Synonyms

• Addison's disease, allergic, allergy, ankylosing spondylitis, antibody, antigen, apoptosis, blood vessels, celiac disease, connective tissue, c-reactive protein, dermatomyositis, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, ESR, FANA, fluorescent antinuclear antibody, Grave's disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, histocompatibility, hypersensitivity, immune, immune disease, immune disorder, immune system, immunity, immunoglobulin, immunosuppressants, immunosuppression, inflammation, intravenous immunoglobulin, IVIG, major histocompatibility complex, leukocytes, lupus, lymphocytes, MHC, MS, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, pernicious anemia, programmed cell death, red blood cells, Reiter's syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, sensitized, sensitized lymphocytes, Sjögren's syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus, type I diabetes, white blood cells.

Background

• The immune system protects the body from potentially harmful substances (antigens), such as microorganisms, toxins and foreign blood or tissues from other organisms.
• When an antigen enters the body, the immune system produces antibodies that bind to the antigen. Then sensitized lymphocytes (specialized white blood cells that recognize and destroy specific antigens) engulf the foreign substance in a process called phagocytosis.
• Autoimmune disorders are conditions caused by an immune response against the body's own tissues. The immune system mistakes its own cells for antigens. Autoimmunity is present in all healthy individuals, to some extent. However, healthy individuals are able to suppress defective lymphocytes (immune system cells) that mistakenly destroy body cells.
• Autoimmune disorders can destroy body tissues, cause abnormal organ growth or impair organ function. Autoimmune disorders commonly affect blood components (like red blood cells, connective tissues and blood vessels), endocrine glands (like the thyroid or pancreas), as well as muscles, joints and the skin.
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Causes

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Risk Factors

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Symptoms

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Diagnosis

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Treatment

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Integrative Therapies

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Prevention

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Author Information

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Bibliography

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