The neuromuscular diseases comprise the disorders of peripheral nerve, neuromuscular junction, and muscle (Figure 1). This book addresses the immunologically mediated neuromuscular diseases, including Guillain-Barre syndrome and other autoimmune neuropathies, the Lambert-Eaton myas thenic syndrome, myasthenia gravis, and the autoimmune diseases of muscle. Two chapters are devoted to the vasculitis and human immunodeficiency virus-mediated neuromuscular diseases. The experimental models of neuritis and myasthenia gravis are addressed in separate chapters. An introductory chapter provides a general background to autoimmunity. I wish to thank my contributing colleagues, all of whom are recognized experts in their respective fields, for their willingness to cooperate in this project. Furthermore, I am grateful to Dr Bill Hoffman of Stanford University who generously assisted in the editing of several chapters during his time spent with us on a sabbatical. I am also indebted to the editor and editorial staff of Kluwer Academic Publishers for their help and advice during preparation of this book. Munich/ Martinsried Reinhard Hohlfeld March 1994 ix IMMUNOLOGY OF NEUROMUSCULAR DISEASE Myelin; Guillain Barre syndrome NERVE TERMINAL ..

Inhalt
1 Immunological self-tolerance and autoimmunity.- 2 Neuropathies associated with anti-myelin antibodies.- 3 GuillainBarré syndrome and CIDP.- 4 Peripheral neuropathy due to vasculitis: immunopathogenesis, clinical features and treatment.- 5 Autoimmune-mediated models of peripheral nerve disease.- 6 Immunology of the motor nerve terminal.- 7 Myasthenia gravis.- 8 Immunological factors that influence disease severity in experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis.- 9 Autoimmune diseases of muscle.- 10 Retrovirus-related neuromuscular diseases.