Abstract:Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the central nervous system. Infectious triggers of MS are being actively investigated. Substantial evidence supports the involvement of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), though other viruses, bacteria, protists, and fungi are also being considered. Many links between fungi and diseases involving chronic inflammation have been found recently. Evidence linking MS and fungi is reviewed here. The HLA-DRB1*15 allele group is the most important genetic risk f… Show more
“…Very recently, it was shown in a mouse model that chronic transient candidemia, while being cleared quickly from the circulation, led to highly localized cerebritis that, in the long term, could lead to substantial neuronal loss and progressive cognitive impairment [17]. There is also emerging but still limited evidence that the gut mycobiome is intricately involved in neurological disease and that fungal components may play a role in Alzheimer disease and multiple sclerosis [18][19][20]. For PLWH on suppressive ART, it has been shown that βDG was detectable in CSF, with a trend toward higher CSF βDG levels in individuals with neurocognitive impairment [21].…”
“…Very recently, it was shown in a mouse model that chronic transient candidemia, while being cleared quickly from the circulation, led to highly localized cerebritis that, in the long term, could lead to substantial neuronal loss and progressive cognitive impairment [17]. There is also emerging but still limited evidence that the gut mycobiome is intricately involved in neurological disease and that fungal components may play a role in Alzheimer disease and multiple sclerosis [18][19][20]. For PLWH on suppressive ART, it has been shown that βDG was detectable in CSF, with a trend toward higher CSF βDG levels in individuals with neurocognitive impairment [21].…”
“…HLA-DRB1 allele, which is the most important genetic risk factor for MS, is associated with fungal infections. Many cytokines and markers involved in fungal infection such as interleukin 17, chitotriosidase and antibodies against fungus are also involved in MS disease and can be pathogenic 44 . In relation to the diet, the conducted experiments prevented people with MS from a high-fat diet, high in cholesterol, sugar, and sodium, to prevent the exacerbation of disease symptoms 38 .…”
History• ABSTRACT Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the most common neurological disorders, which causes nontrauma in young adults in many countries. An important symptom of a disease is the presence of plaque in the brain or the spinal cord, which includes a demyelination region along with relative preservation of axons that may vary in acute and chronic stages. This review was conducted using related keywords through searching in scientific databases. Assessing the related papers showed that in general, MS is recognized as an autoimmune disease with genetic background caused by uncertain environmental factors. Epidemiological effects based on race, sex, geographical location are strongly linked to the frequency, types and severity of the disease. Vitamin D, infection, smoking and diet have been reported to be potential factors associated with MS. Due to the importance of these factors in MS disease, the control of them is potentially useful to prevent the disease and the rapid progression and exacerbation of its symptoms.
“…While the existence of an as-yet-unrecognized genital infection may seem to be far-fetched at first, such a hypothesis has been proposed to explain the sexual risk factors of multiple sclerosis ( 9 , 14 ) and prostate cancer ( 7 , 8 , 13 ) based on evidence completely unrelated to spondyloarthritis (Table 4 ). Recent studies have implicated fungal infections in multiple sclerosis ( 5 , 206 – 208 ) and prostate cancer ( 4 , 15 , 172 ), and these infections appear to be intracellular in both cases (Table 4 ) ( 4 , 209 , 210 ).…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Similarly, circulating CD4+ T cells in uveitis patients are more sensitive than controls to fungal antigens ( C. albicans ) after a 24-h antigen exposure period ( 127 ), whereas sensitivity to bacterial antigens ( Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium tetani , and Mycobacterium tuberculosis ) and protist antigens ( Toxoplasma gondii ) are similar in both groups ( 127 ). Intermediate uveitis is associated with multiple sclerosis onset ( 128 ) and with the HLA-DRB1*1501 allele ( 129 ), which are both associated with the immune response to fungi ( 5 ). A small study reported that oral dimethyl fumarate, a fungicidal compound known to be effective in multiple sclerosis and psoriasis, improved chronic idiopathic uveitis symptoms in four patients ( 130 ).…”
Section: Links With Fungimentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Recent studies have linked the immune response against fungi with prostate cancer ( 4 ) and multiple sclerosis ( 5 ). Sexual risk factors of prostate cancer ( 6 – 8 ) and multiple sclerosis ( 9 – 12 ) suggest that there may exist an as-yet-unrecognized sexually transmitted infection (STI) etiologically involved in these two diseases ( 4 , 5 , 13 , 14 ). Epidemiological evidence suggests this elusive STI may be a fungal infection ( 15 ).…”
Spondyloarthritis is a common type of arthritis which affects mostly adults. It consists of idiopathic chronic inflammation of the spine, joints, eyes, skin, gut, and prostate. Inflammation is often asymptomatic, especially in the gut and prostate. The HLA-B*27 allele group, which presents intracellular peptides to CD8+ T cells, is by far the strongest risk factor for spondyloarthritis. The precise mechanisms and antigens remain unknown. In 1959, Catterall and King advanced a novel hypothesis explaining the etiology of spondyloarthritis: an as-yet-unrecognized sexually acquired microbe would be causing all spondyloarthritis types, including acute anterior uveitis. Recent studies suggest an unrecognized sexually acquired fungal infection may be involved in prostate cancer and perhaps multiple sclerosis. This warrants reanalyzing the Catterall–King hypothesis based on the current literature. In the last decade, many links between spondyloarthritis and fungal infections have been found. Antibodies against the fungal cell wall component mannan are elevated in spondyloarthritis. Functional polymorphisms in genes regulating the innate immune response against fungi have been associated with spondyloarthritis (CARD9 and IL23R). Psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease, two common comorbidities of spondyloarthritis, are both strongly associated with fungi. Evidence reviewed here lends credence to the Catterall–King hypothesis and implicates a common fungal etiology in prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease, and spondyloarthritis. However, the evidence available at this time is insufficient to definitely confirm this hypothesis. Future studies investigating the microbiome in relation to these conditions should screen specimens for fungi in addition to bacteria. Future clinical studies of spondyloarthritis should consider antifungals which are effective in psoriasis and multiple sclerosis, such as dimethyl fumarate and nystatin.
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