Autoimmunity: the moving boundaries between physiology and pathology

• Published in: Journal of autoimmunity Vol. 1; no. 6; pp. 507 - 518
• Main Authors: Huetz, François, Jacquemart, Frédéric, Rossi, Claudia Peña, Varela, Francisco, Coutinho, António
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.12.1988
• ISSN: 0896-8411; 1095-9157
• DOI: 10.1016/0896-8411(88)90044-3

This paper considers current concepts of autoimmunity and concludes with a discussion on the need for viable alternatives. It is argued that, if a century of ‘horror autotoxicus’ and over 30 years of active research based on ‘clonal deletion’ models have failed to contribute solutions to the problem, these notions are probably inadequate. Instead, it is proposed that pathological states of autoimmunity should be considered as deviations from normal autoreactivity which is a central property of the immune system. It follows that the study of autoimmune physiology is necessary to the understanding of pathology. Furthermore, the discrimination between destructive immune responses and physiological, self-directed immune activities is thought to be a systemic property based on a particular network organization, rather than the result of isolated clonal properties. These views suggest novel strategies in basic and clinical approaches to autoimmunity, more particularly the possibility of manipulating physiological autoreactivity to compensate diseases which are not of immunological origin.