title: Defining criteria for autoimmune diseases (Witebsky's postulates revisited)
abstract: With new knowledge gained from molecular biology and hybridoma technology, as well as the original Witebsky postulates, we propose that three types of evidence can be marshalled to establish that a human disease is autoimmune in origin. They include direct evidence from transfer of pathogenic antibody or pathogenic T cells; indirect evidence based on reproduction of the autoimmune disease in experimental animals; and circumstantial evidence from clinical clues.
authors.affiliation: Dept of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205.
authors.forename: N R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Rose
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bona
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000276:immunology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D016513:Mice, SCID; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies