Autoimmunity associated with infection: leprosy, acute rheumatic fever and Lyme disease.
This review examines the links between autoimmunity and three common infectious diseases. These disorders are associated with a variety of clinical and serological autoimmune phenomena. In addition they might conceivably trigger autoimmune diseases themselves. Mechanisms that may be responsible for these links, including molecular mimicry, are explored.
Ehrenstein
M
M
University College and Middlesex Hospital Medical School, London, UK.
Isenberg
D
D
D000208:Acute Disease; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000276:immunology*; D003429:Cross Reactions; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000276:immunology*; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000276:immunology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012213:Rheumatic Fever / Q000276:immunology*