autoimmunity. An organ-specific disease is one in which an immune response is directed toward antigens in a single organ. Examples are Addison disease, in which autoantibodies attack the adrenal cortex, and myasthenia gravis, in which they attack neuromuscular cells. In systemic diseases the immune system attacks self…
In organ-specific disorders, the autoimmune process is directed mostly against one organ. But patients may experience several organ-specific diseases at the same time. In non-organ-specific disorders, autoimmune activity is widely spread throughout the body.
Organs and tissues important to the proper functioning of the immune system include the thymus and bone marrow, lymph nodes and vessels, spleen, and skin.
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), is the most common type of lupus. SLE is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks its own tissues, causing widespread inflammation and tissue damage in the affected organs. It can affect the joints, skin, brain, lungs, kidneys, and blood vessels.
Multiple Sclerosis
The theory that MS is an organ-specific autoimmune disease, although unproven, is widely accepted. Antibodies against antigens that are located on the surface of the myelin sheath cause demyelination, either directly or by complement-mediated processes.
Still, multiple sclerosis is an organ-specific disease with immune-mediated myelin destruction.
The thymus gland is an essential organ for the development of the immune system, but very few people have any idea that it exists. In the literature and also in people's awareness, the fact is often that the thymus controls and harmonizes the entire immune system and the immune functioning of the organism.
The thymus: A gland behind the breastbone, where white blood cells known as lymphocytes mature. The spleen: An organ at the upper left of the abdomen where immune cells gather and work. Bone marrow: Soft tissue in the center of the bones that produces red and white blood cells.
Organ-Specific and Tissue-Specific Manifestation
When microbes affect the entire organ, such as lungs or kidneys, it is known as organ-specific manifestation. When the entire tissue is affected by the microbes, it is called a tissue-specific manifestation.
Organ-Specific Autoimmunity
Target tissues include the thyroid (thyroiditis), the islets of Langerhans (diabetes), gastric parietal cells (gastritis) and steroid-producing cells in the adrenal and ovary (Addison's disease) (Lam-Tse et al., 2002).
Circulating organ-specific autoantibodies are serological markers of destruction or impairment of the relevant endocrine tissue cells and may be associated with abnormal hormone levels with or without clinical evidence of overt disease.
While rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic autoimmune disease that affects multiple body systems, the joints of hands, wrists, feet, ankles, knees, shoulders and elbows are most often affected (3).
Normally, your immune system helps protect your body from infection and disease. In rheumatoid arthritis, your immune system attacks healthy tissue in your joints. It can also cause medical problems with your heart, lungs, nerves, eyes and skin.
RA can also affect other tissues throughout the body and cause problems in organs such as the lungs, heart, and eyes.
Amyloidosis (am-uh-loi-DO-sis) is a rare disease that occurs when a protein called amyloid builds up in organs. This amyloid buildup can make the organs not work properly. Organs that may be affected include the heart, kidneys, liver, spleen, nervous system and digestive tract.
The signs and symptoms of SLE vary among affected individuals, and can involve many organs and systems, including the skin, joints, kidneys, lungs, central nervous system, and blood-forming (hematopoietic) system.
The most common autoantibodies, namely rheumatoid factor (RF), an autoantibody to the Fc portion of IgG, and anti-nuclear antibodies (ANAs) are frequently found in rheumatoid arthritis (< 75%) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (90–100%), respectively.
While your heart is a vital organ, the brain (and the nervous system that attaches to the brain) make up the most critical organ system in the human body. The human nervous system is responsible for coordinating every movement and action your body makes.
Primary lymphoid organs: These organs include the bone marrow and the thymus. They create special immune system cells called lymphocytes.
Tissue-Specific manifestations are diseases caused in different areas as the point of entry in the body. An example is Malaria where the target is the bloodstream and it slowly spreads throughout the body.