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An Autoimmune disease occurs when cytotoxic T cells or antibodies attack the body’s own cells by mistake. Thus the immune system responds in a manner that harms our own body.

  • It involves both genetic and environmental factors.
  • It is more likely to develop in women.
  • Certain HLA antigens in people are potentially indicative of autoimmune diseases
  • Usually Autoimmune diseases are treated with drugs designed to decrease the immune response (immunosuppression)

Some of the examples of autoimmune diseases are as follows:

Rheumatic fever - Involve the heart, joints, skin, and brain; an inflammatory disease; antibodies induced by a streptococcal (bacterial) infect throat and react with heart muscle (myocarditis).

Rheumatoid arthritis - Leads to inflammation of the joints and surrounding tissues; the joints are chronically inflamed

Crohn’s disease - Directed against the absorptive portion of the gut; a type of inflammatory bowel disease which affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus

Graves' disease - Caused by thyroid autoantibodies; the thyroid is overactive to produce an excessive amount of thyroid hormones

Alopecia areata - Causes round patches of hair loss usually from the scalp

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis - A disease of the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, also referred to as motor neuron disease

Ankylosing spondylitis - A chronic inflammatory disease of the axial skeleton, involve inflammations of the joints between the spinal bones, and the joints between the spine and pelvis

Biology Questions and Answers for Grade 10, Grade 11 and Grade 12 students, Junior and Senior High Schools, Junior Colleges, Undergraduate biology programs and Medical Entrance exams.
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