Autoimmune disease


a disease resulting from a disordered immune reaction in which antibodies are produced against one’s own tissues, as systemic lupus erythematosus or rheumatoid arthritis.
Contemporary Examples

The Andrews family had already lost a daughter to an autoimmune disease in 1999.
The Army Lied About the Hero Who Died Looking for Bowe Bergdahl Michael Daly June 3, 2014

Ten years ago I bought a catastrophic policy for even less than that, despite an autoimmune disease and raging asthma.
Are Young, Single Adults Expecting Obamacare to Cost So Much? Megan McArdle June 3, 2013

I am a 28 year old female who suffer from the autoimmune disease lupus.
Your Puffy-Face Moments, Inspired by Ashley Judd April 12, 2012

That means women who are pregnant or breastfeeding and anyone with an autoimmune disease should probably avoid these cleanses.
Is Your Juice Cleanse Doing More Harm Than Good? DailyBurn February 10, 2014

As a child she struggled with an autoimmune disease, spending many years at home in a wheelchair.
Inside Congo’s Floating Hospital Danielle Shapiro March 1, 2011

Crazy people who gloated about my being uninsured, and afflicted by an autoimmune disease.
The Non-Problem that ObamaCare Didn’t Fix Megan McArdle September 18, 2012

It signaled the arrival of an autoimmune disease called alopecia areata.
An Epidemic of Absence: Destroying the Bugs in Our Bodies Can Be Dangerous to Our Health Moises Velasquez-Manoff September 8, 2012

autoimmune disease n.
A disease resulting from an immune reaction produced by an individual’s white blood cells or antibodies acting on the body’s own tissues or extracellular proteins.
autoimmune disease
(ô’tō-ĭ-myn’)
A disease in which impaired function and the destruction of tissue are caused by an immune reaction in which abnormal antibodies are produced and attack the body’s own cells and tissues. Autoimmune diseases include a wide variety of disorders, including many disorders of connective tissue, such as systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis.

Our Living Language : A wide variety of disorders are classified as autoimmune diseases, ranging from systemic lupus erythematosus to type I diabetes, and many other disorders are suspected of having an autoimmune component. Autoimmune diseases can thus affect a wide variety of bodily tissues and processes, such as the skin, liver, kidneys, or other organs, or the chemical reactions essential to metabolism. Each disease has a characteristic set of autoantibodies (antibodies that attack normal cells or structures in the body itself). In some of these diseases, the autoantibodies that are produced actually cause the tissue and organ damage. In other cases, the antibodies are considered to be characteristic markers of the disease but do not cause disease themselves. It is thought that the autoantibodies are generated by an immunologic reaction with bodily proteins, but the reasons that a specific set of bodily proteins should provoke an immune response that results in disease remain obscure. The genetic makeup of the individual, environmental influences, and infectious disease organisms may all contribute to a person’s susceptibility to autoimmune disease. For reasons that are not clear, the prevalence of many autoimmune diseases is much higher in women than in men. Recently there have been dramatic improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune disorders. New tests for diagnostically important autoantibodies have been discovered. Corticosteroids are used to reduce inflammation, and anticancer drugs that kill rapidly dividing cells are used to deplete activated cells in the immune system. The most promising new drugs consist of genetically engineered monoclonal antibodies that block just one part of the immune system. By selectively shutting down the part of the immune system involved in the autoimmune response, the drugs allow some people to see dramatic improvement in their symptoms with minimal side effects.

A disease in which the body produces antibodies that attack its own tissues, leading to the deterioration and in some cases to the destruction of such tissue.

Read Also:

  • Autoimmune

    of or relating to the of an organism against any of its own tissues, cells, or cell components. Contemporary Examples Nightshades have been associated with arthritis, fibromyalgia, autoimmune conditions and headaches. Pizza Might Be Your Enemy Daniela Drake March 8, 2014 Ten years ago I bought a catastrophic policy for even less than that, despite […]

  • Autoimmunization

    antibody production by an organism in response to and against any of its own tissues, cells, or cell components.

  • Autoinfection

    reinfection by a pathogen that is already in the body. caused by transfer of a pathogen from one part of the body to another. noun infection by a pathogenic agent already within the body or infection transferred from one part of the body to another autoinfection au·to·in·fec·tion (ô’tō-ĭn-fěk’shən) n. Reinfection by microbes or parasitic organisms […]

  • Autoinoculation

    of a healthy part with an infective agent from a diseased part of the same body. noun the inoculation of microorganisms (esp viruses) from one part of the body into another, usually in the form of a vaccine autoinoculation au·to·in·oc·u·la·tion (ô’tō-ĭ-nŏk’yə-lā’shən) n. A secondary infection originating from the site of an infection already present in […]

  • Autointoxication

    poisoning with toxic substances formed within the body, as during intestinal digestion. Historical Examples He imagines himself the victim of autointoxication, afflicted with paralysis of the colon or dearth of intestinal secretions. Outwitting Our Nerves Josephine A. Jackson and Helen M. Salisbury While autointoxication may not be the primary cause of eczema, it augments all […]


Disclaimer: Autoimmune disease definition / meaning should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. All content on this website is for informational purposes only.