What is Autoimmune disorders ?

Autoimmune disorders is a failure of the immune system functions that make the body attacks its own tissues. Maintain the body's immune system fight on what visibility as foreign or dangerous substances. Such materials including microorganisms, parasites (like worms), cancer cells, and even organ and tissue transplantation.

Materials that can stimulate the immune response are called antigens. Antigens are molecules that may be contained in the cell or on the cell surface (such as bacteria, viruses, or cancer cells). Some antigens, such as pollen or food molecules, exist in their own.

Tues even in people who have their own network can have an antigen. But, normally, the immune system reacts only to the antigens of foreign materials or dangerous, not to antigens from people who have a network for oneself. However, sometimes the immune system is damaged, translate the body's own tissues as foreign and produces antibodies (called autoantibodies) or immune cells target and attack the body's own tissues.

This response is called an autoimmune reaction. This produces inflammation and tissue damage. Such effects may be an autoimmune disorder, but some people produce such a small amount of autoantibodies that autoimmune disorders do not occur.

Some common autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and vasculitis, among others. Additional diseases believed to be associated with such autoimmune glomerulonephritis, Addison's disease, mixed connective tissue disease, Sjogren's syndrome, progressive systemic sclerosis, and some cases of infertility.

CAUSE
Autoimmune reactions can be triggered by several things:

* Compounds that exist in the body that are normally restricted in certain areas (and thus hidden from the immune system) is released into the blood stream . Such as, a blow to the eye can make the fluid in the eyeball is released into the blood stream. Liquid stimulate the immune system to eye to recognize as foreign and attack it.
* A normal body changes, for example, by viruses, drugs, sunlight, or radiation. Compound material that changes may seem foreign to the immune system. For example, viruses can infect and thereby alters the cell in the body. Virus-infected cells by stimulating the immune system to attack him.
* A foreign substance that resembles a natural body substance may enter the body. Immune system with less caution can make a compound similar bodies such as the foreign material as a target. For example, bacteria that cause sore throat have some antigen similar to human heart cells. Rarely, the immune system can attack the heart of the people after the sore throat (this reaction is part of the fever rheumatic).
* Cells that controls the production of such antibodies, B lymphocytes (one of the white blood cells) may be damaged and produce abnormal antibodies that attack a few cell bodies.

Heredity may be involved in some autoimmune disorders. Vulnerability chaos, rather than chaos itself, may be inherited. In susceptible people, a trigger, such as viral infection or tissue damage, may cause the disorder develops. Hormonal factors may also be involved, because many autoimmune disorders are more common in women.


SYMPTOMS
Autoimmune disorders can cause fever. However, symptoms vary depending on the disorder and the affected body part. Some autoimmune disorders affecting particular types of tissue throughout the body for example, blood vessels, cartilage, or skin. Other autoimmune disorders affect a particular organ. Actually, any organ, including kidneys, lungs, heart, and brain, can be affected. The resulting inflammation and tissue damage can cause pain, deformed joints, weakness, jaundice, itching, difficulty breathing, fluid accumulation (edema), fever, even death.


Diagnosis
Blood tests that indicate the presence of inflammation can be suspected as autoimmune disorders. For example, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is often increased, because the protein produced in response to inflammation impairs the ability of red blood cells (erythrocytes) to remain in the blood. Often, the number of red blood cells is reduced (anemia) due to inflammation reducing their production. However, inflammation has many causes, many of which are not autoimmune. That way, doctors often get blood tests to determine the different antibodies that can occur in people who have a specific autoimmune disorders. Examples of these antibodies are antinuclear antibodies, which usually exist in systemic lupus erythematosus, and rheumatoid factor or anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibodies, which usually exist in rheumatoid arthritis. But even this antibody may sometimes occur in people who do not have an autoimmune disorder, and therefore clinicians usually use a combination of test results and signs and symptoms of people to make decisions if there is an autoimmune disorder.


TREATMENT
Treatment requires control of autoimmune reactions by suppressing the immune system. However, some medications used an autoimmune reaction also disrupt the body's ability to fight against diseases, especially infections.

Drugs that suppress the immune system (immunosuppressants), such as azathioprine, chlorambucil, cyclophosphamide, cyclosporine, mycophenolate, and methotrexate, are often used, usually by mouth and often for a long. However, these drugs suppress the autoimmune reaction is not only the body but also the ability to defend itself against foreign substances, including microorganisms that cause infections and cancer cells. Consequently, the risk of certain infections and cancers increases.

Often, corticosteroids such as prednisone, are given, usually orally. These drugs reduce inflammation as well as suppress the immune system. Corticosteroids are used dlama long term have many side effects. When possible, corticosteroids are used for short periods when the disorder began or when symptoms worsen. However, corticosteroids must sometimes be used for unlimited time.

certain autoimmune disorder (eg, multiple sclerosis and thyroid disorders) are also treated with drugs other than immunosuppressants and corticosteroids. Treatment to reduce symptoms may also be required.

Etanercept, infliximab, and adalimumab block the action of tumor necrosis factor (TNF), a substance that can cause inflammation in the body. The drug is highly effective in treating rheumatoid arthritis, but they may be harmful if used to treat certain other autoimmune disorders, such as multiple sclerosis. These drugs can also increase the risk of infections and certain cancers.

New drugs targeting khusua certain white blood cells. White blood cells help defend the body against infections but also participate in autoimmune reactions. Abatacept prevents the activation of one of the white blood cells (T cells) and used in rheumatoid arthritis. Rituximab, first used against cancer of certain white blood cells, working with the spending of certain white blood cells (B lymphocytes) from the body. Effective in rheumatoid arthritis and in penelitain for a variety of other autoimmune disorders. Other drugs aimed at fighting white blood cells are being developed.

Plasmapheresis is used to treat some autoimmune disorders. Blood is withdrawn and filtered to remove the abnormal antibodies. Then the filtered blood is returned to the patient. Some autoimmune disorders as inexplicably as they began. However, most of the chronic autoimmune disorder. Drugs are often required throughout life to control symptoms. The prognosis varies depending on the disorder.