title: Antigen-presenting cell activation: a link between infection and autoimmunity?
abstract: The onset of autoimmune diseases such as type I diabetes and multiple sclerosis is often thought to be associated with infection. This has led to studies of molecular mimicry between infectious agents and the self-antigens associated with autoimmunity. Despite many claims, however, a single causative infectious agent for autoimmunity has not been found. An alternative possibility is that many infectious agents are capable of non-specifically enhancing the likelihood of an autoimmune attack. Here we show how infectious agents may activate antigen-presenting cells leading to the activation of autoreactive T cells by otherwise innocuous antigens. The mechanism of activation involves upregulation of co-stimulatory molecules on the antigen-presenting cell resulting in a lowering of the threshold required for activation. These results help explain how diverse infectious agents could cause autoimmune disease in susceptible individuals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kissler
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Anderton
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Wraith
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000276:immunology*; D018106:CD28 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D007239:Infections / Q000276:immunology; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D010455:Peptides / Q000276:immunology; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D018106:CD28 Antigens; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D010455:Peptides