[Association between immunity to collagen and the pathology of extracellular matrices]

In a first part, the data of immunogenicity of collagen type II and type IV in physiopathology of extracellular matrices as cartilage and basement membrane, are reviewed. However, in the second part, this conclusion will be examined by basing on the knowledge of the nature of specific sites of these collagens and the variable or non specific humoral immune response towards these collagens in human diseases.