Main description:

Autoimmune Reactions tackles fundamental questions about how the immune system can destroy invading microbial pathogens without causing damage to itself and other "self" systems. The authoritative experts writing here explore the mechanistic aspects of such autoimmune diseases as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, and autoimmune thyroid disease, and where possible delineate how malfunctioning immunological mechanisms can lead to clinical symptoms. They also discusses possible general mechanisms of autoimmune disease-e.g., molecular mimicry and dysfunctional antigen presentation-and their current limitations as unifying explanations of the diseases described. The book illustrates the type of thinking and research that should eventually permit development of palliatives and cures for autoimmune diseases.

Contents:

Diversity of Immunological Defects in Autoimmune Disease, Sudhir Paul. Insights into Mechanisms of Autoimmune Disease Based on Clinical Findings, Noel R. Rose. Autoimmunity and B-Cell Malignancies, Otto Pritsch and Guillaume Dighiero. Pathogenesis of Autoimmune Thyroid Disease, Ramzi A. Ajjan and Anthony P. Weetman. Autoantigens of Sjoegren's Syndrome, Isao Nishimori and Michael Hollingsworth. Autoimmunity in Patients with Essential Hypertension, Israel Rubenstein. Autoimmune Antigen Presentation Mechanisms, Edward Dwyer. Induction of Pathogenic Autoimmune T-Cell and Autoantibody Responses Through T-Cell Epitope Mimicry, Kenneth S. K. Tung, Kristine M. Garza, and Ya-huan Lou. T-Cell Antigen Receptor Repertoire in Rheumatoid Arthritis, James W. Edinger and David N. Posnett. The Role of Exogenous Stimulation in Pathogenesis of Autoimmune Diseases, Constantin Bona, Chihiro Murai, and Takeshi Sasaki. Dysregulation of the Idiotype Network in Autoimmune Diseases, Haraldine A. Stafford and Morris Reichlin. The Role of Variable Region Gene Rearrangements in the Generation of Autoantibodies, Anne Davidson. Autoantibodies Against Ig Immunoglobulin Framework Epitopes, Heinz Kohler and Sybille Muller. Autoantibodies to T-Cell Receptors, John J. Marchalonis, Samuel F. Schluter, and David E. Yocum. Autoantibody Catalysis, Sudhir Paul. Is the Catalytic Activity of Bence Jones Proteins an Autoimmune Effector Mechanism in Multiple Myeloma? Hyogo Sinohara and Kinji Matsuura. Kidney Damage in Autoimmune Disease, Gerald C. Groeggel. DNA as Immunogen for the Induction of Immune and Autoimmune Antibody in Mice, Tony N. Marion. Cellular Entry and Nuclear Localization of Anti-DNA Antibodies, Kumiko Yanase and Michael P. Madaio. Cell and Nuclear Penetration by Autoantibodies, Debra Jeske Zack and Richard Weisbart. Alcohol, Anesthetics, and Analgesics in Autoimmune Reactivity, Geoffrey M. Thiele, Dean J. Tuma, and Lynell W. Klassen. Paraneoplastic Autoimmune Reactions, Connie L.Sivinski, Richard M. Tempero, Michelle L. VanLith, and Michael A. Hollingsworth. The Dual Relationship Between Thymectomy and Autoimmunity: The Kaleidoscope of Autoimmune Disease, Yaniv Sherer, Yaron Bar-Dayan, and Yehuda Shoenfeld. Mechanisms of Action of Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVGg) in Immune-Mediated Diseases, K. A. Nagendra Prasad, Michel D. Kazatchkine, and Srinivas V. Kaveri. Index.