Autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) is a disease in which the body interprets the thyroid glands and its hormone products triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4) and thyroidstimulating hormone (TSH) as threats, therefore producing special antibodies that target the thyroid’s cells, thereby destroying it. It presents with hypothyroidism (low production of thyroid hormone) or hyperthyroidism (excessi...

Autoimmune diseases are the result of specific immune responses directed against structures of the self (Burnet and Fenner, 1949). The organism possesses powerful mechanisms to avoid immune autoaggression. The acquired ability of the immune system to avoid responsiveness to self antigens is defined as ‘tolerance’, and is obtained by the cooperative efforts of central and peripheral mechanisms, ...

It is well appreciated that organ-specific autoimmune diseases run in families, but that within a family one member may have type 1 diabetes, another autoimmune thyroid disease, and another multiple sclerosis (1). What causes clustering of different autoimmune diseases along genetic lines, and what logic causes the immune system to take aim at different organ targets? In this issue, Salomon et ...

cd40 is recognized as a member of tumor necrosis factor receptor super family. it is expressed by the immune and non-immune cells. its interaction with cd40 ligand (cd154) brings about  a regulatory effect on  the cellular and humoral immunity. the pathway of cd40-cd154 is influential in various diseases. investigations on such diseases have revealed dimensional mechanisms whereby this route in...

experimental autoimmune vitiligo was induced by the intradermal injection of the purified mushroom tyrosinase emulsified in complete freund’s adjuvant (cfa) in female c57bl/6 mice. the onset of vitiligo was characterized by hair hypopigmentation and total melanocyte depletion in the basal layer of the epidermis. oral administration of semipurified mushroom tyrosinase prevented experimental auto...

microchimerism is explained as the simultaneous presence of a few foreign cells with different genetic origins of different individuals in a person. transfer of these cells through blood transfusion, organ transplantation and particularly the mutual transfer of cells between the mother and fetus during pregnancy is possible. this article is an overview of the role of fetal cell microchimerism i...

• The diagnosis of autoimmune hepatitis is based on specific immunological, histological and biochemical characteristics after exclusion of other causes of liver disease including viral hepatitis. • Hepatitis E virus infection should be considered in the differential diagnosis of autoimmune hepatitis. • Prednisone, prednisolone, or budesonide are first line treatment options for autoimmune hepa...

Autoimmunity is regarded as the main mechanism involved in pathogenesis of various liver diseases, such as autoimmune hepatitis (ÁIÇ), primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), autoimmune cholangitis, overlap syndromes AIH-PBC and AIH-PSC and liver dysfunction due to connective tissue diseases. Autoimmune hepatitis is an immune-mediated, autodestructive liver diseas...

Autoimmune diseases are a group of disorders in which the immune system dysfunctions and attacks host tissues. Although the pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroid disease has not been elucidated, there are several factors that have been associated with the disorder. Factors include genetic predisposition, nutrient deficiencies, use of certain medications affecting thyroid function, and environmenta...

Psoriasis is a common inflammatory skin disease characterized by infiltration of inflammatory cells into the epidermis and altered keratin euclie differentiation psoriasis is the fourth most common skin disease in the United States about 2 in 100 people in America develop psoriasis of some stages of their life. It most commonly starts between the ages of 15 to 25. Possible factors and trigger c...