Research Press

New Study Suggests People With Lupus May Benefit From Cholesterol-Lowering Diet

A study published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine provides new information about the relationship between autoimmune disease and an excess of cholesterol in the blood. Dr. Kenneth Walsh and his colleagues at Boston University’s School of Medicine suggests there is a link between autoimmune diseases, such as lupus, and atherosclerosis, a cardiovascular condition caused by the buildup of fatty deposits in the arteries. The results may provide additional evidence that people with lupus can benefit a diet that lowers cholesterol.

The researchers created a new strain of mice prone to develop atherosclerosis and autoimmune disease by cross breeding mice that are prone to develop each condition. According to the researchers, these cross-bred mice had bigger fatty deposits in their blood vessels than their parent mice, providing further evidence that autoimmune diseases make heart disease worse.

Interestingly, however, Dr. Walsh and his colleagues have found that the reverse also may be true: that atherosclerosis can make autoimmune diseases, such as lupus, worse. The new cross-bred mice had more severe symptoms than their parent mice. According to the researchers, the symptoms were made even worse by feeding the mice a high-fat diet, suggesting that the buildup of fatty deposits contributes to autoimmunity.

Interestingly, however, Dr. Walsh and his colleagues have found that the reverse also may be true: that atherosclerosis can make autoimmune diseases, such as lupus, worse. The new cross-bred mice had more severe symptoms than their parent mice. According to the researchers, the symptoms were made even worse by feeding the mice a high-fat diet, suggesting that the buildup of fatty deposits contributes to autoimmunity.

Dr. Walsh and colleagues also discovered that the cross-bred mice had high levels of cell debris in their blood. Previously published research has suggested there is an important link between development of autoimmune diseases, such as lupus, and defects in how the human body clears up dead or dying cells within the bloodstream that are constantly being replaced, a process known as apoptosis. It is believed that the body’s inability to properly remove cell debris may help to trigger autoimmune disease.

“Systemic lupus erythematosus is associated with accelerated heart disease and stokes,” said Dr. Joan Merrill, consulting medical director for the Lupus Foundation of America. “The paper by Dr. Walsh and his colleagues may provide a useful method for investigating the connections between how the body regulates cholesterol, the interplay between cholesterol regulation, dead cell clearance and the immune system, and risks for autoimmunity and heart disease.” Dr. Merrill added, “When the balance between these elements breaks down, this may increase the risk for lupus and/or heart disease. By continuing to dissect these connections on the molecular level we can be optimistic that important new diagnostic tests and treatments might be found.”

“We congratulate Dr. Walsh and his colleagues at Boston University for this study that will help researchers gain a better understanding of the possible underlying causes of lupus and possible ways to control the disease,” said Sandra C. Raymond, President and CEO of the Lupus Foundation of America. “While we have entered a new era of discovery and hope for people with lupus, additional funding is needed for medical research and drug development. We call upon Congress to increase appropriations to the National Institutes of Health to ensure a strong research program in lupus, and call upon our nation’s biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies to greatly increase their investment in lupus research, in order to accelerate the pace of discovery of new, safe, non-toxic and effective lupus medications.”

The study was funded by a MERIT award from the National Institute of Aging, one of the 26 federally-funded institutes and centers that comprise the National Institutes of Health, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

To view the paper from the Journal of Experimental Medicine, please click here.