Doctors and medical providers are talking to all of their patients about autoimmune diseases.
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According to a recent September 2018 Redbook article, the immune system is like the body’s army – it spends the earliest years of your life distinguishing friends from enemies so it can protect you from invaders. An autoimmune attack can come seemingly out of nowhere, possibly due to a combination of genetics and the environment according to Anca Askanase, M.D., associate professor of medicine at Columbia University’s Irving Medical Center and director of the Columbia Lupus Center.
Antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) are autoantibodies that attack self-proteins within cell nucleus structures; their presence in serum may indicate an autoimmune disease. Also, positive ANA test results have been obtained in chronic infectious diseases, cancers, medication-related adverse events or in even rare events a healthy individual according to a Medscape article by Lucia M. Sur, Ph.D.; et al 2018.
Antibodies are proteins produced by lymphocytes B of the immune system that recognizes foreign antigens such as viruses, bacteria or other germs. After recognizing the antigens, antibodies, antibodies start to recruit specialized cells and proteins, which lead to activation of the inflammation cascade – the response of the organism to defend itself.
Recent statistics gives us a glimpse into the massive issue confronting society. Selena Gomez’s kidney transplant was needed due to a complication of lupus. 50 million Americans are affected by autoimmune diseases. 100 million is a combination of all the autoimmune diseases.
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Sjogren Syndrome (SJS), Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD), Polymyositis (PM) are just a few of the medical conditions indicating a systemic autoimmune disease.
