Excerpt
To the Editor:
The concept of the mosaic of autoimmunity was introduced1 to describe the existence of multiple autoimmune diseases, among other characteristics, in the same individual. It is also well documented that the same clinical example of disturbed autoimmunity may be seen in various family members, e.g., familial antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). By rearranging components of the autoimmune system diverse patterns of autoimmunity become evident2, and the integration of many genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors (e.g., infections) is expressed as overlapping autoimmune diseases. The amelioration of one disease may result in the appearance of another autoimmune disorder, such as women…