The role of infections in autoimmune disease

Abstract

SummaryAutoimmunity occurs when the immune system recognizes and attacks host tissue. In addition to genetic factors, environmental triggers (in particular viruses, bacteria and other infectious pathogens) are thought to play a major role in the development of autoimmune diseases. In this review, we (i) describe the ways in which an infectious agent can initiate or exacerbate autoimmunity; (ii) discuss the evidence linking certain infectious agents to autoimmune diseases in humans; and (iii) describe the animal models used to study the link between infection and autoimmunity.

Infectious diseases and autoimmunity

“…In contrast to dominant antigenic determinants, subdominant cryptic antigens are normally invisible to the immune system. The inflammatory environment that arises after infection can induce increased protease production and differential processing of released self-epitopes by APC [71].…”

Islet Endothelium: Role in Type 1 Diabetes and in Coxsackievirus Infections

“…In the cardiac context, injury is caused by a direct cytopathic effect of the virus, an immune response to viral infection or autoimmunity triggered by the viral infection (Huber, 2006). Several mechanisms, including molecular mimicry, bystander activation of autoreactive T cells, superantigenic activity of viral proteins, viral infection and persistence, not mutually exclusive, have been proposed to explain the relationship between EV infections and induction of autoimmune diseases (extensively reviewed in Varela-Calvino & Peakman, 2003;Ercolini & Miller, 2009). As for a role in type 1 diabetes, results have been somewhat conflicting and not conclusive (von Herrath, 2009;Tauriainen et al, 2010).…”

Role of infections in autoimmune disease development

“…Взаимосвязь инфекции и аутоиммунитета активно обсуждают [6][7][8][9]. Чаще всего в этом контексте рассматривают вирусы гепатитов В и C [10, 11], герпесвирусы [12, 13], вирусы Кокса-ки В [14][15][16], S. pyogenes [17,18].…”

“…Считают, что микроорганизмы играют роль триггера или усиливают уже имеющийся субпо-роговый аутоиммунный ответ [6][7][8][9]23]. Однако единого мнения о том, каким образом инфек-ционный процесс приводит к аутоиммунному заболеванию, не существует.…”