Factors from Common Human Bacteria might set off Multiple Sclerosis

vIndianz.com (24 Nov, 2009) — Present study suggests that a widespread oral bacterium may exacerbate autoimmune disease. Multiple sclerosis (MS), a disease where the immune system attacks the brain and spinal cord, affects nearly 1 in 700 people in the United States. Patients with multiple sclerosis have a diversity of neurological symptoms, including muscle weakness, difficulty in moving, and difficulty in speech.

Porphyromas gingivalis, an ordinary oral bacterium in humans, produces an exclusive type of lipid, phosphorylated dihydroceramides (DHCs), which improve inflammatory responses. These lipids are also probably produced by bacteria found in other parts of the body including the gastrointestinal tract. To decide if these lipids accentuate immune-mediated injure in autoimmune disease, researchers led by Robert B. Clark and Frank C. Nichols of the University Of Connecticut Health Center administered phosphorylated DHCs in a mouse model of MS. The severity of ailment was considerably improved by the adding of these lipids in a way that was dependent on commencement of the immune system. These data propose that phosphorylated DHCs from bacteria usually found in humans might set off or boost the severity of autoimmune diseases for example multiple sclerosis.

The authors affirm that “even as it is clear that the immune system in most individuals has the prospective to attack self-tissues, the “tipping” factors that start and spread autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis in just a subset of individuals stay anonymous. Largely, [their] results correspond to the first explanation that phosphorylated DHCs derived from common human bacteria are capable of enhancing autoimmune disease.” Thus, these lipids might function as “tipping” factors, playing a formerly unrecognized role in initiating or exacerbating human autoimmune diseases. In upcoming studies, Dr. Clark and colleagues plan to exemplify the effects of phosphorylated DHCs on definite cells of the immune system and to recognize how and where these lipids are deposited in tissues throughout the body. In addition to the role of these lipids in triggering and worsening MS, the authors believe that phosphorylated DHCs may have the potential to serve both as new markers of MS disease activity and as new targets for therapeutic intervention.

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Factors from Common Human Bacteria might set off Multiple Sclerosis

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