This authoritative review volume provides a wide-ranging account of the immunological mechanisms that underlie many rheumatic diseases. Advances in our understanding of the immunopathology of diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and SLE, are paving the way for the development of effective and rational new therapies. This exciting prospect is an important stimulus for ground-breaking research into these diseases and the investigation of new therapeutic options. As the first book to focus exclusively on this burgeoning area of clinical research, this is an invaluable and contemporary account for all rheumatologists, clinical immunologists and those seeking to develop effective new therapies to combat rheumatic diseases.