Human Autoimmune Diseases (ADs)

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

What is the estimated percentage of the population worldwide affected by autoimmune diseases?

Around 2-3%
More than 5% (correct)
Exactly 10%
Less than 1%

What is the normal function of the immune system?

To attack healthy cells
To guard against germs like bacteria and viruses (correct)
To release proteins that attack healthy cells
To distinguish between foreign and own cells

What happens in an autoimmune disease?

The immune system attacks only foreign cells
The immune system releases proteins that protect healthy cells
The immune system mistakes part of the body as foreign (correct)
The immune system distinguishes between foreign and own cells

What are autoantibodies?

Proteins that attack healthy cells (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of tissue-specific autoimmune diseases?

Unique tissue-specific antigens are targeted (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is a challenge in understanding the mechanisms of autoimmunity?

Defining early events in these diseases (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary difference between organ-specific and systemic autoimmune diseases?

The number of organs affected (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is considered the prototypic systemic autoimmune disease?

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the single most important factor contributing to autoimmune disease?

Genetic predisposition (C) Signup and view all the answers

What has been identified as a potential trigger for autoimmune disease?

Encounter with a particular pathogen, chemical, drug, toxin, or hormone (A) Signup and view all the answers

What has been studied in mouse models to understand autoimmunity?

Pathways of tolerance induction, immunoregulation, and setpoints/thresholds for immune signaling (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the result of a break in peripheral self-tolerance in autoimmune disease?

An anti-self immune response (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary role of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) in autoimmune responses?

To present an antigen to T cells (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which genes are most closely associated with autoimmune diseases in both humans and animals?

HLA genes (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of HLA-DR2 and HLA-DR3 in autoimmune diseases?

They are associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of environmental factors in the development of autoimmune diseases?

They trigger autoimmune diseases in susceptible individuals (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the result of the absence of the appropriate MHC in an individual?

The antigen cannot elicit an immune response (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which HLA allele is associated with an increased risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis?

HLA-DR4 (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the effect of exposure to UV-B radiation on DNA and small nuclear ribonucleoproteins?

Increases their chances of activating an autoreactive lymphocyte (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the mechanism by which environmental factors induce autoimmunity?

Epigenetic changes and reaction with the self-component to generate novel antigens (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following toxins can precipitate immune complex nephritis?

Mercuric-chloride (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the effect of smoking on the onset of autoimmune diseases?

It can bring on an episode of RA, SLE, Graves’ disease, or scleroderma (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the effect of certain antibiotics on the onset of autoimmune diseases?

They can trigger the onset of pemphigus (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the effect of hair dyes on the onset of autoimmune diseases?

They can bring on an episode of RA, SLE, Graves’ disease, or scleroderma (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is believed to trigger an increase in autoreactive antibodies or conventional T cells in genetically predisposed individuals?

Severe bacterial or viral infection (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is a common feature of many autoimmune diseases in both humans and experimental animal models?

Females are more susceptible to autoimmune conditions (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is thought to play a significant role in the sex-based susceptibility to many autoimmune diseases?

Sex hormones such as estrogens and androgens (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is often abnormal in SLE patients?

Estrogen metabolism (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of many autoimmune diseases?

They vary in incidence by region or ethnic group (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the effect of administering estrogen in a mouse model of SLE?

It unregulates Bcl-2 in B cells and blocks B cell tolerization (A) Signup and view all the answers