What are Autoimmune Diseases?

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• Autoimmune diseases occur when the body is unable to tell the difference between foreign substances (viruses or bacteria) from its own cells and structures

  • Y shaped proteins that help the body identify and

  • eliminate anything that might cause an infection

• These antibodies are disease specific. In autoimmune diseases,

       the body creates something called “autoantibodies"

• Autoantibodies mark the body’s own tissue or organs for

       destruction, causing healthy and functional cells to be destroyed.

• In diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, the immune attack happens in the joints, or in psoriasis, the skin. 

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Rapid Fire Fast Facts: Immune System

What is the immune system? The immune system is what eliminates foreign or dangerous substances from the body. Anything that the immune system targets is called an antigen. While most antigens come from outside the body, in the case of autoimmune diseases where the immune system attacks itself, the antigens are called self-antigens. 

 

Within the immune system, there are two types of immunity:

Innate (Natural) Immunity: Innate immunity is always present, and does not require prior exposure to antigens in order to be effective. It is the body’s first line of defence against foreign antigens and is non-specific. 

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The innate immune system consists of three classes of cells:

Phagocytes: ingest and eliminate antigens

Leukocytes (white blood cells): trigger inflammation 

Natural Killer (NK) Cells: destroy tumour and virus-infected cells

 

Acquired Immunity: Acquired immunity requires prior exposure to an antigen in order for the immune response to be effective. It is antigen specific (as in vaccines!), but due to this, immunity is not immediate. After the first exposure to an antigen, antibodies are produced, and after this exposure, the body has a “memory” as to how to destroy the antigen. 

The acquired immune system’s two main cells are:

B-cells: make antibodies 

T-cells: antigen specific cells that circulate until they encounter the antigen after which they will release toxins to kill the cell