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Autoimmune Disorder

Autoimmune diseases occur when an immune system reacts in an inappropriate and aggressive manner to substances that are naturally found in the body. In effect, the body attacks its own healthy and harmless tissues because it perceives them to be foreign and harmful. Such an action results from an immune system’s incorrect differentiation between self and non-self cells.

It isn’t unusual for some immune system cells (lymphocytes) to become sensitized to other “self” cells. However, normally these renegade cells are suppressed by the lymphocytes that can correctly identify the “self” cells for what they are. An autoimmune disorder happens when this process of check and balance is disrupted. It is also known to happen when normal body tissue becomes altered to the point that it is no longer classified as “self”. The circumstances that cause these situations to happen are, as yet, unexplained.

The disorder may cause damage to one or more organs in the body. It can also be present in the form of more than one disease. Autoimmune disorders are treatable, but not curable. Examples are type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythomatosus.

Book Resources On Autoimmune Disorder

New Concepts in Pathology and Treatment of Autoimmune Disorders by C. Pozzilli (Editor)
Basic Immunology: Functions and Disorders of the Immune System by Abbas, et. al.

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