Introduction
The term autoimmune disease summarizes a whole group of different diseases. It describes an overreaction of the cells of our immune system to the body’s own cells, which leads to damage of the respective organ. Our immune system is imprinted in the thymus at the beginning of human development.
This organ plays a central role in the selection of the so-called T cells. Only those cells that are able to recognize the body’s own cells are allowed to live on. All others are sorted out.
In this way, the body creates a mechanism to defend itself against foreign structures. These include viruses and bacteria, but also other microorganisms and substances supplied from outside. The immune system should be able to recognize and tolerate its own cells while at the same time protecting the body from “intruders”.
The so-called MHC molecules have a special function here. They are located on the outer cell wall and serve to recognize unknown cells. Embossing does not always work smoothly.
In some cases, mistakes are made so that certain T cells direct their humoral and cellular response not to foreign structures but to the body’s own cells. This leads to the formation of antibodies, so-called autoantibodies. The affected organ is initially damaged and can be completely destroyed if no treatment is given.
If no therapy is carried out, it is usually a lifelong process. The exact causes contributing to the development of an autoimmune disease are not yet known. A genetic predisposition and an incorrect selection of the T cells in the thymus are assumed.
Various triggers trigger the onset of the disease. These include viral infections or the infection with a certain pathogen, but also hormonal changes in the body. In the diagnosis of autoimmune diseases, the level of the respective autoantibody in the blood is determined.
So-called limit titers define the value at which this is considered pathological. The treatment is usually symptomatic. A cure is not yet possible. In total, about 400 autoimmune diseases are known, which are divided into three different groups: Diseases against a specific organ, diseases against specific body structures and mixed forms.
