Lyme disease bacterium resembles myelin
Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2007 5:18 am
I thought it was reasonably interesting to discover that this bacterial antigen is so similar to myelin that it can trigger an autoimmune response if you become infected with it. However, it becomes a bit more interesting when you realise that this bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, is the agent which causes Lyme disease.
Hypothesized role of galactocerebroside and NKT cells in the etiology of multiple sclerosis.
Med Hypotheses. 2007 Sep 20;
Authors: Blewett MM
According to the molecular mimicry theory, multiple sclerosis (MS) develops when the immune system mistakenly attacks a component of the myelin sheath that is structurally similar to a foreign epitope. The glycolipid galactocerebroside (GalC) is a major component of myelin. As lipids comprise between 70% and 85% of myelin, glycolipids should be investigated as candidate autoantigens in MS. GalC displays broad structural similarities to the Borrelia burgdorferi glycolipid antigen BbGL-2 and to the Sphingomonas antigen GalAGSL. In principle, therefore, these bacteria may induce an autoimmune attack on the myelin sheath. GalC is also structurally similar to natural killer T (NKT) cell ligand alpha-galactosylceramide (alpha-GalCer). Further studies must be performed to clarify the role of GalC in the activation of NKT cells and the development of MS.
PMID: 17889444 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Hypothesized role of galactocerebroside and NKT cells in the etiology of multiple sclerosis.
Med Hypotheses. 2007 Sep 20;
Authors: Blewett MM
According to the molecular mimicry theory, multiple sclerosis (MS) develops when the immune system mistakenly attacks a component of the myelin sheath that is structurally similar to a foreign epitope. The glycolipid galactocerebroside (GalC) is a major component of myelin. As lipids comprise between 70% and 85% of myelin, glycolipids should be investigated as candidate autoantigens in MS. GalC displays broad structural similarities to the Borrelia burgdorferi glycolipid antigen BbGL-2 and to the Sphingomonas antigen GalAGSL. In principle, therefore, these bacteria may induce an autoimmune attack on the myelin sheath. GalC is also structurally similar to natural killer T (NKT) cell ligand alpha-galactosylceramide (alpha-GalCer). Further studies must be performed to clarify the role of GalC in the activation of NKT cells and the development of MS.
PMID: 17889444 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]