Autoimmunity (Introduction, Systemic Autoimmune Disease) Flashcards
(170 cards)
introduced “horror autotoxicus” or
“fear of self-poisoning” in 1900s
Paul Ehrlich
Immune responses are targeted toward self-antigens resulting to organ and tissue damage
Autoimmune diseases
Autoimmune diseases can be caused by
T-cell–mediated immune responses
Autoantibodies directed against host antigens
ETIOLOGY of autoimmunity
Self-Tolerance
Genetics
Other endogenous & environmental factors
ability of the immune system to accept self-antigens and not initiate a response against them
Self-Tolerance
a state of immune unresponsiveness that is directed against a specific antigen, in this case, a self-antigen
Immunologic Tolerance
2 levels of Immune Tolerance
Central Tolerance
Peripheral Tolerance
immune tolerance that occurs in central or primary lymphoid organs (thymus & BM)
Central Tolerance
involves negative and positive selection during T cell maturation
Central Tolerance
involves receptor editing in B cells
Central Tolerance
result from anergy caused by absence of costimulatory signal from an antigen-presenting cell (APC) or binding of inhibitory receptors such as CTLA-4
Peripheral Tolerance
specific state of unresponsiveness to the antigens
anergy
molecule that prevents T-cell activation
CTLA-4
in terms of genetics, autoimmunity is prevalent in these groups
family members and among monozygotic (genetically identical) twins
than dizygotic (non-identical) twins or siblings
Other Endogenous and Environmental Factors
Hormonal Influence
Tissue Trauma and Release of Cryptic Antigens
Microbial Infections
women are ___ more likely to acquire an
autoimmune disease than men
2.7x
___ of pt. with autoimmune dse are females
78%
female hormones that may place women at a greater risk for developing autoimmune dse
estrogen, androgen, prolactin
“immunologic tolerance” some self-antigens
may be cryptic, or hidden within host’s tissue
Tissue Trauma and Release of Cryptic Antigens
tissue damage could be caused by factors:
▪ infections
▪ contact with environmental toxins
▪ physical injury from UV radiation exposure
Mechanisms of Microbes in triggering autoimmune response
1) Molecular mimicry
2) Bystander effect
3) Superantigens
4) Epigenetics and Modification of Self-Antigens
5) Interactions Between Factors
many bacterial or viral agents contain antigens that closely resemble the structure or amino acid
sequence of self-antigens
Molecular mimicry
example of molecular mimicry
gram-positive bacterium S. pyogenes and
rheumatic fever (scarlet fever/pharyngitis)
production of antibodies to the M protein and N-acetyl glucosamine components of the bacteria, which crossreact with cardiac myosin, causing damage to the heart
Molecular mimicry in scarlet fever or pharyngitis