A thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy concluded that a flaw in one of the immune system's enzymes determines the degree of the severity of autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS) and Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS).
These new findings can explain the way that this enzyme deficiency can be diagnosed and also why these diseases can vary so much.
The immune system is based on white blood cells, that play a vital role in fighting against pathogens.
The white blood cells contain an enzyme that transforms oxygen into reactive oxygen radicals – which break down microorganisms and stop infections, called NADPH oxidase.
These new studies have used animal models to show that an inadequate production of oxygen radicals can favor the development of autoimmune diseases, as the patient's immune system would attack itself.
The body has an ability of producing reactive oxygen radicals at an early stage in the immune defense against pathogens, and this has a serious impact on the way that these illnesses develop.
Natalia Mossberg, doctoral student at the Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology at the Sahlgrenska Academy, said that “a strong but controlled production of oxygen radicals by the immune system is important for subduing illnesses such as MS and GBS.”
These are the two autoimmune diseases that were covered by this thesis, as they can vary from insignificant to life-threatening, and their mechanism needed to be revealed.
Mossberg says that they “wanted to look at this in humans, and examined the NADPH oxidase in the white blood cells of patients with MS, GBS and recurring GBS (RGBS).
“The results show that patients with more severe forms of the illness have lower levels of oxygen radical production in their white blood cells as a result of deficient NADPH oxidase function.”
Other autoimmune diseases can be investigated through this method, and this could help diagnose their severity.
Also, early stages of MS treatment could benefit from a new approach, and use drugs that trigger the production of NADPH oxidase.
Furthermore, researchers could develop a vaccination for people who are at risk of developing this kind of diseases.
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