The 1st Law of Autoimmunity.All autoimmune diseases are triggered by microbial infections.
The 2nd Law of Autoimmunity.Autoimmunity, the reaction between a host component and the receptor for antigen on a lymphocyte or antibody, occurs due to a semi-random change in the DNA sequence of a lymphocyte V gene.Burnet’s Forbidden Clone Theory, BMJ 1959, confirmed by Knight et al JCEM 1986, Adams et al in Thyroid Autoimmunity 1987.
The 3rd Law of Autoimmunity.Histocompatibility antigens, major, minor and HY, protect from autoimmunity with imperfect success, by deleting nascent lymphocyte clones with complementary receptors for antigen. Adams and Knight’s H Gene Theory, Lancet 1980.Adams Lancet 1987, Knight and Adams Ciba Foundation Symposium 1982.
The 4th Law of Autoimmune disease. In a population of people, a balanced genetic polymorphism of H and V genes, driven bt reproductive disadvantage, minimises infectious and autoimmune diseases.
A corollary of the 4th Law is that non-pathogenic autoimmunity, having no reproductive disadvantage, occurs much more commonly than pathogenic autoimmunity.
