Infectious agents are well-known ecological factors inducing/accelerating human autoimmune diseases. Host infection by a pathogen can lead to autoimmunity via multiple mechanisms: molecular mimicry; epitope spreading and presentation of cryptic epitopes of self-antigen owing to lysis of self-tissue by persisting pathogen or immune cells; bystander activation, adjuvant effect of pathogens as a result of non-specific activation of immune system; polyclonal activation of B-cells by chronic

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... n; activation of T-cells by bacterial superantigens. Infectious agents and nonpathogenic microorganisms can also protect from autoimmune diseases via activation of regulatory T-cells and displacement of balance between two classes of T helper cells in favor of Th2. This study is supported by the Independent Ethics Committee and approved by the Academic Council of the Institute of Bioorganic Сhemistry, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus.