title: Molecular mimicry in the pathogenesis of AIDS: the HIV/MHC/mycoplasma triangle.
abstract: The immune defects characterizing infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and culminating in the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) are the result of a multifactorial disease process, components of which are the occurrence of autoimmune phenomena and opportunistic infection. In this discussion, the observation that both the HIV-1 gp 120 envelope and Mycoplasma genitalium adhesin proteins share an area of significant similarity with the CD4-binding site of the class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) proteins is placed in this perspective and mechanisms by which interaction within this triad could contribute to the T-cell dysfunction, T-cell depletion, Th1-cell-->Th2-cell shift, B-cell proliferation, hyperglobulinemia and antigen-presenting cell dysfunction observed during the development of AIDS are proposed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital, Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Bisset
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D015551:Autoimmunity; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D015686:Gene Products, env / Q000737:chemistry; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000276:immunology; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / Q000276:immunology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006681:HLA-D Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D018448:Models, Immunological; D018716:Molecular Mimicry; D009174:Mycoplasma / Q000276:immunology*; D009175:Mycoplasma Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D015302:Simian Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001323:Autoantibodies; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D015686:Gene Products, env; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120; D006681:HLA-D Antigens; C073268:adhesin, Mycoplasma genitalium