Autoimmunty

Question 1

What cell type can override Treg cells?

Answer 1

Th17 by releasing IL-17

Question 2

What’s the difference between an autoimmune reaction and an autoimmune disease?

Answer 2

A disease is pathological and cause harm to tissues/organs

A reaction can be part of the normal bodily processes, attacking cells that are damaged, in the wrong place or neoplastic

Question 3

Autoimmune diseases can be split into 2 categories?

Answer 3

Organ specific with a single tissue specific Ab e.g. Anti-GAD

Non-Organ Specific with non-specific Abs e.g. ANA

Question 4

Give some examples of organ specific autoimmune diseases?

Answer 4

Graves
Hashimotos
Myasthenia Gravis
Pernicious Anaemia
Type 1 DM

Question 5

Give some examples of non-organ specific autoimmune disorders?

Answer 5

SLE
RA
Systemic Sclerosis
Systemic Vasculitis

Question 6

Try to list 5 different mechanisms of autoimmune disease?

Answer 6

1) Cell Mediated Autoimmunity
2) Antibody Mediated (Type 2 hypersensitivity)
3) Immune complex mediated (Type 3 hypersensitivity)
4) Innate Recruitment
5) Molecular Mimicry

Question 7

What conditions operate by cell mediated autoimmunity/

Answer 7

Type 1 DM
Psoriasis
Coeliac disease

T & NK cells are involved

Question 8

What major conditions operate by antibody mediated autoimmunity?

Answer 8

Goodpasture’s Syndrome

Myasthenia Gravis

Question 9

What happens in good pastures syndrome?

Answer 9

Anti-GBM Abs react to type 4 collagen in the basement membrane –> lung haemorrhage & glomerulonephritis

Question 10

What happens in Myasthenia GRavis?

Answer 10

Auto-reactive T cells & Anti-Ach receptor Abs attach to receptors at NMJ –> Muscle weakness & fatigueability

It’s primarily an Ab disorder but T cells are involved hence why we look for and resect thymomas

Question 11

Give an example of an Immune Complex mediated autoimmune disorder?

Answer 11

SLE

Question 12

How does molecular mimicry work?

Answer 12

Pathogen or other molecule (e.g. penicillin) mimics your own cell’s antigen
–> Body attacks that antigen and then your own one too

Question 13

Example of a condition that works by molecular mimicry?

Answer 13

Rheumatic Fever

Strep carries an antigen very similar to that found on muscle cells –> Myocardial damage and myositis

Question 14

How can we treat autoimmune disorders?

Answer 14

• Anti-inflammatories
• Steroids
• Immunosuppresants e.g. MTX
• Plasmapheresis
• Stem cell/marrow transplant
• Replacing lost physiological factors
• Organ/tissue graft