Sometimes the immune system's recognition apparatus breaks down, and the body
begins to manufacture antibodies and T cells directed against the body's own
cells and organs.
Such cells and autoantibodies, as they are known, contribute to many diseases.
For instance, T cells that attack pancreas cells contribute to diabetes, while
an autoantibody known as rheumatoid factor is common in persons with rheumatoid
arthritis.
![Disorders of the Immune System: Autoimmune Disease](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20080923085123im_/http://www.nci.nih.gov/images/Documents/02853881-1148-4541-b2b6-e8ecd3e50c6f/cancer27.jpg)
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