Blood Disorders and Related Conditions

Anaemia: a condition where the body does not have enough red blood cells or haemoglobin, leading to fatigue, weakness, and shortness of breath
- Causes: blood loss, bone marrow problems, chronic disease, and nutritional deficiencies
- Symptoms: pale skin, weakness, fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness
Blood Clotting Disorders: conditions that affect the body's ability to form blood clots, leading to excessive bleeding or bruising
- Causes: genetic mutations, vitamin K deficiency, liver disease, and certain medications
- Symptoms: easy bruising, frequent nosebleeds, heavy menstrual bleeding
Haemophilia: a genetic disorder that affects the blood's ability to clot, leading to prolonged bleeding after injury
- Causes: genetic mutations, mainly affecting males
- Symptoms: prolonged bleeding, easy bruising, joint pain and swelling

Cancer and the Immune System: the immune system's role in fighting cancer, including recognition and elimination of cancer cells
Immune Escape Mechanisms: ways in which cancer cells evade the immune system, including antigen presentation, immune suppression, and immune modulation
Cancer Immunotherapy: treatments that harness the immune system to fight cancer, including checkpoint inhibitors, cancer vaccines, and adoptive T-cell therapy

Definition: conditions where the immune system mistakenly attacks and damages the body's own tissues and organs
Examples:
- Rheumatoid Arthritis: inflammation of the joints, leading to pain, stiffness, and swelling
- Lupus: inflammation of various tissues, including skin, joints, and organs
- Hashimoto's Thyroiditis: inflammation of the thyroid gland, leading to hypothyroidism
Causes: genetic predisposition, environmental triggers, and hormonal influences

Primary Functions:
- Recognition: recognizing and distinguishing between self and non-self antigens
- Elimination: eliminating pathogens and foreign substances from the body
- Memory: remembering specific pathogens to mount a rapid response upon future encounters
Immune Cells:
- T Cells: recognizing and eliminating infected cells and presenting antigens to other immune cells
- B Cells: producing antibodies to neutralize pathogens
- Dendritic Cells: presenting antigens to T cells and activating an immune response
Immune Response: the body's response to infection or disease, involving activation of immune cells, production of antibodies, and inflammation

Anaemia: a condition characterized by a lack of red blood cells or haemoglobin, leading to fatigue, weakness, and shortness of breath
Causes of Anaemia: blood loss, bone marrow problems, chronic disease, and nutritional deficiencies
Symptoms of Anaemia: pale skin, weakness, fatigue, shortness of breath, and dizziness
Blood Clotting Disorders: conditions affecting the body's ability to form blood clots, leading to excessive bleeding or bruising
Causes of Blood Clotting Disorders: genetic mutations, vitamin K deficiency, liver disease, and certain medications
Symptoms of Blood Clotting Disorders: easy bruising, frequent nosebleeds, and heavy menstrual bleeding
Haemophilia: a genetic disorder affecting the blood's ability to clot, leading to prolonged bleeding after injury
Causes of Haemophilia: genetic mutations, mainly affecting males
Symptoms of Haemophilia: prolonged bleeding, easy bruising, joint pain, and swelling

Cancer and the Immune System: the immune system's role in fighting cancer, including recognition and elimination of cancer cells
Immune Escape Mechanisms: ways in which cancer cells evade the immune system, including antigen presentation, immune suppression, and immune modulation
Cancer Immunotherapy: treatments harnessing the immune system to fight cancer, including checkpoint inhibitors, cancer vaccines, and adoptive T-cell therapy

Definition: conditions where the immune system mistakenly attacks and damages the body's own tissues and organs
Examples of Autoimmune Diseases:
- Rheumatoid Arthritis: inflammation of the joints, leading to pain, stiffness, and swelling
- Lupus: inflammation of various tissues, including skin, joints, and organs
- Hashimoto's Thyroiditis: inflammation of the thyroid gland, leading to hypothyroidism
Causes of Autoimmune Diseases: genetic predisposition, environmental triggers, and hormonal influences

Primary Functions of the Immune System:
- Recognition: recognizing and distinguishing between self and non-self antigens
- Elimination: eliminating pathogens and foreign substances from the body
- Memory: remembering specific pathogens to mount a rapid response upon future encounters
Immune Cells:
- T Cells: recognizing and eliminating infected cells and presenting antigens to other immune cells
- B Cells: producing antibodies to neutralize pathogens
- Dendritic Cells: presenting antigens to T cells and activating an immune response
Immune Response: the body's response to infection or disease, involving activation of immune cells, production of antibodies, and inflammation

Anaemia is characterized by a decrease in red blood cells or haemoglobin in the blood
Symptoms of anaemia include fatigue, pale skin, and shortness of breath
Causes of anaemia include iron deficiency, vitamin deficiency, chronic disease, and blood loss

Haemophilia is a genetic disorder that affects blood clotting
Von Willebrand disease is an inherited bleeding disorder that affects blood clotting
Symptoms of bleeding disorders include easy bruising and prolonged bleeding

Tumor-specific antigens are targeted by the immune system
Immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as PD-1, PD-L1, and CTLA-4, are used to treat cancer

Autoimmune diseases occur when the immune system attacks healthy cells and tissues
Causes of autoimmune diseases include genetic, environmental, and hormonal factors

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the joints
Systemic lupus erythematosus is a chronic inflammatory disease of multiple tissues
Hashimoto's thyroiditis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the thyroid gland
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system