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From gallstones to arthritis to heart disease, many illnesses long presumed to have roots in genes or lifestyle may be caused largely by infectious agents, a growing number of scientists believe. Most of the evidence, however, remains circumstantial.
Evidence is mounting that a variety of common germs long thought to cause only mild, short-lived illnesses such as the flu play a role in causing chronic health problems ranging from allergies, asthma and arthritis to obesity, heart disease and cancer. Long after one recovers from the microbe's initial insult, viruses, bacteria and other germs silently chew away at the body's tissues and organs, causing insidious, permanent damage, it is believed.
For some conditions, many scientists feel certain that microbes play at least a contributing role where none was suspected previously. A microbe may be suspiciously present in people who have a disease, for example, and not in those who don't, suggesting causality.
Microbe hunters now estimate that anywhere from one-third to more than one half of chronic diseases will eventually be explained by infection with a variety of microorganisms. They point to new research that links germs to some forms of infertility, kidney disease, diabetes, stomach problems and even obsessive-compulsive disorder.
No one can avoid the wide variety of microorganisms that are in our environment. Within minutes of birth and continuing throughout our lives, our bodies are exposed to virus after virus, bacterium after bacterium. Under normal circumstances, the body's natural defenses fight off harmful microbes, but when our immune systems are weakened, when our normal defense barriers are not intact, or when we come in contact with a highly invasive infectious agent that is either new to our bodies or present in large numbers, the balance shifts in favor of the microbes.
Modern living has helped to tip the scales in favor of the tiny, microscopic bugs: international travel, misuse and overuse of antibiotics, and air pollution, to name but a few, all improve the efficiency by which germs spread from person to person and place to place.
Causes & Development
Exactly how germs act to cause chronic disease is still a mystery. But scientists believe that the microbes may stimulate white blood cells to aggregate, causing the chronic inflammation that has now been implicated in asthma, allergies, heart disease and other disorders. Alternatively, the bug may induce a so-called autoimmune response. There are molecules on the surface of bacteria and viruses that resemble human versions of these molecules, and when infected with these organisms, certain people respond by producing substances that attack their own tissue.
In trying to fight off an infection, in other words, your body's defense cells are tricked into attacking the healthy tissue. Among the microbe-disease links now suspected or proven: Ulcers. After years of being shunned, Dr. Barry Marshall's theory that ulcers can be caused by the bacteria Helicobacter pylori is now accepted medical doctrine. The link between infectious diseases and cancer is becoming increasingly clear: According to the World Health Report, up to 84% percent of certain cancers, notably, stomach, cervical, and liver, are attributable to a variety of germs.
The implications of this new theory are enormous, researchers say. Most important, it suggests that vaccines, anti-viral drugs or antibiotics may have an unexpectedly big role to play in the treatment of chronic diseases that today are treated with only modest success through lifestyle changes, such as exercise and improved diet. There is also likely to be a role for anti-oxidant vitamins, which can remove some of the damaging molecules that the microbes leave in their wake.
It wasn't easy getting the medical community to accept such a paradigm shift in thinking. But new testing methods that allow molecular biologists to detect the footprints of the microscopic creatures long after any symptoms disappear are slowly winning over even the most recalcitrant.
"If an infectious agent is responsible for even a portion of these diseases, that could change the outlook for treatment and prevention dramatically," said Barry Bloom, dean of the Harvard School of Public Health.
For example, a so-called adenovirus, the same type of germ that causes the common cold, may be to blame for the excess pounds you can't seem to shed, according to Nikhil Dhurandhar of the University of Wisconsin in Madison. In a study of 154 obese people, 15% had evidence of infection with an adenovirus called Ad-36.
Baltimore scientists reported in 2002 that they have found the first hard evidence that viral infections can cause asthma and allergies in humans, suggesting that vaccinations against the viruses could prevent the diseases.
In test-tube studies of human cells, the researchers showed that weak viral infections can cause immune system cells called B cells to produce immunoglobin E or IgE, a protein that orchestrates the reactions that cause allergies and many cases of asthma. Still other studies have implicated mycoplasmas, germs of intermediate size between viruses and bacteria, and the lung bacteria pneumoniae in asthma.
Evidence is mounting that coronary heart disease may be caused in part by inflammation that silently simmers away for years inside the blood vessels, and that chronic infection with common bacteria or viruses may play a role in causing the chronic inflammation in the first place. Among the suspected culprits: the ulcer-causing bacteria H. pylori or herpes virus, or even chronic tooth decay.
The common respiratory bug Chlamydia pneumoniae has been linked in new studies to arteriosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. And still other studies have shown that regrowth of plaque in patients who have undergone surgery to open up clogged arteries may be spurred by cytomegalovirus a bug found in almost two out of three elderly Americans.
New evidence suggests that both the common respiratory bug Chlamydia pneumoniae, as well as another type of germ called mycoplasma, can cause arthritis. The findings may explain why so many arthritis patients get relief from joint pain and swelling after antibiotic treatment.
Researchers have found that mycoplasmas can live in a woman's reproductive tract, causing infertility, premature birth and spontaneous abortion.
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Signs, symptoms & indicators of Chronic / Hidden Infection:
Conditions that suggest Chronic / Hidden Infection: | | | | | Circulation |  Aneurysm / Rupture | Results of a small study suggest that an antibiotic may help people with abdominal aortic aneurysms. The condition is usually treatable only with surgery. The drug doxycycline appears to inhibit enzymes that play a role in weakening of the arterial walls. This is a medical problem that might be influenced by an impaired immune system which allows an infection to take hold. If doxycycline seems to help, then it is possible that either chlamydia or mycoplasma are involved. [Annual Meeting Society for Vascular Surgery meeting in Washington, DC June 1999 ] |
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Inflammation |
 Bursitis |
Lab Values |
A High White Count| | A high white-blood-cell count is often a sign of infection. |
Low White Count| | A hidden chronic or overwhelming infection - especially a viral infection - can result in a depressed white blood cell count. |
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Skin-Hair-Nails |
Night Sweats| | A hidden infection, such as an abscess in the liver or spleen, can cause night sweats and fever without many other symptoms. |
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Risk factors for Chronic / Hidden Infection:
Recommendations and treatments for Chronic / Hidden Infection: | | | | | Botanical |  Picrorhiza| | Picrorhiza is used for fever due to all manner of infections. [Nadkarni KM, Nadkarni AK. Indian Materia Medica. Bombay, Popular Prakashan, 1976, pp.953-5]
Picroliv (a mixture of iridoid glycosides from the rhizomes of picrorhiza) has been shown to have an immuno-stimulating effect in hamsters, helping prevent infections. [Puri A, Saxena RP, Sumati, et al. Immunostimulant activity of Picroliv, the iridoid glycoside fraction of Picrorhiza kurroa, and its protective action against Leishmania donovani infection in hamsters. Planta Med 1992;58: pp.528-32] |
Cayenne Pepper| | Cayenne may have some benefit as an antimicrobial to help control infections in general. |
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Mineral |
Colloidal Silver |
Oxygen / Oxidative Therapies |
Ozone / Oxidative Therapy |
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KEY | | Weak or unproven link | | | Strong or generally accepted link |  | | Proven definite or direct link | | | May do some good |
GLOSSARY
Abdomen (Abdominal)
That part of the body between the chest and the hips that contains the stomach, intestines, liver, bladder, pancreas and other organs.
Acute
An illness or symptom of sudden onset, which generally has a short duration.
Allergy (Allergies)
Hypersensitivity caused by exposure to a particular antigen (allergen), resulting in an increased reactivity to that antigen on subsequent exposure, sometimes with harmful immunologic consequences.
Anemia (Anaemia, Anemias)
A condition resulting from an unusually low number of red blood cells or too little hemoglobin in the red blood cells. The most common type is iron-deficiency anemia in which the red blood cells are reduced in size and number, and hemoglobin levels are low. Clinical symptoms include shortness of breath, lethargy and heart palpitations.
Antimicrobial
Tending to destroy microbes, hinder their multiplication or growth.
Arterial (Arteries, Artery)
Blood that leaves the heart. When it leaves the right ventricle, it is venous blood; and when it leaves the left ventricle, through the aorta, it is fresh and oxygenated. After it has passed out to the capillaries and started to return, it is venous blood.
Arteriosclerosis
A common arterial disorder. Characterized by calcified yellowish plaques, lipids, and cellular debris in the inner layers of the walls of large and medium-sized arteries.
Arthritis (Arthritic)
Inflammation of a joint, usually accompanied by pain, swelling, and stiffness, and resulting from infection, trauma, degenerative changes, metabolic disturbances, or other causes. It occurs in various forms, such as bacterial arthritis, osteoarthritis, or rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis, the most common form, is characterized by a gradual loss of cartilage and often an overgrowth of bone at the joints.
Asthma (Asthmatic)
A lung disorder marked by attacks of breathing difficulty, wheezing, coughing, and thick mucus coming from the lungs. The episodes may be triggered by breathing foreign substances (allergens) or pollutants, infection, vigorous exercise, or emotional stress. Extrinsic Asthma is triggered by pollen, chemicals or some other external agent; Intrinsic Asthma is triggered by boggy membranes, congested tissues, or other native causes… even adrenalin stress or exertion.
Autoimmune Disease (Autoimmune, Autoimmunity)
One of a large group of diseases in which the immune system turns against the body's own cells, tissues and organs, leading to chronic and often deadly conditions. Examples include multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus, Bright's disease and diabetes.
Bacteria (Bacterial, Bacterium)
Microscopic germs. Some bacteria are "harmful" and can cause disease, while other "friendly" bacteria protect the body from harmful invading organisms.
Boil (Abscess, Abscesses, Boils, Carbuncle, Carbuncles, Cystic Acne, Furuncle, Furuncles, Hidradenitis Suppurativa, Pilonidal Cyst, Pilonidal Cysts)
A localized infection deep in the skin. A boil generally starts as a reddened, tender area. Over time, the area becomes firm and hard. Eventually, the center of the abscess softens and becomes filled with white cells that the body sends to fight the infection (pus). Finally, the pus forms a "head" and drains out through the skin. A furuncle or carbuncle is an abscess in the skin caused by the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus. It can have one or more openings onto the skin and may be associated with a fever or chills. Cystic acne is a type of abscess formed when oil ducts become clogged and infected. Cystic acne is most common in the teenage years. Hidradenitis suppurativa is an illness in which there are multiple abscesses that form under the arm pits and in the groin area. These areas are a result of local inflammation of the sweat glands. A pilonidal cyst is a special kind of abscess that occurs in the crease of the buttocks. These frequently form after long trips that involve sitting.
Bursitis
The bursa is a fluid-filled pad that allows your muscles to easily slide over other muscles and bones. Bursitis occurs when this pad becomes inflamed. It usually occurs when you overuse or injure a specific joint, but it can also be caused by a bacterial infection. Symptoms include pain and inflammation around joints such as the elbow, hip, shoulder, big toe, ankle or knee.
Cancer
Refers to the various types of malignant neoplasms that contain cells growing out of control and invading adjacent tissues, which may metastasize to distant tissues.
Chlamydia
A sexually-transmitted disease that is often without symptoms. Some females experience a white vaginal discharge that resembles cottage cheese, a burning sensation when urinating, itching, and painful intercourse. A clear watery urethral discharge in the male probably is a chlamydia infection.
Chronic (Chronicity)
Usually referring to chronic illness: Illness extending over a long period of time.
Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
A member of the herpes virus family which may induce the immune-deficient state or cause active illness, such as pneumonia, in a patient already immune-deficient due to chronic illness, such as cancer or organ transplantation therapy.
Diabetes Mellitus (Diabetes, Diabetic, Diabetics)
A disease with increased blood glucose levels due to lack or ineffectiveness of insulin. Diabetes is found in two forms; insulin-dependent diabetes (juvenile-onset) and non-insulin-dependent (adult-onset). Symptoms include increased thirst; increased urination; weight loss in spite of increased appetite; fatigue; nausea; vomiting; frequent infections including bladder, vaginal, and skin; blurred vision; impotence in men; bad breath; cessation of menses; diminished skin fullness. Other symptoms include bleeding gums; ear noise/buzzing; diarrhea; depression; confusion.
Enzymes (Enzyme)
Specific protein catalysts produced by the cells that are crucial in chemical reactions and in building up or synthesizing most compounds in the body. Each enzyme performs a specific function without itself being consumed. For example, the digestive enzyme amylase acts on carbohydrates in foods to break them down.
Folic Acid
A B-complex vitamin that functions along with vitamin B-12 and vitamin C in the utilization of proteins. It has an essential role in the formation of heme (the iron containing protein in hemoglobin necessary for the formation of red blood cells) and DNA. Folic acid is essential during pregnancy to prevent neural tubular defects in the developing fetus.
Gallstone (Biliary Calculus, Gall Stone, Gall Stones, Gallbladder Attack, Gallbladder Attacks, Gallstones)
Stone-like objects in either the gallbladder or bile ducts, composed mainly of cholesterol and occasionally mixed with calcium. Most gallstones do not cause problems until they become larger or they begin obstructing bile ducts, at which point gallbladder "attacks" begin to occur. Symptoms usually occur after a fatty meal and at night. The following are the most common ones: steady, severe pain in the middle-upper abdomen or below the ribs on the right; pain in the back between the shoulder blades; pain under the right shoulder; nausea; vomiting; fever; chills; jaundice; abdominal bloating; intolerance of fatty foods; belching or gas; indigestion.
Glycoside
A molecule which upon hydrolysis produces at least one simple sugar and non-sugar component.
Helicobacter Pylori (Pylori)
H. pylori is a bacterium that is found in the stomach which, along with acid secretion, damages stomach and duodenal tissue, causing inflammation and peptic ulcers. Although most people will never have symptoms or problems related to the infection, they may include: dull, 'gnawing' pain which may occur 2-3 hours after a meal, come and go for several days or weeks, occur in the middle of the night when the stomach is empty and be relieved by eating; loss of weight; loss of appetite; bloating; burping; nausea; vomiting.
Herpes
A small group of capsid-forming DNA viruses, sometimes divided into Type I (forming vesicles and blisters on the mouth, lips-generally above the waist) and Type II (usually sexually-transmitted, with symptoms mostly below the waist). Both types form acute initial outbreaks, go dormant, reactivate, and so forth. For most folks, frequent outbreaks are clear signs of stress or immunosuppression. Both types are equally dangerous for infants.
IgE (Immunoglobulin E)
Immunoglobulin E is a type of antibody produced by IgE plasma cells. These are specialized B-cell lymphocytes that make free-floating antibodies for what is termed humoral resistance. IgE is not made to be specific against only one antigen, like other gamma globulins, but instead can bind with a number of dangerous proteins. IgE travels to mast cells, sticks to their surfaces, and when antigens get stuck to the IgE, the mast cells secrete inflammatory compounds such as histamine. Since IgE is a generalist, coded for a number of potential toxins, it can decide for example that grass pollen and cat dander are antigens... and you have an allergy. Elevated production of IgE is often inherited, which is why allergies run in a family.
Immune System (Immune Response, Immunity)
A complex that protects the body from disease organisms and other foreign bodies. The system includes the humoral immune response and the cell-mediated response. The immune system also protects the body from invasion by making local barriers and inflammation. The process may involve acquired immunity (the ability to learn and remember a specific infectious agent), or innate immunity (the genetically programmed system of responses that attack, digest, remove, and initiate inflammation and tissue healing).
Immunostimulant
An agent that stimulates either innate or acquired immunity. In the U.S., immunotherapy is relegated to experimental drugs, but a number of plant substances are used in Europe as immunostimulants.
Insidious
A symptom or condition of gradual onset or development.
Kidneys (Kidney, Renal)
Bean-shaped organs, each about the size of a fist. They are located near the middle of the back, just below the rib cage. The kidneys are sophisticated reprocessing machines, each day handling about 50 gallons of blood to sift out about half a gallon of waste products and extra water. The waste and extra water become urine, which flows to the bladder through tubes called ureters. The actual filtering occurs in tiny units inside the kidneys called nephrons. Every kidney has about a million nephrons. In a nephron, a glomerulus -- which is a tiny blood vessel, or capillary -- intertwines with a tiny urine-collecting tube called a tubule. A complicated chemical exchange takes place, as waste materials and water leave your blood and enter your urinary system. The kidneys recycle chemicals such as sodium, phosphorus, and potassium and thus regulate their levels. Renal: Pertaining to the kidneys.
Liver (Hepatic)
The largest and one of the most complex organs of the body, the liver is responsible for much of the metabolism of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. It is the site of much of the body's detoxification. It is connected very closely with digestion and the regulation of blood sugar, among many other functions. Found behind the ribs on the right side of the abdomen, it has many important functions such as removing harmful material from the blood, making enzymes and bile that help digest food, and converting food into substances needed for life and growth. Hepatic: Pertaining to the liver.
Lung (Lungs, Pulmonary)
Organ of the body, located in the chest cavity which is designed to bring oxygen from the air into the blood stream, while also expelling carbon dioxide and other waste gases out of the body. Pulmonary: Related to the lungs.
Miscarriage (Miscarriages, Spontaneous Abortion)
The expulsion of a fetus before it is able to survive outside of the womb.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (Obsessive Compulsive, Obsessive-Compulsive, OCD)
Those suffering from OCD have obsessions and/or compulsions. Obsessions refer to recurrent and persistent thoughts, impulses, or images that are intrusive and cause severe anxiety or distress. Compulsions refer to repetitive behaviors and rituals (such as hand washing, hoarding, ordering, checking) or mental acts (like counting, repeating words silently, avoiding). These obsessions and compulsions significantly interfere with normal routine, functioning, social activities and relationships.
Protein (Proteins)
Compounds composed of hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen present in the body and in foods that form complex combinations of amino acids. Protein is essential for life and is used for growth and repair. Foods that supply the body with protein include animal products, grains, legumes, and vegetables. Proteins from animal sources contain the essential amino acids. Proteins are changed to amino acids in the body.
Spleen (Splenectomy)
The largest organ of the lymphatic system in the body, located between the stomach and the diaphragm (the muscle below the lungs which provides the motion for breathing). It destroys old red blood cells, produces lymphocytes and plasma cells, and stores blood. It also has other as yet unknown functions. A splenectomy is the surgical removal of the spleen.
Staphylococcus (Staph, Staphylococcal)
A genus of micrococci bacteria with many members that can cause disease. They are gram-positive, nonmotile bacteria
that are aerobic-(unless they need to be anaerobic). Staph of various types are responsible for boils and carbuncles; they may be involved in impetigo, toxic shock syndrome, endocarditis, osteomyelitis, and urinary tract infections, as well as some food poisoning. They stay around hospitals and veterinary clinics waiting to get you. They are also a normal part of the mouth, throat, and skin flora in a third to a half of all of us, causing no problems, but just waiting. Staph has always been with us. Some even eat our antibiotics for breakfast.
Stomach
A hollow, muscular, J-shaped pouch located in the upper part of the abdomen to the left of the midline. The upper end (fundus) is large and dome-shaped; the area just below the fundus is called the body of the stomach. The fundus and the body are often referred to as the cardiac portion of the stomach. The lower (pyloric) portion curves downward and to the right and includes the antrum and the pylorus. The function of the stomach is to begin digestion by physically breaking down food received from the esophagus. The tissues of the stomach wall are composed of three types of muscle fibers: circular, longitudinal and oblique. These fibers create structural elasticity and contractibility, both of which are needed for digestion. The stomach mucosa contains cells which secrete hydrochloric acid and this in turn activates the other gastric enzymes pepsin and rennin. To protect itself from being destroyed by its own enzymes, the stomach’s mucous lining must constantly regenerate itself.
Ulcer (Ulceration, Ulcers)
Lesion on the skin or mucous membrane.
Vascular
Relating to the blood vessels of the body. The blood vessels of the body, as a group, are referred to as the vascular system. They are composed of arteries, veins and capillaries - arteries that pass oxygen-rich blood to the tissues of the body; veins which return oxygen-depleted blood from the tissues to the lungs for oxygen; and the capillaries that are the tiniest vessels and are between the arteries and veins.
Virus (Viri, Viruses)
Any of a vast group of minute structures composed of a protein coat and a core of DNA and/or RNA that reproduces in the cells of the infected host. Capable of infecting all animals and plants, causing devastating disease in immunocompromised individuals. Viruses are not affected by antibiotics, and are completely dependent upon the cells of the infected host for the ability to reproduce.
White Blood Cell (WBC, White Blood Cells)
A blood cell that does not contain hemoglobin: a blood corpuscle responsible for maintaining the body's immune surveillance system against invasion by foreign substances such as viruses or bacteria. White cells become specifically programmed against foreign invaders and work to inactivate and rid the body of a foreign substance. White blood cells are composed primarily of neutrophils, monocytes and lymphocytes. Lymphocytes are either T-cells or B-cells. T-cells (CD3 cells) are divided into T-helper (CD4 cells) and T-suppressor/cytotoxic (CD8 cells) cells.
Last updated: Apr 27, 2008
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