Study finds bacteria in milk linked to rheumatoid arthritis

A team of UCF College of Medicine researchers has discovered a link between rheumatoid arthritis and Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis,
known as MAP, a bacteria found in about half the cows in the United
States. The bacteria can be spread to humans through the consumption of
infected milk, beef and produce fertilized by cow manure.

Epstein Barr Virus and Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis peptides are recognized in sera and cerebrospinal fluid of MS patients. - PubMed - NCBI

"Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) epitopes elicit a consistent humoral response in serum of multiple sclerosis patients, but the cross reactivity against the homologous myelin basic protein (MBP) and human interferon regulatory factor 5 (IRF5) has not been searched within the Cerebral Spinal Fluid (CSF). We evaluated in sera and CSF of patients with MS and with other neurological diseases (OND) the humoral response against EBV/MAP peptides and the IRF5/MBP. Our data showed that EBV and MAP peptides are able to induce a specific humoral immune response in MS patients compared to OND controls both in serum and in CSF. An intrathecal specific synthesis of IgG against MBP and their EBV and MAP homologous as indicated by the antibody index was observed in MS patients. The humoral response against EBV, MAP, MBP and IRF5 was significantly higher in MS patients compared to OND both in serum and in CSF. The higher presence of antibodies against MBP and their MAP and EBV homologous in CSF during relapses suggests a possible role of the pathogens in enhancing inflammation."



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The zoonotic potential of Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis: a systematic review and meta-analyses of the evidence.

This systematic review-meta-analysis appraises and summarizes all the
available research (128 papers) on the zoonotic potential of
Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis. The latter has been debated
for a century due to pathogenic and clinical similarities between
Johne's disease in ruminants and Crohn's disease (108 studies) in humans
and recently for involvement in other human diseases; human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (2), sarcoidosis (3), diabetes
mellitus type 1 (T1DM) (7) and type 2 (3), multiple sclerosis (5) and
Hashimoto's thyroiditis (2). Meta-analytical results indicated a
significant positive association, consistently across different
laboratory methods for Crohn's disease [odds ratio (OR) range
4·26-8·44], T1DM (OR range 2·91-9·95) and multiple sclerosis (OR range
6·5-7·99). The latter two and the thyroiditis hypothesis require further
investigation to confirm the association. Meta-regression of Crohn's
disease studies using DNA detection methods indicated that choice of
primers and sampling frame (e.g. general population vs. hospital-based
sample) explained a significant proportion of heterogeneity. Other
epidemiological studies demonstrated a lack of association between
high-risk occupations and development of Crohn's disease. Due to
knowledge gaps in understanding the role of M. paratuberculosis in the
development or progression of human disease, the evidence at present is
not strong enough to inform the potential public health impact of M.
paratuberculosis exposure.

Epstein-Barr virus and Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis peptides are cross recognized by anti-myelin basic protein antibodies in multiple sclerosis patients.

Epstein-Barr virus and Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP)
have been associated to multiple sclerosis (MS). We searched for
antibodies against the homologous peptides Epstein-Barr virus nuclear
antigen 1 (EBNA1)_400-413, MAP_0106c protein (MAP)_121-132, and myelin basic protein (MBP)_85-98
on a MS Sardinian cohort, showing that these antibodies are highly
prevalent among MS patients compared to healthy controls. Competitive
assay demonstrated that antibodies recognizing EBNA1_400-413 and MAP_121-132 cross-react with MBP_85-98,
possibly through a molecular mimicry mechanism. Indeed, the fact that
peptides from different pathogens can be cross-recognized by antibodies
targeting self-epitopes supports the hypothesis that EBV and MAP might
trigger autoimmunity through a common target.

Vinegar kills tuberculosis and other mycobacteria

The active ingredient in vinegar, acetic acid, can effectively kill
mycobacteria, even highly drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis, an
international team of researchers from Venezuela, France, and the US
reports in mBio®, the online open-access journal of the American Society
for Microbiology.

Anti Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis heat shock protein 70 antibodies in the sera of Sardinian patients with multiple sclerosis.

 Heat shock protein (HSP) family members are highly conserved in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms and are known to be immunodominant antigens in many bacteria. In particular, HSP70 has been linked to multiple sclerosis (MS), even if the available data are contradictory. Since different studies conducted on Sardinian subjects, have linked Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) presence to MS disease, and in view of the fact that human HSP70 is highly homologue to the majority of mycobacterial HSP70 proteins, we searched for anti-MAP HSP70 antibodies in the sera of 268 MS patients and 231 age and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs). All the subjects enrolled in the study were from Sardinia, which is an excellent setting for investigation since it has one of the highest prevalence of MS worldwide. HSP70 detection was carried out using ELISA methodology. A statistically significant difference was found between MS patients and HCs when analyzing the humoral response mounted against MAP HSP70 protein. Our study confirms that mycobacterial HSP70 might be involved in MS, and provides another piece of evidence sustaining the role played by MAP in MS in the context of Sardinian population.