Recently, the C-terminus of laminin γ1 has been identified as target antigen in anti-p200 pemphigoid and the disease was renamed as anti-laminin γ1 pemphigoid. However, the pathogenic relevance of these autoantibodies has not yet been demonstrated. Therefore, we employed an ex vivo model of autoantibody-mediated leukocyte-dependent neutrophil activation and dermal-epidermal separation (DES) usi...

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a chronic necroinflammatory disease of the liver characterized by hypergammaglobulinemia, characteristic autoantibodies, association with HLA DR3 or DR4 and a favorable response to immunosuppressive treatment. The etiology is unknown. The detection of non-organ and liver-related autoantibodies remains the hallmark for the diagnosis of the disease in the absence of ...

Autoantibodies to various cellular constituents are detected in the sera of patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM). These autoantibodies are closely associated with characteristic clinical manifestations of the diseases. Therefore, autoantibodies give us much information in clinical diagnosis, classification, prediction of prognosis and choice of treatment in patients with IIM. Du...

Background: Autoimmune bullous diseases (AIBDs) represent a group of acquired heterogenous organ-specific disorders in which pathogenic autoantibodies, commonly of IgG and/or IgA classes, target adhesion molecules of the skin and mucous membranes. These disorders are caused by the interaction between autoantibodies and structures essential for the integrity of the skin, either on keratinocytes ...

INTRODUCTION Necrotizing autoimmune myopathies (NAM) have recently been defined as a distinct group of severe acquired myopathies, characterized by prominent myofiber necrosis without significant muscle inflammation. Because of the lack of appropriate biomarkers, these diseases have been long misdiagnosed as atypical forms of myositis. NAM may be associated to autoantibodies directed against si...

Autoantibodies are proven useful diagnostic tools for a variety of rheumatic and non-rheumatic autoimmune disorders. However, a highly specific marker autoantibody for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has not yet been determined. The presence of rheumatoid factors is currently used as a marker for RA. However, rheumatoid factors have modest specificity (~70%) for the disease. In recent years, several ...

BACKGROUND Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are found ubiquitously in the environment. Since exposure to NTM is universal, infection likely represents underlying host susceptibility factors. Anti-IFN-ɣ autoantibodies have been described previously in patients with NTM. Up to 88 % of patients with disseminated NTM or other opportunistic infections have high-titer anti-IFN-ɣ autoantibodies, comp...

Chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU) is a dermatological syndrome, characterized by raised erythematous skin lesions, that affects 20% of the general population and has been associated with autoimmunity. However, some reports have also suggested a close relationship between CIU and Helicobacter pylori infection, which is endemic in developing countries and associated with chronic gastritis, pepti...

the diabetes is an autoimmune disease, in which the role of autoantibodies is of a specific importance. the appearance of these autoantibodies can be the first symptom in the serum of type i diabetic patients, which may appear ten years before onset of the disease. the most important autoantibodies include glutamic acid decarboxylase autoantibodies (gad65-ab). this can be used as a good tool fo...

Autoantibodies against antigens expressed by insulin-producing β cells are circulating in both healthy individuals and patients at risk of developing Type 1 diabetes. Recent studies suggest that another set of antibodies (anti-idiotypic antibodies) exists in this antibody/antigen interacting network to regulate auto-reactive responses. Anti-idiotypic antibodies may block the antigen-binding sit...