Autoimmune diseases

• Autoimmune diseases


  Diseases where the body attacks itself
• Roughly 5% of the British population suffer from an autoimmune disease
• Autoimmune diseases


  • The immune system damages cells of the body as a result
  • Antibodies, T cells (helper and cytotoxic) and B cells attack one or more self-antigens
  • Glycoproteins and glycolipids form surface antigens that enable the immune system to determine whether the cell belongs to the body or if it is foreign
  • The attack can be targeted towards a single organ or it can be directed towards the entire body
• Autoimmune diseases


  • Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
• Lupus


  • A notoriously hard disease to diagnose as the symptoms that individual present with often vary drastically
  • The most distinctive symptom is a butterfly rash across the face
  • Women tend to suffer from the disease more than men
  • The connective tissue of the body is attacked by the immune system, affecting several organs
  • Areas affected include the joints, kidneys, heart, lungs and skin
  • It causes long-term destruction
• Rheumatoid arthritis


  • An autoimmune disease that solely affects the joints
  • It is different from osteoarthritis in several ways
  • It usually begins in the fingers and hands, spreading to the shoulders and elsewhere
  • Symptoms include muscle spasms, inflamed tendons, lethargy and constant joint pain