title: Molecular mimicry as a mechanism of autoimmune disease.
abstract: A variety of mechanisms have been suggested as the means by which infections can initiate and/or exacerbate autoimmune diseases. One mechanism is molecular mimicry, where a foreign antigen shares sequence or structural similarities with self-antigens. Molecular mimicry has typically been characterized on an antibody or T cell level. However, structural relatedness between pathogen and self does not account for T cell activation in a number of autoimmune diseases. A proposed mechanism that could have been misinterpreted for molecular mimicry is the expression of dual T cell receptors (TCR) on a single T cell. These T cells have dual reactivity to both foreign and self-antigens leaving the host vulnerable to foreign insults capable of triggering an autoimmune response. In this review, we briefly discuss what is known about molecular mimicry followed by a discussion of the current understanding of dual TCRs. Finally, we discuss three mechanisms, including molecular mimicry, dual TCRs, and chimeric TCRs, by which dual reactivity of the T cell may play a role in autoimmune diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Cusick
authors.forename: Jane E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Libbey
authors.forename: Robert S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Fujinami
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D018716:Molecular Mimicry / Q000276:immunology*; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell
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