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Review
. 2016 Dec;73(24):4611-4622.
doi: 10.1007/s00018-016-2311-1. Epub 2016 Aug 4.

Environmental factors in autoimmune diseases and their role in multiple sclerosis

Stefanie Jörg  1 , Diana A Grohme  2 , Melanie Erzler  2 , Marilene Binsfeld  3 , Aiden Haghikia  4 , Dominik N Müller  5 , Ralf A Linker  1 , Markus Kleinewietfeld  6   7   8
Affiliations
Review

Environmental factors in autoimmune diseases and their role in multiple sclerosis

Stefanie Jörg et al. Cell Mol Life Sci. 2016 Dec.

Abstract

An increase in autoimmune diseases poses a socioeconomic challenge worldwide. Predisposing genetic risk has been identified, yet environmental factors make up a significant part of the risk in disease initiation and propagation. Next to improved hygiene and a gross reduction of infections, changes in dietary habits are one of the most evident Western lifestyle factors potentially associated with the increase in autoimmune diseases. Growing evidence suggests that particularly a typical 'Western diet', rich in saturated fat and salt and related pathologies can have a profound impact on local and systemic immune responses under physiologic and autoimmune conditions such as in multiple sclerosis (MS). In this review, we discuss recent findings on environmental factors influencing autoimmunity with an emphasis on the impact of 'Western diet' on immune homeostasis and gut microbiota in MS.

Keywords: Autoimmunity; CD4+ T cells; Environmental risk factors; Foxp3+ Tregs; MS; Microbiota; Th17 cells.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Schematic diagram displaying the nexus between ‘Western diet’, gut microbiota, T cells, and autoimmunity
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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