Autoimmunity

Epidemiology is the theoretical foundation we use to describe the occurrence of diseases and the correlation between living conditions, environmental conditions, hereditary conditions and health. Within the field of epidemiology, we also use quantitative methods to evaluate the effect of different treatments and preventative activities.The methodology used is designed to provide valid (unbiased) information from groups of individuals, for the purpose of testing hypotheses and finding characteristics in the health of the population. Epidemiological data provides the quantitative basis for public health policy and clinical practice, and is the foundation for preventive measures in public health work.

Epidemiology today constitutes a significant part of medical scientific activity. Epidemiological methods are associated with the planning, implementation, statistical analysis and interpretation of a significant part of surveys within social medicine.

We diagnose and treat: arthritis causing inflammation, such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis. lupus and other connective tissue diseases, such as vasculitis and myositis. metabolic bone diseases, such as complex osteoporosis .

The most common group of paediatric rheumatic diseases are the juvenile idiopathic arthritides followed by juvenile-onset systemic lupus erythematosis (SLE), and rarer diseases such as juvenile dermatomyositis, primary vasculitides and scleroderma.

Crohn's disease is a chronic, inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract. It is an autoimmune disorder, meaning your body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue in your body. Crohn's disease is chronic (ongoing), and may appear and disappear at various times.

Alopecia areata is a disease that happens when the immune system attacks hair follicles and causes hair loss. Hair follicles are the structures in skin that form hair. While hair can be lost from any part of the body, alopecia areata usually affects the head and face.

Ankylosing spondylitis is a type of arthritis that causes inflammation in the joints and ligaments of the spine. Normally, the joints and ligaments in the spine help us move and bend. If you have ankylosing spondylitis, over time, the inflammation in the joints and tissues of the spine can cause stiffness.

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), sometimes known as Hughes syndrome, is a disorder of the immune system that causes an increased risk of blood clots. This means people with APS are at greater risk of developing conditions such as: DVT (deep vein thrombosis, a blood clot that usually develops in the leg.

Autoimmune hepatitis occurs when the body's immune system, which ordinarily attacks viruses, bacteria and other pathogens, instead targets the liver. This attack on your liver can lead to chronic inflammation and serious damage to liver cells.

Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune condition affecting the small intestine, triggered by the ingestion of gluten, the protein fraction of wheat, barley, and rye. There is a strong linkage between CD and HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8 haplotypes.

Fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder which is characterized by widespread pain, tenderness and fatigue.  Persons with fibromyalgia may also experience sleep disturbances, morning stiffness, anxiety, and irritable bowel syndrome. Often it is also accompanied by depression. It is difficult to diagnose because most of the symptoms mimic those of other disorders.

JIA types are autoimmune or autoinflammatory diseases. That means the immune system, which is supposed to fight invaders like germs and viruses, gets confused and attacks the body’s cells and tissues . This causes the body to release inflammatory chemicals that attack the synovium (tissue lining around a joint). It produces fluid that cushions joints and helps them move smoothly. An inflamed synovium may make a joint feel painful or tender, look red or swollen or difficult to move.

Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) has signs and symptoms of a combination of disorders — primarily lupus, scleroderma, and polymyositis. Many people with this uncommon disease also have Sjogren's syndrome. For this reason, MCTD is sometimes called an overlap disease.In mixed connective tissue disease, the symptoms of the separate diseases usually don't appear all at once. Instead, they tend to occur over a number of years, which can complicate diagnosis.

Myasthenia gravis is a chronic autoimmune, neuromuscular disease that causes weakness in the skeletal muscles (the muscles that connect to your bones and contract to allow body movement in the arms and legs, and allow for breathing)

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting millions of people worldwide. It occurs when the protective cartilage that cushions the ends of the bones wears down over time. Although osteoarthritis can damage any joint, the disorder most commonly affects joints in your hands, knees, hips and spine.

Polymyalgia rheumatica is an inflammatory disorder that causes muscle pain and stiffness, especially in the shoulders and hips. Signs and symptoms of polymyalgia rheumatica (pol-e-my-AL-juh rue-MAT-ih-kuh) usually begin quickly and are worse in the morning.

Polymyositis and dermatomyositis are autoimmune diseases that cause inflammation of the muscles, most commonly the upper arms and thighs, resulting in weakness. Polymyositis affects mainly the muscles while dermatomyositis can cause skin lesions in addition to muscle inflammation.

Psoriatic arthritis is a form of arthritis that affects some people who have psoriasis — a disease that causes red patches of skin topped with silvery scales. Most people develop psoriasis years before being diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition, which means it's caused by the immune system attacking healthy body tissue. However, it's not yet known what triggers this. Your immune system normally makes antibodies that attack bacteria and viruses, helping to fight infection.

Sarcoidosis is an autoimmune related disease that leads to inflammation, usually in your lungs, skin, or lymph nodes. It starts as tiny, grain-like lumps, called granulomas. Sarcoidosis can affect any organ in your body. No one is sure what causes sarcoidosis.

Septic arthritis is inflammation of the joints secondary to an infectious etiology such as bacterial, fungal, mycobacterial, viral, or other pathogens. It is usually monoarticular, however, polyarticular septic arthritis involving many or smaller joints may also occur.

Soft tissue rheumatism includes disorders of tendons and their sheaths, ligaments, bursae, joint capsules, muscles, fasciae and others.

Spondyloarthritis is a group of diseases characterized by inflammation in the spine (“spondylitis”) and joints (“arthritis”). Types of spondyloarthritis include: Ankylosing spondylitis. Axial spondyloarthritis. Enteropathic spondyloarthritis.

Lupus (SLE) can affect the joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart and lungs.

Symptoms vary but can include fatigue, joint pain, rash and fever. These can periodically get worse (flare up) and then improve.

While there's no cure for lupus, current treatments focus on improving quality of life through controlling symptoms and minimising flare-ups. This begins with lifestyle modifications, including sun protection and diet. Further disease management includes medication such as anti-inflammatories and steroids.

Urticarial vasculitis is a rare clinicopathologic entity that manifests as a result of inflammatory injury to the small vessels of the skin. This condition is characterized by chronic or recurrent episodes of urticarial lesions showing features of leukocytoclastic vasculitis on histopathologic specimens.

The innate immune responses are the first line of defense against invading pathogens. They are also required to initiate specific adaptive immune responses. Innate immune responses rely on the body's ability to recognize conserved features of pathogens that are not present in the uninfected host.

Antibodies are protective proteins produced by your immune system. They attach to antigens (foreign substances) such as bacteria, fungi, viruses and toxins and remove them from your body.

Epigenetics and immune system

Epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, chromatin remodeling, and noncoding RNAs, have been identified as crucial regulators in cellular immunity, owing to their mechanisms in modulating gene expression and transcription in targeted cells and tissues.

Stress-induced cell protecting heat shock proteins (HSP) have been considered as a potential treatment targets for autoimmune diseases. HSP, predominantly intracellular components, might be released from bacteria or mammalian tissues and activate immune response.

IL17, Th17 and Cytokines in Autoimmunity

Interleukin-17 (IL-17) induces the production of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and chemokines such as CXCL1 and CXCL2 and is a cytokine that acts as an inflammation mediator.

TLR signaling plays an essential role in the activation of the adaptive immune system by inducing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and up-regulating costimulatory molecules of antigen presenting cells (APCs).

Immunodeficiency is when the immune system doesn't respond adequately to infection. Autoimmunity is when the immune system is overactive and responds to healthy cells as though they were foreign. There may be an association between the two conditions.

When the body senses danger from a virus or infection, the immune system kicks into gear and attacks it. This is called an immune response. Sometimes, healthy cells and tissues are caught up in this response, resulting in autoimmune disease.

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) during pregnancy

ITP is an autoimmune disease that causes a decrease in the number of platelets in the blood, which can lead to excessive bleeding in the mother as well as the fetus. Unfortunately, this condition tends to get worse during pregnancy.

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) occurs when your immune system mistakes red blood cells as unwanted substances. As a result, your body produces antibodies that destroy red blood cells, which can lead to a low amount of red blood cells (known as anemia).

Autoimmune disorders of the central nervous system occur when the body's immune system mistakenly attacks the central nervous system, which comprises the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves.

Although a number of autoimmune conditions may involve the liver, the three most common autoimmune liver diseases are autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cholangitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis. These conditions may occur individually or as part of “overlap” syndromes.

A biological molecule found in blood, other body fluids, or tissues that is a sign of a normal or abnormal process, or of a condition or disease. A biomarker may be used to see how well the body responds to a treatment for a disease or condition. Also called molecular marker and signature molecule.

Translational immunology is the process by which researchers use immunological discoveries to develop practical solutions for human problems. Examples include the development of vaccines against infectious diseases or the engineering of new types of drugs to treat inflammatory disorders.