The association of MHC with autoimmune diseases: Understanding the pathogenesis of autoimmune diabetes CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY AND IMMUNOPATHOLOGY Ridgway, W. M., Fathman, C. G. 1998; 86 (1): 3-10

Abstract

The current paradigm of MHC and disease association is efficient binding of autoantigens by disease-associated MHC molecules leading to a T cell-mediated immune response and resultant autoimmune sequelae. Data presented here offer a different model for this association of MHC with autoimmune diabetes. This new explanation suggests that the association of MHC with autoimmunity results from "altered" thymic selection in which high-affinity self-reactive (potentially autoreactive) T cells escape negative selection. This model offers an explanation for the requirement of homozygous MHC class II expression in NOD mice (and in man) in susceptibility to IDDM.

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View details for PubMedID 9434791