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. 1998 Oct 1;12(13):1255–1265. doi: 10.1096/fasebj.12.13.1255

Table 1.

Infectious agents can trigger autoimmune disease by activation of autoreactive T cells via:

1. Up‐regulation of Th‐1 cytokines and/or other selected molecules: MHC, B7.1/CD28
2. Preferential infection/destruction of CD4 T cell subset
3. Virus‐encoded super antigens
4. De novo by self epitopes released secondary to virus‐specific, T cell‐mediated damage: epitope spreading
5. Cross‐reactive with a viral epitope(s): molecular mimicry