Your body's immune system protects you from disease and infection. But if you have an autoimmune disease, your immune system attacks healthy cells in your body by mistake. Autoimmune diseases can affect many parts of the body. These diseases tend to run in families. Women - particularly African-American, Hispanic-American, and Native-American women - have a higher risk for some autoimmune diseases.
There are more than 80 types of autoimmune diseases, and some have similar symptoms. This makes it hard for your health care provider to know if you really have one of these diseases, and if so, which one. Getting diagnosed can be frustrating and stressful. In many people, the first symptoms are being tired, muscle aches and low fever.
The diseases may also have flare-ups, when they get worse, and remissions, when they all but disappear. The diseases do not usually go away, but symptoms can be treated.
- Autoimmune Diseases(National Women's Health Information Center) - http://womenshealth.gov/faq/autoimmune-diseases.cfm
- Autoimmune Disorders(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/conditions/autoimmune.html
- ANA (Antinuclear Antibody Test)(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/ana/test.html
- C-Reactive Protein (CRP)(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/crp/test.html
- Tips for Getting a Proper Diagnosis of an Autoimmune Disease(American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association) - http://www.aarda.org/infocus_article.php?ID=15
- How Rheumatologists Use Chemotherapy(Cleveland Clinic Foundation) - http://my.clevelandclinic.org/rheumatology_immunology/disorders/rheumatoid_arthritis/chemotherapy.aspx
- Information on Rheumatology Therapeutics(Center for Drug Evaluation and Research) - http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/rheumatology/default.htm
- Coping with Autoimmunity(American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association) - http://www.aarda.org/coping.php
- Living Well with a Rheumatic Disease(American College of Rheumatology) - http://www.rheumatology.org/public/factsheets/diseases_and_conditions/livingwell.asp?aud=pat
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Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome
(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/aps/aps_what.html
- Antiphospholipid Syndrome(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/antiphospholipid-syndrome/DS00921/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
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Antiphospholipid Syndrome(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/antiphosphlipid/antiphospholipid.htm
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Autoimmune Hepatitis(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/autoimmunehep/
- Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease(American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery) - http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/autoimmuneInnerEar.cfm
- Familial Mediterranean Fever(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/familial-mediterranean-fever/DS00766/METHOD=print&DSECTION=all
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Goodpasture's Syndrome(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/goodpasture/
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Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/lambert_eaton/lambert_eaton.htm
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Learning about Autoimmune Lymphoproliferative Syndrome (ALPS)(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Human Genome Research Institute) - http://www.genome.gov/page.cfm?pageID=10001585
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Neuromyelitis Optica(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/neuromyelitis_optica/neuromyelitis_optica.htm
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Paraneoplastic Syndromes(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/paraneoplastic/paraneoplastic.htm
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Questions and Answers about Alopecia Areata(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) - http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Alopecia_Areata/default.asp
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Stiff-Person Syndrome(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/stiffperson/stiffperson.htm
- Associated Autoimmune Diseases(Gluten Intolerance Group) - Links to PDF - http://www.gluten.net/downloads/print/Associatedautoimmuneflat.pdf
- Autoimmunity and Smallpox Vaccine - A Risk?(American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association) - http://www.aarda.org/infocus_article.php?ID=4
- Common Thread(American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association) - http://www.aarda.org/common_thread.php
- Environmental Factors--What Role in Autoimmune Diseases?(American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association) - http://www.aarda.org/infocus_article.php?ID=33
- Sex Differences in Autoimmune Disease(Society for Women's Health Research) - http://www.womenshealthresearch.org/site/PageServer?pagename=hs_facts_autoimmune
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Immune System(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/immuneSystem/
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Understanding Cancer Series: The Immune System(National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/understandingcancer/immunesystem
Also available in Spanish http://www.cancer.gov/espanol/cancer/entendiendo/sistema-inmunologico
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Autoimmune Diseases(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Autoimmune+Diseases%22
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Genetics Home Reference: Autoimmune polyglandular syndrome, type 1(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=autoimmunepolyglandularsyndrometype1
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Genetics Home Reference: Immune dysregulation, polyendocrinopathy, enteropathy, X-linked syndrome(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=immunedysregulationpolyendocrinopathyenteropathyxlinkedsyndrome
- Neuromyelitis Optica(American Academy of Neurology) - http://www.neurology.org/cgi/content/full/72/8/e40
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New Pathway Shows Promise for Tempering Inflammatory Response(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) - http://www.niams.nih.gov/News_and_Events/Spotlight_on_Research/2008/Pathway_for_Inflam.asp
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Vitamin A and Anti-Inflammatory Activity(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) - http://www.niams.nih.gov/News_and_Events/Spotlight_on_Research/2008/VitaminA_Anti_Inflam.asp
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Management of autoimmune retinopathies with immunosuppression. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19365013&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Review of the classification and assessment of the cutaneous manifestations... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19336019&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Photoessay of the cutaneous manifestations of the idiopathic inflammatory myopathies. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19336018&tool=MedlinePlus
- Autoimmune Diseases -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=Autoimmune+diseases[majr:noexp]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+(review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+jsubsetk[text]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association - http://www.aarda.org/
- American College of Rheumatology - http://www.rheumatology.org/
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National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/
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National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases - http://www.niams.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://www.niams.nih.gov/Portal_En_Espanol/
- InFocus Newsletter(American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association) - http://www.aarda.org/articles.php
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Immune System(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_body/body_basics/immune.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/teen/en_espanol/cuerpo/immune_esp.html
- Autoimmune Disease in Women(American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association) - http://www.aarda.org/women_and_autoimmunity.php
- Living with Autoimmune Diseases(National Women's Health Information Center) - http://womenshealth.gov/pub/2007daybook/autoimmune/
- Pregnancy & Rheumatic Disease(American College of Rheumatology) - http://www.rheumatology.org/public/factsheets/diseases_and_conditions/pregnancy.asp
- Addison's Disease - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/addisonsdisease.html
- Diabetes Type 1 - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/diabetestype1.html
- Guillain-Barre Syndrome - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/guillainbarresyndrome.html
- Lupus - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/lupus.html
- Multiple Sclerosis - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/multiplesclerosis.html
- Myasthenia Gravis - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/myastheniagravis.html
- Rheumatoid Arthritis - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/rheumatoidarthritis.html
- Immune System - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/immunesystem.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Autoimmune Diseases is the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases - http://www.niams.nih.gov/