Researchers believe that gene mutations, the environment and even the human microbiome are involved in autoimmune diseases, citing such environmental stimuli as smoking, obesity, sun exposure and infection with the Epstein-Barr virus. These diseases often run in familiesand, while rare, some people can suffer from more than one at the same time, known as polyautoimmunity.

While my sister-in-law’s mother had alopecia, her daughter — my niece — developed a different autoimmune disorder, Hashimoto’s disease, when she was 10.

“Autoimmune diseases appear to be a mismatch between genes and the environment,” says David Hafler, chairman of the department of neurology at the Yale School of Medicine. “It’s not one gene; there are hundreds of common genetic variants which together lead to disease. But all this also raises the question of why we have not found the smoking gun that defines the gender risk.”

Women typically mount a more vigorous immune response than men to infections and vaccinations, producing higher levels of antibodies. In the case of autoimmune disorders, this trait seems to backfire. “Robust immunity in females can be good evolutionarily, but too much immunity can be bad if directed toward self,” says Rhonda Voskuhl, a professor of neurology at UCLA who studies multiple sclerosis.

Scientists believe that sex hormones also may play a role, because many autoimmune disorders occur in women soon after puberty. Some studies, in fact, suggest that the female hormones estrogen andprolactin stimulate the growth of B cell autoantibodies.

Recently, PTPN22 has been associated with multiple autoimmune diseases includingType I diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Graves’ disease, Addison’s disease, Myasthenia Gravis, vitiligo, systemic sclerosis juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and psoriatic arthritis.

An autoimmune disease is a condition arising from an abnormal immune response to a normal body part.^[1] There are at least 80 types of autoimmune diseases.^[1] Nearly any body part can be involved.^[2]Commons symptoms include low grade fever and feeling tired. Often symptoms come and go.^[1]

The cause is generally unknown.^[2] Some autoimmune diseases run in families such as lupus and certain cases may be triggered by infections or other environmental factors. Some common autoimmune disease includeceliac disease, diabetes mellitus type 1, Graves disease, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, andsystemic lupus erythematosus. The diagnosis can be difficult to determine.^[1]

Treatment depends on the type and severity of the condition. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and immunosuppressants are often used.^[1] Intravenous Immunoglobulin may also occasionally be used.^[3]While treatment usually improves symptoms they do not typically cure the disease.^[1]

About 24 million (7%) of people in the United States are affected by an autoimmune disease.^[1][2] Women are more commonly affected than men. Often they start during adulthood.^[1] The first autoimmune diseases were described in the early 1900s.

Join 25,000 people in helping redefine health with health concierge and precision medicine.

https://clubalthea.com/2016/10/14/your-complete-dna-sequence-will-help-shape-the-future-of-medicine/

A combination of several of these signs that you may have an autoimmune disease include:

1. Joint pain, muscle pain or weakness or a tremor

2. Weight loss, insomnia, heat intolerance or rapid heartbeat

3. Recurrent rashes or hives, sun-sensitivity, a butterfly-shaped rash across your nose and cheeks.

4. Difficulty concentrating or focusing

5. Feeling tired or fatigued, weight gain or cold intolerance

6. Hair loss or white patches on your skin or inside your mouth

7. Abdominal pain, blood or mucus in your stool, diarrhea or mouth ulcers

8. Dry eyes, mouth or skin

9. Numbness or tingling in the hands or feet

10. Multiple miscarriages or blood clots

Antinuclear antibodies and the conditions with which they are associated include the following:

• Anti-centromere antibodies: Limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis (CREST syndrome), primary biliary cirrhosis, proximal scleroderma
• Anti-dsDNA: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
• Anti-gp210: Primary biliary cirrhosis
• Anti-histone antibodies: SLE and drug-induced lupus erythematosus (LE)
• Anti-Jo1: Polymyositis, dermatomyositis
• Anti-La/SS-B autoantibodies: Primary Sjögren syndrome
• Anti-p62: Primary biliary cirrhosis
• Anti-PM-Scl: Polymyositis/systemic sclerosis (PM/SSc) overlap syndrome
• Anti-RNP: Mixed connective-tissue disease, SLE
• Anti-Ro/SS-A autoantibodies: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), primary Sjögren syndrome, neonatal heart block
• Anti-Sm (Smith): SLE
• Anti-sp100: Primary biliary cirrhosis
• Anti-topoisomerase antibodies: Scleroderma

Other autoantibodies and associated diseases include the following:

• Anti-CCP: Rheumatoid arthritis
• Anti-ganglioside antibodies: Miller-Fisher syndrome, acute motor axonal neuropathy, multifocal motor neuropathy with conduction block
• Anti-mitochondrial antibody: Primary biliary cirrhosis
• Antiphospholipid antibodies: Antiphospholipid syndrome
• Anti-smooth muscle antibody: Chronic autoimmune hepatitis
• Anti-SRP: Polymyositis
• Anti-thyroid autoantibodies: Hashimoto thyroiditis, Graves disease
• Anti-transglutaminase antibodies: Celiac disease, dermatitis herpetiformis
• c-ANCA: Wegener granulomatosis
• Liver kidney microsomal type 1 antibody: Autoimmune hepatitis
• Lupus anticoagulant: SLE
• p-ANCA: Wegener granulomatosis, microscopic polyangiitis, Churg-Strauss syndrome, systemic vasculitides
• Rheumatoid factor: Rheumatoid arthritis