Infectomics and autoinfectomics: a tool to study infectious-induced autoimmunity

Area of Science:

• Environmental health
• Immunology
• Microbiome research

Background:

• The exposome encompasses all lifelong environmental exposures.
• The microbiome is a key component of the exposome.
• The novel concept of infectome and autoinfectome studies infections' role in autoimmunity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and define the autoinfectome.
• To explore the autoinfectome's potential in understanding autoimmune disease development and progression.
• To investigate the link between infections and the "mosaic of autoimmunity".

Main Methods:

• Conceptual framework development for the autoinfectome.
• Literature review on exposome, microbiome, and autoimmune diseases.
• Analysis of the interplay between infections and the immune system over time.

Main Results:

• The autoinfectome provides a framework to study the totality of infections throughout life.
• Investigating the autoinfectome can explain the development of multiple autoimmune diseases in individuals.
• It may also elucidate the infectious and autoantibody burden in autoimmune rheumatic diseases.

Conclusions:

• The autoinfectome concept is crucial for understanding the causes of autoimmunity.
• Studying the autoinfectome over time, before disease onset, is vital.
• Establishing a causative link between infection and autoimmunity requires tracking individual infectious exposures.