Mechanisms of Autoimmunity

Autoimmune diseases encompass a broad spectrum of heterogeneous and complex disorders. Although the mechanistic underpinnings of most autoimmune diseases remain incompletely defined, much progress has been made in understanding the events that contribute to the development of the self-sustaining anti-host immune response that is the hallmark of rheumatic diseases. In this chapter, we approach the mechanisms responsible for the development of autoimmunity by using the framework of distinct phases in the process of developing an autoimmune response; these phases comprise (i) susceptibility, (ii) initiation, (iii) propagation, and (iv) regulation/resolution.