Autoantibodies--a mechanism of microdebridement.

Antibodies to foreign debris are generally beneficial because they speed inflammation and debridement of tissue. Intracellular components are debris if they reach extracellular space. If not rapidly debrided from extracellular space, intracellular components stimulate autoantibody production. If not debrided, cellular constituents like other foreign material can initiate a chronic tissue response. Antibodies will speed removal of debris if an effective microdebridement mechanism is present. This is their general biologic significance. If the patient has a defective microdebridement system as in lupus erythematosus or rheumatoid arthritis, the autoantibodies occur to large numbers of intracellular substances and accumulate and contribute to tissue damage. Tissue damage occurs and autoantibodies accumulate in lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis because of inadequate microdebridement. This should not detract from the fact that autoantibodies are a common secondary phenomenon which plays an important part in maintaining tissue microdebridement.