Autoimmune Diseases of the Suppressed Immune System - Research Paper Example

In total, the paper focuses on the response of SLE to various treatment and management aspects related to the disease and its manifestations in various organs of the body.Autoimmunity is a state of the misdirected immune response of the body in which the body’s defense systems become self-destructive. In this state, diseases arise from an overactive immune response of the body against substances and tissues normally present in the body. In other words, the antibodies produced for body’s defense attack the normal healthy molecules of the body for destruction.

This may be restricted to certain organs (e.g. in thyroiditis) or involve a particular tissue in different places (e.g. Goodpasture's disease which may affect the basement membrane in both the lung and the kidney). Another example is multiple sclerosis in which the immune system attacks the coating that surrounds and protects nerve fibres, known as the myelin sheath, causing a range of neurological symptoms (Lahita, R;2004). Lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease in which a person’s immune system attacks the body resulting in inflammation of various organs or tissues is a common type of autoimmune disease.

Autoimmune diseases are not transmitted from one person to another and do not have a clear cause of the occurrence. The treatment of autoimmune diseases is typical with immunosuppressant, i.e., medication which decreases the immune response. These diseases are found to occur more in women than men. Nearly 150 autoimmune diseases have been identified so far.Reasons for autoimmune diseases, though unclear, the process of autoimmunity is related to the genetic combination, hormones, and environmental impact.

Individuals with specific genes or gene combinations may be at a higher risk for developing autoimmune disorders, which may be triggered by outside stimuli, such as sun exposure, infection, drugs, or pregnancy.  Identification of the major histocompatibility complex is essential in an immune response of the body.