According to the Autoimmune Diseases Coordinating Committee (ADCC), between 14.7 and 23.5 million people in the USA a " up to eight percent of the population are affected by autoimmune disease. Autoimmune diseases are a family of more than 100 chronic, and often disabling, illnesses that develop when underlying defects in the immune system lead the body to attack its own organs, tissues, and cells. In Handbook of Autoimmune Disease, the editors have gathered in a comprehensive handbook a critical review, by renowned experts, of more than 100 autoimmune diseases, divided into two main groups, namely systemic and organ-specific autoimmune diseases. A contemporary overview of these conditions with special emphasis on diagnosis is presented. Each chapter contains the essential information required by attending physicians as well as bench scientists to understand the definition of a specific autoimmune disease, the diagnostic criteria, and the treatment.

According to the Autoimmune Diseases Coordinating Committee (ADCC), between 14.7 and 23.5 million people in the USA - up to eight percent of the population are affected by autoimmune disease. Autoimmune diseases are a family of more than 100 chronic, and often disabling, illnesses that develop when underlying defects in the immune system lead the body to attack its own organs, tissues, and cells. In Handbook of Autoimmune Disease, the editors have gathered in a comprehensive handbook a critical review, by renowned experts, of more than 100 autoimmune diseases, divided into two main groups, namely systemic and organ-specific autoimmune diseases. A contemporary overview of these conditions with special emphasis on diagnosis is presented. Each chapter contains the essential information required by attending physicians as well as bench scientists to understand the definition of a specific autoimmune disease, the diagnostic criteria, and the treatment.

I. CLASSICAL SYSTEMIC AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES 1. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Maria Laura Bertolaccini Lupus Research Unit The Rayne Institute King's College London School of Medicine St. Thomas' Hospital London UK Graham RV Hughes Lupus Research Unit The Rayne Institute King's College London School of Medicine St. Thomas' Hospital London UK Munther A. Khamashta, MD Senior Lecturer/Consultant Physician Lupus Unit The Rayne Institute St. Thomas Hospital London UK 2. Antiphospholipid Syndrome: Ricard Cervera, MD, PhD, FRCP Head, Department of Autoimmune Diseases, Hospital Clinic Associate Professor, Department of Medicine University of Barcelona Catalonia, Spain Ronald A. Asherson Division of Immunology School of Pathology University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg, South Africa 3. Rheumatoid Arthritis: Claudio Galarza-Maldonado, MD Unidad de Enfermedades Reumaticas y Autoinmunes (UNERA) Hospital Monte Sinai Cuenca, Ecuador Loreto Massardo Vega, M.D.2 Departamento de Immunologia Clinica y Reumatologia Facultad de Medicina Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile Santiago Chile Bernardo Pons-Estel, M.D. 3 Hospital provincial de Rosario Universidad Nacional de Rosario Rosario Argentina Mario H. Cardiel, MSc Unidad de Investigacion 'Dr. Mario Alvizouri Muno' Hospital General 'Dr. Miguel Silva Morelia Michoacan Mexico 4. Macrophage Activation Sindrome in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Berkun Yackov, M.D. Associate Director PediatricRheumatology Safra Children Hospital Chaim Sheba Medical Center Tel-Hashomer Israel and Sackler School of Medicine Tel-Aviv University Tel-Aviv Israel Shai Padeh, M.D. Pediatric Rheumatology Safra Children Hospital Chaim Sheba Medical Center Tel-Hashomer Israel and Sackler School of Medicine Tel-Aviv University Tel-Aviv Israel 5. Adult Still's Disease: Alon Eisen, M.D. Department of Medicine D Meir Medical Center Kfar-Saba Israel Affiliated to Sackler Faculty of Medicine Tel-Aviv University Tel-Aviv Israel Howard Amital, MD MHA Head of Department of Medicine D Meir Medical Center Kfar-Saba Israel Affiliated to Sackler Faculty of Medicine Tel-Aviv University Tel-Aviv Israel 6. Systemic Sclerosis: Dr. Jenny Walker Faculty of Medicine University of Calgary Calgary, Alberta, Canada Marvin J. Fritzler, MD, PhD Faculty of Medicine University of Calgary Calgary, Alberta, Canada 7. Sjoegren's Syndrome: D. Mitsias Department of Pathophysiology School of Medicine National University of Athens Athens Greece H.M.Moutsopoulos, MD, FACP,FRCP Professor and Director Department of Pathophysiology School of Medicine National University of Athens Athens Greece 8. Mixed Connective Tissue Diseases (MCTD): Marta Mosca, M.D. Rheumatology Unit Department of Internal Medicine University of Pisa Italy Rosaria Talarico, M.D. Rheumatology Unit Department of Internal Medicine University of Pisa Italy Stefano