What is Autoimmunity

• Autoimmunity is the failure of an organism

to recognize its own constituent parts as
self, which allows an immune response
against its own cells and tissues. Any
disease that results from such an aberrant
immune response is termed an
autoimmune disease
 What causes autoimmunity
• The immune system normally can distinguish
"self" from "non-self."
• Some lymphocytes are capable of reacting
against self, resulting in an autoimmune
reaction.
• Autoimmunity occurs naturally in everyone to
some degree; and in most people, it does not
result in diseases
• Autoimmune diseases occur when there is some
interruption of the usual control process,
allowing lymphocytes to avoid suppression, or
when there is an alteration in some body tissue
so that it is no longer recognized as "self" and is
thus attacked
• The exact mechanisms causing these
changes are not completely understood;
but bacteria, viruses, toxins, and some
drugs may play a role in triggering an
autoimmune process in someone who
already has a genetic (inherited)
predisposition to develop such a disorder
 Genetic Factors
• Three main sets of genes are suspected in
many autoimmune diseases
• These genes are related to:
• Immunoglobulins
• T-cell receptors
• The major histocompatibility complexes
(MHC)
 Types of autoimmunity
Classified into:
• organ-specific disorders and
• non-organ-specific types
• In organ-specific disorders, the
autoimmune process is directed mostly
against one organ
• Examples Hashimoto's thyroiditis (thyroid
gland), pernicious anemia (stomach),
Addison's disease (adrenal glands), and
insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
(pancreas)
• In non-organ-specific disorders,
autoimmune activity is widely spread
throughout the body
• Examples include rheumatoid arthritis,
systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE or
lupus), and dermatomyositis
What are some of the treatments
for autoimmune diseases?
Correction of any major deficiencies

• An example would be replacing hormones

that are not being produced by the gland,
such as thyroxin in autoimmune thyroid
disease or insulin in type one diabetes. In
autoimmune blood disorders, treatment
may involve replacing components of the
blood by transfusion.
 Second in importance is the diminishing
of the activity of the immune system

• The drugs most commonly used are

corticosteroid drugs
• More severe disorders can be treated with
other more powerful immunosuppressant
drugs, such as methotrexate,
cyclophosphamide, and azathioprine
 Treatments
• Treatments for autoimmune disease have
traditionally been immunosuppressive,
anti-inflammatory drugs.