A new study has shown that women may develop an increased risk for one autoimmune disease when exposed to UV exposure. The sun could bring on a form of dermatomyositis, which causes a rash and even weakens the muscles.

Autoimmune diseases in general are more common in women, but this new finding is the first to link sun exposure to the develop of this type of disease in women. The research also found that men did not seem to develop autoimmune diseases as a result of the same sun exposure.
Image: sxc.hu.

Researchers have discovered that children who get autism often have a family history of autoimmune disease, such as Type 1 diabetes, celiac disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. Autoimmune disease occurs when antibodies attack the body, rather than the infections in the body.

While this new information is another piece of the puzzle, it doesn’t define the causes of autism. However, medical professionals speculate that “it’s possible babies are affected by their mother’s antibodies while in the womb.”
As a Type 1 diabetic myself, I can’t help but wonder whether this information could also add to that of diabetic research. After …read more

Soon, green tea is going to be a panacea for all diseases, I think. Because of its epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) content, green tea has been demonstrated to have potentials in preventing or treating autoimmune diseases, HIV infection, cancer, and others.
A new study also suggests that EGCG may also provide therapeutic benefits to people with rheumatoid arthritis.
The researchers looked at whether the green tea compound has the capability to block the activity of two potent molecules, IL-6 and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), which also are actively involved in causing bone erosion in the joints of people with rheumatoid arthritis.
[In untreated cells], a sequence …read more

Results from an animal trial suggest that green tea may help prevent autoimmune diseases such as Sjogren’s Syndrome, a chronic disease in which white blood cells attack the moisture-producing glands that produce tears and saliva.
Researchers studied the salivary glands of the water-consuming group and a green tea extract-consuming group to look for inflammation and the number of lymphocytes, a type of white blood cells that gather at sites of inflammation to fend off foreign cells.
The group treated with green tea had significantly fewer lymphocytes, Dr. Hsu says. Their blood also showed lower levels of autoantibodies, …read more