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Autoimmune disease is most often characterized by somatic mutations. Studies of autoantibodies or auto T cell receptors indicate that instead of the defect being a germline mutation, somatic mutation occurs. Somatic mutations are synonymous with an antigen-driven effect and strongly imply an environmental event such as an infectious microbe. The combination of an infectious agent, the hosts’ genetic background, and the hosts’ immune response all contribute and interact to produce the autoimmune disease. Autoimmune disease has a multifactoral etiology (Sinha et al. 1990; Baekkeskov and Hansen 1990). Transgenic technology coupled with the use of specific gene-disrupted (knockout) mice allows the assessment of each component that can contribute to the multifactorial makeup of autoimmune disease. We have adapted the transgenic approach to study virus-induced autoimmune disease. |
