Why are Th1 inflammatory diseases more prevalent in developed countries?
Possible factors include:
1. The widespread use of Antibiotics which create the intracellular bacteria, namely Penicillins and Cephalosporins
2. The supplementation of food with Vitamin D and Folic Acid, inter alia
3. The amount of time spent sunbathing during infancy and youth (remember that much of the third world customarily wears protective clothing)
4. The communication of the L-form bacteria through the food chain from animals routinely treated with antibiotics
5. The compulsory widespread use of immunization in the West, spreading L-forms in the vaccine
6. Blood Transfusion, especially in elective surgery
..Trevor..
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It is not just an effect of beta-lactams, the bacteria change to L-forms whenever their environment gets very harsh. The Brorson's found that the immune system environment in spinal fluid, which is very hard on bacteria, causes them to change to L-forms.
Brorson O, Brorson SH: In vitro conversion of Borrelia burgdorferi to cystic forms in spinal fluid, and transformation to mobile spirochetes by incubation in BSK-H medium. Infection. 1998 May-Jun;26(3)144-50 http://tinyurl.com/7ccdw
