Abstract

KOKUINA, Elena. De la autoinmunidad a las enfermedades autoinmunes. Rev cubana med [online]. 2001, vol.40, n.1, pp. 36-44. ISSN 1561-302X.

A literature review was made on autoimmune diseases that is one of the most frequent and less understood health problems at present. It was confirmed that the research works of the last decade, particularly those carried out in transgenic mice, provide new concepts on the development and differentiation of immune cells mediating autoimmune diseases. In fact, it is clear that a high percentage of T and B cells of a healthy individual are self-reactive. However, the existence of autoimmune cells in the body is not enough for developing a disease. The autoimmune diseases are the final clinical point of a sequence cascade of immunologic events started and perpetuated by environmental factors that occur in a genetically predisposed individual. The exact definition of etiologic factors and pathogenic events giving rise to autoimmune diseases will allow us to design more effective and specific therapeutic strategies

Keywords : AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES [etiology]; AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES [therapy]; AUTOANTIBODIES; GENETIC PREDISPOSITION TO DISEASE; ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS; DISEASE MODELS, ANIMAL; MICE, TRANSGENIC.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )