Autoimmune Disease

Question 1

What is the autoimmunity phenomenon?

Answer 1

phenomenon where the body produces antibodies and cytotoxic T cells that target normal body cells

Question 2

True or False. Autoimmunity is a gradual process that develops over a period of time?

Answer 2

most are spontaneous and at random

Question 3

Autoimmunity is more common in _____ and _____.

Answer 3

older individuals and women

Question 4

What are the most common autoimmunities?

Answer 4

autoimmune thyroid diseases and type 1 diabetes

Question 5

How common is autoimmune diseases?

Answer 5

1 in 30

Question 6

Which autoimmune disorder is more common in men? In which is the incidence the same for both men and women?

Answer 6

diabetes

ulcerative colitis

Question 7

Why is autoimmune disorder incidence in women persistent throughout their life?

Answer 7

in the reprodutive years, estrogen stimulates B cell autoimmunity
in the post menopausal years, falling estrogen stimulates T cell autoimmunity

Question 8

Explain the 3 theories made to explain the etiology of autoimmunity.

Answer 8

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

Question 9

What 2 types of autoimmune diseases are there in relation to what they target?

Answer 9

organ specific like diabetes, multiple sclerosis, grave’s, hashimoto’s, …
systemic like rheumatoid arthritis, sclerodoma, systemic lupus…

Question 10

Name 2 autoimmune diseases of the thyroid.

Answer 10

Grave’s disease

hashimoto’s disease

Question 11

Name an autoimmune disease of the parathyroid.

Answer 11

autoimmune hypoparathyroidism

Question 12

Name an autoimmune disease of the adrenal gland.

Answer 12

Autoimmune Addison’s disease

Question 13

Which parts of the body are immunologically privileged sites?

Answer 13

brain, eye, testis, uterus and hamster cheek pouch

Question 14

True or False. Immunologically privileged sites cannot develop autoimmune diseases.

Answer 14

False. Damage to the sites can lead to autoimmune diseases

Question 15

True or False. A pregnant mother with Grave’s disease will transmit the disease to the baby irreversably.

Answer 15

False. not permanently –> plasmapheresis can get rid of the antibodies transmitted

Question 16

The steady state of hemotopoiesis is regulated by?

Answer 16

cytokines produced by the bone marrow stromal cells and other cell types like activated T cells through paracrine action

Question 17

What is osteoimmunology?

Answer 17

the interaction between the bone metabolism and the immune system

Question 18

What are the 2 stem cells in the bone marrow? What progenitor cells come from each?

Answer 18

hematopoietic stem cells: lymphoid and myeloid progenitor

mesenchymal stem cells: multipotent progenitor

Question 19

Immune system cells differentiate from which stem cell?

Answer 19

hematopoietic stem cell

Question 20

osteoclasts differentiate from which stem cell?

Answer 20

hematopoietic stem cell

Question 21

What are the lymphocytes of the immune system? What are their functions?

Answer 21

B lymphocytes: immunocompetency occurs in bone marrow, produce antibodies, conduct humoral immunity
T lymphocytes: immunocompetency occurs in thymus, conduct cellular immunity

Question 22

What are the 2 forms of immunity?

Answer 22

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

Question 23

What is an immunological tolerance?

Answer 23

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

Question 24

In central tolerance, what happens to lymphocytes that recognize self antigens?

Answer 24

apoptosis
change in receptors
regulatory lymphocyte development (suppressor)

Question 25

In peripheral tolerance, what happens to lymphocytes that recognize self-antigens?

Answer 25

anergy
apoptosis
suppression

Question 26

How does the body ensure that autoimmunity doesn’t occur?

Answer 26

self-reactive lymphocytes are deleted by negative selection

leakage of self-reactive lymphocytes are controlled in peripheral tolerance

Question 27

What factors can possibly lead to autoimmunity?

Answer 27

environment
genetics
possible diet
also aging, stress, pregnancy, trauma, disease

Question 28

What do antibodies usually target to lead to the development of diabetes?

Answer 28

glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD65)
IA-2
also insulin Ig

Question 29

What do antibodies usually target to lead to the development of Grave’s disease?

Answer 29

Anti-TSHR, TPO

Question 30

What do antibodies usually target to lead to the development of Hashimoto’s disease?

Answer 30

anti-TPO, Tg

Question 31

What do antibodies usually target to lead to the development of Addison’s disease?

Answer 31

mostly anti-hydroxylase

Question 32

How can inflammation due to rheumatoid arthritis lead to bone erosion?

Answer 32

may activate osteoclasts

Question 33

What is the difference between osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis?

Answer 33

osteoarthritis is due to thinned cartilage that causes bone to rub together
rheumatoid arthritis leads to inflammation and bone erosion

Question 34

What are the most prevalent autoimmune diseases and what tissues or cells are targeted by the immune system?

Answer 34

Diabetes mellitus: islet beta cells of the pancreas
Multiple sclerosis: myelin producing cells in the CNS
Rheumatoid arthritis: collagen producing cells of the joints