Autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis are those in which the immune system attacks the body. A new study published in the scientific journal Autoimmunity Reviews by Prof. Yehuda Shoenfeld, from Tel Aviv University’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine , points to the fact that obesity plays a major role in triggering and prolonging autoimmune disease.
It appears that obesity leads to a loss of the body’s “self-tolerance”, which prevents the kind of immune response which the body produces against a foreign invader and instead attacks the body itself. Obesity creates an environment in which autoimmune diseases can be triggered and then prolonged- obesity generates a pro-inflammatory environment which promotes the underlying condition and prevents improvement.
“We’ve been aware of a long list of causes of autoimmune disorders — infections, smoking, pesticides, lack of vitamins, and so forth. But in last five years, a new factor has emerged that cannot be ignored: obesity,” said Prof. Shoenfeld. “According to the World Health Organization, approximately 35% of the global community is overweight or obese, and more than ten autoimmune diseases are known to be associated with increased weight. So it’s critical to investigate obesity’s involvement in the pathology of such diseases.”
329 studies were reviewed in coming up with the conclusions in this study which were that substances called adipokines which are secreted by fat cells seem involved in the process of this loss of self tolerance and leads to the development of autoimmune diseases such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, psoriasis, Crohn’s disease and other autoimmune diseases.
“According to our study and the clinical and experimental data reviewed, the involvement of adipokines in the pathogenesis of these autoimmune diseases is clear,” said Prof. Shoenfeld. “We were able to detail the metabolic and immunological activities of the main adipokines featured in the development and prognosis of several immune-related conditions.”
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