The gut microbiota, the largest symbiotic ecosystem with the host, has been shown to play
important roles in maintaining intestinal homeostasis. Dysbiosis of the gut microbiome is …

Since its initial description in the 1940s and eventual elucidation as a highly evolved
pathogenic bacterium, Mycoplasma pneumoniae has come to be recognized as a worldwide …

Multiple environmental factors including hormones, dietary factors, infections, and exposure
to tobacco smoke, as well as gene-environment interactions, have been associated with …

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a common cause of upper and lower respiratory tract infections
in persons of all ages and may be responsible for up to 40% of community-acquired …

RA is a complex multifactorial chronic disease that transitions through several stages.
Multiple studies now support that there is a prolonged phase in early RA development …

The relationship between infection and autoimmunity has been increasingly defined over
the last twenty years or so. It is now quite clear that, in genetically susceptible individuals …

Humans live in symbiosis with greater than or equal to 1014 microorganisms that reside on
epithelial surfaces of the body, including the skin and mucosal surfaces of the respiratory …

Multiple studies have identified strong associations between the lung and rheumatoid
arthritis (RA). Such studies identify a high prevalence of lung disease, both airways and …

The role of chondrocytes in the development of infectious arthritis is not well understood.
Several examples of mycoplasma-induced arthritis in animals indicate that chondrocytes …

Background: In primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), autoreactivity mainly targets members of the
pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC). Because PDC subunits are expressed on the …