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Autoimmune Diseases definitions

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  • Autoantibody
    An immunoglobulin produced by plasma cells that targets and binds to self antigens, leading to tissue damage.
  • Autoreactive T Cell
    A lymphocyte that recognizes and attacks self antigens, often escaping elimination during immune development.
  • Humoral Immunity
    A branch of the immune response involving antibodies produced by B cells to neutralize pathogens or, in error, self tissues.
  • Cell-Mediated Immunity
    A defense mechanism where T cells directly attack infected or abnormal cells, sometimes targeting self tissues in error.
  • Organ-Specific Autoimmune Disease
    A disorder where immune attacks are limited to a single tissue or organ, causing localized symptoms.
  • Systemic Autoimmune Disease
    A condition where immune responses affect multiple organs or tissues, leading to widespread symptoms.
  • Graves' Disease
    A disorder where antibodies overstimulate thyroid hormone production by binding to thyroid cell receptors.
  • Myasthenia Gravis
    A condition where antibodies block neuromuscular junction receptors, impairing muscle contraction and causing weakness.
  • Multiple Sclerosis
    A disease where T cells attack myelin in the central nervous system, disrupting nerve signal transmission.
  • Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
    A disorder marked by T cell destruction of pancreatic cells, resulting in loss of insulin production and glucose regulation.
  • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
    A disease where antibodies form complexes with nuclear components, damaging multiple organs throughout the body.
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    A condition where immune complexes deposit in joints, causing chronic inflammation and pain.
  • Immune Complex
    A structure formed when antibodies bind to antigens, which can deposit in tissues and trigger inflammation.
  • Immune Regulation Defect
    A failure in mechanisms that normally eliminate self-reactive immune cells, allowing them to attack the body.
  • Molecular Mimicry
    A phenomenon where pathogen antigens resemble self antigens, leading to cross-reactive immune attacks on host tissues.