Autoimmune Disease Flashcards
What is the autoimmunity phenomenon?
phenomenon where the body produces antibodies and cytotoxic T cells that target normal body cells
True or False. Autoimmunity is a gradual process that develops over a period of time?
most are spontaneous and at random
Autoimmunity is more common in _____ and _____.
older individuals and women
What are the most common autoimmunities?
autoimmune thyroid diseases and type 1 diabetes
How common is autoimmune diseases?
1 in 30
Which autoimmune disorder is more common in men? In which is the incidence the same for both men and women?
diabetes
ulcerative colitis
Why is autoimmune disorder incidence in women persistent throughout their life?
in the reprodutive years, estrogen stimulates B cell autoimmunity
in the post menopausal years, falling estrogen stimulates T cell autoimmunity
Explain the 3 theories made to explain the etiology of autoimmunity.
T cells encounter self made antigens that are normally hidden in places the T cells rarely go
infections with a microorganism that mimics a self made antigen
the normal control system for the immune system fails
What 2 types of autoimmune diseases are there in relation to what they target?
organ specific like diabetes, multiple sclerosis, grave’s, hashimoto’s, …
systemic like rheumatoid arthritis, sclerodoma, systemic lupus…
Name 2 autoimmune diseases of the thyroid.
Grave’s disease
hashimoto’s disease
Name an autoimmune disease of the parathyroid.
autoimmune hypoparathyroidism
Name an autoimmune disease of the adrenal gland.
Autoimmune Addison’s disease
Which parts of the body are immunologically privileged sites?
brain, eye, testis, uterus and hamster cheek pouch
True or False. Immunologically privileged sites cannot develop autoimmune diseases.
False. Damage to the sites can lead to autoimmune diseases
True or False. A pregnant mother with Grave’s disease will transmit the disease to the baby irreversably.
False. not permanently –> plasmapheresis can get rid of the antibodies transmitted
The steady state of hemotopoiesis is regulated by?
cytokines produced by the bone marrow stromal cells and other cell types like activated T cells through paracrine action
What is osteoimmunology?
the interaction between the bone metabolism and the immune system
What are the 2 stem cells in the bone marrow? What progenitor cells come from each?
hematopoietic stem cells: lymphoid and myeloid progenitor
mesenchymal stem cells: multipotent progenitor
Immune system cells differentiate from which stem cell?
hematopoietic stem cell
osteoclasts differentiate from which stem cell?
hematopoietic stem cell
What are the lymphocytes of the immune system? What are their functions?
B lymphocytes: immunocompetency occurs in bone marrow, produce antibodies, conduct humoral immunity
T lymphocytes: immunocompetency occurs in thymus, conduct cellular immunity
What are the 2 forms of immunity?
Antibody mediated immunity: helper T cells recognize non self antigens and stimulate B cells to produce antibodies, B cells bind to non self antigen and destroy cell
Cell mediated immunity: macrophages phagocytize pathogens, macrophages present non self antigens on their membranes. Helper T cells recognize non self antigens and recruit cytotoxic T cells to destroy cells
What is an immunological tolerance?
specific unresponsiveness to an antigen that is induced by exposure of lymphocytes to that antigen
this means that all individuals are immune to their own antigens (self-tolerance), if there is a problem with self tolerance –> autoimmunity
In central tolerance, what happens to lymphocytes that recognize self antigens?
apoptosis
change in receptors
regulatory lymphocyte development (suppressor)
