Part two in this series highlights the potential roles which intracellular pathogens play in diagnoses of human autoimmune diseases and conditions.
 

Pathogens which are classified as intracellular, target and infect red blood cells, tissue cells, organ cells, and even in some cases follow a chain-effect to infect white blood cells. Intracellular bacteria and viruses, like in the name, means they are located within cell membranes of infected cell(s). Depending on a host’s immune response, these pathogens alternate between reproductive and dormant phases causing the body to respond to active and/or chronic infection. Red blood cells are always moving throughout the bloodstream of human vascular networks which once infected, makes them gateways to other sites of infection. These intracellular pathogens can re-enter the bloodstream from reservoirs of infected cells and diffuse throughout various musculoskeletal destinations where they can also create new reservoirs in cells of tissues, ligaments, organs, joints, and glands.

How do immune systems respond?

Each response is standardized but also unique pertaining to individual(s). When the immune system detects areas where intracellular pathogens are present, similar to other types of infections, an automated immune response in that of white blood cells (‘disease fighters and protectors’) occurs. These white blood cells are dispatched to areas of infection (throughout the bloodstream) and are programed to eliminate waste, foreign pathogens as well as dying cells by engulfing and disposing of them. A complication ensues as the much larger white blood cells travel to their target areas and encounter a physiological issue, as red blood cells are considerably smaller. Because white blood cells can detect that infection is nearby, they remain at a “high-alert” proximity. Granted that white blood cells are larger and the two types of cells, both red and white, have cell membranes, the only feasible response is for the white blood cells to engulf and eliminate the infected cells. However, an ‘error’ in automation exists as these white blood cells are conscious that the red blood cells are alive and appear ‘healthy’ (these pathogens aim to keep their host cells alive) thus ineffective in eliminating the pathogen. This response from a noncellular perspective can be viewed as eruptions of various inflammation zones as infected cells trek throughout the vascular network while white blood cells trigger inflammation in hopes of containing the pathogen to fixed areas. Clinical observation of these reactions conclude that white blood cells are attacking areas of one's own body causing sufferers chronic periodic pain, fatigue, sickness, and discomfort. 
 

How common are these examples of intracellular conditions confused with autoimmune diseases? The response is: Often.

Intracellular pathogens are evasive in nature and do their best to avoid the inevitable human immune response. Certain persons can become intermittently asymptomatic to infections which permits pathogens to alternate between dormant and reproductive phases resulting in recurring ‘flare ups’ of inflammation.

This is no secret as refined medical experts in the fields of microbiology and virology have connected symptoms and even examples of autoimmune misdiagnosis with causative agents being that of intracellular pathogens. Examples can be seen with infections such as:

- Bartonella, intracellular parasite
- Babesia, intracellular protozoa
- Borelia, intracellular spirochete
- Anaplasmosis, intracellular bacteria
- Ehrlichea, intracellular pathogen
- Mycoplasmosis, intracellular pathogen (once considered to be extracellular)
- Legionella pneumophila, intracellular pathogen
-Trypanosoma cruzi, intracellular protozoan parasite
 

Often paralleling symptoms or co-existing with a diagnosis of:
 

- Antiphospholipid syndrome
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)

- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)

- Type 1 diabetes
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) 

- Autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD)
- Endometriosis

- Ovarian cysts/abnormal growths

- Alopecia

- Certain cancer diagnosis

Where do these pathogens affect the most? Typical areas of concern involve physiological ‘hideouts’ which are often larger joints, glands, organs, and surrounding tissues that receive larger amounts of blood flow via vessels and veins. This is a phenomenon which could possibly explain to why certain "autoimmune diseases and conditions" are deemed migratory suggesting that they are able change sites while spawning symptoms throughout the body in periodic cycles. Inflammation which is chronic usually exhibits in recurring spouts as intracellular pathogens alternate between dormant and reproductive phases. The ability of these pathogens to hide, disguise, and cover their tracks results with medical professionals to withdraw from the pursuit of the source of systematic sickness in their patients. In turn, they refuge to retrospective approaches to remedy symptoms versus a course of action which eradicates the likely possibility of a responsible pathogen behind a cryptic, underlying condition(s).
Intracellular pathogens have two primary methods to evade immune responses by the host organism. Once implanted at the interior of a healthy cell, a search to pull calcium from the bloodstream to introduce a new fortified ‘calcium vacuole’ within the cell membrane occurs. The new vacuole serves as an intracellular shield used for a pathogen reproduction zone/reservoir. A vacuole is like a reinforced bubble, which is ordinarily found within cells as a partitioned waste area separate from healthy intracellular functioning.

Calcium is one of the many electrolytes that assist in the performance of several automated system functioning; Musculoskeletal heath, muscular contraction and relaxing, the automated cooling routine of the body (sweating), and cardiovascular functioning. When calcium levels are abnormal, proper functioning of some or all of these systems are affected.

Potassium is an electrolyte which governs and maintains order of intracellular health and proper cell membrane performance. Potassium enters and exits the cells via diffusion across the cell membrane. Potassium is distributed and balanced via the work of both the adrenal glands and kidneys. These two ‘sub-systems’ work together to pump potassium in and out of the body to maintain homeostasis from a cellular point of view to an overall entire biologic view. 

Calcium balance is regulated by the parathyroid glands, while potassium balance is regulated by the adrenals glands as well as kidneys. Both are measured in blood levels and kidney functioning levels. Quite regularly, it is common for these infections to be present in combination with an abnormal calcium/potassium balance when undergoing examination.
An imbalance between calcium and potassium caused by intracellular pathogens can easily lead to a chain of progressive symptoms indicative of potential autoimmune diseases and conditions. 

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The second method of elusion is the alternance between dormant and active phases as well as cell migration. Once a cell has been infected and the reproduction phase has passed, the pathogen diffuses once more across the cell membrane from the interior of cells, changing physiological form to reenter the blood stream. They target new healthy cells to again infect and reproduce from within, and repeat the cycle.

While undergoing standardized blood tests, a positive return for an infection might not be so simple to observe, however, along with clinical manifestations, abnormal calcium and/or potassium levels, and autoimmune indicators could serve as a reliable marker pointing to possible intracellular infection. It is proven:
 

• Intracellular pathogens can be passed on perinatally from mother to infant, or via contaminated breast milk from an infected mother to child.

• These types of pathogens can be passed by many forms of human-to-human contact, including procreation.

• These pathogens can be passed by non-human vectors, infected animals or insects.

• These diseases, on average, generate more positive inflammatory responses in women than in men. Women have different reservoirs favorable for these pathogens to infect and reproduce. 

• Chronic and cyclic fatigue as well as body-wide inflammation and targeted inflammation areas are frequent symptoms.

• People who suffer from these diseases are more susceptible to musculoskeletal setbacks such as muscle, ligament, cartilage, joint injuries as well as cardiovascular and nerve damage.

• Mood swings, depression, and cloudy memory are 'tell-tale' symptoms of these infections when other corresponding symptoms are present.
   

It is worth posing the questions:

- Are intracellular parasites, bacteria, protozoa, and virus using the passage of potassium across the cell membranes to enter within the cells, then in turn using calcium to hide within cells making them virtually undetectable in standardized serum testing?

- Is the investigation of autoimmune disease and condition causes being abandoned at the detection of clinical symptoms along with prescription to costly treatment regimens?
 

- Should rushed diagnoses be made when a patient questions the cause of autoimmune conditions and the response is “we don’t know”?

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Further concern arising is that in order to accurately detect intracellular infections, more detailed testing such as electron microscope with illumination imaging is frequently required to see within cells on a microscopic level. Via visual observation in combination with clinical manifestations of symptoms, a comprehensive diagnosis of the presence of intracellular pathogens can be made by health-care professionals. To treat intracellular infections, specialized medicine, or targeted techniques which are capable to diffuse across cell membranes to eliminate the infection from within the infected cell(s) itself are required.

Assuming diseases and conditions without identifying direct causes and prescribing a lifetime of conflicting treatments is incomplete and expensive. Years from now, new information will be learned and published which will change the general approach in managing these autoimmune diseases and conditions. History has previously demonstrated examples of what was believed to be ‘fact’ to ‘fiction’ and could leave the current courses of action regretful. Upon observation of clinical manifestations of these suspected autoimmune disease/conditions, should intracellular imaging along with the study of calcium and potassium imbalances be standardized to better understand these conditions from an intracellular perspective?

Intracellular infections make a strong case to be the cause of various autoimmune diagnoses. Post-mortem biopsies have proven that patients suffered from a pathogenic illness which presented symptoms that medical professionals diagnosed as autoimmune conditions, and treated their symptoms without treating the cause. An example of this is Multiple-Sclerosis and Neuroborreliosis where infection is often discovered only after it is too late. The reporting is sufficient to trigger sufferers of these diseases to dig deeper in collaboration with the right (for them) medical professionals and experts. 
 

It is true that the band-aid of periodic relief in the form of medicaments, tablets, supplements, and liquids provides short term solutions. But the ideas behind providing temporary relief have been infiltrated by the external desire of large financial marginal gain. The financial opportunity of intertwining business with health is propelling an inverse correlation between long-term solutions and short-lived treatment. Are front-line health professionals being formed 'full-circle' to CURE patients while at the same time treat their symptoms? Or are they being consistent with treatment guidelines enforced in a top-down system where they find themselves near the bottom? 

The aim is not to present sufferers of these conditions with false hope, but to encourage research-based hypothesis in order to innovate new processes of observing, diagnosing, and curing these autoimmune conditions. Quality of life can be largely improved if parallel objectives fuel further discoveries and standardize novel sustainable solutions.

The basis of wealth is in fact, good health.