BIO 100

DISCOVERIES IN BIOLOGY
LECTURE :09 AUTOIMMUNE
DISORDERS
COURSE INSTRUCTOR : SAADIA SHAREEN
EMAIL: saadiashareen1@gmail.com
 WHAT IS AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE ?
• An autoimmune disease is a disease in which your
immune system (which normally attacks bacteria,
viruses, and other foreign invaders) targets healthy
tissues within the body. This misguided immune
system attack leads to inflammation and a variety of
symptoms based on which parts of the body are
affected.
 RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS :
• Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a
painful, disabling condition
that targets your joints, like
your knees, hips, or
shoulders. Characteristically,
there is more than one joint
affected, and there is
symmetrical involvement,
meaning both joints on each
side of the body are targeted.
 RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS :
 SYMPTOMS OF RA :
• While the joints of your hands or feet normally wear
with age, the symptoms of RA are different. Instead of
just aches, a person experiences swelling, stiffness,
and even deformity and dysfunction of the joints that
are under attack from the immune system.
 TREATMENT OF RA :
• Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (with anti-
inflammatories) is focused on stopping the
inflammation, easing symptoms, and improving daily
functioning.
 MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS:
• Targeting the central nervous system, multiple
sclerosis (MS) is an unpredictable, sometimes
crippling disease in which your immune system
attacks the protective sheath of nerve fibers.
 SYMPTOMS OF MULTIPLE
SCLEROSIS:
• As this fatty sheath, called myelin, is destroyed, there is interference
in communication between the body and the brain and spinal cord.
• People with MS may have a variety of symptoms depending on the
areas of the central nervous system that are affected.
• Common symptoms include vision problems, sensory disturbances
like numbness and tingling, fatigue, bladder issues, walking
abnormalities, and pain.
 TREATMENT OF MS :
• The good news is that MS disease-modifying therapies, while not
curable, are changing the face of MS by slowing a person's disease
progression down.
• So, life expectancy and quality of life has continued to improve over
time, and the future remains bright.
 TYPE 1 DIABETES MELLITUS :
• When the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas are
destroyed by an autoimmune response, type 1
diabetes mellitus is the result.
• Insulin is a hormone used by the body to maintain
healthy blood sugar levels. When blood sugar, or
glucose, levels are too high, damage to kidneys, eyes,
blood vessels, and other organs can result.
  TREATMENT
OF TYPE 1
DIABETES:

• In terms of treatment, type

1 diabetes requires lifelong
management strategies (like
taking daily injections of
insulin with a syringe, pen,
or pump) to maintain health
and avoid physical damage.
 INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE:

• Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), which includes Crohn’s

disease and ulcerative colitis, refers to chronic inflammation
of the digestive tract. While Crohn's disease may cause
inflammation from the mouth to the anus, inflammation in
ulcerative colitis only affects the large intestines (called the
colon) and the rectum
 Crohn’s Disease Ulcerative Colitis

 May affect any part of the GIT  Affects only large intestine
(Gastrointestinal tract)
 Discontinuous patchy  Continuous inflammation
Inflammation
 Affects the full thickness of  Muscosal and submucosal
the bowel wall layers are affected
 SYMPTOMS OF
CROHN’S DISEASE:
Symptoms of the chronic inflammation
caused by IBD may include
Diarrhea
abdominal pain
bloody stools
weight loss
 fatigue.
 TREATMENT OF CROHN’S DISEASE
:
• There are several types of medications used to treat
IBD, including corticosteroids and a newer class of
drugs called, "biologics." In more severe cases,
surgery may be needed to remove damaged areas of
the digestive tract.
o PSORIASIS:

• Psoriasis occurs when the immune

system erroneously sends signals to
skin cells to grow too rapidly. There
are several forms of psoriasis, the
most common one being plaque
psoriasis, which is characterized by
raised (often itchy) red patches
called plaques that form most often
on the knees, lower back, scalp, and
elbows.
o TREATMENT OF PSORAISIS:
• There are several treatment options for psoriasis, depending
on severity, including topical drugs, medications, and light
therapy. It is important to screen for, and treat, a related
form of arthritis, called psoriatic arthritis.
TILL NOW ……
• With over 80 autoimmune diseases identified to date, researchers are
working hard to better understand the "why" behind these self-
attacking conditions, in addition to devising new, improved therapies.

• If you or a loved one has an autoimmune disease, continue to gain

knowledge and try engaging in healthy lifestyle habits, like eating
nutritiously, exercising, and managing your stress well.
THANK
YOU !!!