Recent developments in basic science and clinical rheumatology make it appropriate at this time to create a volume devoted to the immunology of rheumatic diseases. The impact of molecular biology, gene cloning, and new technologies for establishing hybridomas and T-cell lines in the laboratory is now beginning to be felt in clinical medicine. There is a general air of excitement and a feeling that we stand on the threshold of a new era in molecular medicine and clinical science. It is this excitement that we have tried to capture in this book. This volume is divided into five sections entitled Basic Mechanisms, Autoimmunity, Classical Concepts of Rheumatic Diseases, Pathogenetic Mechanisms, and Therapy. This is not an arbitrary arrangement but represents our belief that from an understanding of basic mechanisms of disease pathogenesis will come new and more successful forms of treatment for the sufferers of rheumatic disorders. We have tried in the selection of authors to choose internationally recognized experts who have both a scientific and a clinical orientation to their subjects. We believe the marriage of clinical and basic disciplines represents the best hope for rapid knowledge transfer from the laboratory to the clinic, where such knowledge can be used to improve patient health.
