PMR/GCA in the news

[winfong]

Did your ancestors survive the plague? Would you believe that that might be the cause of your autoimmune disease:

bbc.com/news/health-63316538

[piglette]

Tim Spector made this suggestion too.

[violetsnowdrop]

Is this article saying: every time someone achieves immunity to a disease/infection that the repercussions will be felt in later generations? If our ancestors did die of 'the Plague', what then, for surely this suggests an already weakened immune system?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to violetsnowdrop]

The immune system and the gene pool are 2 different things. There are often genes that protect you from one thing that make you more susceptible to another, People died of the plague because it was an overwhelming bacterial infection and there were no antibiotics then.

[violetsnowdrop in reply to PMRpro]

I understand that but I just posed the questions that others were probably thinking. My own personal view is that we all have a certain level of susceptibility, which is triggered by life events (be they physical or mental, traumatic or gradual onset). Much research states that immune disease is activated by faulty genes but, were they inherently faulty or did they become that way through trauma or interaction with outside factors? (Smoking, Radiation, etc.)

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to violetsnowdrop]

Genes rarely change suddenly, these tendencies develop over generations where a gene that improves survival in a situation - a set that makes you able to run a bit faster helps you escape that lion. Your children inherit it in turn. The neighbour who didn't have it was eaten, no children. Your descendants marry with families with similar genetic advantages and that reinforces them. All very complicated - but fascinating

[Seacat30]

I saw that too. What a fascinating idea. Maybe my immune system thought the Covid vaccine was a 'Plague' and that was why it went crazy?

[Jigsawlass]

Heard this on R4, fascinating!

[Hidden]

read about this yesterday too, very interesting and no doubt contentious discussions will follow.

[winfong]

Have you heard of the "plague village" of Eyam? It's in Derbyshire, where I have ancestors. Could be a possibility ...