[Retroviruses and autoimmune diseases]

Various genetic factors and environmental factors are intricately intertwined in the pathomechanism of autoimmune diseases. Retroviruses, represented by HTLV-I and HIV, are known to relate to autoimmune disorders. However, the pathogenetic role of retrovirus and the relationship between retrovirus and autoimmune diseases are not clear. We found autoimmune diseases, such as arthritis, myositis, arteritis, dermatitis and T cell abnormality in HTLV-I transgenic rats, and studied the pathomechanism of the diseases by cell transfer experiments. Here we describe the relationship between retrovirus and autoimmune diseases and suggest that retrovirus plays a important role in the autoimmune diseases.