Post by Master Kim on Oct 6, 2015 17:10:15 GMT -5
Autoimmune disease - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autoimmune_disease
Autoimmune diseases arise from an abnormal immune response of the body against substances and tissues normally present in the body (autoimmunity). This may be restricted to certain organs (e.g. in autoimmune thyroiditis) or involve a particular tissue in different places (e.g. Goodpasture's disease which may affect the basement membrane in both the lung and the kidney).
The treatment of autoimmune diseases is typically with immunosuppression—medication that decreases the immune response.
A large number of autoimmune diseases are recognized. A major understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of autoimmune diseases has been the application of genome wide association scans that have identified a striking degree of genetic sharing among the autoimmune diseases.
Definition
For a disease to be regarded as an autoimmune disease it needs to answer to Witebsky's postulates (first formulated by Ernst Witebsky and colleagues in 1957 and modified in 1994):
- Direct evidence from transfer of disease-causing antibody or disease-causing T lymphocyte white blood cells
- Indirect evidence based on reproduction of the autoimmune disease in experimental animals
- Circumstantial evidence from clinical clues
- Genetic evidence suggesting "clustering" with other autoimmune diseases
Effects
It has been estimated that autoimmune diseases are among the number one leading causes of death among women in all age groups up to 65 years.
A substantial minority of the population suffers from these diseases, which are often chronic, debilitating, and life-threatening.
There are more than 80 illnesses caused by autoimmunity.
Autoimmune diseases arise from an abnormal immune response of the body against substances and tissues normally present in the body (autoimmunity). This may be restricted to certain organs (e.g. in autoimmune thyroiditis) or involve a particular tissue in different places (e.g. Goodpasture's disease which may affect the basement membrane in both the lung and the kidney).
The treatment of autoimmune diseases is typically with immunosuppression—medication that decreases the immune response.
A large number of autoimmune diseases are recognized. A major understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of autoimmune diseases has been the application of genome wide association scans that have identified a striking degree of genetic sharing among the autoimmune diseases.
Definition
For a disease to be regarded as an autoimmune disease it needs to answer to Witebsky's postulates (first formulated by Ernst Witebsky and colleagues in 1957 and modified in 1994):
- Direct evidence from transfer of disease-causing antibody or disease-causing T lymphocyte white blood cells
- Indirect evidence based on reproduction of the autoimmune disease in experimental animals
- Circumstantial evidence from clinical clues
- Genetic evidence suggesting "clustering" with other autoimmune diseases
Effects
It has been estimated that autoimmune diseases are among the number one leading causes of death among women in all age groups up to 65 years.
A substantial minority of the population suffers from these diseases, which are often chronic, debilitating, and life-threatening.
There are more than 80 illnesses caused by autoimmunity.