title: Cutting-edge issues in organ-specific autoimmunity.
abstract: There have been numerous methods and ways to classify autoimmune diseases. By far, the most traditional has been to separate immune-mediated pathology into organ-specific and organ-non-specific diseases. The classic systemic autoimmune diseases are, of course, rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus. The classic organ-specific autoimmune diseases have been autoimmune thyroiditis and autoimmune gastritis. However, as our understanding of the loss of tolerance has expanded, so has the long list of autoimmune diseases. In many cases, the distinction between organ-specific and organ-non-specific or systemic autoimmunity becomes a blur. In this issue, we discuss recent concepts in autoimmune pancreatitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, Goodpasture's syndrome, myofasciitis, type I diabetes, polymyositis, autoimmune thyroid disease, IgA nephropathy, autoimmune uveitis, and ANCA-associated vasculitis. Common themes on both etiology and effector mechanisms are described throughout these papers with an attempt to provide a cutting-edge overview.
authors: Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Clinical Immunology, University of California at Davis School of Medicine, Davis, USA. megershwin@ucdavis.edu
authors: M Eric
authors: ME
authors: Gershwin
authors: Yehuda
authors: Y
authors: Shoenfeld
mesh_terms: D056704:Adaptive Immunity; D000818:Animals; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000235:genetics; D059647:Gene-Environment Interaction; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000276:immunology; D044382:Population Groups / Q000235:genetics; D017524:Slovenia
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies