Autoimmune disease Flashcards
Which three factors contribute to autoimmune disease?
Genes
Environment
Immune Regulation
What are some causative associations for autoimmune disease?
More likely in women than in men
Age
Sequestered Antigents
May be recognised as foreign by the immune system (e.g. cell nucleus, eye, testis)
Environmental triggers:
Infection
Trauma-tissue damage
smoking
What is molecular mimicry?
E.g. in rheumatic fever antibodies against M protein of Streptococcus also react against the glycoproteins of the heart
What are the common features of organ specific autoimmune disease?
Affect a single organ
Autoimmunity restricted to autoantigens of that organ
Overlap with other organ specific diseases
Autoimmune thyroid disease is typical
What are the common features of systemic autoimmune disease?
Affect several organs simultaneously
Autoimmunity associated with autoantigens found in most cells of body
Overlap with other non-organ specific diseases
Connective tissue diseases are typical
What is Hashimotos thyroiditis?
Destruction of thyroid follicles by autoimmune process
Associated with autoantibodies to thyroglobulin and to thyroid peroxidase
Leads to hypothyrodism
What is Grave’s disease?
Inappropriate stimulation of thyroid gland by anti-TSH-autoantibody
Leads to hyperthyrodism
What are the 4 main types of autoimmune connective tissue disease?
Systemic lupus erythematosus
Scleroderma
Polymyositis
Sjogrens syndrome
What is autoinflammation?
Seemingly spontaneous attacks of systemic inflammation
No demonstrable source of infection as precipitating cause
absence of high-titre autoantibodies and antigen specific autoreactive T cells
No evidence of auto-antigenic exposure
