30 Questions
What is the estimated percentage of the population worldwide affected by autoimmune diseases?
More than 5%
What is the normal function of the immune system?
To guard against germs like bacteria and viruses
What happens in an autoimmune disease?
The immune system mistakes part of the body as foreign
What are autoantibodies?
Proteins that attack healthy cells
What is a characteristic of tissue-specific autoimmune diseases?
Unique tissue-specific antigens are targeted
What is a challenge in understanding the mechanisms of autoimmunity?
Defining early events in these diseases
What is the primary difference between organ-specific and systemic autoimmune diseases?
The number of organs affected
What is considered the prototypic systemic autoimmune disease?
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
What is the single most important factor contributing to autoimmune disease?
Genetic predisposition
What has been identified as a potential trigger for autoimmune disease?
Encounter with a particular pathogen, chemical, drug, toxin, or hormone
What has been studied in mouse models to understand autoimmunity?
Pathways of tolerance induction, immunoregulation, and setpoints/thresholds for immune signaling
What is the result of a break in peripheral self-tolerance in autoimmune disease?
An anti-self immune response
What is the primary role of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) in autoimmune responses?
To present an antigen to T cells
Which genes are most closely associated with autoimmune diseases in both humans and animals?
HLA genes
What is the significance of HLA-DR2 and HLA-DR3 in autoimmune diseases?
They are associated with systemic lupus erythematosus
What is the role of environmental factors in the development of autoimmune diseases?
They trigger autoimmune diseases in susceptible individuals
What is the result of the absence of the appropriate MHC in an individual?
The antigen cannot elicit an immune response
Which HLA allele is associated with an increased risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis?
HLA-DR4
What is the effect of exposure to UV-B radiation on DNA and small nuclear ribonucleoproteins?
Increases their chances of activating an autoreactive lymphocyte
What is the mechanism by which environmental factors induce autoimmunity?
Epigenetic changes and reaction with the self-component to generate novel antigens
Which of the following toxins can precipitate immune complex nephritis?
Mercuric-chloride
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
What is the effect of certain antibiotics on the onset of autoimmune diseases?
They can trigger the onset of pemphigus
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
What is believed to trigger an increase in autoreactive antibodies or conventional T cells in genetically predisposed individuals?
Severe bacterial or viral infection
What is a common feature of many autoimmune diseases in both humans and experimental animal models?
Females are more susceptible to autoimmune conditions
What is thought to play a significant role in the sex-based susceptibility to many autoimmune diseases?
Sex hormones such as estrogens and androgens
What is often abnormal in SLE patients?
Estrogen metabolism
What is a characteristic of many autoimmune diseases?
They vary in incidence by region or ethnic group
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
Test your knowledge on human autoimmune diseases, a condition where the immune system mistakenly attacks the body. Learn about the causes, symptoms, and effects of ADs on the human body. Assess your understanding of the immune system and its role in fighting diseases.
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