Autoimmunity

Learning can be a bridge between doing and thinking.
But there is a danger that the person who uses learning as a bridge between doing
and thinking may get stuck in learning and never get into thinking
Laura Riding Jackson

Who am I? Although I coined the term complement I am most famous for developing the concept that the body will do everything possible to avoid and auto immune response. I shared the Nobel Prize in 1908 with Elie Metchnifkoff.

RESOURCES

Ankylosing Spondylitis

 

The Virtual Hospital^TM Family Practice Manual, is provided by the University of Iowa. This link is to the section on Ankylosing Spondylitis.

URL --> http://indy.radiology.uiowa.edu/Providers/ClinRef/FPHandbook/Chapter06/05-6.html

Arthritis Foundation

This is the home page for the Arthritis Foundation. The site has information and useful links.

URL --> http://www.arthritis.org/

ArthritisHelp Primer

This web site is hosted and maintained by the Universeity of Birmingham (U.K.). The ArthritisHelp Primer is designed to provide information about rheumatoid diseases for non-professionals.

URL --> http://rheuma.bham.ac.uk:80/primer.html

Autoimmunity Research Resources

Designed for both professionals and patients, this site provides information about a variety of autoimmune diseases. There are numerous links to journals, institutes, pharmaceutical companies, as well as links for specific disease-related sites.

URL --> http://web.cps.msu.edu/~keyesdav/ms/

Immune Thrombocytopenia Purpura

This site is a portion of WebDoctor(tm) which deals with Immune Thrombocytopenia Purpura. There are links for both professionals and patients.

URL --> http://www.gretmar.com/webdoctor/immune.html

Immune Thrombocytopenia Purpura (Adult)

This site was developed by a physician at the Scripps Clinic to provide information about Adult Immune Thrombocytopenia Purpura (or, Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia Purpura).

URL --> http://seconde.scripps.edu/itp/

Immunological Diseases Web Site

This is an extensive meta site hosted by the Karolinska Institute Library and Information Center covering immunologic diseases.

URL --> http://www.mic.ki.se/Diseases/c20.html

Lyme Disease

The Virtual Hospital^TM Family Practice Manual, is provided by the University of Iowa. This link is to the section on Lyme Disease.

URL --> http://indy.radiology.uiowa.edu/Providers/ClinRef/FPHandbook/Chapter06/09-6.html

Multiple Autoimmune Diseases

This site is provided by a physician in the Immunology Service at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston. It is tailored for the professional but provides in-depth clinical presentations if multiple autoimmune diseases.

URL --> http://www.immunology.meei.harvard.edu/mad_all.htm

Reiter's Disease

Information at this text-only site is aimed at patients and non-professionals who wish to get information about Reiter's Disease.

URL --> http://www.he.net/~fredt/faqs/hla-b27

Rheumatoid Arthritis

The Virtual Hospital^TM Family Practice Manual, Chapter 6: other sites: Rheumatoid Arthritis

URL --> http://indy.radiology.uiowa.edu/Providers/ClinRef/FPHandbook/Chapter06/01-6.html

Rheumatology and Orthopedics

The Virtual Hospital^TM Family Practice Manual, is provided by the University of Iowa. This link is to the section on Rheumatology and Orthopedics.

URL --> http://indy.radiology.uiowa.edu/Providers/ClinRef/FPHandbook/06.html

Scleroderma

Information at this text-only site is aimed at patients and non-professionals who wish to get information about Scleroderma.

URL --> http://www.he.net/~fredt/faqs/scleroderma

Septic Arthritis

The Virtual Hospital^TM Family Practice Manual, is provided by the University of Iowa. This link is to the section on Septic Arthritis.

URL --> http://indy.radiology.uiowa.edu/Providers/ClinRef/FPHandbook/Chapter06/12-6.html

Sjogrens Syndrome

This is the home page for the Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation, Inc. Basic information about the disease is provided.

URL --> http://www.sjogrens.com/

Sjogrens Syndrome

This is the home page for the National Sjogren's Syndrome Association. Topics include symptoms, references, finding help, and other basic resources.

URL --> http://www.sjogrens.org/index.htm

Sjogrens Syndrome

Sjogrens Syndrome is described at this site designed by the Department of Orthopaedics, University of Washington, Seattle.

URL --> http://www.orthop.washington.edu/Bone%20and%20Joint%20Sources/uzzzzzzz1_2.html

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

The Virtual Hospital^TM Family Practice Manual, is provided by the University of Iowa. This link is to the section on Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

URL --> http://indy.radiology.uiowa.edu/Providers/ClinRef/FPHandbook/Chapter06/07-6.html

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Hamline University in ST. Paul, Minnesota has designed this web site to provide information about Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. It provides a failry comprehensive look at the disease and the therapy options.

URL --> http://www.hamline.edu:80/~lupus/

ASSIGNED READING

CHAPTER 20: pp 485-505

OUTLINE/SUMMARY

1. Organ Specific Autoimmune Diseases
2. Direct cellular damage
   • Hashimoto's thyroiditis
   • autoimmune anemias
   • Goodpasture's syndrome
   • insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM)
3. Antibody effects
   • Grave's disease
   • myasthenia gravis
4. Systemic Autoimmune Diseases
   • systemic lupus erythematous (SLE)
   • multiple sclerosis (MS)
   • rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
5. Animal Models
   • Spontaneous autoimmunity
   • Experimentally induced
6. TCR & MHC in Autoimmunity
   • CD4+ cells
   • MHC
   • TCR
7. Induction of Autoimmunity
   • Relase of sequestered antigen
   • molecular mimicry
   • Wrong expression of MHC-II
   • Polyclonal B cell activation
8. Experimental Treatment
   • T cell vaccination
   • Peptide blockage
   • MABs
   • Tolerance induction

PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES

DEFINE THE FOLLOWING KEY TERMS:

ON COMPLETION OF THIS SECTION THE STUDENT SHOULD BE ABLE TO:

1. Show how the origins of autoimmune disease may lie in the immune process, the self antigens or both.
2. Describe two major events that may lead to autoimmune disease
3. Distinguish between cell mediated and antibody mediated autoimmune diseases, give two specific examples of each and discuss these examples.
4. Discuss the treatment of autoimmune diseases

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

1. The idea of clonal deletion suggests that self reactive cells are eliminated (no cells to react to self antigens; therefore, we tolerant self antigens), yet autoimmune diseases occur (react to self antigens). Explain.
2. The idea of "Horror autotoxicus" was proposed in 1901 to suggest that reactions against self could not occur.
3. Current evidence suggests otherwise. Explain.
4. Other than the characteristic of foreigness, self antigens and exogenous antigens are not inherently different. Explain?
5. What are Witebsky's postulates?
6. Why are they important in describing autoimmune disease?
7. The origin of an autoimmune disorder may lie in the immune process, the self antigens, or both. Explain.
8. What are the two major events that could lead to an autoimmune disease?
9. List some other possibilities.
10. The description of SLE includes three mechanistic elemtns; What are they?
11. In Hashimoto's disease, high levels of antibodies against thyroglobulin are found. Yet these antibodies do not seem to cause the disease. Explain.
12. Compare and contrast the three lines of treatment for RA.
13. Briefly discuss some autoimmune disease that can follow bacterial infections.
14. Why would the induction of tolerance to an autoantigen, which is causing disease, be one of the most effective treatment approaches for autoimmunity?