Autoantibodies was published and presented in November 2006 at the International Congress of Autoimmunity in Sorrento, a small town in Campania, Italy. The Congress also celebrated the 100th anniversary of the first routine test for autoantibodies. An autoantibody is a type of antibody that is produced by the immune system and that fights one or more of a person’s own proteins. These autoantibodies cause autoimmune diseases such as lupus erythematosus. The authors and editors of this book provide a critical review of autoantibodies and their primary functions. They cite a number of major developments in the field of autoantibodies, including the detection of autoantibodies in which a healthy person is a carrier; the discovery that autoantibodies can be both pathogenic and protective in some cases; and the development of a device that will help monitor and detect a specific autoantibody using a small amount of serum and proteomic arrays. Aside from the pathogenic and protective autoantibodies, the book also discusses irrelevant autoantibodies, as these may be relevant for future research. It also addresses the importance of the autoantibodies in a person’s body. Clinical physicians, as well as scientists interested in the significance of autoantibodies in the human body, will find this book relevant. It will also be of interest to those who suffer from an autoimmune disease.

Table of Contents:
I Introduction: Autoantibodies-Unique Characteristics 1 What is an Autoantibody? 2 Natural Autoantibodies, Heralding, Protecting and Inducing Autoimmunity 3 Molecular Mimicry 4 Affinity and Avidity of Autoantibodies 5 Pathogenic Mechanisms and Clinical Relevance of Autoantibodies 6 Native Autoantigens Versus Recombinant Autoantigens 7 Redox-Reactive Autoantibodies 8 Predictive Autoantibodies 9 Autoantibody Subclasses 10 Idiotypes and Anti-Idiotypes 11 Novel Diagnostic Methods for Autoantibody Detection II Allergic Disease Autoantibodies 12 Human IgE–Specific Autoantibodies and Autoantibodies to IGE Receptors III Antineutrophil Antibodies 13 Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibodies with Specificity for Myeloperoxidase 14 Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibodies with Specificity for Proteinase 3 15 Neutrophil-Specific Antinuclear and Anti-cytoplasmic Antibodies in Chronic Inflammatory Diseases 16 Antineutrophil Cytoplasmatic Autoantibodies with Specificity to Proteinase 3 IV Introduction: Antinuclear Antibodies 17 Antinuclear Antibodies: General Introduction 18 Antinucleolar Antibodies 19 Anti-Chromatin (Nucleosome) Autoantibodies 20 Centromere Autoantibodies 21 dsDNA Autoantibodies 22 Histone Autoantibodies 23 Ku and Ki Autoantibodies 24 Neuronal Nuclear Autoantibodies, Type 1 (HU) 25 Nuclear Envelope Protein Autoantibodies/Antilamin Autoantibodies 26 Anti-Nucleosome Autoantibodies 27 Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen Autoantibodies 28 Anti-RA33 Antibodies (Antibodies to the Heterogeneous Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein A2) 29 Anti-Ribosomal P Antibodies 30 SS-A (Ro) Autoantibodies 31 Topoisomerase-I (Scl-70) Autoantibodies 32 SS-B (La) Autoantibodies 33 Anti-RNA Polymerase III Antibodies V Autoantibodies to Biologic Factors/Structures 34 GW Bodies, P Bodies and Components of the miRNA Pathway 35 Golgi Complex and Endosome Antibodies 36 p53 Autoantibodies 37 Human Antiganglioside Autoantibodies 38 Human Anti--Galactosyl Antibodies 39 Autoantibodies in Therapeutic Preparations of Human Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG) 40 Cytokine Antibodies 41 Cytoskeletal Autoantibodies/Anti-Actin Antibodies 42 Fibrillarin Autoantibodies 43 Fibronectin Autoantibodies 44 Interferon-Inducible Protein IFI16 Autoantibodies VI Cardiac Autoantibodies 45 Autoantibodies in Atherosclerosis 46 Heat Shock Protein Autoantibodies 47 Myocardial Autoantibodies and their Clinical Significance VII Endocrine Autoantibodies 48 Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase Autoantibodies 49 Humoral Immunity in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus 50 Antibodies to Adrenal, Gonadal Tissues and Steroidogenic Enzymes 51 Thyroglobulin, Thyroperoxidase, and Thyrotropin-Receptor Autoantibodies VIII GI And Liver Autoantibodies 52 Anti-Intestinal Goblet Cell Antibodies 53 Tumor-Associated Autoantibodies 54 Cryoglobulins and Cryoglobulins Secondary to Hepatitis C Virus Infection 55 Anti-Tissue Transglutaminase and Anti-Endomyisial Antibodies 56 Anti-Gliadin Antibodies 57 Reticulin Autoantibodies 58 Liver Cytosol Antigen Type 1 Autoantibodies, Liver Kidney Microsomal Autoantibodies, and Liver Microsomal Autoantibodies 59 Antimitochondrial Antibodies 60 Parietal Cell and Intrinsic Factor Autoantibodies 61 Smooth Muscle Antibodies IX Hematologic Autoantibodies 62 Coagulation Factor Autoantibodies 63 Autoantibodies in Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia 64 Platelet Autoantibodies 65 Red Cell Autoantibodies 66 Lymphocytotoxic Autoantibodies X Kidney Autoantibodies 67 Anti-ATP Synthase β-Chain Autoantibodies 68 Glomerular Basement Membrane Autoantibodies 69 Nephritic Factor Autoantibodies XI Neurological System Autoantibodies 70 Acetylcholine Receptor and Muscle Specific Kinase Autoantibodies 71 Myositis Autoantibodies: Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetase, Signal Recognition Particle, Mi-2, and PM-Scl Autoantibodies 72 Anti-MOG Antibodies 73 Antibodies to Hsp 70 in Inner Ear Disease 74 Autoantibodies in the Lambert–Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome (LEMS) and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) 75 Ganglioside Autoantibodies 76 Myelin Associated Antibodies: Myelin-Associated Glycoprotein Autoantibodies, Myelin Basic Protein Autoantibodies and Myelin Proteolipid Autoantibodies in Neurologic Diseases 77 Paraneoplastic Neurological Antibodies: Nuclear 78 Paraneoplastic Neurological Antibodies: Purkinje Cell Cytoplasm 79 Paraneoplastic Neurological Antibodies: Additional Reactivities 80 Retinal Autoantibodies 81 Autoantibodies in Epilepsy XII Rheumatic Disease Autoantibodies 82 Anti-Fodrin Antibodies 83 Antibodies to Laminin 84 Autoantibodies Against Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor in Patients with Sjögren’s Syndrome 85 β2-Glycoprotein I Autoantibodies 86 C1 Inhibitor Autoantibodies 87 Autoantibodies to C1q 88 Anti-Collagen Antibodies 89 Anti-Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide Antibody 90 Anti-Endothelial Cell Autoantibodies 91 Lupus Anticoagulant Testing 92 Anticardiolipin Antibodies 93 Phospholipid Autoantibodies (Non-Anticardiolipin)–Anti-Prothrombin Antibodies 94 Rheumatoid Factors XIII Skin Disease Autoantibodies 95 Autoantibodies to Mucocutaneous Antigens XIV Unique Clinical Situations 96 Autoimmunity and the Newer Biopharmaceuticals 97 Autoantibodies Against Tumor Suppressor Proteins 98 Detection of Autoantibodies Using Protein Arrays 99 Autoantibodies and Pregnancy Loss XV Future Directions 100 Anti-Glycan Antibodies 101 Future Trends