Autoimmunity

Immunology is a very young discipline of medicine that cuts across all medical disciplines. The topic is extremely serious and topical, and therefore the book will find its target readers among general practitioners and specialists (especially the older generation, who practically did not learn about autoimmune diseases during their studies). The book can also serve as an informative, yet light study material for medical students ev. science. The complex issue of autoimmunity is presented in a very clear and understandable, if partly simplified, way. The popularizing character of the book will certainly attract educated patients who suffer from autoimmunity, especially if they are recommended by their doctor. / Considering the prevalence of autoimmune diseases - about 5% of the population, this is about half a million potential readers in the Czech Republic. /The comprehensive view of autoimmunity makes this book unique and no such monograph has been published on our market so far. This neat monograph is a supplemented, expanded and adapted to Czech conditions translation of the book by prof. Yehuda Shoenfeld's AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES "THE ENEMY FROM WITHIN. The translation and editing were undertaken at the request of prof. Shoenfeld, a leading expert on autoimmune diseases, founder of Czech clinical immunology prof. Terezie Fučíková and her pupil prof. Jiřina Bartůňková. The original character of the monograph is retained. * * * * The basic function of the immune system is briefly described, as well as the circumstances that lead to why an initially beneficial defensive immune response degenerates into self-injurious inflammation. This can then cause chronic disabling diseases, such as some autoimmune diseases. He will also point out that it is often inappropriate to strengthen a "weakened immunity", which in fact begins to fail in the opposite direction - by overreacting. An overview of the individual representatives of a wide range of autoimmune diseases, which outwardly look like completely different diseases (e.g. multiple sclerosis, diabetes I. type, rheumatoid arthritis. ), but their pathogenesis and therefore treatment is usually very similar. Separate chapters are devoted to the pathogenesis and treatment options of autoimmune diseases. The book is supplemented with several summary tables, a colour appendix with some typical clinical symptoms of autoimmune diseases, an index and references to other literature on this subject, usually more specialised on individual diseases.