I have a recent experience with hydrochloric acid on the skin. There is a cleaner that contains about 10 percent hydrochloric acid in some kind of gel. I used to use it to clean toilets. It got inside my gloves a couple of times. I got inflammation characterized by many many small blisters just under the skin, very painful blisters. Dosages of steroids, which are supposed to shut off cytokine production, made these blisters go away. I had another flare-up after I finished that course of steroids and I needed another. DMSO seems to help a lot.
So yes, the body attacks damaged cells. I presume that a stronger healthier body is more able to fine-tune such attacks. It's a vicious cycle when inflammation damages cells and causes them to send out more signals to trigger more autoimmune attacks.
Phosphoric acid is a viable suspect in autoimmune disease, too. It damages bones and proteins. People voluntarily drink the stuff. |