Aire-ing self antigen variability and tolerance.

• Positional cloning of the underlying genes for the rare syndrome autoimmune polyendocrinopathy candidadiasis extrodermal dystrophy (APECED) opened a new venue of research on the role of central tolerance in autoimmunity. The associated autoimmune regulator gene (AIRE), was found to be expressed in medullary thymus epithelial cells (mTEC) in both man and mice, and to control promiscuous expression of sets of self antigens. The lack of AIRE in both mice and man led to the development of a quite specific, but also an inter-individual variable, set of autoimmune and infectious diseases. An article in this issue of the European Journal of Immunology demonstrates that several autoantigens controlled by AIRE are variably expressed in different human individuals. Most importantly it is shown that carriers of the type 1 diabetes (T1D) associated locus IDDM2 show lower expression of insulin in mTEC, as controlled by AIRE. The genetic variability of autoantigen expression in the thymus thus seems to determine the variable predisposition to autoimmunity.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Immunologi inom det medicinska området (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Immunology in the medical area (hsv//eng)

Keyword

medullary thymic epithelial cells

AIRE

diabetes

insulin

Publication and Content Type

art (subject category)

ref (subject category)