[Interaction of Mycoplasma with immune system of animals and humans].

Mycoplasmal infections of animals and human belong to latent or chronic ones, being commonly accompanied with immunodeficiency symptoms. The following topics are discussed in this review: 1) a direct influence of mycoplasmas on the immune system cells with an interference and compression of the functional activity of these; 2) influence of mycoplasmas on the immune system via cytokine induction; 3) mitogenes and mitogenic action of mycoplasmas; 4) the role of mycoplasmas in the development of autoimmune processes. Basic host immune response to mycoplasma is presented in diagrams.