a thing or two about autoimmune conditions. While we can’t concretely map the development of these diseases, we do know that they can be caused by the interaction of several factors:
#1 Genetics
Autoimmune diseases have a genetic component and tend to run in families. Although these conditions can develop even with no traceable family history, a family member with an autoimmune condition increases an individual’s risk of developing one as well.
For example, lupus has been found to strike members of the same family. If one twin develops lupus, the other twin, who shares the same DNA, has a high likelihood of developing it as well. Similar findings were reached for rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis.
Yes, having the exact same DNA may have its perks, (like a twin escaping detention)…but not always.
Bolstering the genetic argument is the finding that lupus, for example, has been observed to disproportionately strike specific populations: Asian, African, and Latino groups.
But that doesn’t mean autoimmune diseases are all solely about genetics. There are other factors at play here.
#2 Environmental Triggers
The environment—factors coming from outside the body—can directly or indirectly trigger autoimmune responses.
Studies are zeroing in on the detrimental effect of toxins and man-made chemicals on the human body.
For example, exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) is linked to certain immunological mechanisms that would lead to autoimmune conditions.
That’s not good news because the chemical is ubiquitous in consumer products. Until of late, BPA, a known endocrine disruptor, is used in food and drink packaging, water bottles, and electronic devices. Ninety percent (90%) of Americans have detectable levels of it in their urine.
There are also links between asbestos exposure and autoimmunity. The chemical has been implicated in diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, systemic sclerosis, and systemic lupus erythematosus.
Trichloroethylene (TCE), an industrial solvent, is also linked to strange immune system behaviors. In experiments, exposed mice have been observed to produce abnormal white blood cells.
Scientists alluded to the harm occupational exposure to the solvent could bring.
And by the way, TCE is a known carcinogenic, neurotoxic, hepatotoxic, and nephrotoxic.
In addition to these known toxic chemicals, one’s own medications, in various complex interactions, can cause immune problems.
#3 Lifestyle
In addition to these chemical shocks, an individual’s lifestyle and daily habits can increase the risk of developing conditions:
Smoking—No good news has ever come from smoking. Not only is it a carcinogenic habit, but it’s been also found to trigger immune system abnormalities. Smoking has been linked to rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, and other autoimmune diseases.
Obesity—Obesity has been implicated in triggering autoimmune diseases. At least 10 of them. Excess fat leads to the production of adipokines—compounds that are pro-inflammatory and disrupt the normal functioning of the immune system. This is just one more reason to watch your diet and exercise.
Infections—Your medical history can seriously impact your medical future. Certain infections are known to be harbingers of autoimmunity. For example, Group A Streptococcus bacteria could trigger autoimmune diseases that target the heart, joints, and brain. Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) on the other hand could lead to systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and Sjogren’s syndrome. The jury’s still out, but COVID-19 infections have been linked to Guillain-Barre syndrome, antiphospholipid syndrome, and lupus.
Stress—In retrospective studies, as high as 80% of patients recalled significant, uncommon emotional stress before the onset of an autoimmune condition—clueing researchers as to the triggers of their pathology. Chronic stress can majorly disrupt the finely-tuned interactions of the immune system. And considering that around half of these diseases have no known trigger factors, stress might be the culprit in many of these cases.
Now, why are we talking about autoimmune conditions? It is because this category of disease is on the rise.
With their serious trajectory, autoimmune diseases are rapidly becoming a public health concern. We at BloodWorks Lab have observed an increase in the number of patients needing autoimmune tests. As your partner in health and well-being, BloodWorks wants to create awareness of autoimmune diseases, and promote ways to lower the risk.
A healthy lifestyle—a proper diet, exercise, and sleep—is one of the best habits we can adopt for the rest of the year. Keep stress at bay, and you and your family might just have dodged something more serious down the road.
Autoimmune conditions are no joke and we need to do everything we can to minimize them. So remember the “triggers” mentioned above and avoid them. Just a little reminder from us at BloodWorks.
BloodWorks Lab is your one-stop shop for all your blood test needs. In addition to the standard medical tests and screenings. We are also the first in the country to offer the Anti Acetylcholine Receptor (lgG) Antibody Test and the Anti N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor (Anti NMDA Receptor) Antibody Test.
Book your appointment today.
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