A unifying concept of viral immunopathogenesis of proliferative & aproliferative diseases

We have presented a working hypothesis showing the possible

interrelations between proliferative, aproliferative and

autoimmune disorders that may follow infection with

lymphotropic herpesviruses. Aproliferative disorders in this

context may also indicate immune or hematopoietic deficiency.

Although this hypothesis can currently be best documented with

the lymphotropic viruses (herpesviruses as well as similarly

HTLV and HIV), the model may apply as well–with certain

variations–to other viral infections such as with hepatitis

virus B or C with acute or chronic infectious diseases,

post-infectious arthritis, aplastic anemia, and other

autoimmune liver diseases, as well as neoplastic diseases

(hepatocellular carcinoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia). The

working hypothesis as depicted in Figure 2 permits a preview

of which combinations of symptoms may occur in an individual

disease independent of its initial classification and what

clinical testing should be done respectively, and it also

permits certain prognostic considerations. The above-mentioned

transitions or combinations of various disease patterns have

been repeatedly described in the medical literature (to refer

to only a few examples: APL and MPD, HD and MDS, SLE and

aplastic anemia, SLE and Kikuchi’s disease; 23, 80-83).

Finally the hypothesis can ideally serve as the basis for

future planning of clinical research.

Krueger GR, Ferrer Argote