Current Immunology Reviews (Discontinued) - Volume 9, Issue 1, 2013

Several viruses have been suspected of causing or triggering vasculitis, with hepatitis B virus-associated vasculitis (HBV–AV; formerly and more usually known as HBV-related polyarteritis nodosa) and hepatitis C virusassociated cryoglobulinemic vasculitis (HCV–ACV) having the best-demonstrated and confident proof for a causal link with viruses. Evidence for the implication of other viruses in the pathogenesis of othe Read More

Primary Sjogren’s syndrome (pSS) is a systemic as well as an organ-specific autoimmune disease characterized by lymphocytic infiltration of the glandular epithelial tissue. SS patients have been reported to be at highest risk of developing lymphoproliferative neoplasms, when compared with patients with other rheumatoid diseases. Factors such as cytokine stimulation, environmental factors, viral infection and genetic events Read More

Leptin is a protein produced by adipocytes that acts in the brain to regulate appetite and energy expenditure according to the amount of energy stored in tissue. There are several molecules involved in the control of metabolism which play an important function in the regulation of immune responses. Among these molecules, leptin has been shown to significantly influence both innate and adaptive immune responses and als Read More

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a heterogeneous disease of unknown etiology. The current hypothesis proposes a complex interplay between an environmental agent and the immune system that induces an abnormal response in genetically predisposed persons, leading to the autoimmune disease of MS. In recent decades the incidence and prevalence of MS seem to have increased, which may be better explained by enviro Read More

Antibody molecules, produced during the adaptive immune response, are involved in protection from all types of pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and protozoa. Antibodies bind to their cognate antigen via their two Fab portions, but most of their biological functions are mediated by their Fc portion when they bind to specific Fc receptors (FcR) on the membrane of immune cells. Crosslinking of FcR on the surface o Read More