Why Pregnancy Pushes Autoimmune Diseases into Remission

A friend of a friend of mine has had Crohn's for many years. But when talking to her, she mentioned that during her pregnancy all her Crohn's symptoms completely subsided and she was in "remission". Why? This apparently is a common phenomenon for pregnant women with autoimmune diseases -- during pregnancy their diseases go into remission.

A new study from the University of Michigan may explain why. Apparently the expression of an enzyme called pyruvate kinase is reduced in immune cells in pregnant women. The reduction in this enzyme "dials-down" the immune system supporting the acceptance of the fetus.

An excerpt from the article:

In his search to explain the phenomenon, Dr. Petty knew to look for a metabolic pathway ormechanism with two characteristics. It had to "dial down" the intensity of the normal immune response, an action needed so that a pregnant woman does not reject the fetus, which has proteins from the father that are "foreign" to the mother. At the same time, such a mechanism must support cell growth needed by the developing fetus.

The activity of the enzyme pyruvate kinase–and its product, pyruvate–fills both roles: promoting cell growth while modifying the immune response. Because pyruvate kinase activity is depressed duringpregnancy, cell metabolism supports an increased production of lipids, carbohydrates, amino acids, and other substances that support cell growth.

This suggests an interesting alternative therapy or treatment option for the future (and I'm not suggesting that you just go get pregnant!). There may be a way to use this immune pathway in a drug therapy. It doesn't necessarily identify or address the root cause of IBD, but it could lead to another alternative therapy.