1Department of Immunology, Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, 226014 (Uttar Pradesh)
2Centre for Biotechnology Studies, School of Environmental Biology, APS University, Rewa, 486003 (Madhya Pradesh)
3Department of Microbiology, Cancer Hospital and Research Institute, Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh)
4Department of Biochemistry, Maharana Pratap College of Dentistry & Research Centre, Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh), INDIA
*Corresponding author: E-mail: vsingh3@rediff.com
Xenobiotic exposure may lead to a variety of autoimmune diseases ranging from organ-specific to systemic disorders. Heavy metals such as mercury (Hg), gold (Au), silver (Ag) and drugs (D-Penicillamine, Procainamide) are the main cause of autoimmunity. Susceptibility to autoimmunity is determined by both heritable traits and environmental factors, and in this context there has been considerable interest in the influences that exposure to metals and drugs may have on the initiation and/or progression of autoimmune diseases. In this article, the role of metals and drugs in autoimmunity is discussed.
