scholarly journals Endocrine Disorders in Autoimmune Rheumatological Diseases: A Focus on Thyroid Autoimmune Diseases and on the Effects of Chronic Glucocorticoid Treatment

Endocrines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 171-184
Author(s):  
Filippo Egalini ◽  
Mirko Parasiliti Caprino ◽  
Giulia Gaggero ◽  
Vincenzo Cappiello ◽  
Jacopo Giannelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Autoimmune Diseases ◽  
Genetic Predisposition ◽  
Endocrine Disorders ◽  
Processed Foods ◽  
Glucocorticoid Treatment ◽  
Environmental Causes ◽  
Main Effects ◽  
Rheumatological Diseases ◽  
Iatrogenic Cushing’S Syndrome

Autoimmune rheumatological diseases’ incidence and prevalence have risen over the last decades and they are becoming increasingly important worldwide. Thyroid autoimmune diseases share with them an imbalance in the immune system that lead to a pro-inflammatory environment. Usually this is the result of a multi-factorial process. In fact, it includes not only a possible genetic predisposition, but also environmental causes like microbiota dysbiosis, diet rich in processed foods, exposure to toxicants and infections. However, many aspects are currently under study. This paper aims to examine the factors that participate in the developing of rheumatological and thyroid autoimmune diseases. Moreover, as glucocorticoids still represent a leading treatment for systemic autoimmune rheumatological diseases, our secondary aim is to summarize the main effects of glucocorticoids treatment focusing on iatrogenic Cushing’s syndrome and glucocorticoids’ withdrawal syndrome.

scholarly journals The role of HLA genes: from autoimmune diseases to COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
pp. 9-15
Author(s):  
Ekaterina A. Troshina ◽  
Marina Yu. Yukina ◽  
Nurana F. Nuralieva ◽  
Natalia G. Mokrysheva
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Autoimmune Diseases ◽  
Genetic Predisposition ◽  
Human Leukocyte ◽  
Normal Functioning ◽  
Leukocyte Antigen ◽  
Hla Genes ◽  
Histocompatibility Complex ◽  
Hla Molecules

Genes of HLA system (Human Leukocyte Antigen) play an essential role in the normal functioning of the immune system. There are three classes of genes: I, II, and III. The function of HLA molecules class I is to present antigens of peptides from the cytoplasm to T-lymphocytes on the cell surface, and class II — to present antigens of peptides from the extracellular space. In the classical view, the pathological activation of the immune system in patients with a genetic predisposition can result in the development of autoimmune diseases. However, the influence of this system on the development of non-autoimmune diseases, their severity and prognosis, has been recently considered. Besides, HLA molecules provide a presentation of various infectious agents. In this connection, the loci of the main histocompatibility complex can be considered candidates for determining the genetic predisposition to infectious diseases themselves and their course. This review hypothesizes that specific variants of HLA genes may cause the formation of a «cytokine storm» in patients with COVID-19. Identification of a group of patients with particular genetic variations that cause violation of immune tolerance and hyperresponse in the setting of viral infection will help to optimize the algorithm for disease prevention and treatment of such patients and, as a result, to reduce the severity of the epidemiological situation.

scholarly journals Autoimmune Diseases: An Introduction

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-70
Author(s):  
Shubha Ratna Shakya
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Autoimmune Disease ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Autoimmune Diseases ◽  
Genetic Predisposition ◽  
Natural Phenomenon

The immune system recognizes and eliminates foreign agents, and protects the host against infection. Autoimmunity is a natural phenomenon where self-reactive antibodies and autoimmune cells are present in all individuals. A combination of genetic predisposition and environmental factors contribute to the development of autoimmune diseases. Autoantibodies attack structures within individuals that produce them. Autoimmunity is a major cause for a number of serious and fatal diseases. Presence of one autoimmune disease increases the chance for simultaneously developing other autoimmune diseases in the same person.

Hyperstimulation of the immune system as a cause of autoimmune diseases

2020 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
pp. 204-213
Author(s):  
Varvara A. Ryabkova ◽  
Leonid P. Churilov ◽  
Yehuda Shoenfeld
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Autoimmune Diseases ◽  
Genetic Basis ◽  
Threshold Model ◽  
Subsequent Development ◽  
Threshold Effect ◽  
Successful Management ◽  
Polygenic Inheritance ◽  
Autoimmune Pathology ◽  
The Common

The pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases is very complex and multi-factorial. The concept of Mosaics of Autoimmunity was introduced to the scientific community 30 years ago by Y. Shoenfeld and D.A. Isenberg, and since then new tiles to the puzzle are continuously added. This concept specifies general pathological ideas about the multifactorial threshold model for polygenic inheritance with a threshold effect by the action of a number of external causal factors as applied to the field of autoimmunology. Among the external factors that can excessively stimulate the immune system, contributing to the development of autoimmune reactions, researchers are particularly interested in chemical substances, which are widely used in pharmacology and medicine. In this review we highlight the autoimmune dynamics i.e. a multistep pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases and the subsequent development of lymphoma in some cases. In this context several issues are addressed namely, genetic basis of autoimmunity; environmental immunostimulatory risk factors; gene/environmental interaction; pre-clinical autoimmunity with the presence of autoantibodies; and the mechanisms, underlying lymphomagenesis in autoimmune pathology. We believe that understanding the common model of the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases is the first step to their successful management.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the performance of immunoblot and immunodot techniques used to identify autoantibodies in patients with autoimmune diseases

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 237-244
Author(s):  
Youssef EL Hassouni ◽  
Mohammed Bourhia ◽  
Ahmed Bari ◽  
Riaz Ullah ◽  
Hafiz Majid Mahmood ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Autoimmune Diseases ◽  
Indirect Immunofluorescence ◽  
Antinuclear Antibodies ◽  
Pathological Conditions ◽  
Nuclear Antigens ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
U1 Snrnp

Abstract Autoimmune diseases are pathological conditions in which the immune system mistakenly attacks its own tissues. This study evaluates the performance of two techniques, which are identifiers of autoantibody specifics: immunoblot and immunodot. This study was conducted in 300 patients of whom 62 were tested positive for antinuclear antibodies. The patients were initially screened for antinuclear antibodies using indirect immunofluorescence. Then, the identification of specific autoantibodies such as anti-extractable nuclear antigens (ENAs) was carried out using the immunoblot and immunodot techniques. The results showed that immunoblot and immunodot did not present a significant difference in their sensitivity against anti-SSA/52, SSB, CENP-B, PCNA, U1-snRNP, Jo-1, Pm-scl, and Mi-2 (p > 0.05). However, the two techniques showed a significant difference in their sensitivity toward autoantibodies anti-DNAn, anti-histone, anti-SmD1, and anti-ds-DNA (p < 0.05). The immunoblot data were in complete accordance with the immunodot data (100%) regarding the detection of autoantibodies such as anti SSA/52, SSB, CENP-B, PCNA, U1-snRP, Jo-1, Pm-scl, and Mi-2, 80% regarding SmD1, and 75% concerning ds-DNA. We should certainly pay closer attention to the efficiency of the techniques used in the diagnosis of autoimmune diseases.

scholarly journals Extracellular Vesicles Tune the Immune System in Renal Disease: A Focus on Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Antiphospholipid Syndrome, Thrombotic Microangiopathy and ANCA-Vasculitis

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (8) ◽  
pp. 4194
Author(s):  
Martina Mazzariol ◽  
Giovanni Camussi ◽  
Maria Felice Brizzi
Keyword(s):  
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus ◽  
Immune System ◽  
Autoimmune Diseases ◽  
Extracellular Vesicles ◽  
Antiphospholipid Syndrome ◽  
Lupus Erythematosus ◽  
Thrombotic Microangiopathy ◽  
Coagulation Cascade ◽  
Renal Diseases ◽  
Systemic Lupus

Extracellular vesicles (EV) are microparticles released in biological fluids by different cell types, both in physiological and pathological conditions. Owing to their ability to carry and transfer biomolecules, EV are mediators of cell-to-cell communication and are involved in the pathogenesis of several diseases. The ability of EV to modulate the immune system, the coagulation cascade, the angiogenetic process, and to drive endothelial dysfunction plays a crucial role in the pathophysiology of both autoimmune and renal diseases. Recent studies have demonstrated the involvement of EV in the control of renal homeostasis by acting as intercellular signaling molecules, mediators of inflammation and tissue regeneration. Moreover, circulating EV and urinary EV secreted by renal cells have been investigated as potential early biomarkers of renal injury. In the present review, we discuss the recent findings on the involvement of EV in autoimmunity and in renal intercellular communication. We focused on EV-mediated interaction between the immune system and the kidney in autoimmune diseases displaying common renal damage, such as antiphospholipid syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus, thrombotic microangiopathy, and vasculitis. Although further studies are needed to extend our knowledge on EV in renal pathology, a deeper investigation of the impact of EV in kidney autoimmune diseases may also provide insight into renal biological processes. Furthermore, EV may represent promising biomarkers of renal diseases with potential future applications as diagnostic and therapeutic tools.

scholarly journals Mechanisms of the induction of autoimmunity

2005 ◽  
Vol 133 (Suppl. 1) ◽  
pp. 9-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marija Mostarica-Stojkovic
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Autoimmune Diseases ◽  
Molecular Mimicry ◽  
The Body ◽  
Peripheral Tolerance ◽  
High Avidity ◽  
Main Function ◽  
Clonal Deletion ◽  
Genetic Traits

The main function of the immune system is to protect the body by responding to invading microorganisms. Immunologic tolerance is the basic property of the immune system that provides for self/non-self discrimination so that the immune system can protect the host from external pathogens without reacting against itself. Central tolerance is achieved by the clonal deletion of self-reactive lymphocytes expressing receptors with high avidity for self. Autoreactive lymphocytes which escaped selection in the central lymphoid organs are present in the peripheral repertoire but but are kept under control by multiple diverse peripheral tolerance mechanisms acting either directly on the self-reactive T cell (T-cell intrinsic) or indirectly via additional cells (T-cell extrinsic). Intrinsic mec hanisms include ignorance of autoantigens, anergy, phenotype skewing or activation-induced cell death of autoreactive T lymphocytes, while extrinsic mechanisms act through immature and/ or tolerogenic dendritic cells as well as different types of regulatory cells. Autoimmune diseases are associated with humoral or cell-mediated immune reactions against one or more of the body?s own constituents. Activation and clonal expansion of autoreactive lymhocytes is a crucial step in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. They result from the complex interactions between genetic traits and environmental factors, among which infections are the most likely cause. Several basic mechanisms may be operating whereby an infectious agent actually induces apparent autoimmne reactivity including molecular mimicry, bystander activation, induction of costimulation, polyclonal activation, altered processing and expression of cryptic antigens. Although many questions regarding autotolerance and etiop athogenestis of autoimmunity have yet to be resolved, it is evident that multiple overlapping pathways are operative in establishing, maintaining and breaking autotolerance, as well as during the initiation, progression, and final effector phases of autoimmunity.

scholarly journals Stem Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine in Autoimmune Diseases

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bhuvaneshwari Sampath ◽  
Priyadarshan Kathirvelu ◽  
Kavitha Sankaranarayanan
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cell ◽  
Immune System ◽  
Regenerative Medicine ◽  
Autoimmune Diseases ◽  
Lupus Erythematosus ◽  
Systemic Lupus ◽  
Autoimmune Condition ◽  
Recent Trends

The role of immune system in our body is to defense against the foreign bodies. However, if the immune system fails to recognize self and non-self-cells in our body leads to autoimmune diseases. Widespread autoimmune diseases are rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, and more yet to be added to the list. This chapter discusses about how stem cell-based therapies and advancement of regenerative medicine endow with novel treatment for autoimmune diseases. Furthermore, in detail, specific types of stem cells and their therapeutic approach for each autoimmune condition along with their efficiency to obtain desired results are discussed. Ultimately, this chapter describes the recent trends in treating autoimmune diseases effectively using advanced stem cell research.

Introduction to Clinical Immunology: Overview of the Immune Response, Autoimmune Conditions, and Immunosuppressive Therapeutics for Rheumatic Diseases

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven K. Lundy ◽  
Alison Gizinski ◽  
David A. Fox
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
Immune System ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Immune Responses ◽  
Autoimmune Diseases ◽  
Adaptive Immunity ◽  
Cell Populations ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem ◽  
Innate And Adaptive Immunity ◽  
Adaptive Immune

The immune system is a complex network of cells and mediators that must balance the task of protecting the host from invasive threats. From a clinical perspective, many diseases and conditions have an obvious link to improper functioning of the immune system, and insufficient immune responses can lead to uncontrolled acute and chronic infections. The immune system may also be important in tumor surveillance and control, cardiovascular disease, health complications related to obesity, neuromuscular diseases, depression, and dementia. Thus, a working knowledge of the role of immunity in disease processes is becoming increasingly important in almost all aspects of clinical practice. This review provides an overview of the immune response and discusses immune cell populations and major branches of immunity, compartmentalization and specialized immune niches, antigen recognition in innate and adaptive immunity, immune tolerance toward self antigens, inflammation and innate immune responses, adaptive immune responses and helper T (Th) cell subsets, components of the immune response that are important targets of treatment in autoimmune diseases, mechanisms of action of biologics used to treat autoimmune diseases and their approved uses, and mechanisms of other drugs commonly used in the treatment of autoimmune diseases. Figures show the development of erythrocytes, platelets, lymphocytes, and other immune system cells originating from hematopoietic stem cells that first reside in the fetal liver and later migrate to the bone marrow, antigen–major histocompatibility complex recognition by T cell receptor control of T cell survival and activation, and Th cells as central determinants of the adaptive immune response toward different stimuli. Tables list cell populations involved in innate and adaptive immunity, pattern recognition receptors with known ligands, autoantibody-mediated human diseases: examples of pathogenic mechanisms, selected Food and Drug Administration–approved autoimmune disease indications for biologics, and mechanism of action of biologics used to treat autoimmune diseases.   This review contains 3 highly rendered figures, 5 tables, and 64 references.

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