The main aim of this volume is to provide an updated overview of the genetic basis of a group
of complex disorders that are considered rare individually but show a relatively high
prevalence on the whole in developed countries: the rare autoimmune diseases. These are chronic
disorders that involve long and expensive treatments with considerable side effects that may
dramatically reduce the quality of life of affected people. Therefore shedding light into
their pathologic mechanisms is a major concern given their growing social and economic
awareness and impact. General sections include different chapters on single entities as
systemic lupus and sclerosis Behçet¿s disease Sjogren¿s syndrome and polymiositis and
sections devoted to autoimmune vasculitis hepatic autoimmune conditions as well as those
affecting the nervous system and a concluding chapter in which the shared predisposition
amongst all diseases is discussed. All the chapters are given a homogeneous scheme in which the
authors explain the clinical singularities of every disease and report the recent breakthrough
discoveries related to them giving a critical interpretation and suggesting future
perspectives. All contributors are renowned researchers with high expertise in each disease.
Due to the exponential increase in our understanding of the genetic causes of these complex
diseases a major advance in biomedical discovery is taking place. However most of the
achievements in this field are very recent and there is a lack of bibliography gathering them
together. This book is thus filling a gap and will prove a useful companion to clinicians in
the first place (internists rheumatologists clinical immunologists and hematologists) but
also to basic and applied researchers.
