Abstract:
The complexity of autoimmunity initiation has been the subject of many studies. Both genetic and environmental factors are essential in autoimmunity development. Among others, environmental factors include infectious agents. HHV-6 is a ubiquitous human pathogen with a high global prevalence. It has several properties suggestive of its contribution to autoimmunity development.
HHV-6 has a broad cell tropism, the ability to establish latency with subsequent reactivation and persistence, and a range of immunomodulation capabilities. Studies have implicated HHV-6 in a plethora of autoimmune diseases—endocrine, neurological, connective tissue, and others—with some studies even proposing possible autoimmunity induction mechanisms. HHV-6 can be frequently found in autoimmunity-affected tissues and lesions; it has been found to infect autoimmune-pathology-relevant cells and influence immune responses and signaling.
This review highlights some of the most well-known autoimmune conditions to which HHV-6 has been linked, like multiple sclerosis and autoimmune thyroiditis, and summarizes the data on HHV-6 involvement in autoimmunity development.
Source: Sokolovska L, Cistjakovs M, Matroze A, Murovska M, Sultanova A. From Viral Infection to Autoimmune Reaction: Exploring the Link between Human Herpesvirus 6 and Autoimmune Diseases. Microorganisms. 2024; 12(2):362. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12020362 https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/12/2/362 (Full text)