Recent advances in immunology, particularly at the molecular level, have led to a much clearer understanding of the causes and consequences of autoimmunity. The aim of this series is to make these developments accessible to all those clinicians, including senior clinicians, who feel daunted by these advances and require a clear exposition of the scientific and clinical issues. The various clinical specialities will be covered in separate volumes, which will follow a fixed format: a brief introduction to basic immunology followed by a comprehensive review of recent findings in the autoimmune conditions which, in particular, will compare animal models with their human counterparts. Sufficient clinical detail, especially regarding the treatment, will also be included to provide basic scientists with a better understanding of these aspects of autoimmunity. Thus each volume will be self-contained and comprehensible to a wide audience. Taken as a whole the series will provide an overview of all the important autoimmune disorders.It is envisaged that each book will be about 200 printed pages and written by a single author, or by two authors working in collaboration, to produce a uniform style and avoid duplication.

• Edited by: D. B. G. Oliveira, University of Cambridge, D. K. Peters, University of Cambridge, A. P. Weetman