The Link Between Autoimmune Disease and HPV
Science Based
Written by Amy Myers, MDAutoimmunity is not an island. What I mean is, there are many contributing factors that play a role in developing autoimmune diseases. Today, I want to talk about the link between autoimmune disease and HPV. I’m also going to share the connection between HPV and Lupus specifically. Look, I get it. Sometimes it seems like infections like this just “happen”. However, in many cases, they are one of the root causes of autoimmunity.
I talk a lot about autoimmunity, and for good reason. The truth is genetics only account for about 25% of your autoimmune disease risk. That means 75% of your chance comes from external factors such as diet, toxins, infections, and stress. This means it’s within the realm of your control.
Before I get into the link between autoimmune disease and HPV, let’s do a quick refresher on what autoimmune diseases are.
What is Autoimmune Disease?
Autoimmune disease occurs when your body’s natural defense system can’t tell the difference between your own cells and foreign invaders. This causes your body to mistakenly attack healthy cells. The type of tissues your body attacks will determine which autoimmune condition will manifest.
If the joint cells are under attack, rheumatoid arthritis can develop. If your immune system attacks your thyroid gland, the result could lead to Hashimoto’s or Graves’ disease. If it’s in the gut lining itself, it can lead to Crohn’s disease or Ulcerative Colitis. You can read more about autoimmune disease in my book, The Autoimmune Solution Program.
How Do You Get Lupus?
No one knows the exact trigger for any autoimmune condition, including lupus. At their core, all autoimmune diseases have one thing in common. This common denominator is chronic inflammation, and it causes your immune system to go rogue.
Lupus can affect just about any part of your body.
The most common type of lupus is systemic lupus erythematosus or SLE. With this type, lupus can affect just about any part of your body. It mostly affects the joints, skin, and internal organs. Symptoms vary from person to person. That said, those with SLE experience pain and swelling of the joints. They may also develop skin rashes, sores, and mouth ulcers.
Over 1.5 million people in the United States live with SLE, Among them, most cases of in women between the ages of 15 and 44 (1). I’ll talk more about lupus in just a minute. For now, let’s move into an HPV infection and how HPV and lupus connect.
What is the Human Papillomavirus (HPV)?
There are more than 100 varieties of Human Papillomavirus HPV. Forty of these can infect the genitals, anus, and the mouth. Those are the types I’ll discuss here. However, palmer warts (found on the hands) and plantar warts (found on the feet) are also caused by HPV strains.
HPV infection is generally divided into two types: low-risk and high-risk. Low-risk HPV types are the ones that usually result in skin-colored warts in the oral, anal, or genital areas (2). Low-risk HPV types, even when sexually transmitted, are usually harmless.
High-risk HPV types in women can lead to cervical cancer, as well as cancer of the vulva and vagina. This type of HPV infection can also turn into cancers of the anus, mouth, and throat. In fact, HPV types 16 and 18 are responsible for up to 80% of all cervical cancers. Cervical cancer is the third most frequent cancer type in women.
Certain strains of HPV can lead to cancer.
In men, high-risk HPV types can lead to cancers of the anus, mouth, and throat. You may never show symptoms of either low-risk HPV types or high-risk HPV types.
Now that you know what Human Papillomavirus HPV is, how do you get it?
How Do You Get HPV?
All HPV types spread through skin-to-skin contact. Sexually transmitted HPV types can result from vaginal, anal, or oral sexual contact. What’s more, symptoms can develop years after initial exposure (3).
Usually, these HPV types go away by themselves. If your immune system is in optimal shape, your body can typically fight off the virus without you ever even knowing you had it. That’s one of the reasons HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection. According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 43 million Americans have it and may not even realize it (4).
The other reason is that nearly all other STDS transfer via body fluid. Think about examples such as gonorrhea and syphilis Because an HPV infection transfers from one person to another through skin-to-skin contact, it’s easier to contract.
Human Papillomavirus HPV has both low-risk and high-risky types. So, where does the link between HPV and autoimmune disease come in?
What’s the Relationship Between Autoimmune Disease and HPV?
An HPV infection affects your whole body. For this reason, you can become more susceptible to autoimmunie conditions. At the same time, autoimmunity may make you more susceptible to an HPV infection. This creates a complex relationship between autoimmune disease and HPV.
An HPV Infection Can Lead to Autoimmunity
An ongoing HPV infection can make it hard for your immune system to do its job. Over time, this can lead to autoimmune conditions, such as lupus (5).
It’s thought that the same immune cells that respond to certain autoimmune diseases may also respond to certain HPV types. That means when you have HPV, your body unknowingly learns to attack healthy tissue. This is how autoimmuntity begins.
For example, research shows that an HPV infection is directly associated with the onset of several oral autoimmune diseases. Some of the most common include (6):
- oral lichen planus (OLP)
- mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP)
- pemphigus vulgaris (PV)
- epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA)
Autoimmunity Can Lead to an HPV Infection
A compromised immune system can leave you suceptible to an HPV infection. This is especially true if you already have autoimmunity. Did you know that women with lupus are more likely to contract the HPV virus? They are also more likely to develop cervical cancer than the general population of women (7).
Why is this the case? It’s because some immune system disorders cause abnormally low activity of the immune system. This decreases the body’s ability to fight invaders. It also increasing vulnerability to an HPV infection.
Viral infections never truly go away. They can go into dormancy until something triggers a flare up. Stress or inflammation can trigger such flare ups. However, this happens more persistently in people with lupus particularly SLE. One study showed that those with SLE experience more persistent HPV infections (8).
Isn’t HPV Vaccination Effective?
HPV vaccination does exist, yet it’s not without controversy. No single vaccine protects against all forms of HPV infections. One common HPV vaccination is the HPV-6/11/16/18 vaccine. You may recognize this by its brand name Gardasil®. The second most common is the HPV-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine. This one goes by the name Cervarix®.
The HPV-6/11/16/18 vaccine aims to protect you against HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18. The HPV-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine protects against HPV types 16 and 18 (9).
Anyone between the ages of nine and 45 can receive HPV vaccination. However, boys and girls between the ages of 11-13 is the suggested age range in the United States. Recipients generally receive two doses of HPV vaccination. If you have an existing autoimmune disease, you may need an additional dose.
Keep in mind that HPV vaccine side effects can occur. There is also interesting evidence that HPV vaccination may trigger the onset of autoimmune disease. Some examples include celiac disease, Addison’s, Hashimoto’s, and Raynaud’s, among others (10).
One reason for this may be molecular mimicry between the vaccine and myelin basic protein. Myelin is a component of the nervous system. This means that your body may attack its own cells after you get the vaccine. It would do this because it can’t tell the difference between the proteins in certain cells in your body and the protein used in HPV vaccination (11).
HPV and Lupus: Issues to Consider
When it comes to autoimmune disease and HPV, here are the four main takeaways:
- Those with autoimmunity may be more likely to contract an HPV infection. This includes varieties that cause cancer.
- Those who contract HPV may be more likely to develop an autoimmune disease such as lupus.
- The vaccine can prevent the strains of HPV that cause cancer.
- One of the HPV vaccine side effects may be the onset of autoimmunity.
What Should You Do?
This complex relationship puts you in a tricky position. How can you protect yourself against Human Papillomavirus HPV while also reducing your risk for developing autoimmunity?
HPV Testing
You should get tested if you do think you are at risk. HPV testing also helps detect whether you have the virus.
Conventional doctors don’t generally test for HPV alone. Instead, they commonly perform a pap test to check for cervical cancer (12). Remember, cervical cancer can arise from an HPV infection. I do recommend an annual pap test, regardless of your risk for HPV and lupus.
There is a combination of HPV/pap. However, that type of HPV testing is rarely used. In functional medicine, we perform HPV testing much more frequently. That’s because we know the virus can be the root cause of other issues.
Evaluate the Risks
Remember, because the infection can lie dormant for so long, it’s possible to transmit an HPV infection even years after exposure. Evaluating your personal risk will depend on your situation and your sex life. Have a talk with your child long before she or he is sexually active. If you think they or you are at risk or might even have the virus, consider HPV testing for peace of mind.
Protect Yourself
Whether or not you choose HPV vaccination, it’s important to protect yourself from exposure. Use condoms the right way, every time. Use dental dams for oral sex, which come in various colors, flavors, and designs. Birth control pills will not prevent an HPV infection. What’s worse, birth control has ties to higher risks of cervical cancer (13).
Support Your Immune System
Finally, support your immune system and detox pathways. Even if you do contract the Human Papillomavirus HPV virus, your body can take care of it if it’s healthy. After all, an optimally-functioning immune system with fully functioning detox pathways can keep you from developing symptoms. It can also prevent the inflammation that often leads to further illness.
Methylation is a biochemical process that transforms toxins into safer substances that will not harm your body. Methylation depends on a number of vitamins and cofactors. For example, you need folate, vitamin B12, and vitamin B6. Low levels of these three particular vitamins have an interesting link to an HPV infection progression.
Those who have a heavy viral load and those with MTHFR gene mutations especially need methylation support. The more genetic mutations you have, the less able you are to methylate properly.
I personally have two gene MTHFR gene mutations. My Methylation Support formula is the perfect blend of nutrients your body needs for optimal methylation. I custom-selected these nutrients in their most bioavailable forms to support the body’s methylation and detoxification efforts.
The connection between autoimmune disease and HPV is a complex one. However, you don’t need to let the threat of HPV and Lupus keep you from taking back your health. By combining HPV testing, protection, and immune support, you can support your body from every angle.