Tissue Specificity and Autoimmunity

This book had its origins in some conversations held several years ago. It was felt that a monograph on the subject of tissue specificity might have some merit and interest for a number of scientific workers in the relevant disciplines. Writing was begun slowly, with interruptions; more recently, there has been much more activity, and the relevant literature has been searched and cited up to early 1973. This book was never intended as an exhaustive coverage of all possible topics related to tissue specificity. The tissues and organs covered in six chapters constitute a selected group, representative of areas in which the author has worked and which are thus directly familiar to him, plus several other areas where illustrative and important discoveries have been made. There are other areas of equal importance and interest, but the book would have been much too large if I had tried to cover all of them. The author had several groups of readers in mind, including students of immunology and the related fields of immunochemistry, biochemistry, and immunopathology. Students of general biology could find it useful. For students of medicine and practicing physicians it may provide a useful review in a field that has many clinical correlations in human disease. The author assumes that the reader has a basic knowledge of immunological concepts and technics, but for some purposes elementary treatments are cited for background reference.

Contenu
1 Concepts of Specificity.- 2 The Thyroid Gland.- 1. Early Findings of Tissue Specificity and of the Protein Composition of Extracts.- 2. Purification of Thyroglobulin and other Thyroid Proteins; Problems of Heterogeneity and Instability.- 3. Subunit Structure of the Thyroglobulin Molecule.- 4. Detailed Studies of Thyroid Specificity.- 5. The Formation of Autoantibodies.- 3 The Adrenal Gland.- 1. Thermostable Antigens of Adrenal.- 2. Thermolabile Antigens of Adrenal.- 3. Experimental Adrenalitis.- 4. Human Adrenalitis.- 4 The Brain.- 1. The Several Brain-Specific Antigens.- 2. The Lipid Haptens.- 3. The Basic Proteins; Allergic Encephalomyelitis (AE).- 4. The Acidic Proteins.- 5. The Neutral Proteins.- 6. The Thermostable, Enthanol-Insoluble Proteins.- 5 The Reproductive System.- 1. Spermatozoal and Testicular Antigens.- 2. Antigens of the Male Accessory Glands of Reproduction..- 3. Proteins and Antigens of the Female Reproductive Tract.- 6 The Eye.- 1. Antigens of the Lens.- 2. Antigens of the Cornea.- 3. Antigens of the Uvea.- 4. Other Antigens of the Eye.- 7 The Kidney.- 1. The Experimental Production of Nephritis by AntiserumMasugi Nephritis.- 2. The Antigens of the Glomerulus; the Nephrotoxic Antigens.- 3. The Antigens of the Tubule.- 4. The Formation of Autoantibodies Against Kidney Antigens.- 5. Experimental Glomerulonephritis.- 6. Human Glomerulonephritis.- 8 Mechanisms of Immunopathology.- References.