Mamula M J
Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520-8031, USA.
Immunol Rev. 1998 Aug;164:231-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-065x.1998.tb01223.x.
A complex interplay of cells, soluble macromolecules, and antigen lead to a productive immune response that evolved for the survival of species. While the immune system is intended to protect from foreign agents, such as bacterial and viral infection, the presence of autoimmune diseases indicates that the system is not perfect in differentiating antigen that may cause harm from benign self constituents. The concept of epitope spreading, where many determinants on an offending antigen are the focus of immune attack, is an efficient means of clearing an infectious agent. However, the same mechanisms that lead to a diverse immune response may be harmful when the targets of attack are self tissues or self macromolecules. This review will examine the forms of self antigens that may initiate autoimmunity and the potential role of B lymphocytes, as autoantigen-presenting cells, as one mechanism by which diversification of autoimmunity may occur.
细胞、可溶性大分子和抗原之间复杂的相互作用导致了一种为物种生存而进化出的有效免疫反应。虽然免疫系统旨在抵御外来病原体，如细菌和病毒感染，但自身免疫性疾病的存在表明，该系统在区分可能造成伤害的抗原与良性自身成分方面并不完美。表位扩展的概念，即攻击性抗原上的许多决定簇是免疫攻击的焦点，是清除感染因子的有效手段。然而，当攻击目标是自身组织或自身大分子时，导致多样化免疫反应的相同机制可能是有害的。本综述将探讨可能引发自身免疫的自身抗原形式，以及作为自身抗原呈递细胞的B淋巴细胞作为自身免疫多样化可能发生的一种机制的潜在作用。
