title: Persisting viruses and autoimmunity.
abstract: Viral infections can be responsible for the onset and sustaining of autoimmune processes. We discuss how chronic inflammation associated with viral persistence is the prerequisite for initiation of a multi-step process leading to autoimmunity. Firstly, chronic inflammation may favor the priming of autoreactive T cells that have escaped thymic selection and are specific for self-mimicking viral peptides in the periphery. In addition, viral persistence and inflammation can act synergistically to induce and sustain autoimmunity either unveiling cryptic self-epitopes, or favoring determinant spreading, or activating dendritic cells, or promoting constant priming of new autoreactive T cells, or contributing to the efficient generation of effector cells, or, finally, restimulating memory T lymphocytes.
authors.affiliation: Fondazione Andrea Cesalpino, Istituto di I Clinica Medica, Università di Roma 'La Sapienza', Policlinico Umberto I, viale del Policlinico 155, I-00161, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paroli
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schiaffella
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Di Rosa
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Barnaba
mesh_terms: D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D020278:Demyelinating Autoimmune Diseases, CNS / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral