Akasuna
Jōnin Strategist 🧠
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I've recently been doing some research into a topic that's been on my mind for a while now; what can we actually say Itachi's illness was? Aside from minor speculations, we've had nothing yet. However, I've recently stumbled upon a very interesting find: Itachi's disease was probably MPA, the scientific term for which is 'Microscopic Polyangiitis'.
To put it frankly, "MPA is a rare form of systemic vasculitis. It is an auto-immune disorder, characterized by antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies attacking the small vessels, causing them to bleed as they become damaged and inflamed." I'm assuming we all know the basics of how allergies work; the body's antibodies and antigens mistake certain harmless substances such as pollen to be viruses or offenders such as the Rhinovirus, and attacks said harmless substance. MPA is essentially that on a much larger scale; the body produces antibodies that attack the vessels and the body itself, essentially destroying oneself from the inside: Itachi possibly was affected by this.
Itachi's most obvious symptom of this disease is hemoptysis: the expectoration of blood or sputum (mucus) from the bronchi, lungs, or trachea.
To put it frankly, "MPA is a rare form of systemic vasculitis. It is an auto-immune disorder, characterized by antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies attacking the small vessels, causing them to bleed as they become damaged and inflamed." I'm assuming we all know the basics of how allergies work; the body's antibodies and antigens mistake certain harmless substances such as pollen to be viruses or offenders such as the Rhinovirus, and attacks said harmless substance. MPA is essentially that on a much larger scale; the body produces antibodies that attack the vessels and the body itself, essentially destroying oneself from the inside: Itachi possibly was affected by this.
Itachi's most obvious symptom of this disease is hemoptysis: the expectoration of blood or sputum (mucus) from the bronchi, lungs, or trachea.
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Said hemoptysis is most likely a result of 'diffuse alveolar hemorrhage', an acute bleeding from the lung - most specifically in the upper respiratory tract and trachea - that gets in the way of the alveoli's processes. Unlike other forms of vasculitis[SUP]1[/SUP], Itachi's upper respiratory tract seemed not to have been completely destroyed. The damage occurred deeper in the lungs.
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Another symptom of MPA is acute chest pain accompanied by heart attacks of varying sensitivities. Itachi was seen grabbing his chest in his final battle with Sasuke - the 'final' heart attack, the most common cause of death among those with MPA. Perhaps due to his enhanced durability, he survived this long enough to confront Sasuke one final time.
From there, we move onwards to the damage caused to his eyes. As we know, the over usage of the Mangekyō Sharingan results in ultimate blindness, yet MPA also has symptoms and effects that affect the retinal directly.
The most specific assaults on the retinal caused by this disease are retinal hemorrhage - an eye disorder that causes bleeding into the retensitive tissue on back wall of the eye - and scleritis, an inflammatory disease that affects the white coating of the eye. Symptoms that both these disorders share are redness of the sclera and decrease of visual acuity. Itachi has demonstrated both of these symptoms - [
While there are also symptoms of MPA that Itachi doesn't show, it doesn't mean they don't exist; necrosis, gangrene, and small blisters are all unaccounted for, as well as direct damage to kidneys. These may exist beneath his Akatsuki cloak and undershirt. Other symptoms such as bleeding under the nails can be covered up, seeing as all the Akatsuki wear nail polish.
Onto Itachi's medication; refer to the scan I posted at the very top of this theory. Obito stated that Itachi utilized medication in order to prolong his life, which isn't very far-fetched. The treatment of MPA requires a combination of different steroids and immunosuppressive agents to abate the disease indefinitely, although the cure that completely rids the disease has yet to be discovered. When untreated, MPA has an extraordinarily high mortality rate -a five-year survival rate of under 25% - and as such it's not very hard to believe that Itachi's medicines did in fact prolong his life.
Microscopic Polyangiitis could very well be the actual disease that Itachi suffers from. Although there are certain other diseases that could possibly be Itachi's, this one has the most proof backing it. Until I do a bit more research to find another more likely disease, I'm sticking with this one.
From there, we move onwards to the damage caused to his eyes. As we know, the over usage of the Mangekyō Sharingan results in ultimate blindness, yet MPA also has symptoms and effects that affect the retinal directly.
The most specific assaults on the retinal caused by this disease are retinal hemorrhage - an eye disorder that causes bleeding into the retensitive tissue on back wall of the eye - and scleritis, an inflammatory disease that affects the white coating of the eye. Symptoms that both these disorders share are redness of the sclera and decrease of visual acuity. Itachi has demonstrated both of these symptoms - [
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-
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]. While we know for a fact that we can't attribute Itachi's eyesight to his disease alone, his disease certainly accelerated the rate at which his eyesight deteriorated.While there are also symptoms of MPA that Itachi doesn't show, it doesn't mean they don't exist; necrosis, gangrene, and small blisters are all unaccounted for, as well as direct damage to kidneys. These may exist beneath his Akatsuki cloak and undershirt. Other symptoms such as bleeding under the nails can be covered up, seeing as all the Akatsuki wear nail polish.
Onto Itachi's medication; refer to the scan I posted at the very top of this theory. Obito stated that Itachi utilized medication in order to prolong his life, which isn't very far-fetched. The treatment of MPA requires a combination of different steroids and immunosuppressive agents to abate the disease indefinitely, although the cure that completely rids the disease has yet to be discovered. When untreated, MPA has an extraordinarily high mortality rate -a five-year survival rate of under 25% - and as such it's not very hard to believe that Itachi's medicines did in fact prolong his life.
Microscopic Polyangiitis could very well be the actual disease that Itachi suffers from. Although there are certain other diseases that could possibly be Itachi's, this one has the most proof backing it. Until I do a bit more research to find another more likely disease, I'm sticking with this one.
