Experts Report Environmental Contributors to Autoimmune Disease

An article called Epidemiology of environmental exposures and human autoimmune diseases: Findings from a National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Expert Panel Workshop summarizes research findings from 1982 to 2012 on the impact of environmental factors in autoimmunity.

Their work evaluates the connections between chemical agents (ex: asbestos, pesticides, solvents, smoking, and cosmetics), physical factors, (ex: ionizing radiation, sunlight, and electromagnetic fields), and biological agents (ex: infectious disease, contaminants in food, mold, and toxins) and autoimmunity as well as the likelihood of their contributes to autoimmunity.

Many studies suggest autoimmune diseases are largely affected by factors beyond genetics, and there have been many animal and in vitro studies, and case reports of onset of autoimmunity after various environmental exposures. The curation of these findings into one report can help prioritize areas of future study.

Citation:

Miller, F. W., et al. (2012). Epidemiology of environmental exposures and human autoimmune diseases Findings from a National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Expert Panel Workshop. Journal of Autoimmunity, 39(4), 259–271. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaut.2012.05.002