Understanding Autoimmune Disease

Posted by Download On Jumat, 12 Juli 2013 0 komentar
By Armand Zeiders


Ranging from rheumatoid arthritis to psoriasis to multiple sclerosis, there are many different types of autoimmune diseases and disorders. For a person being afflicted with one of these autoimmune diseases, it will be quite debilitating for him and while there typically are no cures for these diseases, many of the symptoms can be treated to help make life easier and more comfortable for the patient.

The tissues get attacked by the body's immune system in the beginning in all types of autoimmune diseases or substances that are normally present in the body. Foreign substances are attacked by immune system if they harm the body because it is its purpose but when you have an autoimmune disorder your body is basically attacking itself.

A body must fit within certain criteria in order for a disease to be considered an autoimmune disorder. Witebsky's Postulates is what the criteria often used which is named after the German - American immunologist who first set up the criteria. Researchers must be able to find evidence, in order to qualify it as an autoimmune disease, which the autoimmune reaction exists in the form of a cell - mediated immune reaction, known as an autoantibody. A similar reactions secondly has to have been observed using animals in medical experiments. What also needs to be identified lastly is the antigen that causes this immune response.

In the list of autoimmune disease, there are many diseases that are included. Notable ones are Celiac disease, psoriasis, Guillain-Barre syndrome and Lupus, which are just a few of the accepted types of autoimmune diseases. There are some disorders listed as suspected types of autoimmune disorders including endometriosis, multiple sclerosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Kawasaki's disease and others. These disorders typically are treated as autoimmune disorder, but have not been placed under the "accepted" category.

There are various treatment alternatives for those with autoimmune diseases and these treatments range from using anti - inflammatory drugs to using immunosuppressive medicines. Remission of their disease will be experienced while using immunosuppressive drugs and sometimes symptoms will simply become less severe.

One approach to autoimmune treatment is the use of monoclonal antibody therapy. Monoclonal antibodies are identical antibodies that have been created in a laboratory. These monoclonal antibodies bind to specific cells or proteins within a cell and create an autoimmune response. There are several approved monoclonal antibody therapies, including those which treat Crohn's disease, Lupus, psoriasis and some types of asthma.




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