Karsten Conrad Livres

Six years have passed since the first edition of this diagnostic reference, and the field of autoantibodies continues to evolve rapidly. New studies have emerged, revealing novel autoantibodies and their clinical associations, alongside advancements in diagnostic techniques and the identification of new autoimmune disease entities. For instance, agonistic and inhibiting autoantibodies targeting receptor structures have enhanced our understanding of autoimmune mechanisms. Additionally, recently identified autoantibody specificities have brought attention to unique autoimmune conditions, including subtypes of autoimmune encephalopathies and IgG4-mediated paranodopathy. New assays for autoantibody detection have been developed and integrated into routine diagnostics, while recent evaluation studies and meta-analyses have prompted a reassessment of the clinical significance of certain autoantibody specificities. These developments necessitated an updated volume to serve as a comprehensive reference for the serological diagnosis of autoimmune diseases and to support clinically relevant autoimmune research. We appreciate the valuable feedback from our readers since the last edition, which has contributed to this timely update.

Especially, the application of novel and designer biological therapies (chapter 8) requires a better understanding of the processes that are involved in the genesis of immunological diseases. In chapter 2, some aspects of the role of epigenetic mechanisms and innate immunity in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases are described. Regardless of the underlying pathology, disease-associated autoantibodies are important biomarkers for the vast majority of non-organ and organ specific autoimmune diseases. However, to improve our understanding of these diseases and serological diagnostics it is necessary to search for novel autoantibodies, to further evaluate the real clinical relevance of known autoantibodies and to further develop and standardize the detection methods (chapters 3-5)

Disease-associated autoantibodies are increasingly vital for routine diagnostics and research, as they can be detected long before clinical symptoms appear, potentially aiding in disease prediction. However, their role in early diagnosis and risk assessment requires further investigation. Chapter 1 discusses current knowledge and perspectives on predicting organ-specific and systemic autoimmune diseases. Understanding the pathological processes leading to these diseases is crucial for early intervention. For example, components of the innate immune system, such as Toll-like receptors, significantly influence autoantibody responses and disease progression (Chapter 2). Chapters 3 to 6 explore the varying effects of autoantibodies on immune homeostasis and autoimmune conditions, including natural autoantibodies and those targeting protective molecules and receptor structures. Subsequent chapters review autoantibodies in organ-specific (Chapter 6) and systemic autoimmune diseases (Chapter 7), with a focus on the diagnostic and prognostic significance of autoantibodies against citrullinated proteins. Chapter 9 addresses methodological aspects and diagnostic strategies for early detection of autoimmune rheumatic diseases, highlighting technologies for identifying novel autoantibodies and improving analyses through autoantigen design and innovations. Optimized, standardized, and cost-effective multiparametric assays are essential for

The revolutionary techniques of modern molecular and cellular biology are continuously enhancing our understanding of immunity and autoimmunity in humans and experimental animals. This evolving knowledge is piecing together a complex picture of the immune system as a remarkable evolutionary achievement. While many insights stem from the analysis of human body fluids and tissues, the study of autoimmune diseases requires appropriate animal models, as highlighted in Chapters 1 and 3. Various models, including spontaneous and xenobiotic, idiotypic manipulation, and immunization-induced models, along with novel autoimmune knock-out and knock-in mice, are employed to explore the pathogenesis of long-lived plasma cells, type I interferons, and mutations in cell cycle regulators. The volume also examines the molecular mechanisms of xenobiotic autoimmunity, tolerance breakdown via immunization with apoptotic material, immune mechanisms of pregnancy loss, and novel therapeutic strategies. Additionally, it addresses natural and pathogenic autoantibodies, their role in systemic autoimmune diseases, and their involvement in neurological disorders. The pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis is discussed concerning B cells, autoantibodies, and post-translational modifications. Notable human SLE susceptibility genes and new autoantibodies targeting various cellular components are detailed. Finally, the occurrence of therapy-induced antibodies an

AUTOANTIGENS, AUTOANTIBODIES, AUTOIMMUNITY Volume 2, third Edition – 2015 Eight years have already passed since the publication of the last edition of this diagnostic reference. Studies and reports of new autoantibodies and their clinical associations remain a very dynamic field of study. As examples, novel classification criteria for rheumatoid arthritis that now include autoantibodies against citrullinated protein/peptide allowing an earlier and more accurate diagnosis have been created and evaluated; novel diagnostic and/or pathogenic autoanti¬bodies in patients with autoimmune inflammatory myopathies, systemic sclero¬sis and spondyloarthropathies have been described. In addition, novel assays for autoantibody determinations have been developed and transfered into routine diagnostics. Furthermore, novel results of evaluation studies and meta-analyses have lead to a reassessment of some of the clinical relevances of some autoantibody specificities. All these aspects required an updated and timely completion of this volume to meet the requirements of a comprehensive and useful reference book for the serological diagnosis of autoimmune diseases as well as clinically relevant autoimmune research. The authors want to thank all mindful and critical readers for their useful hints since the publication of the last edition.