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. 1994 Oct;98(1):1–5. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2249.1994.tb06597.x

Retroviruses and autoimmune rheumatic diseases.

J R Kalden 1, S Gay 1
PMCID: PMC1534189  PMID: 7923867

Abstract

In autoimmune rheumatic diseases, retroviruses have been repeatedly discussed as important etiologic factors. However, despite a considerable amount of indirect evidence that retroviruses might indeed be involved in triggering or perpetuating autoimmune rheumatic diseases, clear cut direct evidence is still missing. Studies on arthropathies associated with HIV-1 or HTLV-1 infection as well as new experimental animal models like the Tax transgene mice and new data from the MLR/lpr mouse model might help to answer the questions how and by what mechanisms retroviral infection may lead to autoimmune rheumatic diseases. From data obtained in the MLR/lpr mouse it seems obvious that a potential link of retroviruses, apoptosis and autogenes to autoimmune diseases opens exciting new approaches to the study of rheumatic disease pathogenesis.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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