title: Pearls in autoimmunity.
abstract: This manuscript does a review of the more frequent issues published at Autoimmunity Reviews, Journal of Autoimmunity and Autoimmunity in the period of January-December 2009. The following topics were commented: (1) multiple sclerosis (MS) and its relationships with Epstein Barr infection, with vitamin D polymorphism and the new modalities of MS treatment. (2) Type 1 diabetes and genetic discovers, studies with GAD 65 and IA-2 autoantigen and the association T1D and autoimmune organ-specific diseases. (3) Autoimmune thyroid disorders and its association with susceptibility genes and polymorphisms. (4) Multiplex autoantibody profiling approaches in MS and rheumatoid arthritis. (5) Th17 cytokine in primary biliary cirrhosis, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and celiac disease. (6) Vitamin D and experimental autoimmune prostatitis and pulmonary alveolar proteinosis.
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Division, Disciplina de Reumatologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Dr. Arnaldo 455, 3° andar, Sala 3105, São Paulo, SP 01246-903 Brazil.
authors.forename: Jozélio Freire
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: de Carvalho
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Division, Disciplina de Reumatologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Dr. Arnaldo 455, 3° andar, Sala 3105, São Paulo, SP 01246-903 Brazil.
authors.forename: Rosa Maria Rodrigues
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine B, Center for Autoimmune Diseases, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Hashomer, Israel ; Incumbent of the Laura Schwarz-Kipp Chair for Research of Autoimmune Diseases, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Yehuda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shoenfeld
keywords: Autoantibodies; Autoimmunity; Diabetes; Multiple sclerosis; Thyroid disorders; Vitamin D