Jpn.J.Infect.Dis., 52, 106-109, 1999

Invited Minireview

Retroviruses and Autoimmune Diseases

Tetsuro Matano*

AIDS Research Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases,
Gakuen 4-7-1, Musashimurayama, Tokyo 208-0011, Japan

(Received July 28, 1999)

SUMMARY: The possible involvement of retroviruses in the development of autoimmune diseases has long been discussed. Exogenous retroviral infections and aberrant endogenous retroviral expressions can possibly induce immune dysfunction directly or indirectly. In addition to observations of autoimmune disease-like features in animal models, indirect evidences implicating retroviruses in human autoimmune diseases have been shown in a number of reports. However, direct evidence for the etiologic role of retroviruses in human autoimmune diseases has not yet been obtained.

* Corresponding author: Tel: +81-42-561-0771 ext. 335, Fax: +81-42- 565-3315, E-mail: matano@nih.go.jp

This articel is an Invited Minireview based on a lecture presented at the 9th Symposium of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, 21 May 1999.

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