An unexpected version of horror autotoxicus: anaphylactic shock to a self peptide

EAE can refer either to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis or experi mental allergic encephalomyelitis. Although EAE is classically a prototypic T helper I (THI) cell-mediated autoimmune disease, it can also be induced b y T(H)2 cells. Characteristically, the most severe manifestation of allergy , anaphylaxis, is associated with exposure to a foreign antigen that is oft en derived from medication, insect venom or food. We report here that, afte r self-tolerance to myelin is destroyed, anaphylaxis may be triggered by a self-antigen, in this case a myelin peptide. "Horror autotoxicus", which wa s initially described by Ehrlich, may not only include autoimmunity to self , it may also encompass immediate hypersensitivity to self, which leads to shock and rapid death.