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Previous Volume 356:1263-1266 March 22, 2007 Number 12 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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Autoimmunity is the reflection of a basic problem confronting all living organisms — how to defend against foreign invasion while maintaining control of the defending forces. The B-cell and T-cell branches of the immune system can exhibit remarkable specificity for invading microorganisms, can adapt to changing threats, and can provide for long-term immunologic memory. At the same time, autoreactivity of B cells and T cells is present in all normal persons, and a complex set of regulatory mechanisms is required to prevent overt destruction of tissue through autoimmunity. Our current understanding of autoimmunity rests on our knowledge of the immune . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Source Information

From the Robert S. Boas Center for Genomics and Human Genetics, the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, North Shore Long Island Jewish Health System, Manhasset, NY.

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• Kuller, L. (2007). Is Phenomenology the Best Approach to Health Research?. Am J Epidemiol 166: 1109-1115 [Abstract] [Full Text]