Bkwrm398's Musings

Lewis Rosenbaum, M.D., Vice-Chief, Internal Medicine, Beaumont Hospitals--"certain people have certain types of immune systems that they have, on a genetic basis, and --if theseindividuals come into contact with some environmental tigger--that <the environmental trigger> produces rheumatoid arthritis.  We think that the enviromental trigger is probably a bacteria or virus."

Arthritis Research Campaign--"a study of 3,500 ppl born b/t 1973 and 2003 has revealed that the most significant predictor for arthritis is serious illness as a child."

National Institutes of Health--March 26, 2007 article titled "Chronic Family Stress Linked to Illness in Children---findings suggest that chronic family stress may alter a child's developing immune system and have a detrimental effect on their health."

EurekAlert!--November 16, 2007 'Blood Clotting Protein Linked to Rheumatoid Arthritis'--"Researchers at Cincinnati Children's haved issued the first study showing that a protein normally involved in blood clotting (fibrin), also plays an important role in the inflammatory response and development of Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Inflammatory joint disease appears to be driven by the engagement of inflammatory cells with fibrin matrices through a specific integrin receptor, aMB2."

Could it be that early, severe, childhood illnesses are a common factor?  One study suggests chronic family stress can alter a child's developing immune system.  Is is possible that a severe illness also has the same potential to alter the immune system?  Is there a way to "reset/correct" the alterations that have occured?  Hmmm.