Autoimmunity

Question 1

what is autoimmunity?

Answer 1

• occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own tissues
• can happen due to a loss of self tolerance (body’s ability to distinguish self and non-self)
• autoimmunity can involve production of autoantibodies or auto-reactive t-cells

Question 2

what are the causes of autoimmunity?

Answer 2

a combination of:
1) genetic factors
- variations in HLA genes
- family history of autoimmune disease
2) environmental triggers
- infections
-stress
- toxins
- drugs
3) sex and hormonal factors

all comes down to tolerance and inability to recognize “self” and “non-self”

Question 3

what are common autoimmune diseases?

Answer 3

1) systemic diseases = affects multiple organ systems
- lupus
- rheumatoid arthritis
- celiac
2) organ-specific diseases
- type 1 diabetes (pancreas)
- multiple sclerosis (nervous system)
- hashimoto’s thyroiditis (thyroid)

Question 4

common symptoms of autoimmune diseases

Answer 4

• fatigue
• pain/swelling in joints
• skin rashes
• recurring fevers
• organ-specific symptoms (i.e low thyroid levels)
• disease-specific symptoms (butterfly-shaped rash on face)

Question 5

how are autoimmune diseases diagnosed?

Answer 5

1) blood tests for antibodies
2) blood test for signs of inflammation
3) clinical evaluation

Question 6

how does the sed rate test work?

Answer 6

• blood is drawn into a tube
• test measures how fast red blood cells fall to the tube in an our
• inflammation causes blood cells to stick together and sink faster

Question 8

what are the treatments for autoimmune disease?

Answer 8

care needs to be individualized!! it is not one size fits all

1) medications
- immunosuppressants = systemically reduce immune system activity
- biologics = target specific immune pathways
- corticosteriods = reduce inflammation
- NSAIDs = manage pain and inflammation

2) lifestyle changes
- dietary modifications
- regular exercise
- stress management

Question 9

what is the connection between first-world countries and autoimmunity?

Answer 9

• autoimmune diseases are more common in first world countries!
• there are lower rates of autoimmune disease in regions with higher exposure to parasites and infectious diseases

Question 10

what is the theory behind why first-world countries have higher rates of autoimmunity

Answer 10

1) the hygiene hypothesis
- the idea that “germs teach the body”
- higher levels of cleanliness and sanitation reduce childhood exposure to microbes and infections = reduced input to the immune system to differentiate dangerous from
non-dangerous
–> increased infectious disease = decreased risk of autoimmune disease

Question 11

how do lifestyle factors impact autoimmunity?

Answer 11

• diet = higher consumption of process food disrupts body’s tolerance
• pollution = increased exposure to chemical and pollutants impacts immune system
• urbanization = living in cities reduce contact with natural environment/ microbes
• chronic stress and lack of physical activity= immune system dysregulation
• better access to healthcare = more diagnostic tools