title: [Immunology in medical practice. XX. Organ specific autoimmune diseases].
abstract: Organ specific autoimmune diseases are predominantly diseases of the endocrine glands and involve amongst others the thyroid (Hashimoto's disease, primary myxoedema, Graves' disease), the islets of Langerhans (type I diabetes mellitus) and the adrenals (Addison's disease). Over the past fifty years the knowledge on the pathogenesis of these diseases has considerably increased, leading to a large number of newly developed diagnostic tools, particularly determination of autoantibodies. Most of these autoimmune diseases have a (long) subclinical latency period. During this latency period a reliable prediction of later clinical manifestation is feasible. Preventive interventions during the latency period to correct underlying abnormalities of the target endocrine gland and/or the immune system are currently being tested in experimental animal models.
authors.affiliation: Erasmus Universiteit, afd. Immunologie, Rotterdam.
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Drexhage
mesh_terms: D000224:Addison Disease / Q000276:immunology; D000752:Anemia, Pernicious / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000378:metabolism; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000378:metabolism; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000276:immunology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018450:Disease Progression; D004700:Endocrine System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005757:Gastritis, Atrophic / Q000276:immunology; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D008297:Male; D009230:Myxedema / Q000276:immunology; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D013971:Thyrotoxicosis / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D001324:Autoantigens
vernacular_title: Immunologie in de medische praktijk. XX. Orgaanspecifieke auto-immuunziekten.