19.2 Autoimmune disorders  (Page 3/7)

Autoimmune addison disease

Destruction of the adrenal glands (the glands lying above the kidneys that produce glucocorticoids, mineralocorticoids, and sex steroids) is the cause of Addison disease , also called primary adrenal insufficiency (PAI) . Today, up to 80% of Addison disease cases are diagnosed as autoimmune Addison disease (AAD), which is caused by an autoimmune response to adrenal tissues disrupting adrenal function. Disruption of adrenal function causes impaired metabolic processes that require normal steroid hormone levels, causing signs and symptoms throughout the body. There is evidence that both humoral and CD4 T _H 1-driven CD8 T-cell–mediated immune mechanisms are directed at the adrenal cortex in AAD. There is also evidence that the autoimmune response is associated with autoimmune destruction of other endocrine glands as well, such as the pancreas and thyroid , conditions collectively referred to as autoimmune polyendocrine syndromes (APS) . In up to 80% of patients with AAD, antibodies are produced to three enzymes involved in steroid synthesis: 21-hydroxylase (21-OH), 17α-hydroxylase, and cholesterol side-chain–cleaving enzyme. P. Martorell et al. “Autoimmunity in Addison’s Disease.” Netherlands Journal of Medicine 60 no. 7 (2002):269—275. The most common autoantibody found in AAD is to 21-OH, and antibodies to any of the key enzymes for steroid production are diagnostic for AAD. The adrenal cortex cells are targeted, destroyed, and replaced with fibrous tissue by immune-mediated inflammation. In some patients, at least 90% of the adrenal cortex is destroyed before symptoms become diagnostic.

Symptoms of AAD include weakness, nausea, decreased appetite, weight loss, hyperpigmentation ( [link] ), hyperkalemia (elevated blood potassium levels), hyponatremia (decreased blood sodium levels), hypoglycemia (decreased levels of blood sugar), hypotension (decreased blood pressure), anemia , lymphocytosis (decreased levels of white blood cells), and fatigue. Under extreme stress, such as surgery, accidental trauma, or infection, patients with AAD may experience an adrenal crisis that causes the patient to vomit, experience abdominal pain, back or leg cramps, and even severe hypotension leading to shock.

Systemic autoimmune diseases

Whereas organ-specific autoimmune diseases target specific organs or tissues, systemic autoimmune disease s are more generalized, targeting multiple organs or tissues throughout the body. Examples of systemic autoimmune diseases include multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus.

Multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune central nervous system disease that affects the brain and spinal cord. Lesions in multiple locations within the central nervous system are a hallmark of multiple sclerosis and are caused by infiltration of immune cells across the blood-brain barrier . The immune cells include T cells that promote inflammation, demyelination , and neuron degeneration, all of which disrupt neuronal signaling. Symptoms of MS include visual disturbances; muscle weakness; difficulty with coordination and balance; sensations such as numbness, prickling, or “pins and needles”; and cognitive and memory problems.