The 1st International Workshop in the Molecular and Cell Biology of Autoan- tibodies and Autoimmunity is convened at a time when recombinant DNA tech- niques have yielded the first set of data providing initial glimpses of epitopes recognized by autoantibodies. It's aim is to bring together cell and molecular biologists with clinical scien- tists to discuss the broad spectrum of questions concerning the relationship be- tween clinical symptoms and the specificity of autoantibodies. The response to the call for abstracts was overwhelming: Nearly one hundred abstracts were received from many...

Many advances have occurred in the last 5 years especially in understanding genetic susceptibility factors, the role of immune response in chronic arthritis and the relationship between cellular processes that underlie inflammation and tissue damage. All these are dealt with in depth in the individual contributions. Genetics studies included illustrate how studies of HLA genes and genes controlling the autoantibody repertoire may be involved. Environmental factors are believed to be important and studies both in humans and in experimental models on the role of viral and bacterial agents are...

Das Buch fuhrt ein in die Grundlagen der Immunologie, der Pathologie und der Pharmako-Therapie rheumatologischer Krankheiten. Es will sowohl Studenten als auch den praktizierenden Arzt in die Diagnose, Differentialdiagnose und die derzeit zur Verfugung stehenden Therapiemoglichkeiten einweisen. Neben der Beschreibung pathogener Mechanismen, der klinischen Symptomatik sowie der Therapiemodalitat gibt der Autor praktische Tips zur klinischen Untersuchung von Rheumapatienten. Ausserdem diskutiert er die klinische Relevanz von Laborparametern fur die Disgnose und Differentialdiagnose...