Synergy of two human endogenous retroviruses in multiple myeloma.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a severe, incurable neoplasm of the plasma cells. In this study we have used genetic epidemiology to associate the risk of MM with endogenous retroviral loci in humans. We used SNP analysis on a Sequenom platform and statistical analysis in SPSS.

Are human endogenous retroviruses triggers of autoimmune diseases? Unveiling associations of three diseases and viral loci.

Autoimmune diseases encompass a plethora of conditions in which the immune system attacks its own tissue, identifying them as foreign. Multiple factors are thought to contribute to the development of immune response to self, including differences in genotypes, hormonal milieu, and environmental factors. Viruses including human endogenous retroviruses have long been linked to the occurrence of autoimmunity, but never proven to be causative factors.