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The Interplay Between Viral Infections and Autoimmune Diseases

A special issue of Viruses (ISSN 1999-4915). This special issue belongs to the section "Human Virology and Viral Diseases".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2027 | Viewed by 380

Special Issue Editor

Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, 27 Taiping Road, Beijing 100850, China
Interests: COVID-19; influenza; autoimmune disease
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, "The Interplay Between Viral Infections and Autoimmune Diseases", will explore how acute, chronic, and latent viral infections precipitate, unmask, or modulate autoimmune disease across the lifespan. We welcome studies that clarify causal links and disentangle mechanisms—molecular mimicry, bystander activation, epitope spreading, persistent antigen, trained immunity, and tissue-specific antiviral responses—as well as work that maps population-level risk and resilience. Equally encouraged are translational investigations that connect mechanism to clinic: biomarkers for prediction and monitoring, therapeutic strategies (antivirals, immunomodulators, tolerogenic approaches), vaccine-related immune dynamics, and precision medicine frameworks for patient stratification. We are especially interested in integrative methodologies (single-cell and spatial omics, systems immunology, machine learning, organoid and humanized models, longitudinal cohorts/registries), studies of special populations (pediatrics, pregnancy, post-transplant, primary and secondary immunodeficiencies), and immune-mediated sequelae of post-viral syndromes.

Our aim with this Special Issue is to compile in-depth studies and contributions exploring emerging mechanisms linking viral infections and the regulation of immune responses to the “self”.

Dr. Ming Zheng
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • viral infections
  • autoimmune diseases
  • molecular mimicry
  • epitope spreading
  • persistent antigen & tissue‐specific antiviral responses
  • biomarkers & precision stratification
  • vaccine-related immune dynamics
  • single-cell & spatial omics
  • post-viral syndromes
  • immune repertoire
  • immune-repertoire alteration syndrome

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Editorial

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5 pages, 436 KB  
Editorial
Beyond Pandemic Preparedness: Reframing Protracted War Against Infectious Diseases
by Ming Zheng
Viruses 2026, 18(3), 373; https://doi.org/10.3390/v18030373 - 17 Mar 2026
Viewed by 219
Abstract
Recent changes in the strategic language of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), including the removal of “biodefense” and “pandemic preparedness,” signal a substantive reordering of infectious-disease priorities [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Interplay Between Viral Infections and Autoimmune Diseases)
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Other

Jump to: Editorial

9 pages, 4462 KB  
Case Report
Parvovirus B19 DNA Detected in Ovarian Teratomatous Tissue in Anti-NMDAR Encephalitis: A Case Report
by Trifon Valkov, Dobroslav Kyurkchiev, Ekaterina Kurteva, Kalina Tumangelova-Yuzeir, Jeliazko Arabadjiev, Vesela Ivanova, Dimitrinka Kisova, Radka Argirova, George Dimitrov and Yordanka Yamakova
Viruses 2026, 18(4), 405; https://doi.org/10.3390/v18040405 - 25 Mar 2026
Abstract
Background: Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (anti-NMDAR) encephalitis is an autoimmune disorder frequently associated with ovarian teratomas in young women. Although infectious triggers have been proposed to contribute to immune activation, direct evidence linking viral presence within tumor tissue to disease pathogenesis remains limited. Case Presentation: [...] Read more.
Background: Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (anti-NMDAR) encephalitis is an autoimmune disorder frequently associated with ovarian teratomas in young women. Although infectious triggers have been proposed to contribute to immune activation, direct evidence linking viral presence within tumor tissue to disease pathogenesis remains limited. Case Presentation: An 18-year-old woman presented with acute neuropsychiatric symptoms, fever, gastrointestinal prodrome, and rapidly progressive behavioral disturbance progressing to encephalopathy. Cerebrospinal fluid and blood test results, together with clinical features, supported the diagnosis of anti-NMDAR encephalitis. Imaging identified an ovarian mass, and surgical resection was performed. Histopathology confirmed a mature teratoma containing neuroglial elements. Molecular analysis detected parvovirus B19 DNA within the resected teratomatous tissue. No systemic viremia or active central nervous system viral infection was identified. The patient received immunotherapy combined with tumor removal, with subsequent clinical improvement. Discussion: Ovarian teratomas remain a critical etiologic factor in anti-NMDAR encephalitis and mandate prompt surgical management. Detection of B19 viral DNA within teratomatous neuroglial tissue raises the hypothesis that viral persistence could enhance local immune activation and autoantibody generation. However, in this case polymerase chain reaction positivity does not indicate active infection, and the biological significance of this finding remains uncertain. Conclusions: This case documents rare detection of B19V DNA within an ovarian teratomatous tissue in anti-NMDAR encephalitis. The observation is hypothesis-generating rather than causal; established management priorities remain immunotherapy and tumor resection, and viral nucleic acid detection should be interpreted within the broader clinical context. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Interplay Between Viral Infections and Autoimmune Diseases)
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