Autoimmunity Flashcards
1
Q
Processes to limit the risk of autoimmunity?
A
- Central (thymic)
- positive and negative selection - Peripheral
- regulatory T cells
- dendritic cells
- co-stimulation
- ignorance
- privilege
2
Q
Causes of autoimmunity?
A
- need for defence
- immune regulatory failure
3
Q
Autoantibodies
A
- may or may not be pathogenic
- specific examples apparently significant
- may be associated with specific disease states
4
Q
autoantibodies
1. specific target
A
MG - anti-acetyl choline receptor Graves - anti-TSH receptor ITP - anti-platelet Goodpastures - anti-basement membrane Nuclear ag - anti-nuclear antibodies
5
Q
- Immune complexes (autoantibodies)
A
- tissue antigen
- soluble antigen
6
Q
Cellular mechanisms
A
- T cells specific for autoantigens may help to generate anti-host response
e. g. - MG –> Tcells -anti acetyl choline receptor
- Graves Tcells –> anti thyroid follicular epithelial cells
7
Q
APECED (autoimmune polyendocrinopathy candidiasis ectodermal dystrophy)
A
aire gene
8
Q
IPEX Immunedysregulation, polyendocrinopathy enteropathy X linked
A
-foxp3
9
Q
Most auto immune diseases are..
A
polygenetic
10
Q
Pulmonary inflammation
A
asthma (allergic disease)
11
Q
Pancreatic inflammation
A
diabetes mellitus
12
Q
Rheumatoid arthritis (pathogenesis)
A
- inflammation (adaptive -antiCCP, innate - TLR, tissue response - MMP)
- trafficking (angiogenesis, lymphaangiogenesis)
- damage (cartilage, bone)
13
Q
Environmental components of RA:
A
- smoking (and other pumonary stimuli, e.g. silica)
- microbiome - periodontal disease, gastrointestinal tract
- obesity, alcohol, vitamin D
14
Q
How could microbiome promote RA?
A
- mucosal sites (gut, pulmonary) are places of intense immunologic activity
- these sites are subjected to external environmental influences (e.g smoking) and could be ‘trigger’ sites
