The immune system is a natural component of and direct participant in the
physiological activity of healthy organisms. The main forms of physiological activity of
the immune system are based on the intrinsic abilities of self-identification, selfmaintenance,
self-regulation, and self-reparation – that is, on recognizing components
of the “self”, i.e., natural autoimmunity. The most ancient and homeostatically
important function of natural autoimmunity is autoclearance. A multitude of immune
functions, including those related to antimicrobial defense, derived from the basic
function of autoclearance. Pathological processes of any kind in any organ are usually
accompanied by apoptosis/necrosis of the resident cells and, accordingly, by increased
extracellular concentration of intracellular components. These events induce the
secondary rise in production of autoantibodies with appropriate specificity (opsonines),
which provides augmentation of clearance by facilitating the efficacy of macrophagedependent
consumption of debris in the affected organ. This phenomenon is sanogenic
in nature and adaptive in essence. Therefore, secondary changes in production and
serum content of tissue-specific autoantibodies can be considered the universal and
earliest detectable marker of any chronic disease.
Keywords: The Immune System, immunophysiology, innate immunity, adaptive
immunity, natural autoimmunity, autoantibodies, immune autoclearance.
