Tolerance against self-antigens is regulated by a variety of cell types with immunoregulatory properties, such as CD1d-restricted invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells. In many experimental models of autoimmunity, iNKT cells promote self-tolerance and protect against autoimmunity. These findings are supported by studies with patients suffering from autoimmune diseases. Based on these studies,...

Autoimmune diseases have become a major medical problem of recent years. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease model. The aim of our study was to follow the changes in the clinical autoimmunity picture of the celiac disease from recent years. The study of autoimmunity in celiac disease has focused on associated diseases with the aforementioned disease: type 1 diabetes mellitus, thyroid autoim...

BACKGROUND Thyroid autoimmunity may be linked to infertility, in both thyrotropin (TSH)-dependent and TSH-independent fashion. The aim of the present study was to assess this presumed reciprocal relationship of thyroid autoimmunity and pregnancy. METHODS TSH and antithyroid peroxidase autoantibodies (anti-TPO) were evaluated retrospectively over an eight-year period in 444 Greek women who had...

INTRODUCTION The association of chronic urticaria and thyroid autoimmunity is not well recognised and the potential use of thyroxine in the treatment of chronic urticaria in patients with thyroid autoimmunity is even less well known. CLINICAL PICTURE We report a case of chronic urticaria in an euthyroid patient with evidence of significantly elevated levels of thyroglobulin and microsomal ant...

An important unresolved question with regard to T regulatory (Treg) cell specificity and suppressive activity is whether allogeneic Treg cells inhibit self-reactive T cells. In the present study, this issue was addressed using IL-2Rbeta-deficient mice that develop rapid lethal autoimmunity due to impaired production of Treg cells. We show that adoptive transfer of completely MHC-mismatched Treg...

Detection of nucleic acids and induction of type I interferons (IFNs) are principal elements of antiviral defense but can cause autoimmunity if misregulated. Cytosolic DNA detection activates a potent, cell-intrinsic antiviral response through a poorly defined pathway. In a screen for proteins relevant to this IFN-stimulatory DNA (ISD) response, we identify 3' repair exonuclease 1 (Trex1). Muta...

This study is an extended clinical trial of the one initiated and reported in the Journal of Clinical Virology 2004;31S:S48-54. Thirteen HIV-1 patients (eight subtype B and five subtype C) that manifested T-cell autoimmunity to recombinant human CD4 (rCD4) were treated with T-cell vaccine composed of glutaraldehyde-treated autologous anti-CD4 reactive T-cells and compared to historical seven no...