Dietary amino acid-induced systemic lupus erythematosus.
Montanaro A, Bardana EJ Jr.
Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland.
The effects of dietary manipulations on autoimmune disease are understood poorly. In this article, we detail our experience with a human subject who developed autoimmune hemolytic anemia while participating in a research study that required the ingestion of alfalfa seeds. Subsequent experimental studies in primates ingesting alfalfa sprout seeds and L-canavanine (a prominent amino acid constituent of alfalfa) is presented. The results of these studies indicate a potential toxic and immunoregulatory role of L-canavanine in the induction of a systemic lupus-like disease in primates.
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PMID: 1862241 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]