Relating to a condition or process in which the immune system mistakenly recognizes and attacks the body’s own cells, tissues, or components.
An autoimmune response occurs when immune mechanisms directed against the body’s own components cause inappropriate immune activity. Autoimmune diseases can affect a single organ or multiple organs and may involve antibodies, immune cells, or both.
Examples include systemic lupus erythematosus, type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and autoimmune thyroid diseases. The presence of an autoantibody does not necessarily mean that a person has an autoimmune disease; diagnosis depends on the overall clinical context.
QUICK FACT
“Autoimmune” does not simply mean that the immune system is too strong. The key problem is that the immune response is directed against the body’s own components.
COMMONLY CONFUSED WITH
- Autoantibody: an antibody that recognizes a component of the body’s own tissues or molecules.
- Immunodeficiency: impaired or insufficient immune function that reduces protection against infections; it is fundamentally different from autoimmunity.
- Allergy: an inappropriate immune response to an external substance that is normally harmless.
SEE ALSO
