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Your body's immune system protects you from disease and infection. But if you have an autoimmune disease, your immune system attacks itself 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''' arise from an overactive immune response of the body against substances and tissues normally present in the body. Today there are more than 40 human diseases classified as either definite or probable autoimmune diseases and they affect 5-7% of the population. Almost all autoimmune diseases appear without warning or apparent cause and most patients suffer from fatigue. The causes of autoimmune diseases are still obscure: some are thought to be either examples of, or precipitated by, diseases of affluence. For example, arthritis and obesity are acknowledged to be related, and the World Health Organisation states that arthritis is most common in developed countries. Most autoimmune diseases are probably the result of multiple circumstances: for example, a genetic predisposition triggered by an infection. Women tend to be affected more often by autoimmune disorders, nearly 79% of autoimmune disease patients in the USA are women [http://www.acs.ohio-state.edu/units/research/archive/autoimmu.htm]. Also they tend to appear during or shortly after puberty. It is not known why this is the case, although hormone levels have been shown to affect the severity of some autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis [http://www.sciencemag.org/feature/data/983519.shl]. Other causes may include the presence of fetal cells in the maternal bloodstream.
Kellie Martin to Become National Spokesperson for Autoimmune Disease - Press release from the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association.
Stanford University Proteomics Center - This Proteomics Center represents an interdisciplinary effort to explore and converge results from 4 different platform technologies that analyze intracellular and secreted blood cell proteins related to systemic autoimmune disease processes.
American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association - Dedicated to the eradication of the disease, the alleviation of the suffering caused and its socioeconomic impact. Extensive information for patients on many autoimmune related diseases and coping with autoimmunity. Press releases and research reports included.
50 Years NIAID - Immunologic Diseases - Articles targeted at the general public on allergy and asthma, graft-vs-host diseases, immune deficiency diseases and autoimmune diseases. Also contains information on how the immune system works.
Protein Design Labs, Inc. - Develops humanized monoclonals to prevent and treat autoimmune disease, inflammatory conditions, cancers and viral infections. Includes clinical trials in Europe, manufactuing in Minnesota, headquartered in Fremont, California. (Nasdaq: PDLI)
Laboratory of Immunology for Research and Applications to Diagnosis - LIRAD offers reference laboratory for medicine, focusing on autoimmunity, chemokines, HLA and blood group protein biology, with diagnostic testing of immunologically mediated diseases, immunohematological disorders, transfusional reactions and advice on immunological profiles from a division of Serveis Sanitaris de Referencia, Spain.
Corixa Corporation - Discovers and develops immunotherapeutic for treating cancer, autoimmune and infectious diseases. Introduces vaccines, adjuvants, monoclonal antibodies, developments and investor data from Seattle, Washington. (Nasdaq: CRXA)
Chemocentryx - Developing medicines for autoimmune and inflammatory disorders, cancer, infectious disease and transplant rejection based on the chemokine system. Includes brief overview of chemokines. Based in San Carlos, CA.
Cytokine PharmaSciences Inc. - Company focused on the development and manufacturing of controlled-release drug delivery products, primarily in the area of women's health and small molecule therapeutics in the areas of autoimmune diseases, anti-inflammation and cancer. Includes review of pre-clinical, clinical and marketed products, list of partners and contacts in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, USA.
National Jewish Medical and Research Center - Devoted entirely to respiratory, allergic and immune system diseases, including asthma, tuberculosis, emphysema, severe allergies, AIDS, cancer and autoimmune diseases, such as lupus in Denver, CO.