The myth of autoimmunity
1Infectious Diseases Incorporated, University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, Bellevue, NE, United States.
Medical Hypotheses
|November 7, 2018
Summary
This study challenges the autoimmune basis of diseases like Crohn's disease and Type 1 diabetes mellitus. It proposes a new mechanism for immune-mediated diseases, shifting focus from cure to understanding underlying causes.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Pathogenesis of Immune-Mediated Diseases
Background:
- Over one hundred diseases are alleged to be autoimmune.
- Two subgroups exist: temporary symptom reversal via immune response disruption, and antibody presence against target organs.
- Current focus on cure for autoimmune diseases may stem from a misunderstanding of their causation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To re-evaluate the autoimmune causation claims for diseases like Crohn's disease and Type 1 diabetes mellitus.
- To identify and propose alternative pathogenic mechanisms for these conditions.
- To encourage a broader rethinking of autoimmune disease pathogenesis.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of existing data for Crohn's disease and Type 1 diabetes mellitus.
- Identification of specific immune response mechanisms.
- Comparative analysis of disease subgroups.
Main Results:
- Evidence refutes the autoimmune causation for Crohn's disease and Type 1 diabetes mellitus.
- A specific mechanism involving a dysfunctional immune response to certain antigens/agents has been identified in Crohn's disease.
- This mechanism offers a new perspective on the pathogenesis of classic autoimmune diseases.
Conclusions:
- The traditional view of autoimmunity as the sole cause of certain diseases needs re-examination.
- Crohn's disease pathogenesis involves a dysfunctional immune response, not a classic autoimmune attack.
- This finding necessitates a paradigm shift in understanding and potentially treating immune-mediated diseases.
