[Autoimmune diseases--principles and selected examples]

Autoimmune diseases present themselves as syndromes of different dysfunctions of the immune system due to multiple disturbances of immuninformation and regulation. Because of the lifelong persistence of the auto-antigen, chronic progredient diseases develop with a variety of symptoms and different stages within the clinical course. It may be that at first glance symptoms of lesser importance, like skin disorders or proteinuria, can be markers of a systemic manifestation of an immunopathy. The underwriting of proposal ought to be based on information of the own and family history as well as on recent clinical and serological findings and on the possible involvement of other organs.