AUTOIMMUNITY - A PARADIGM TO BE REVISITED

Autoimmunity is thought to be a defect in immunologic tolerance result ing in the activation and expansion of self antigen-specific T and B l ymphocyte clones and the production of circulating antibodies and a my riad of cytokines and other inflammatory mediators. This hypothesis, w hich speculates on an aberrant response of the immune system to normal self antigens has exerced a powerful influence on clinical investigat ions and therapeutic researches. Although much information has accumul ated, the mechanism of autoimmune diseases remains poorly understood a nd little attention has been paid to the hypothesis that autoimmune di seases might be caused by a conventional immunological response agains t self antigens for which tolerance has never been established. Clinic al practice would undoubtedly get a lot out of it, as well as new ther apeutic measures.