ROLE OF ADJUVANTS IN TURNING AUTOIMMUNITY INTO AUTOIMMUNE-DISEASE

Autoreactive B- as well as T-lymphocytes are often integral parts of t he normal immune system and are not per se pathogenic. Also activitati on of these autoreactive lymphocytes may in many cases occur without e nsuing pathology. In the current paper is discussed two situations whe reby unspecific inflammatory stimuli in the form of immunological adju vants may either by themselves cause arthritis, or may change a non-pa thogenetic to a destructive and chronic inflammatory disease.