Mercury
origin of autoimmune diseases
Research
information
Federal Ministry
of Education, Science, Research and Technology (BMBF)
Bonn,
08/07/1995 No.24/95
The etiology of
autoimmune diseases has so far remained largely unclear. A research joint
venture of 20 projects, promoted since 1990 with 13 million German Marks by the
Federal Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Technology brought new
insights.
Research
success:
Details on the
origin of autoimmune diseases for the first time
An estimated 5% of
all adults in Europe and the United States suffer from autoimmune diseases. The
clinical picture:
A disorder of the
immune system causes inflammation in various organs of the body. Once such a
condition has appeared, its existence is usually, with varying intensity,
granted for a lifetime. Such chronic inflammation may lead to the destruction
of the affected organs. Diseases triggered by autoimmune mechanisms include
such diverse types as diabetes, multiple sclerosis and rheumatic diseases.
The origin of the
mechanism of an autoimmune disease has so far been widely unknown. A research
joint venture of 20 projects, promoted since 1990 with 13 million German Marks
by the Federal Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Technology (BMBF)
brought new insights.
Disease
mechanism explored
The mechanisms of
disturbances of the immune system have so far been largely unknown.
A project of the
BMBF-promoted research network “Autoimmunity Research” discovered that heavy
metals as gold and mercury may trigger a disorder of the immune system:
A certain group of
white blood cells, the so called T lymphocytes, plays a key role in today´s
scientific awareness. Usually they function in combination with other immune
cells to protect the organism from invading bacteria and viruses. There are,
however, T lymphocytes that go “astray” and attack the body´s own cellular
structures. The healthy body eliminates many of these defective cells by a
self-destruction mechanism, or immobilizes them through other various control
mechanisms. Once an autoimmune disease has occurred, this is different:
Misguided T cells
become active and attack the body´s own tissues.
Large research
success
Whether it were
external factors or internal body processes that had triggered those attacks on
the 'self' - in most cases of autoimmune diseases this was only a matter of
assumption. It was also unclear which endogenous molecules were misguided by
the immune system. The observation that certain heavy metals are capable of
inducing an autoimmune disease is therefore godsend. Ernst Gleichmann and his
colleagues from the University in Düsseldorf, Germany, discovered in mice that
the treatment of an antigen with either gold salts or mercury salts alters the
immune response against this antigen. Antigens are foreign to the body. Without
administration of heavy metal salts the proper part of the antigen is attacked
by T cells - whereas after treatment with gold or mercury, the immune system
re-acts distorted. The immune system then, also attacks portions of the antigen
that are not supposed to be fought. The reason: Heavy metals induce a chemical
alteration of the antigen. T cells are no longer able to recognize the original
antigen. It is assumed that this mechanism is also responsible for the
emergence of autoimmune diseases.
The possibility
of new treatment strategy
Many drugs that
are used to treat rheumatism include gold salts as those exert a curative
effect on rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid inflammation as an unwanted side
effect occurs on 20 percent of the patients that are treated this way. This is
presumably a result of the described autoimmune mechanisms. However, other
available drugs for treatment of rheumatism are also associated with
significant side effects; alternative options for treatment are therefore
limited. But, due to these new insights researchers are now able to develop new
strategies for more effective treatment of autoimmune diseases.
Federal Ministry
of Education, Science, Research and Technology – Press department
Heinemannstraße 2,
53175 Bonn, Germany, Phone:00 49 228-57-2040/3037 Fax:Germany 0228-57-2548
Further info: Dr.
Richard Mitreiter, Promoter of “Work, Health, Environment” (AUG) of the BMBF
Südstraße 125,
53175 Bonn, Germany, Phone: 00 49 228 21-177 Fax:Germany 0228-3821-257
http://www.toxcenter.org/artikel/Autoimmunfax.php
Note:
Dental Amalgam is still being installed in Germany in the year of 2010!