Lupus and Syphilis--Is there a (non-causal) Connection?

[McCamy Taylor]

Syphilis is believed to have been picked up in the Antilles and brought by to Europe by Columbus. The natives of the Antilles suffered from something the Spanish called "los bubos". They were able to keep the disease in check. One of their cultural heros/gods was a man who cured himself of the affliction. Having the disease and then clearing it was a sign of shamanic powers.

So, what extra immune factor/gene did the natives of the Antilles have to help them survive endemic syphilis? I suggest it was the lupus gene. Lupus is common in Native Americans, African-Americans---and uncommon in people from Central Africa. Lupus patients have an antibody that interacts with an antibody that syphilis patients have. Lupus attacks many of the same organs.

In England, MS is being treated with controlled hookworm infections. Once upon a time, people who grew up in the US South did not get MS---presumably because they spent a lot of time outdoors barefoot and therefore were exposed to hookworms. Ancient humans, who would have been plagued by parasitic infections, could have acquired an inbred genetic based immunity to certain parasites. And when we stopped being exposed to those common environmental infections, those immune factors looked for something else to fight, something similar to the worm, in the case of MS the hosts own nerve tissue. This is called the Hygiene Hypothesis.

What's the point? Maybe a carefully controlled infection with some other treponeme (not syphilis) or spirochete could control lupus. It's worth thinking about.

[Warpy]

1. Syphilis was a cutaneous (skin) disease in the Antilles, not very serious

Also, there is evidence of syphilis in European skeletons from the Middle Ages, so it was not a new disease from the New World, it was already well known in Europe.

I have Sjogren's, often called "lupus lite" because it isn't as lethal if untreated. I've had Lyme disease and it did nothing to control the Sjogren's.

[NightWatcher]

2. When I was diagnosed with lupus 4 years ago I started researching it casually

Autoimmune diseases are incredibly complex and the interactions they have with each other and the body are mysteries that are a long way from being solved.

I'm part Native American and me and my father were both diagnosed at the same age, 36, after each of us had unrelated trauma and surgeries to repair injuries, which triggered the disease to flare up and be diagnosed.

I did not have syphillis. When I was in the hospital they tested me for everything. It was reminiscent of an episode of House...and this time it WAS lupus.


On a side note.

I hope more research is done to study the effects that cannabinoids have on the symptoms of lupus. I've been treating for more than a year and have had wonderful results.

[hedgehog]

3. On the other hand - it is possible

(that's possible) that there is a link between lack of sun exposure (which allows the body to produce Vitamin D) and MS.

But then - sunlight is bad for those of us with Lupus and/or Sjogren's.

It's a complex problem, and maybe selective infections will play a role in treatment in the future.