Autoimmune disorders

Definition

Autoimmune disorders occur when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own tissues. This results from a failure of self-tolerance, involving T lymphocytes and cellular immunity.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Autoimmune disorders involve a malfunction in adaptive immunity where T cells target self-antigens.
2. Self-tolerance is a critical process that prevents T lymphocytes from attacking the body's own cells.
3. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a crucial role in maintaining self-tolerance and preventing autoimmune responses.
4. In some autoimmune disorders, autoantibodies are produced by B cells, but T cell dysfunction is often a root cause.
5. Mechanisms like molecular mimicry can trigger autoimmunity by causing cross-reactivity between self-antigens and foreign antigens.

Review Questions

• What role do regulatory T cells play in preventing autoimmune disorders?
• How does the breakdown of self-tolerance lead to autoimmune diseases?
• Explain how molecular mimicry can contribute to the development of autoimmune disorders.

Related terms

Self-Tolerance: The immune system's ability to recognize and not attack the body's own tissues.

Regulatory T Cells (Tregs): A subset of T cells that help maintain immune tolerance by suppressing autoreactive immune responses.

Molecular Mimicry: A mechanism where similarities between foreign antigens and self-antigens trigger an autoimmune response.