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Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Granulocyte-dependent Autoantibody-induced Skin Blistering
Published on: October 12, 2012
Bistability in autoimmune diseases
Nicolas Rapin1, Erik Mosekilde, Ole Lund
1Biotech Research and Innovation Centre and Bioinformatics Centre, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark.
Abstract:
Autoimmune diseases damage host tissue, which, in turn, may trigger a stronger immune response. Systems characterized by such positive feedback loops can display co-existing stable steady states. In a mathematical model of autoimmune disease, one steady state may correspond to the healthy state and another to an autoimmune steady state characterized by widespread tissue damage and immune activation. We show how a triggering event may move the system from the healthy to the autoimmune state and how transient immunosuppressive treatment can move the system back to the healthy state.
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