AUTOIMMUNITY

AUTOIMMUNITY

 

 

is an expression of the Ir that occurs when the body’s selftolerance

system fails. The body’s immune cells are no longer able to recognize “self”

and thus mount an Ir against its own antigens. This can result in a variety of apparently

unrelated diseases known as autoimmune diseases. However, all autoimmune diseases

involve immune complexes. The autoimmune response is strongly influenced by MHC

antigens and can involve either Class I or Class IIMHCproteins.Many autoimmune diseases

are associated with specific Class II human leukocyte antigens (HLA), and determining an

individual’s HLA type can help predict the risk of certain diseases.