Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
8
pubmed:dateCreated
1996-2-1
pubmed:abstractText
Autoimmune diseases result from the breakdown of "self" tolerance. Environmental factors appear to be responsible for triggering this errant immune response, directed against self-tissue determinants, only when a susceptible genetic background is present in an individual. Autoimmune diseases, normally characterized by their association with certain HLA alleles, also share other features: the presence of autoantibodies, autoreactive T lymphocytes, and an intermittent clinical course of exacerbations and remissions. In cases of organ-specific diseases, as well as in cases of multi-system autoimmune diseases, viruses are increasingly implicated as such environmental triggers. Current molecular biology techniques have permitted a fine dissection of the genetic background of susceptible individuals and have enabled a more complete characterization of the immunocompetent cells involved in this autoaggression. Molecular approaches will soon allow us to pinpoint the characteristics of the environmental stimuli, so that protective strategies could be formulated to spare susceptible individuals from their ill effects.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Aug
pubmed:issn
0946-2716
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
73
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
381-93
pubmed:dateRevised
2011-7-8
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1995
pubmed:articleTitle
Genetic background and environment contribute synergistically to the onset of autoimmune diseases.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Pediatrics, Rangos Research Center, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburg, School of Medicine, PA 15213, USA.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Review