Lupus and Autoimmune Diseases
Introduction The immune system is designed to protect the body from harmful invaders such as bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens. In healthy individuals, the immune system can distinguish between foreign substances and the body’s own cells. However, in some cases this system malfunctions and mistakenly targets the body’s own tissues. This abnormal immune response leads to a group of conditions known as autoimmune diseases . Autoimmune diseases can affect many different organs and systems in the body, including the joints, skin, nervous system, digestive tract, and endocrine glands. Although each condition has its own symptoms and patterns, they all share the common feature of the immune system attacking healthy tissue. The severity and progression of these diseases can vary widely among individuals. Definition of Autoimmune Disease An autoimmune disease is a condition in which the immune system mistakenly recognizes the body’s own cells, tissues, or organs as harmful and attack...