Fetal Hox11 expression patterns predict defective target organs: a novel link between developmental biology and autoimmunity.

ABSTRACT: Developmental biology has long been ignored in the etiology and diverse manifestations of autoimmune diseases. Yet a role for development is suggested by intriguing overlaps in particular organs targeted in autoimmune diseases, in this case type 1 diabetes and Sjogren's syndrome. Patients with type 1 diabetes have high rates of co-occurring Sjogren's syndrome, and both conditions are associated with hearing loss and tongue abnormalities. All of these co-occurrences are found in organs tracing their lineage to the developmental transcription factor Hox11, which is expressed in embryonic cells destined for the pancreas, salivary glands, tongue, cranial nerves and cochlea. To determine whether development contributes to autoimmunity, we compared four target organs in NOD mice (an animal model

SUBMITTER: Lonyai A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4115331 | biostudies-literature | 2008 May-Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature