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Review
. 2024 Feb 23:15:1361123.
doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1361123. eCollection 2024.

Streptococcal infection and autoimmune diseases

Ayaka Ohashi  1 , Masanori A Murayama  2 , Yoshishige Miyabe  1 , Kazuo Yudoh  3 , Chie Miyabe  3
Affiliations
Review

Streptococcal infection and autoimmune diseases

Ayaka Ohashi et al. Front Immunol. .

Abstract

Excessive activation of immune cells by environmental factors, such as infection or individual genetic risk, causes various autoimmune diseases. Streptococcus species are gram-positive bacteria that colonize the nasopharynx, respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, genitourinary tract, and skin. Group A Streptococcus (GAS) species cause various symptoms, ranging from mild infections, such as tonsillitis and pharyngitis, to serious infections, such as necrotizing fasciitis and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. The contribution of GAS infections to several autoimmune diseases, including acute rheumatic fever, vasculitis, and neuropsychiatric disorders, has been studied. In this review, we focus on the association between streptococcal infections and autoimmune diseases, and discuss current research on the mechanisms underlying the initiation and progression of autoimmune diseases.

Keywords: Streptococcus; autoimmune diseases; infection; molecular mimicry; nephritis-associated plasmin receptor (NAPlr).

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Streptococcal infection and its related autoimmune diseases. Streptococcal infection can induce autoimmune diseases in different parts of the body.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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