I first heard of Lupus back in the late 80's.
There is a map collection at our library dedicated to a librarian (my wife's supervisor) who had Lupus.
I've never heard of pristane! so...from the DOI:
"Pristane is a straight chain seventeen carbon alkane; phytane is an eighteen-carbon alkane. Pristanic acid is a metabolite of pristane."
"The residents in the exposed community were exposed to higher than usual background levels of various hydrocarbons including benzene, xylene, toluene, pristane, phytane and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). We found higher levels of air mercury and house dust pristane/phytane in the affected neighborhood compared to other areas of Hobbs and the control town. Mercury is very volatile and so the major route of exposure would be through vapor inhalation. Pristane/phytane on the other hand is not volatile and it would be expected to be higher in the house dust."
In terms of "is it genetic?"
"The immune reaction in humans to mercury exposure is varied. Humans have increased activity of the immune system leading to autoimmunity [48] or sensitivities to the environment [49,50]. On the other hand there can be immune suppression with decreases in immune defenses such as macrophage function [51]. Low-level chronic exposure to mercury has been associated with Crohn's disease, endometriosis, lupus, and other autoimmune processes."
"Rheumatic disease is 10 times more likely; SLE is 10 times more likely in the exposed compared to their unexposed counterparts. Other symptoms common among those with immune problems are also reported with increased frequency in the exposed population including mouth sores, numbness, and rash."
"A higher prevalence of neurological symptoms, respiratory symptoms and several cardiovascular problems including stroke (OR = 15.41; CI = 0.78, 304.68) and angina (OR = 5.72; CI = 1.68, 19.43) was seen."
Conclusion (from DOI)
"There were statistically significant differences in B cells, Natural Killer Cells, gamma glutamyl transferase, globulin and serum calcium levels between control and exposed subjects.
This study adds to the evidence implicating pristane and mercury in the development of lupus and generates questions as to the possible synergistic effects of organic solvents including pristane and phytane, mercury and other exposures. Further research is needed to determine the mechanism of effect for each of the suspected causal exposures and to assess possible synergy between exposures."
Gee, you wonder why the earth has problems....
"This subdivision was built on that site in 1976. Some of the homes were built on ground that had previously been used as a pit for oil field waste, which was estimated to be 200 feet long and 30 feet wide.
The residents experienced petroleum and/or rotten egg odors inside their homes on frequent occasions. They also found black oily material oozing out of the ground either spontaneously or when digging in the soil around their property."
