Combining principles of contemporary immunology with applications to immunopathology, this up-to-date volume documents new developments in the understanding of the origin of autoimmune diseases. Emphasized are cellular and molecular approaches in both organ-specific and systemic autoimmunity. A comprehensive bibliography, numerous illustrations, and tables make it an invaluable source of information for immunologists, rheumatologists, pathologists, dermatologists, and nephrologists.

Inhalt

1. Thymic Selection and Peripheral T cell Tolerance.- Tolerance induction in mature peripheral T cells.- Transgenic mice carrying the rearranged T cell receptor of a diabetogenic T cell clone.- The maintenance and reestablishment of self tolerance: T cell receptor (TCR) peptide-specific regulatory T cells.- Prevention of gastric autoimmunity by transgenic expression of a proton pump subunit in the thymus.- 2. B-cell repertoire selection.- The anti-self B-cell repertoire.- In vivo suppression of IgG2ab production accomplished by CD4+8? Th1 cell clones specific for a ?2ab allopeptide determinant.- 3. Targets of the autoimmune response.- Expression cloning using antibodies from a patient with rheumatoid arthritis of an autoantigen homologous to the Drosophila splicing regulator, suppressor-of-white-apricot.- Use of synthetic peptides for the analysis of B-cell epitopes in autoantigens.- Molecular mimicry as a mechanism of induction of autoantibodies.- The expression of heat shock proteins in systemic lupus erythematosus.- 4. Trigger Mechanisms of autoantibody production.- The Heavy chain variable region genes of human lupus autoantibodies.- Molecular analysis of anti-dsDNA autoantibodies from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.- Differential usage of an autoantibody-associated VH gene by human B-cell tumors.- Idiotypes of DNA-binding autoantibodies: mapping by epitope scanning and molecular modelling.- 5. T Cell Receptor Genes.- T cell receptor variable gene repertoire in rheumatoid synovial T cells responding to BCG.- An analysis of T cell receptor diversity in the NOD mouse: What can it tell us about the autoimmune process?.- Possible linkage of Myasthenia Gravis susceptibility in R111 S/J mice to a genomic deletion of T cell receptor V? genes.- Genetic and environmental factors in systemic lupus erythematosus.- 6. Animal Models and Immunointervention.- Role of immunocompetent cells in skin sclerosis and autoimmunity in tight skin mice.- MRL/lpr mice as a model of autoimmune diseases: multiple strategies for immune intervention.- Major histocompatibility binding peptides: an experimental approach towards specific immunotherapy of autoimmune diseases.- Type-I (insulin-dependent) and type-II (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus in BC1 [(NOD × Mus spretus) F1 × NOD] mice.