ABSTRACT
The function of the normal immune system is to combat foreign invaders but, under certain circumstances, this protective system attacks the very entity it is supposed to be protecting. The consequence of such an aberrant response, which can be prolonged because the stimulus is continuous, is the development of chronic inflammatory responses and a wide range of diseases (Table 1). In humans, these autoimmune disorders have a high prevalence, generally afflict women more often than men, often strike at the prime of life, and can be crippling or even fatal.
