Autoimmune Disease: Lupus

1. Autoimmune Disease: Lupus By: Remi Coker and Ashley Robinson

2. The Immune System Innate vs. Adaptive Immunity Cells Phagocytes – engulf pathogen, produce cytokines B Cell – Ab T cell – activate B cells Attack pathogen Complement Clear immune complexes and apoptic cells Classical – Ag-Ab Alternative – bacterial polysaccharides Antibodies Neautralize Opsonize Activate complement Cytokines Chemokines Inflammation Apoptosis Programmed Cell death

3. Immunity – Autoimmunity What is autoimmunity? Recognition of “self” as a pathogen – invader Examples: insulin dependant diabetes, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, scleroderma Genetics and the environment (i.e.. Chemicals, sun exposure) combine to cause diseases Autoimmunity - Autoimmunity is the immune systems hyper reaction to “self”. B and T-cells float around the body creating antibodies to different cells within the body. Imagine that you have no control over your left arm and it keeps hitting you, there is nothing you can do. This is similar to the rampant unruliness of an autoimmune disease. Auto-antibodies are severely elevated in lupus sufferers. Like an allergy, the body overreacts to ‘dust’ an produces an extreme amount of antibodies to combat that dust particle. The antibodies in lupus are directed at their own cells stimulating an over reaction. Specifically, lupus is a systemic, or multi organ, autoimmune response to unknown antigens or stimuli in the human body. Autoimmunity - Autoimmunity is the immune systems hyper reaction to “self”. B and T-cells float around the body creating antibodies to different cells within the body. Imagine that you have no control over your left arm and it keeps hitting you, there is nothing you can do. This is similar to the rampant unruliness of an autoimmune disease. Auto-antibodies are severely elevated in lupus sufferers. Like an allergy, the body overreacts to ‘dust’ an produces an extreme amount of antibodies to combat that dust particle. The antibodies in lupus are directed at their own cells stimulating an over reaction. Specifically, lupus is a systemic, or multi organ, autoimmune response to unknown antigens or stimuli in the human body.

4. The Complement Cascade System “Complement is a part of the innate immune system and underlies one of the main effector mechanisms of antibody-mediated immunity.” The complement system is used to identify invaders. Proteins attack and attach to the invaders and a series of events take place to remove the foreign body. Similar to the domino effect, the entrance of a foreign pathogen sets of a chain reaction, the immune system trying to get rid of all dangerous cells including apoptotic cells to prevent any toxicity in the body. The complement system is used to identify invaders. Proteins attack and attach to the invaders and a series of events take place to remove the foreign body. Similar to the domino effect, the entrance of a foreign pathogen sets of a chain reaction, the immune system trying to get rid of all dangerous cells including apoptotic cells to prevent any toxicity in the body.