Review Article

A Potential Link between Environmental Triggers and Autoimmunity

Table 3

Examples of bacterial and viral antigens that can cross-react with self-antigens with potentially resultant diseases.

Pathogen antigenCross-reactive self-antigenAutoimmune disease

Herpes simplex virusCorneal antigenStromal keratitis
Campylobacter jejuni Ganglioside in peripheral nerveGuillain-Barré syndrome
CoxsackievirusGlutamic acid decarboxylaseType 1 diabetes
Theiler’s murine encephalomyelitis virusProteolipid proteinMultiple sclerosis
Yersinia enterocolitica Thyrotropin receptorThyroid autoimmunity
Borrelia burgdorferi Leukocyte function associated antigenLyme arthritis
Salmonella typhi and Yersinia enterocolitica HLA-B27Reactive arthritis
HHV-6, EBV, Rubeolla, influenza virus, and HPVMyelin basic proteinMultiple sclerosis
Streptococcal M proteinMyosin and other heart valve proteinsRheumatic fever
Trypanosoma cruzi Cardiac myosisChagas heart disease