Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine in the hearts of mice does not correlate with expression of the autoimmune disease lupus

The lung surfactant dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine leaks into the blood, settling on the luminal aspect of blood vessels to create active hydrophobic spots. Nanobubbles are formed at these spots from dissolved gas. We hypothesized that contact between a large molecule in the blood at the gaseous/liquid interface would disrupt the molecule’s tertiary structure. An exposed epitope may then prompt an autoimmune response. The double cause hypothesis suggests that high level of DPPC is a prerequisite for the development of autoimmune disease. The double cause hypothesis was supported in a study using diabetic mice.