Hip
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Very interesting @halcyon.
In a similar vein, I came across this study, which examines the link between coxsackievirus B and beta-cell autoimmunity (a first step to type 1 diabetes). Testing positive for coxsackievirus B1 was found to be associated with an increased risk of beta-cell autoimmunity.
But interestingly, testing positive for coxsackieviruses B3 or B6 was associated with a reduced risk of beta-cell autoimmunity, which the authors suggested was the result of CVB3 and CVB6 providing immunological cross-protection against the ill effects of CVB1.
I found that paper very interesting, because it occurred to me that this might help explain why some people develop ME/CFS after catching a coxsackievirus B infection, but others who catch the same virus do not get ME/CFS. One reason might be because some people have prior coxsackievirus B infections in their body which provide cross-protection against the ME/CFS-triggering coxsackievirus.
I am also wondering whether in cases of virally-triggered ME/CFS spontaneously going into remission after several years, could that remission in fact be caused by the patient catching another virus which provides cross-immunity that targets the both the first and second virus?
So let's say for example that someone's ME/CFS is caused by a chronic smoldering coxsackievirus B3 infection, which their immune system cannot clear. But then by chance, several years later, that ME/CFS patient catches coxsackievirus B6, and this new virus induces a cross-protective immune response, which serves to fight off both the new CVB6 virus and the original CVB3, thereby curing their ME/CFS.
It's always something of a mystery how ME/CFS can sometimes spontaneously clear up, but I wonder if a scenario like this might potentially explain it.
In a similar vein, I came across this study, which examines the link between coxsackievirus B and beta-cell autoimmunity (a first step to type 1 diabetes). Testing positive for coxsackievirus B1 was found to be associated with an increased risk of beta-cell autoimmunity.
But interestingly, testing positive for coxsackieviruses B3 or B6 was associated with a reduced risk of beta-cell autoimmunity, which the authors suggested was the result of CVB3 and CVB6 providing immunological cross-protection against the ill effects of CVB1.
I found that paper very interesting, because it occurred to me that this might help explain why some people develop ME/CFS after catching a coxsackievirus B infection, but others who catch the same virus do not get ME/CFS. One reason might be because some people have prior coxsackievirus B infections in their body which provide cross-protection against the ME/CFS-triggering coxsackievirus.
I am also wondering whether in cases of virally-triggered ME/CFS spontaneously going into remission after several years, could that remission in fact be caused by the patient catching another virus which provides cross-immunity that targets the both the first and second virus?
So let's say for example that someone's ME/CFS is caused by a chronic smoldering coxsackievirus B3 infection, which their immune system cannot clear. But then by chance, several years later, that ME/CFS patient catches coxsackievirus B6, and this new virus induces a cross-protective immune response, which serves to fight off both the new CVB6 virus and the original CVB3, thereby curing their ME/CFS.
It's always something of a mystery how ME/CFS can sometimes spontaneously clear up, but I wonder if a scenario like this might potentially explain it.