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The immune system is a natural component, regulator and direct participant in the physiological activities in a healthy body. A considerable number of immune functions, including those related to antimicrobial defense, derive from autoclearance as well as construction and support of multicellularity. Various pathological processes in any organ are usually accompanied by different patterns of cell death and, thus, by increased exposure and presentation of self antigens. These events induce the secondary rise in production of autoantibodies with appropriate specificity (opsonins), which provides augmentation of clearance by facilitating the efficacy of macrophage-dependent consumption of debris in the affected organ. Secondary changes in production and serum content of autoantibodies can be considered the universal and earliest detectable marker of any chronic disease. Experimental and clinical production antibodies reveal antibodies against nuclear antigens, which penetrate into living cell nuclei and alter nuclear acid synthesis, cell proliferation and function. Autoantibodies can thus be regarded as hormone-like bioregulators of gene expression. The immune system is apparently able to reproduce complementary regulators for various cell receptors, including nuclear ones. The book focuses on physiological autoimmunity models and delves into the relation between autoimmunity and autoallergy in the context of disease prevention and prediction. The E-book is a unique and comprehensive monograph and includes a history and contemporary research on natural autoimmunity - a fundamental concept essential for many branches of medicine and pathology. The concepts described in this e-book also have broad practical implications for the healthcare sector, because it establishes effective method of early prediction for many different diseases and creates a basis for prophylaxis. The reference gives medical and clinical professionals a chance to revisit old dogmas and acquire fruitful perspectives for theoretical reasoning and research planning.

Autoimmune Diseases in Endocrinology is a comprehensive and novel text that examines key features that predispose individuals to autoimmune diseases. The text begins with three introductory chapters which provide sufficient information so that anyone, including those without a background in recent immunology, will be able to understand the developments in the field. The next and largest section of the book concerns autoimmune thyroid disease, and authors of these chapters take the reader through the basic epidemiology, genetic and environmental risk factors, immunopathogenesis, and the diagnostic and management aspect of the disease. The next section discusses Type 1 diabetes mellitus. In the final section, authors explain other autoimmune endocrinopathies, including Addison's disease, premature ovarian failure, autoimmune hypophysitis, and autoimmune polyglandular syndrome types 1 and 2. Comprehensive and timely, Autoimmune Diseases in Endocrinology will become an essential reference for all endocrinologists and internal medicine practitioners working in this field.

According to the Autoimmune Diseases Coordinating Committee (ADCC), between 14.7 and 23.5 million people in the USA – up to eight percent of the population are affected by autoimmune disease. Autoimmune diseases are a family of more than 100 chronic, and often disabling, illnesses that develop when underlying defects in the immune system lead the body to attack its own organs, tissues, and cells. In Handbook of Autoimmune Disease, the editors have gathered in a comprehensive handbook a critical review, by renowned experts, of more than 100 autoimmune diseases, divided into two main groups, namely systemic and organ-specific autoimmune diseases. A contemporary overview of these conditions with special emphasis on diagnosis is presented. Each chapter contains the essential information required by attending physicians as well as bench scientists to understand the definition of a specific autoimmune disease, the diagnostic criteria, and the treatment.

Monoclonal Antibodies: Probes for the Study of Autoimmunity and Immunodeficiency focuses on the research/studies using monoclonal antibodies in two major classes of diseases, which are autoimmunity and immunodeficiency. The book comprises of 14 chapters; each is written in detail and includes studies using monoclonal antibodies of the pathogenesis and treatment of various types of diseases of disordered immunity. The first chapter presents an overview of the use of monoclonal antibodies in the study of autoimmunity and immunodeficiency. The following chapters focus on other monoclonal reagents and their uses and applications to different diseases. The last four chapters discuss specific classic endocrine diseases in reference to discoveries regarding the beginning of autoimmune mechanisms and pathophysiology. Because the book is technically written, students with background in biology, microbiology, and biochemistry are most likely the target audience of this book. Other parties in the fields of immunology, clinical medicine, pathology, and physiology will also find this book a good reference material.