title: Autoimmunity and coxsackievirus infection in primary Sjogren's syndrome.
abstract: Exocrine gland epithelial cells are the target of autoimmune pathology in primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). Their activated phenotype has incited the notion that they are infected by a virus. We recently presented evidence that coxsackieviruses may persistently infect the salivary glands of pSS patients. We hypothesize that coxsackieviruses may play a permissive role for the perpetuation and possibly the induction of autoimmune disease in pSS.
authors: Department of Pathophysiology, National University of Athens Medical School, M. Asias 75, Goudi, Athens 11527, Greece.
authors: Antigoni
authors: A
authors: Triantafyllopoulou
authors: Haralampos M
authors: HM
authors: Moutsopoulos
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015551:Autoimmunity; D003384:Coxsackievirus Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D029822:Enterovirus B, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*