T1 L12 & 13 Autoimmune diseases Flashcards
What is autoimmunity?
Immune responses to self antigens
Also known as auto-reactivity
What is an autoimmune disease?
Adaptive immune responses to self-antigens contribute to tissue damage
What is tolerance?
State of immunological non-reactivity to an antigen
Why isn’t inflammatory bowel disease an autoimmune disease?
While it involves the immune system it doesn’t involve adaptive immune responses to self antigens
What is the mechanism for immunological hierarchy tolerance?
CD4 T-cells aren’t activated unless antigen is presented with an ‘inflammatory’ context with TLR ligation
What is the mechanism for antigen segregation?
Physical barriers to sequestered antigen
What is the mechanism for peripheral anergy?
Weak signalling between APC / CD4 T-cell without co-stimulation causes T-cells to become non-responsive
What is the mechanism for regulatory T-cells?
CD25+ Foxp3 positive T-cells and other regulatory T-cells actively suppress immune responses by cytokine and juxtacrine signalling
What is the mechanism for cytokine deviation?
Changes in T-cell phenotype e.g. Th1 to Th2 may reduce inflammation
What is the mechanism for clonal exhaustion?
Apoptosis post-activation by activation-induced cell death
Give examples of organ-specific autoimmune diseases?
Type 1 diabetes mellitus Pemphigus, pemphigoid Graves disease Hashimoto's thyroiditis Autoimmune cytopenias - anaemia, thrombocytopenia
Give examples of non-organ specific autoimmune diseases
Systemic lupus erythematosus
Rheumatoid arthritis
What does type II hypersensitivity refer to?
Diseases where antibody is clearly pathogenic i.e. causes disease / tissue damage directly
What is the criteria for autoimmune antibody-mediated disease?
Diseases can be transferred between experimental animals by infusion of serum or during gestation to cause problems in foetus / neonates
Removal of antibody by plasmapheresis is beneficial
Pathogenic antibody can be identified and classified
What are the signs and symptoms of autoimmune hyperthyroidism?
Tachycardia Palpitations Tremor Anxiety Heat intolerance Goitre Grave's ophthalmopathy
Describe the physiology of the thyroid in Grave’s disease
Autoimmune B cell makes antibodies against TSH receptor that also stimulates thyroid hormone production
Thyroid hormones shut down TSH production but have no effect on autoantibody production which continues to cause excess thyroid hormone production
What is affected in myasthenia gravis?
Muscle weakness and fatigability
Eyelids, facial muscles, chewing, talking and swallowing are most often affected
How does spontaneous urticaria occur?
IgG FceR1 antibody cross-links mast cell receptor leading to degranulation.
This causes hives and swelling
What is type IV hypersensitivity?
Tissue damage directly mediated by T-cell dependent mechanisms
Give examples of T-cell mediated autoimmunity
Autoimmune hypothyroidism
Coeliac
Type 1 diabetes mellitus
What is the evidence for genetics in autoimmunity?
Rare monogenic disorders of immune system that are associated with autoimmune diseases
Mouse models rely on genetically susceptible strains
Enrichment in families, most attributable to HLA assocations
What is the evidence that environment has a role in autoimmunity?
Littermates in group of non-obese diabetic mice have identical genetic background and similar environment but there is variability in the development of type 1 DM
What is APACED?
Autoimmune polyglandular syndrome candidiasis and ectodermal dystrophy
What gene is involved in APACED?
AIRE gene mutation leading to failure of negative selection
What does the AIRE gene normally do?
Regulates ectopic expression of tissue-specific antigens in thymus
Why is candidiasis a feature of APACED?
Antibodies to IL-17 which is an important cytokine in host defence against fungi at mucosal surfaces
What is DiGeorge syndrome?
Migration failure of 3rd/4th branchial arches