The development of powerful techniques of genetic engineering has made available methods to test many of the hypotheses relating to self-nonself discrimination and autoimmunity. This volume offers an account of the latest developments in molecular autoimmunity research with clinical relevance. The contributors cover a broad range of topics from pathogenesis in autoimmune diseases, including the role of autoantibodies, idiotypes and cytokines, to autoimmunity in Sjogren"s syndrome, endocrine disease, spondyloarthropathies and HIV infection.