Infection, autoimmunity and autoimmune disease

Studies of the immune response of mammals to infectious agents have revealed that members of the hsp60 and hsp 70 family are highly immunodominant. Given their high conservation during evolution this was surprising, because of the apparent risk of triggering of autoimmunity and autoimmune disease during the defense of a mammal against infection. However, detailed studies of the immune responses to HSP in models of autoimmune diseases in animals resulted in a change of the view that autoimmunity necessarily leads to autoimmune disease. It has been found that modulation of autoimmunity to HSP is one way to prevent autoimmune disease. At least in some cases even treatment of autoimmune diseases by immunization with heat shock protein appears feasible. This was shown in adjuvant arthritis in Lewis rats and insulin dependent diabetes in NOD mice. Hsp60 and hsp70 are ubiquitous proteins. Their involvement in regulatory loops of autoimmunity may serve as basis for the development of strategies, to prevent and/or treat autoimmune diseases even without knowledge of the causative (auto-)antigen.