Autoimmune diseases mercury

This chapter reviewed current research pertaining to selected environmental agents and autoimmune diseases (Table 25.3). Other infectious agents (e.g., parvovirus, varicella), occupational exposures (e.g., mercury), dietary factors (dietary supplements, nutrients such as antioxidants, and specific proteins in wheat and other grains implicated in celiac disease), and stress have been the focus of additional research that was not included in this review. 

Heavy metals, like lead and mercury, have been recognized as toxic poisons for centuries. Further, toxic concentrations of mercury, for example, can trigger several effects like autoimmune diseases, infections, unexplained chronic fatigue, depression, nerve impairment, memory problems, decreased mental clarity, and bowel disorders. For several decades, mercury vapor exposure has caused severe health problems among chloralkali workers. This is only an example. It may be repeated that education can effectively minimize exposure to hazardous metals. Basic information and training for proper handling of toxic chemicals will reduce potential adverse health effects. 

Attention has been given to mercury as a cause of autoimmune responses, especially in the kidney (69). Exposure to mercury can cause immune responses to various auto-antigens and autoimmune disease of the kidney and other tissues. Although epidemiological studies have shown that occupational exposure to mercury does not usually result in autoimmunity, mercury can cause the formation of antinuclear antibodies,... 

Pelletier L, Pasquier R, Rossert J,Vial M-C, Mandet C, Druet P AutoreactiveT cells in mercury-induced autoimmunity. Ability to induce the autoimmune disease. J. Immunol. 1988 140 750-4. 

Other experimental evidence suggests that mercury can alter a number of parameters of the host s immune system and lead to increased susceptibility to infections, autoimmune diseases, and allergic manifestations. In workers exposed to mercury vapor concentrations of 0.024-0.09 mg/m3 for less than... 

Antilaminin antibodies induced by mercuric chloride have been demonstrated to be detrimental to the development of cultured rat embryos (Chambers and Klein 1993). Based upon that observation, those authors suggested that it might be possible for an autoimmune disease induced by a substance such as mercury at an early age to persist into later life, acting as a teratogen independent of both dose-response relationships and time of exposure, but that possibility remains to be experimentally demonstrated. 

Bigazzi, PE University of Connecticut Farmington, CT Immune effects of metals-mercury-induced autoimmune disease. NIEHS... 

Dubey C, Bellon B, Kuhn J, et al. 1991b. Increase of a IA expression on B cells during the course of mercury-induced autoimmune disease in Brown Norway rats. In Bach PH, et al., eds. Nephrotoxicity mechanisms, early diagnosis, and therapeutic management. Fourth International Symposium on Nephrotoxicity. New York, NY Marcel Dekker, Inc., 397-400. 

Pelletier L, Pasquier R, Hirsch F, et al. 1986. Autoreactive T cells in mercury-induced autoimmune disease in vitro demonstration. J Immunol 137 2548-2554... 

Similar to mercury and cadmium, lead has the potential to accelerate expression of autoimmune predisposition lead accelerated the death of male, but not female, NZB/NZW mice due to spontaneously developing autoantibodies and glomerulonephritis (Lawrence et al., 1987) and exacerbated the susceptibility of NZ mixed strains to develop lupus-type nephritis (Hudson et al., 2003). This potential contribution of lead to autoimmune disease remains a valid concern. 

Pollard KM, Lee DK, Casiano CA, Bluthner M, Johnston MM, Tan EM. The autoimmunity-inducing xenobiotic mercury interacts with the autoantigen fibrillarin and modifies its molecular and antigenic properties. J Immunol 1997 158 3521-3528. Kubicka-Muranyi M, Kremer J, Rottmann N, Lubben B, Albers R, Bloksma N, Luhrmann R, Gleichmann E. Murine systemic autoimmune disease induced by mercuric chloride T helper cells reacting to self proteins. Int Arch Allergy Immunol 1996 109 11-20. 

Mercury Autoimmune disease (a type of glomerular nephritis). 

HgCl2 given intravenously, orally, or intratracheally induces the disease in a similar way (Bernaudin et al. 1981). Exposure to mercury vapor also induces the autoimmune disease in BN rats (Hua et al. 1993). Methyl-mercury or pharmaceutical ointments and solutions containing organic mercury are effective even when these products are applied on wounds or even on normal skin (Druet et al. 1981). 

Bernaudin JF, Druet E, Druet P, Masse P (1981) Inhalation or ingestion of organic or inorganic mercurials produces autoimmune disease in rats. Clin Immunol Immunopathol 20 129-135... 

Handel ML, de Fazio A, Watts CKW, Day RO, Sutherland R (1991) Inhibition of DNA binding and transcriptional activity of a nuclear receptor transcription factor by aurothiomalate and other metal ions. Mol Pharmacol 40 613-618 Henry GA, Jarnot BM, Steinhoff MM, Bigazzi PE (1992) Mercury-induced renal autoimmunity in the MAXX rat. Clin Immunol Immunopathol 49 187-203 Hirsch F, Couderc J, Sapin C, Fournie G, Druet P (1982) Polyclonal effect of HgCl2 in the rat, its possible role in an experimental autoimmune disease. Eur J Immunol 12 620-625... 

Despite awareness, mercury exposure and related toxicity are reported in humans. Somces of exposme include environment [174 ], food (especially seafood) [175 ], accident or suicide [176, 177, 178, 179 ], occupation [180 ] and traditional drugs [181 182 ]. The major targets for mercury toxicity include renal [176 ], nervous, cardiovascular, reproductive system, autoimmune disease [183 ] and visual impairments. 

Hultman, P., and Enestrom, S., Dose-response studies in murine mercury-induced autoimmunity and immune-complex disease. Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol., 113, 199, 1992... 

Lead and mercury may cause the development of autoimmunity, in which a person s immune system attacks its own cells. This can lead to joint diseases and ailments of the kidneys, circulatory system, and neurons. At higher doses, lead and mercury can cause irreversible brain damage. 

It is notable that cadmium as well as mercury and gold can initiate or aggravate autoimmune manifestations in normal or autoimmune-prone animals, respectively. It would seem likely that these heavy metals have the same effects on humans, presumably by a similar mechanism. Autoimmune manifestations induced by heavy metals include lupus-type nephritis, autoimmune haemolytic anaemia, and skin diseases, such as pemphigus and scleroderma-like lesion. Some manifestations of immune-mediated nephritis and elevation of circulating autoantibodies have been noted in case-studies of persons exposed to gold and cadmium as well as mercury (Ohsawa, 1993 Bigazzi, 1994, 1999). 

A number of studies have been performed to induce systemic immunosensitization and autoimmunity (i.e. autoantibody formation or autoreactive T cells) in mice, and, again, occurrence of disease appears to be strain dependent. Robinson et al. (1986) compared in one study a large number of MHC-defined mouse strains with respect to induction of antinuclear autoantibodies by mercury(II) chloride (subcutaneously, detected after 0.5-2 months), gold salts (intramuscularly, detected after 1-5 months), and D-penicillamine (orally, detected after 4.5-5 months) and reported that A.SW mice were high responders to all three chemicals. 

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