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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2011 Feb 1.
Published in final edited form as: J Autoimmun. 2009 Aug 27;34(1):38. doi: 10.1016/j.jaut.2009.08.001

Figure 2. RIP-LCMV model: Molecular mimicry boosts the frequency of autoaggressive CD8 T cells and accelerates autoimmune disease.

Figure 2

Infection of RIP-LCMV-NP mice with Pichinde virus, which confers molecular mimicry to a subdominant LCMV-NP epitope (NP205) fails to induce autoimmune disease. In contrast, heterologous virus infection with LCMV followed by Pichinde virus expands LCMV-NP205-specific CD8 T cells. The presence of high frequencies of both LCMV-NP396- and LCMV-NP205-specific CD T cells rushes the ongoing autoimmune process to overt autoimmune disease.