I have been following research on HSV and immunity and autoimmune diseases for awhile because I believe the immune system is the common thread we all have. Many of us have autoimmune disease or it runs in our family. I have seen articles and studies linking HSV to Autoimmune disease, such as Alzheimer's (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110404122203.htm), MS (http://multiple-sclerosis-research.blogspot.com/2012/08/research-herpes-virus-and-trigger-of-ms.html) and some others. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21997935 Infectious diseases and autoimmunity Abstract INTRODUCTION: Autoimmunity occurs when the immune system recognizes and attacks host tissue. In addition to genetic factors, environmental triggers (in particular viruses, bacteria and other infectious pathogens) are thought to play a major role in the development of autoimmune diseases. METHODOLOGY: We searched PubMed, Cochrane, and Scopus without time limits for relevant articles. RESULTS: In this review, we (i) describe the ways in which an infectious agent can initiate or exacerbate autoimmunity; (ii) discuss the evidence linking certain infectious agents to autoimmune diseases in humans; and (iii) describe the animal models used to study the link between infection and autoimmunity. CONCLUSIONS: Besides genetic predisposition to autoimmunity, viral and bacterial infections are known to be involved in the initiation and promotion of autoimmune diseases. These studies suggest that pathogens can trigger autoimmunity through molecular mimicry and their adjuvant effects during initiation of disease, and can promote autoimmune responses through bystander activation or epitope spreading via inflammation and/or superantigens.
I'm with you. Remember, though, that autoimmunity and dysfunctional immunity are two different things--although they're not mutually exclusive. I have both. This is the newest and most promising avenue in Meniere's research, IMO. Bless all, Ron
