Autoimmune Diseases: Most Effective Dietary Supplements

Autoimmune diseases are conditions where an individual's immune system attacks its own cells and tissues, mistakenly recognizing them as foreign elements. This autoimmune reaction is characterized by the production of autoantibodies or the activation of T lymphocytes directed against autoantigens, that is, antigens normally present in the body.

Pathophysiology

The pathophysiology of autoimmune diseases involves a series of aberrant immune mechanisms. Autoantibodies or autoreactive T cells play a central role in the pathological process. These elements can induce local inflammation, damage tissues, and promote the presentation of other autoantigens, thus widening the specificity of the autoimmune response. In some cases, autoantibodies are directly responsible for the damage, as is the case in myasthenia or Graves' disease. In other cases, autoreactive T cells infiltrate target organs and trigger inflammation that contributes to disease progression, as observed in type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.

Classification

Autoimmune diseases can be classified into two major categories: organ-specific and systemic. In the first case, diseases affect a single organ or group of organs, like Hashimoto's thyroiditis (thyroid) or type 1 diabetes (pancreas). Systemic diseases, on the other hand, affect multiple organs or systems at once, like systemic lupus erythematosus.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of autoimmune diseases often relies on the detection of specific autoantibodies. For example, antinuclear antibodies are typically present in lupus, while anti-thyroperoxidase antibodies are characteristic of Hashimoto's thyroiditis. The presence of these autoantibodies, associated with specific clinical signs, allows for the confirmation of the diagnosis. Additionally, modern techniques such as indirect immunofluorescence and enzyme immunoassays enable the detection and quantification of these autoantibodies, thus offering valuable tools for management.

Treatment

The goal of treatment is often to control disease progression, manage symptoms, and improve patients' quality of life. Immunosuppressive treatments, such as corticosteroids, cyclosporine, or azathioprine, are commonly used. In some cases, more specific treatments, like inducing immune tolerance through autoantigenic peptides, are under development.