Biomaterial Database

Molecular mimicry between non-self, modified self and self in autoimmunity. 1998

A E Karlsen, and T Dyrberg

Steno Diabetes Center, Gentofte, Denmark.

Molecular mimicry, the presence of shared epitopes between foreign and self antigens is common both at the B and T cell level. That it only rarely leads to a cross-reactive autoimmune response is a testimony to the effectiveness of the immune system in regulating the immune response and avoiding harmful self-reactivity. However, despite this regulation, various auto-immune-mediated diseases have been associated with molecular mimicry. The concept of molecular mimicry between foreign and self antigen as well as between self and modified self epitopes is reviewed and the relevance of these phenomena for the initiation of autoimmune diseases is discussed.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001324	Autoantigens	Endogenous tissue constituents with the ability to interact with AUTOANTIBODIES and cause an immune response.	Autoantigen,Autologous Antigen,Autologous Antigens,Self-Antigen,Self-Antigens,Antigen, Autologous,Antigens, Autologous,Self Antigen,Self Antigens
D015551	Autoimmunity	Process whereby the immune system reacts against the body's own tissues. Autoimmunity may produce or be caused by AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES.	Autoimmune Response,Autoimmune Responses,Autoimmunities
D017634	Self Tolerance	The normal lack of the ability to produce an immunological response to autologous (self) antigens. A breakdown of self tolerance leads to autoimmune diseases. The ability to recognize the difference between self and non-self is the prime function of the immune system.	Self Tolerances,Tolerance, Self,Tolerances, Self
D018716	Molecular Mimicry	The structure of one molecule that imitates or simulates the structure of a different molecule.	Antigenic Mimicry,DNA Mimicry,Mimicry, Molecular,Antigen Mimicry,Antigen Mimicries,Antigenic Mimicries,DNA Mimicries,Mimicries, Antigen,Mimicries, Antigenic,Mimicries, DNA,Mimicries, Molecular,Mimicry, Antigen,Mimicry, Antigenic,Mimicry, DNA,Molecular Mimicries
D018984	Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte	Antigenic determinants recognized and bound by the T-cell receptor. Epitopes recognized by the T-cell receptor are often located in the inner, unexposed side of the antigen, and become accessible to the T-cell receptors after proteolytic processing of the antigen.	T-Cell Epitopes,T-Lymphocyte Epitopes,T-Cell Epitope,T-Lymphocyte Epitope,Epitope, T-Cell,Epitope, T-Lymphocyte,Epitopes, T Lymphocyte,Epitopes, T-Cell,T Cell Epitope,T Cell Epitopes,T Lymphocyte Epitope,T Lymphocyte Epitopes