AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES AND THEIR MEDICAL RELEVANCE

Autoimmune diseases results when tolerance to self antigens sometimes breaks down causing T or β cells or both to react against their own tissues. The response they produce contribute directly to the pathogenesis of the disease. Antibodies produced against tissue components may mediate cell or tissue destruction either alone or in conjunction with complement.



Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disease. Affected humans make antibodies against the acetycholine receptors on their own skeletal muscle cells. The antibodies intefer with the normal functioning of the receptors so that such patients become weak and can die since they cannot breathe.



Autoantibody to thyroglobulin leads to a disease called Hashiomoto’s thyroiditis. Systemic Lupus erythematosus is another autoimmune disease resulting from autoantibodies of nuclei, DNA,cytoplasmic soluble antigens.


ImmunoglobulinG (IgG) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) autoantibodies are associated with rheumatoid arthritis.Beta cells of the Islets of Langerhans in the pancreas are associated with Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus(IDDM). Nephritis, Good pasteire’s syndrome have been linked to basement membrane autoantibodies. Parietal cells, intrinsic factor autoantibodies are associated with the disease pernicious anaemia.



Active chronic hepatitis results from smooth muscles microsomes autoantibodies.
Erythrocytes autoantibodies result in haemolytic anaemia. Primary biliary cirrhosis results from mitochrondria autoantibodies.



Chronic infection results from complement C3 autoantibodies.Complement component C3b enhances the ability of phagocytic cells such as microphages and neutrophils through their C3b receptors to bind,ingest and destroy the micro-organisms to which their C3b is bound.