2. INTRODUCTION
• AN AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE IS A CONDITION IN WHICH THE
IMMUNE SYSTEM ATTACKS THE HEALTHY CELLS OF THE BODY.
• THE IMMUNE SYSTEM NORMALLY GUARDS THE BODY AGAINST
GERMS OR FOREIGN CELLS.
• HOWEVER SOMETIMES THE IMMUNE SYSTEM FAILS AND LOSES
CONTROL IN DIFFERENTIATING BETWEEN SELF AND NON-SELF
CELLS. THUS IT MISTAKENLY STARTS ATTACKING ITS OWN
SELF CELLS BY PRODUCING AUTOANTIBODIES THAT RESULTS
IN AUTOIMMUNITY.
• AUTOIMMUNITY RESULTS FROM A LOSS OF SELF-TOLERANCE.
• SOME AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES RUN IN FAMILIES. HOWEVER
AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES ARE NOT CONTAGIOUS.
3. COMMON SYMPTOMS ARE-
• FATIGUE
• PAIN
• FEVER
• CHEST PAIN
• SWOLLEN GLANDS
• WEIGHT LOSS/GAIN
• RAPID OR IRREGULAR
HEARTBEAT
• SHORTNESS OF BREATH
• TEMPERATURE SENSITIVITY
4. TYPES OF AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES
1. TYPE I AUTOIMMUNITY – Eg- TYPE 1 DIABETES, HEPATITIS C
2. TYPE II AUTOIMMUNITY – Eg- GRAVE’S DISEASE, MYASTHEMIA
GRAVIS
3. TYPE III AUTOIMMUNITY – Eg- RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS,
SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOUS
4. TYPE IV AUTOIMMUNITY – Eg- MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS,
HASHIMOTO’S THYROIDITIS
5. EXAMPLES OF SOME
AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES
• TYPE 1 DIABETES- Immune system attacks and damage insulin
producing cells in the pancreas.
• GRAVE’S DISEASE- Immune system attacks the thyroid gland producing
too much hormone.
• MYASTHEMIA GRAVIS- Immune system affects the nerve impulses that
help the brain to control the muscles by coating the acetylcholine receptors
that leads to failure of receiving nerve signals.
• RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS – Immune complexes are deposited in the
joints.
• MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS – Immune system damages the myelin sheath
that surrounds the nerve cells.
