Can infectious diseases cause autoimmune conditions?

Autoimmune occurs when the immune system or the immune system that is tasked with protecting the body from infection attacks instead attacks healthy organs and cells in the body. The cause itself is not known for sure, but researchers have found strong links to genetic factors, such as lupus and disease multiple sclerosis . There are also claims that infection with germs (pathogens), such as viruses and bacteria, can cause an autoimmune response. Is it true?

What is autoimmune?

When germs begin to multiply in the body, the immune system will react against the infection. However, when you have an autoimmune disease, the body's immune system is actually no longer functioning properly.

The immune system can no longer distinguish between healthy cells and harmful cells, such as viruses and bacteria. As a result, the body's immune system will produce antibodies called auto anitibodies which cause systemic damage to healthy cells and organs in the body.

How do infectious diseases cause autoimmunity?

From various studies conducted to date, it is known that infectious diseases can trigger autoimmune responses.

As autoimmune specialist Ana-Maria Orbai explains, when fighting pathogenic infections, the immune system's response sometimes overreacts. Excessive means also attacking healthy cells. This response has led to a number of health problems.

Even so, certain autoimmune diseases are not caused by a single bacterial infection. From existing findings, autoimmune conditions are formed as a result of a number of bacterial or viral infections that can occur simultaneously (co-infection) or at different times.

On the study entitled The Role of Infection in Autoimune Diseases , it has been suggested that some infections of certain pathogens can specifically cause an autoimmune response.

Epstein Barr virus infection and measles, for example, might trigger it multiple sclerosis . Other autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis or better known as rheumatism can also occur due to infection with the hepatitis B virus and bacteria Escherichia coli.

Maria Orbai added, in some cases, autoimmune responses such as psoriasis (inflammation that causes scaly skin) are also shown after a person is infected with the streptococcus bacteria that causes strep throat .

Factors other than infection that can cause autoimmunity

The theory that explains the connection of infection that causes autoimmunity also does not actually explain why autoimmune responses only appear in certain parts of the body. However, several factors other than infection may provide a more complete explanation of why an autoimmune response occurs.

Genetic

Of course, not everyone who becomes infected with the pathogen develops an autoimmune response. An infection that can cause autoimmunity is also influenced by other preceding factors, for example autoimmune genetics. Having a family member who has an autoimmune disease, such as lupus, increases a person's risk of developing the disease.

Immune system reaction against cancer cells

Scleroderma is an autoimmune disease that causes thickening of the skin and surrounding tissues. This condition is thought to be caused by a reaction by the immune system against cancer cells. The immune system response causes inflammation that causes scleroderma.

Injury to muscle tendons

The next condition besides infection that can cause autoimmunity is the presence of cell damage caused by injury to the muscle. In the case of psoriasis arthritis, an autoimmune response occurs when there is damage to the tendons caused by pressure due to excessive movement.

Tendons or muscle tendons themselves are connective tissue that attach muscles to bones. The pressure causes the tendon to come into contact with the blood vessels, causing injury. When the blood vessels try to heal the wound, an autoimmune response occurs that causes inflammation of the tendon.