Autoimmune Diseases

Study reveals potential immune benefits of vitamin D supplements in healthy individuals

Research from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) shows that improving vitamin D status by increasing its level in the blood could have a number of non-skeletal health benefits. The study, published online in PLOS ON ...

Immunology created Mar 20, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (5) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

How can psychological stress be determined in chronic cardiovascular disease?

An investigation in one of the last issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics addresses the evaluation of psychological stress in the setting of chronic cardiovascular disease. In a number of circumstances allostatic system ...

Psychology & Psychiatry created Mar 19, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Rheumatoid arthritis can be costly

(HealthDay)—Workers with rheumatoid arthritis have higher health care and other costs for U.S. employers than workers without the condition, a new study finds.

Arthritis & Rheumatism created Mar 15, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

People with type 1 diabetes at risk of thyroid disease

(HealthDay)—People who have type 1 diabetes are more likely than others to develop an autoimmune thyroid condition.

Diabetes created Mar 15, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Dwelling on stressful events can increase inflammation in the body, study finds

Dwelling on negative events can increase levels of inflammation in the body, a new Ohio University study finds. Researchers discovered that when study participants were asked to ruminate on a stressful incident, their levels ...

Psychology & Psychiatry created Mar 13, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Combination therapy provides similar clinical benefit as single drug treatment in MS

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who were treated with combination therapy did not see significant clinical benefit over those treated with single drug therapy, but combination therapy did reduce the development of new ...

Neuroscience created Mar 11, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Common MS drugs taken together do not reduce relapse risk

A recent clinical trial found that interferonβ-1a (INF) and glatiramer acetate (GA), two of the most commonly prescribed drugs for multiple sclerosis (MS), provide no additional clinical benefit when taken together. While ...

Neuroscience created Mar 11, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Women live longer, but have a lower quality of life

To mark International Women's Day on 8th March 2013, the Institute of Gender Medicine at the MedUni Vienna has presented an alarming result obtained from gender-specific research. According to recent studies, ...

Health created Mar 11, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Excess dietary salt identified as autoimmune trigger

For the past few decades, health officials have been reporting increases in the incidence of autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Now researchers at Yale School of Medicine, Harvard Medical ...

Medical research created Mar 06, 2013 | popularity 4.4 / 5 (16) | comments 11 | with audio podcast

Circuitry of cells involved in immunity, autoimmune diseases exposed

New work from the Broad Institute's Klarman Cell Observatory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard University, MIT, and Yale University expands the understanding of how one type of immune cell – known as a T helper 17 ...

Medical research created Mar 06, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Mini-organ would mimic pancreas to treat type 1 diabetes

(HealthDay)— A new bioengineered, miniature organ dubbed the BioHub might one day offer people with type 1 diabetes freedom from their disease.

Medical research created Mar 05, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (4) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Discovery of human genetic mutation could lead to new treatments for type 1 diabetes

In type 1 diabetes, the immune system destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, but the precise cause has not been clear. A study published by Cell Press on March 5th in Cell Metabolism reveals that a ...

Genetics created Mar 05, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

A better bone marrow transplant: Preventing graft-versus-host disease

Bone marrow transplant is a key treatment for patients with leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma and other blood disorders.

Medical research created Mar 01, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Progesterone may be why pregnant women are more vulnerable to certain infections

Women who are pregnant or using synthetic progesterone birth control injections have a conspicuous vulnerability to certain infections including malaria, Listeria, HIV, and herpes simplex virus. A new research report appearing ...

Medical research created Feb 28, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Modified protein could become first effective treatment for vitiligo

Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine researchers have developed a genetically modified protein that dramatically reverses the skin disorder vitiligo in mice, and has similar effects on immune ...

Medical research created Feb 27, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast


Autoimmune diseases arise from an inappropriate immune response of the body against substances and tissues normally present in the body. In other words, the immune system mistakes some part of the body as a pathogen and attacks its own cells. This may be restricted to certain organs (e.g. in autoimmune 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). The treatment of autoimmune diseases is typically with immunosuppression—medication which decreases the immune response.

This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.

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Enzyme-activating antibodies revealed as marker for most severe form of rheumatoid arthritis

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Researchers analyse hunting behaviour of fish larvae in virtual reality

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