Guest guest Posted November 8, 2006 Report Share Posted November 8, 2006 Wish I was in Hawaii right now - I need a holiday! Love & Blessings, Sunny > > > > > > > > > > >Dearest Rogene: > > > > > > > > > > > >Thank you for posting this information and for > the " contact " . I > > > > > >still have folders that will not be deleted, but some of the > > hard > > > > > >copies have been destroyed. It hurts to help me to > > destroy > > > >all > > > > > >of my hard work, but we have no choice. This was not about > > money, > > > >I > > > > > >just knew too much in an Oil Rich province. > > > > > > > > > > > >Love you honey...Lea > > > > > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`` > > > > > > Fwd: Immunosciences Lab: Autoimmune > > > >Diseases > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Autoimmune Diseases > > > > > >Page 1 of 2 > > > > > > > > > > > >Autoimmunity, in which the immune system recognizes and > attacks > > > >the > > > > > >self's own tissue, is not as simple as it seems. Self- > > recognition > > > > > >appears to be at the heart of health as well as of certain > > > >diseases. > > > > > > It is generally assumed that the main job of the immune > system > > > >is > > > > > > to distinguish between what is " self " and what is " not > self " . > > > >Once > > > > > > the distinction has been made, " self " is pre-served and " not > > > >self " > > > > > > is destroyed. At the most general level, of course, this is > > true, > > > > > > and human beings remain alive and healthy only because it > is > > so. > > > > > > Recently it has become clear, however, that at a finer > level > > of > > > > > > detail the distinction between self and other is not > absolute. > > > >One > > > > > > of the paths to this insight has been provided by the > > autoimmune > > > > > > disorders, in which the immune system attacks normal, > healthy > > > > > > tissue. Autoimmune disease, which may be crippling or > fatal, > > can > > > > > > strike any tissue or organ. Its victims are often in the > > prime of > > > > > > life, and for unknown reasons they are more frequently > women > > than > > > >men. > > > > > >Research work on a form of autoimmune arthritis shows that > the > > > >basis > > > > > >of autoimmunity may be a resemblance between a specific > foreign > > > > > >molecule and a molecule of the self. This finding is > consistent > > > >with > > > > > >a model of the immune system in which the immune system > > receptors > > > > > >that perform the work of recognition can themselves be > > recognized > > > >by > > > > > >other receptors. Such " self-recognition, " which was strictly > > > > > >outlawed by older models of the immune sys-tem, may form the > > basis > > > > > >of a network whose equilibrium keeps the body healthy. When > it > > is > > > > > >disrupted, as it is in autoimmunity, disease results. > > > > > >This new picture, in which self and world are no longer > > absolutely > > > > > >distinct, has already begun to yield practical benefits in > the > > > >form > > > > > >of vaccines that may ultimately ease the substantial > suffering > > > > > >caused by autoimmune diseases. The list of autoimmune > diseases > > is > > > > > >both long and disturbing. It includes multiple sclerosis, in > > which > > > > > >the tissue attacked is myelin (a sub-stance that sheathes > > nerves > > > >in > > > > > >the central nervous system); myasthenia gravis, in which the > > > >target > > > > > >is a receptor molecule for the important neurotransmitter > > > > > >acetylcholine; rheumatoid arthritis, whose target is the > > > >peripheral > > > > > >joint; type I (juvenile) diabetes mellitus, in which the > cells > > > > > >producing insulin are destroyed, and systemic lupus > > erythematosus, > > > > > >in which DNA, blood vessels, skin and kidneys are attacked. > In > > > > > >contrast to AIDS, which is marked by an in activation of key > > cells > > > > > >in the immune system, in all these diseases the immunological > > > > > >response is strong and well focused; it is, however, > directed > > at > > > > > >some essential component of the body. These immunological > > attacks > > > > > >are detected in clinical laboratory by the measurement of > > > > > >tissue-specific and tissue non-specific antibodies. > > > > > > > > > > > >Autoimmune Diseases > > > > > >Page 2 of 2 > > > > > > > > > > > >Autoimmune diseases can be separated broadly into two > > categories. > > > > > >One group is characterized by the presence of auto antibodies > > > >which > > > > > >are broadly reactive with nuclear or cytoplasmic antigens > and > > do > > > >not > > > > > >demonstrate any tissue specificity. Included in this group > are > > > > > >diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, SLE, mixed connective > > > >tissue > > > > > >disease, scleroderma, Sjogren's syndrome, and > > > > > >dermatomyositis/polymyositis. A second group of autoimmune > > > >diseases > > > > > >is characterized by autoantibodies which demonstrate tissue > > > > > >specificity. These diseases include thyroiditis, chronic > liver > > > > > >diseases (including primary biliary cirrhosis and chronic > > active > > > > > >Hepatitis), certain cases of pernicious anemia, and > myasthenia > > > >gravis. > > > > > >The autoantibodies which appear in these disease states > > > >demonstrate > > > > > >different degrees of specificity with respect to both tissue > > and > > > > > >species. Tissue-specific autoantibodies include those which > > react > > > > > >against erythrocyte stromalantigens, platelets, > antihemophilic > > > > > >globulin, thyroid tissue and other tissues, and g-globulin > > > > > >(rheumatoid factor). Autoantibodies without tissue > specificity > > > > > >include anti-nuclear, anti-nucleoprotien, anti-DNA, and > > > > > >anti-cytoplasmicantibodies. Autoantibodies directed against > the > > > > > >formed elements of the blood can undoubtedly induce disease > by > > > > > >causing the destruction and removal of these cells from the > > > > > >circulation. However, it is far less certain whether other > > types > > > >of > > > > > >autoantibodies play pathogenic roles. > > > > > >Most studies of autoantibodies in both humans and animals > have > > > > > >concentrated on the reactivity of humoral constituents. > > However, > > > >it > > > > > >should be remembered that the cell-mediated immune response > is > > far > > > > > >more efficient in terms of tissue destruction. Since humoral > > > > > >antibodies have been shown, under appropriate circumstances, > to > > > > > >prevent cell-mediated tissue damage, it is conceivable that > > they > > > >may > > > > > >have a protective rather than a destructive function. There > is > > > > > >presently no indication whether the autoantibodies detected > in > > > >human > > > > > >disease rep-resent a primary manifestation of the disease > > itself > > > >or > > > > > >a secondary event stimulated by an underlying, but unrelated, > > > > > >abnormality. In ether event, the mechanisms which may be > > > >responsible > > > > > >for the abrogation of natural immunologic tolerance are > worthy > > of > > > > > >consideration. Four general mechanisms have been proposed in > > the > > > > > >pathogenesis of autoantibody production:1.alterations in the > > > > > >structure or distribution of antigens;2.formation of cross- > > > >reactive > > > > > >antibodies following exposure to extrinsic > antigens;3.release > > of > > > > > >sequestered antigens; and4.abnormalities of immunologic > > responsive- > > > >ness. > > > > > >An assault on the self through molecular mimicry or antigenic > > > > > >similarity between foreign antigens (virus, bacreria) and > human > > > > > >tissue antigens which may end with an autoimmune disease is > > > > > >presented in <<http://www.immuno-sci->http://www.immuno- sci- > > > >lab.com/2003_cat_page27.htm>Fig. > > > > > >8. This process which may strike many target tissues is > shown > > in > > > >Table 1. > > > > > > > > > > > >IMMUNOSCIENCES LAB., INC. - services > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ><<http://www.immuno-sci- lab.com/tests.html>http://www.immuno- > > sci- > > > > lab.com/tests.html> > > > > > >TESTS > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ><<http://www.immuno-sci- lab.com/form.html>http://www.immuno- > > sci-l > > > > ab.com/form.html> > > > > > >FORM > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ><<http://www.immuno-sci- > > lab.com/images/sampleform2.GIF>http://www > > > > .immuno-sci-lab.com/images/sampleform2.GIF> > > > > > >SAMPLE > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >IMMUNOSCIENCES LOGO > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ><<http://promos.hotbar.com/promos/promodll.dll? > > >http://promos.hot > > > > bar.com/promos/promodll.dll? > > > >RunPromo & El= & SG= & RAND=84572 & partner=hbtools> > > > > > >Upgrade Your Email - Click here! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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