> Is this what molecular mimicry is ? Yes, but it usually works the other way around, i.e. the immune system should not recognise the "specific gluten protein"

> Is this what molecular mimicry is ? Yes, but it usually works the other way around, i.e. the immune system should not recognise the "specific gluten protein" because it looks like self. After all the microbe(?) that produces it is trying to survive by looking like its host, it isn't trying to induce thyroiditis in its host. Another common case is mimicry of the A, B blood antigens and the Rhesus factor. Patients that are AB+ treat A,B and Rhesus factor as self and so can accept blood from any donor (i.e. AB+ is the universal recipient). In contrast, O- patients who do not treat A,B and Rhesus factor as self and due to mimicry will likely treat them as foreign bad (as opposed to foreign neutral), so if they receive a transfusion from any other blood type the immune system will attack the transfusion. Since O- lacks A,B and Rhesus it is the universal donor. > any suggestions where to start? The topics fall under microbiology / immunology, so Ugrad textbooks, Wikipedia etc.