COMPENDIUM ON FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE - Flipbook - Page 512
Clinical Significance of Array 11
The expanded testing provided by Array 11 offers several clinical
advantages over conventional chemical testing:
Beyond Simple Exposure Assessment
Chemical exposure alone does not guarantee adverse health
effects. Many individuals with documented chemical exposures
remain asymptomatic, while others develop significant illness from
seemingly low-level exposures [10]. Array 11 addresses this
variability by identifying which individuals have developed
immune reactivity to chemicals4a critical step toward
understanding who is most at risk for chemical-induced illness [11].
Mechanism of Chemical-Induced Autoimmunity
Research has established several mechanisms by which chemicals
can trigger autoimmune reactions [12]:
Haptenization
Many chemicals are too small to be recognized by the immune
system directly. However, they can bind to human proteins
(becoming "haptens"), creating modified proteins that the
immune system identifies as foreign [13]. This can trigger antibody
production against both the chemical-protein complex and
potentially against the native protein itself.
Molecular Mimicry
Some chemical-protein complexes structurally resemble normal
human tissues, creating confusion in the immune system. This
"mistaken identity" can lead to cross-reactive antibodies that
target not only the chemical-modified protein but also
similar-looking healthy tissues [14].
Direct Immunotoxicity
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