Could asbestos trigger systemic autoimmune diseases?

Research suggests that although genetics plays a role in 30% of all cases of autoimmune disease, over twice as many cases–70%–are due to environmental factors such as infections, diet, and exposure to toxic substances.

Asbestos, a useful fibrous mineral that resists heat and corrosion, is one of the substances that has been implicated in all sorts of health issues. The town of Libby, Montana was contaminated with asbestos due to the mining of vermiculite ore, a raw material for amphibole asbestos. Dr. Jean Pfau, a microbiology and immunology research associate, exposed mice models to amphibole asbestos and found an overproduction of autoantibodies that are frequently seen in systemic autoimmune diseases. Humans exposed to amphibole asbestos also showed an increase in these same autoantibodies.

However, a 2020 study done on 54 Korean individuals who formerly worked at an asbestos textile factory did not find any increase in autoantibodies.

What does it mean when 2 studies disagree? It means that more research needs to be done. The scientific process is the development of evidence. Having 2 pieces of a complex puzzle can be a bit confusing, but if we can find more of the pieces, we’ll start to see the real picture that shows the complex interaction between genetics and environment that leads to autoimmune disease.

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