autoimmune

(adjective)

Autoimmunity is the failure of an organism in recognizing its own constituent parts as self, which allows an immune response against its own cells and tissues. Any disease that results from such an aberrant immune response is termed an autoimmune disease. Autoimmunity is often caused by a lack of germ development of a target body, and as such the immune response acts against its own cells and tissues.

Related Terms

Examples of autoimmune in the following topics:

  • The Roles of Genetics and Gender in Autoimmune Disease

    • Autoimmune diseases are very often treated with steroids.
    • Autoimmunity should not be confused with alloimmunity.
    • While a high level of autoimmunity is unhealthy, a low level of autoimmunity may actually be beneficial.
    • A person's sex also seems to have some role in the development of autoimmunity, classifying most autoimmune diseases as sex-related diseases.
    • Define autoimmunity and explain how it gives rise to autoimmune disease

  • Cytotoxic Autoimmune Reactions

    • Autoimmune diseases are very often treated with steroids.
    • Autoimmunity should not be confused with alloimmunity.
    • A person's sex also seems to have some role in the development of autoimmunity, classifying most autoimmune diseases as sex-related diseases.
    • According to the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA), autoimmune diseases that develop in men tend to be more severe.
    • The reasons for the sex role in autoimmunity are unclear.

  • The Complement System and Heart Disease

    • In autoimmune heart diseases, the body's immune defense system mistakes its own cardiac antigens as foreign, and attacks them.
    • Autoimmune heart diseases result when the body's own immune defense system mistakes cardiac antigens as foreign, and attacks them, leading to inflammation of the heart as a whole, or in parts.
    • The most common form of autoimmune heart disease is rheumatic heart disease, or rheumatic fever.
    • A typical mechanism of autoimmunity is autoantibodies, or auto-toxic T-lymphocyte mediated tissue destruction.
    • Aetiologically, autoimmune heart disease is most commonly seen in children with a history of sore throat caused by a streptococcal infection.

  • Cell-Mediated Autoimmune Reactions

    • Cell-mediated autoimmunity can happen by several mechanisms involving cells of the immune system and their receptors.
    • Several mechanisms are thought to be operative in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases, against a backdrop of genetic predisposition and environmental modulation.
    • When tolerance to self proteins is lost, DQ may become involved in autoimmune disease.
    • Two autoimmune diseases in which HLA-DQ is involved are celiac disease and diabetes mellitus type 1.
    • Define cell-mediated autoimmunity and describe the mechanisms that are thought to operate in the pathogenesis of autoimmune disease

  • Immune Complex Autoimmune Reactions

    • Immune complex deposition is a prominent feature of several autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus, cryoglobulinemia, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, and Sjögren's syndrome.

  • Type II (Cytotoxic) Reactions

    • Graves' disease is an autoimmune disease where the thyroid is overactive, producing an excessive amount of thyroid hormones (a serious metabolic imbalance known as hyperthyroidism and thyrotoxicosis).
    • Autoimmune diseases resemble type II-IV hypersensitivity reactions.
    • Below are some examples of Type II hypersensitivity-like autoimmunity.

  • Regulatory T Cells

    • These cells are involved in shutting down immune responses after they have successfully eliminated invading organisms, and also in preventing autoimmunity.
    • Induced Regulatory T (iTreg) cells (CD4+CD25+Foxp3+) are suppressive cells involved in tolerance. iTreg cells have been shown to suppress T cell proliferation and experimental autoimmune diseases. iTreg cells develop from mature CD4+ conventional T cells outside of the thymus: a defining distinction between natural regulatory T (nTreg) cells and iTreg cells.

  • Primary and Secondary Antibody Responses

    • Disorders of the immune system can result in autoimmune diseases, inflammatory diseases and cancer.
    • In contrast, autoimmunity results from a hyperactive immune system attacking normal tissues as if they were foreign organisms.
    • Common autoimmune diseases include Hashimoto's thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes mellitus type 1, and systemic lupus erythematosus.

  • The Future of Diagnostic Immunology

    • Immunologists work in many different disease areas today that include allergy, autoimmunity, immunodeficiency, transplantation, and cancer.

  • Type III (Immune Complex) Reactions

    • Immune complex deposition is a prominent feature of several autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus, cryoglobulinemia, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma and Sjögren's syndrome.
    • Immune complex deposition is a prominent feature of several autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus, cryoglobulinemia, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma and Sjögren's syndrome.