Witebsky’s postulates

Witebsky's postulates describe in general terms the prerequisites for autoimmunity.

1. Detection of autoantibodies or autoreactive T cells.
2. Reproduction of the disease by transfer of autoantibodies/T-cells (e.g. in animal models).
3. Induction of the disease by immunization with the autoantigen.
4. Improvement after removal or blockade of the autoantibody/T-cells.

Witebsky's postulates are used in modern immunology to prove autoimmunity causally - a kind of "autoimmunological equivalent" to Koch's postulates in microbiology.

1. Koneczny I (2018) A New Classification System for IgG4 Autoantibodies. Front Immunol 9:97.