Mycoplasma host-cell interactions resulting in chronic inflammation: acquisition of host antigens and other mechanisms.

Many pathogenic mycoplasmas induce chronic inflammation as a consequence of their ability of circumvent or block immunological attack. This may be due to the organisms's intrinsic properties or to factors that arise from mycoplasma host-cell interactions. Based upon present evidence, the most likely mechanisms are antibody and/or phagocyte inefficiency, alteration of lymphocyte responsiveness due to the nonspecific mitogenicity of mycoplasmas, and antigenic disguise via acquisition of host antigens. The latter is not only an important mechanism by which the organisms could evade or alter the host immunological response, but one which may serve as a stimulus for autoimmune reactions.