Cheers

Kathleen

Infectious Causes of Chronic Inflammatory Diseases and Cancer

Gail H. Cassell
Lilly Research Laboratories, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Powerful diagnostic technology, plus the realization that organisms of
otherwise unimpressive virulence can produce slowly progressive chronic disease
with a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations and disease outcomes, has
resulted in the discovery of new infectious agents and new concepts of
infectious diseases. The demonstration that final outcome of infection is as
much determined by the genetic background of the patient as by the genetic
makeup of the infecting agent is indicating that a number of chronic diseases
of unknown etiology are caused by one or more infectious agents. One well-known
example is the discovery that stomach ulcers are due to Helicobacter pylori.
Mycoplasmas may cause chronic lung disease in newborns and chronic asthma in
{*filter*}s, and Chlamydia pneumoniae, a recently identified common cause of acute
respiratory infection, has been associated with atherosclerosis. A number of
infectious agents that cause or contribute to neoplastic diseases in humans
have been documented in the past 6 years. The association and causal role of
infectious agents in chronic inflammatory diseases and cancer have major
implications for public health, treatment, and prevention.

The belief that infectious agents are a cause of chronic inflammatory diseases
of unknown etiology and of cancer is not new. Approximately 100 years ago,
doctors noted a connection between cervical cancer and {*filter*} promiscuity that
transcended mere coincidence (1). By 1911, a connection between viruses and
cancers in animals had become well established (2). As early as the 1930s,
mycoplasmas were proposed as a cause of rheumatoid arthritis in humans, and
shortly thereafter, they were proven to be the most common cause of naturally
occurring chronic arthritis in animals (3). Proof of causality of cancer and
arthritis in humans was more difficult. When searches for infectious agents in
cancer and arthritis found none, research began to focus on mechanisms of
inflammation, tumorogenesis, and drug discovery. More recently, however,
scientists have renewed searches for infectious agents.

 Well - this is a good one.  Published in the "official" journal of the
NCID.
 Boy I bet she gets it for this one.  She doesn't mention Lyme but does
mention
 mycoplasmas and arthritis.  The article seemed to focus on just who
knows what
 may be causing some of these things and the need for serious research.
One
 part says that maybe an infectious cause will not be found for some of
them but
 that there is enough evidence to try.  Check it out.  Sorry don't have
the
 address but if you go to the CDC home page it will link you to the NVID
home
 page.

 Cheers

 Kathleen

 Infectious Causes of Chronic Inflammatory Diseases and Cancer

 Gail H. Cassell
 Lilly Research Laboratories, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Powerful diagnostic technology, plus the realization that organisms of
 otherwise unimpressive virulence can produce slowly progressive chronic
disease
 with a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations and disease outcomes,
has
 resulted in the discovery of new infectious agents and new concepts of
 infectious diseases. The demonstration that final outcome of infection
is as
 much determined by the genetic background of the patient as by the
genetic
 makeup of the infecting agent is indicating that a number of chronic
diseases
 of unknown etiology are caused by one or more infectious agents. One
well-known
 example is the discovery that stomach ulcers are due to Helicobacter
pylori.
 Mycoplasmas may cause chronic lung disease in newborns and chronic
asthma in
 {*filter*}s, and Chlamydia pneumoniae, a recently identified common cause of
acute
 respiratory infection, has been associated with atherosclerosis. A
number of
 infectious agents that cause or contribute to neoplastic diseases in
humans
 have been documented in the past 6 years. The association and causal
role of
 infectious agents in chronic inflammatory diseases and cancer have
major
 implications for public health, treatment, and prevention.

 The belief that infectious agents are a cause of chronic inflammatory
diseases
 of unknown etiology and of cancer is not new. Approximately 100 years
ago,
 doctors noted a connection between cervical cancer and {*filter*}
promiscuity that
 transcended mere coincidence (1). By 1911, a connection between viruses
and
 cancers in animals had become well established (2). As early as the
1930s,
 mycoplasmas were proposed as a cause of rheumatoid arthritis in humans,
and
 shortly thereafter, they were proven to be the most common cause of
naturally
 occurring chronic arthritis in animals (3). Proof of causality of
cancer and
 arthritis in humans was more difficult. When searches for infectious
agents in
 cancer and arthritis found none, research began to focus on mechanisms
of
 inflammation, tumorogenesis, and drug discovery. More recently,
however,
 scientists have renewed searches for infectious agents.

TIME TO CELEBRATE!  WE MADE IT.  IT'S DOWNHILL FROM HERE,
FOLKS (an easy ride).

Thanks, Kathleen, for this post.

This should be a day to remember.  
Kathleen

This is the address of the NCID article.