免疫システムとサイトカイン : スーパー抗原と免疫反応を中心として(神経-免疫-内分泌,<特集>東京女子医科大学学会第61回総会)

概要

論文の詳細を見る
The immune system maintains immunological homeostasis by controlling responses to pathogenic foreign or self substances within physiological ranges by virtue of complex finely controlled mechanisms inherent in the system, in addition to suppressing invasion by pathogenic microbes and growth of malignant tumors. A number of cytokines function as essential fluid factors in the effective operation of the immune system. The immune system control mechanism is not, however, complete. It has been reported that there are clinical cases in which overactivation of the immune system and over-production of cytokines lead to immunologically abnormal changes. The concept of superantigen (sAg) was proposed to describe a group of microbial products that differ in several respects from conventional antigens. sAg binds directly to MHC class II molecules and activates large numbers of T cells bearing particular Vβ elements in TCR in association with MHC class II molecules on accessory cells. We consider that over-production of cytokines plays an essential role in the development of abnormalities seen in toxic shock syndrome, scarlet fever, and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis infection. Kawasaki disease has been considered an illness caused by a specific microbial infection. Now microbial sAg was recently implicated in the pathogenesis of Kawasaki disease.
東京女子医科大学の論文
1996-04-25