Series Introduction: Autoimmune diseases: are markers ready for prediction?

An increasing number of individuals throughout the world are affected by autoimmune disease, a large and diverse group of disorders that are categorized by tissue injury or pathology. In general, these diseases are associated with humoral or cell-mediated immune reactions against one or more of the body’s own constituents, but it has been customary to divide autoimmune diseases into two categories — systemic, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, and organ-specific, such as autoimmune thyroiditis. The Perspective series beginning in this issue will address the ways in which autoantigen-specific responses arise, and the mechanisms by which they provoke cell type– and organ-specific pathologies. In addition, given our growing knowledge of etiologically significant autoantigens, one can envision that the occurrence of these diseases may soon be predictable in a clinical setting. How close are we, in fact, to taking this crucial step toward the management or prevention of autoimmune disorders? The identification of autoantigens Over the past four decades, the list of diseases associated with autoantibodies against tissues, cells, or specific autoantigens has grown enormously (1, 2). The classification of a disease as autoimmune has traditionally been based on the detection of autoantibodies that could be visualized reacting with an affected tissue or cell. Technological advances, in particular the development of microscopes that allow for more sensitive detection of cell surface–bound autoantibodies […]