Infection and Autoimmunity | Yehuda Shoenfeld

Autoimmune diseases are conditions where the immune system attacks the body organs instead of foreign invaders. This book deals with the various mechanisms by which infectious agents can trigger autoimmunity such as molecular mimicry and polyclonal activation. An overview is given with regard to bacteria, viruses, and parasites associated with autoimmunity, and a summary is given on classical autoimmune diseases and the infecting agents that can induce them. * The only book directed specifically at the interactions between infectious agents and autoimmunity* Describes the prevalence and incidence of the global issues and current therapeutic approaches* Presents the measures for infection control* Brings the reader up to date and allows easy access to individual topics in one place* Includes completely updated and new chapters