Pathophysiological Relationship between Infections and Systemic Vasculitis
Table 2
Theories regarding the role of infection in the development of primary systemic vasculitis. Toll-like receptor (TLR); 3 proteinase (PR3); myeloperoxidase (MPO).
Vasculitis
Mechanism
Microbial agent
Evidence
References
Takayasu’s arteritis
Molecular mimicry
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Mycobacterium tuberculosis gene sequences IS6110 and HupB in tissues from aorta Increased T cell response to hHSP60 and mHSP65
Immunofluorescence analyses revealed MPO located in these extracellular chromatin fibers IgG ANCA induced neutrophil NETs In crescentic glomerulonephritis, lesion associated with AAV has detected NETs Increased levels of MPO-DNA complex in the serum Induced pauci-immune glomerulonephritis and alveolar hemorrhage in rats exposed to PTU/PMA
Stimulation of T lymphocytes by S. aureus superantigen
S. aureus
Persistent activation of circulating T lymphocytes Chronic carriers of S. aureus that expressed toxic shock toxin 1 (TSS-1) had increased numbers of relapses
During active infection of AAV, TLR9 expression increased significantly compared to uninfected patients Increased expression of TLR9 in monocytes from patients with AAV (S. aureus carriers) TLR2 and TLR9 were stimulated in vitro, and increased membrane expression of PR3 (PR3m) In patients with AAV-PR3, hypomethylated CpG motifs triggered production of PR3-ANCA by autoreactive LB