D Witkowska 1
1. Instytut Immunologii i Terapii Doświadczalnej PAN, Wrocławiu.
Published:
GICID: 01.3001.0000.3236
Available language versions: en pl
Issue: Postepy Hig Med Dosw 1999; 53 (4)
Abstract
Structural and functional homology between bacterial proteins and host antigens, called molecular mimicry, is considered as significant pathogenic factor involved in several autoimmune diseases. The most important examples of this phenomenon reviewed in this work, involve rheumatic fever, Graves’ disease, ankylosing spondylitis, Reiter’s syndrome and rheumatic arthritis caused by infections with Streptococcus, Yersinia, Klebsiella, Escherichia coli, respectively.