Women and autoimmune diseases

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Infectious Diseases
• Autoimmune Disorders

Background:

• Autoimmune diseases impact 8% of the population, disproportionately affecting women (78%).
• Preceding infections are suspected triggers for autoimmune diseases, supported by animal models.
• Coxsackievirus B3 (CB3) infection in mice causes myocarditis, mimicking human disease, and can be induced without active infection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the mechanism by which coxsackievirus B3 (CB3) infection induces autoimmune disease in susceptible mice.
• To explore the role of mast cells, proinflammatory cytokines, and sex hormones in the development of infection-induced autoimmunity.

Main Methods:

• Induction of autoimmune myocarditis in susceptible mice using coxsackievirus B3 (CB3) infection.
• Administration of heart proteins with adjuvants to assess disease development without active infection.
• Analysis of mast cell activation and proinflammatory cytokine levels during the innate immune response.

Main Results:

• CB3 infection triggers autoimmune disease in susceptible mice.
• Elevated levels of proinflammatory cytokines from mast cells are key mediators of the innate immune response.
• Autoimmune disease can develop even without an active infection, suggesting a role for molecular mimicry or bystander activation.

Conclusions:

• Infections, like CB3, can initiate autoimmune responses by stimulating mast cells to release proinflammatory cytokines.
• Sex hormones may exacerbate this immune hyper-response, potentially explaining the higher incidence of autoimmune diseases in women.
• Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for developing targeted therapies for autoimmune diseases.