Bullous Pemphigoid

Bullous pemphigoid is an autoimmune disorder. If you have it, your immune system attacks healthy cells in your skin and mouth, causing blisters and sores. No one knows the cause. Bullous pemphigoid does not spread from person to person. It does not appear to be inherited. But some people’s genes put them more at risk for bullous pemphigoid. Bullous pemphigoid is most common in older adults and may be fatal for older, sick patients. Bullous pemphigoid usually occurs in elderly persons and is rare in young people. 

Behcet’s Disease

Behcet’s disease is a chronic, multisystem autoimmune disease involving inflammation of blood vessels, called vasculitis, throughout the body. It is a rare disease, most commonly found in the Eastern Mediterranean countries and in eastern Asia. It affects more young men than women in those countries, but in the US it affects more women, most often in their 20s and 30s. The central nervous system, heart, and intestinal tract may be involved. Because this disease is so rare and it’s symptoms overlap those of other diseases, it may be very difficult to diagnose. Spontaneous remission may occur, which can add to the difficulty in diagnosis.

Axonal & neuronal neuropathy (AMAN)

Axonal & neuronal neuropathy (AMAN) is a variant of Guillain-Barré syndrome, an autoimmune disease. It is characterized by acute paralysis and loss of reflexes without sensory loss. The syndrome typically presents as a progressive symmetric paralysis (loss of muscle function) with areflexia (absence of neurologic reflexes such as the knee jerk reaction), often causing respiratory failure. Antibodies attack the coating of the motor neurons without causing inflammation. It does not affect sensory neurons, so sensation remains intact despite loss of movement.

Autoimmune inner ear disease (AIED)

Autoimmune inner ear disease (AIED) is an unusual form of progressive non-age-related sensorineural hearing loss and sometimes vertigo. It occurs in both ears with cochlear and vestibular symptoms that progress over a period of weeks to months and affects hearing, and often balance function, in both ears. The classic presentation is with bilateral fluctuating but progressive sensorineural hearing loss leading on to severe deafness. Tinnitus (ringing, tinkling, buzzing, or other sounds in the ear) and intra-aural pressure may occur, as well as dizziness or vertigo.

Autoimmune Hepatitis

Autoimmune hepatitis is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease of the liver. It usually occurs by itself, but it can coexist with other autoimmune diseases. The male/female ratio is 8:1, and it most often occurs in persons of Northern European extraction. It is usually classified as Type I or Type II. Type I is the most common and occurs at any age, most commonly in women. Type II is less common, affecting mostly girls between the ages of two to fourteen, although adults can have it too. 

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS)

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune syndrome caused by antiphospholipid antibodies. These antibodies are often referred to by different terms, including anticardiolipin antibody, lupus anticoagulant, and antiphospholipid antibody. APS can be primary or secondary, and also can be referred to by the name Hughes syndrome or “sticky blood”. 

Anti-GBM/Anti-TBM nephritis

Anti-GBM/Anti-TBM nephritis: Anti–glomerular basement membrane (anti-GBM) antibody disease is a rare autoimmune disorder caused by autoantibodies that attack the walls of small blood vessels (capillaries) in the kidney. Anti-GBM disease that only affects the kidneys is called anti-GBM glomerulonephritis. This is a form of inflammation (-itis), which is injury to tissue caused by white blood cells (leukocytes). Glomerulonephritis due to Anti-GBM antibody disease is rare. It occurs in less than 1 case per million persons. It affects mostly young, white men aged 15-35. After age 50, women are more likely to be affected. The sexes overall are affected approximately at a male-female ratio of 3:2. It is seen very rarely in children. Some evidence suggests that genetics may play an important role in this disease. 60-70% of patients have both lung and kidney involvement. This is called Goodpasture’s Syndrome. 20-40% have only kidney involvement, which is called “renal limited” anti-GBM disease. Symptoms may include: chills and fever, nausea and vomiting, weight loss, chest pain, bleeding may cause anemia, respiratory failure, and kidney failure. Treatment of anti-GBM disease is focused on removing the anti-GBM antibody from the blood.

Ankylosing Spondylitis

Ankylosing spondylitis is an autoimmune disease and is a type of arthritis of the spine. It causes swelling between your vertebrae, which are the disks that make up your spine, and in the joints between your spine and pelvis. The disease is more common and more severe in men. It often runs in families. Early symptoms include back pain and stiffness. These problems often start in late adolescence or early adulthood. Over time, ankylosing spondylitis can fuse your vertebrae together, limiting movement. Symptoms can worsen or improve or stop altogether. The disease has no cure, but medicines can relieve the pain, swelling and other symptoms. Exercise can also help.

Amyloidosis

Amyloidosis is a disorder in which abnormal proteins build up in tissues and organs. The cause of primary amyloidosis is unknown. The condition is related to abnormal and excess production of antibodies by a type of immune cell called plasma cells. Clumps of abnormal proteins build up in certain organs. This reduces their ability to work correctly. Symptoms depend on the organs affected. This disease can affect the tongue, intestines, skeletal and smooth muscles, nerves, skin, ligaments, heart, liver, spleen, and kidneys. Symptoms include: abnormal heart rhythm, fatigue, numbness of hands or feet, shortness of breath, hoarseness or changing voice, and joint pain.

Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder which is characterized by hair loss. Alopecia areata is found equally in both men and women. The disease can occur at any age, including childhood.

The hair loss may result in round bald patches on the scalp (alopecia areata) or involve the loss of all facial and scalp hair (alopecia totalis). The loss of all body hair is called alopecia universalis. Alopecia postpartum is characterized by loss of significant hair following pregnancy and is usually temporary. When a patient is diagnosed with alopecia, the first question is usually about whether or not the hair will regrow. The answer is usually vague as each case is different. Regrowth of hair may occur in some patients; and in other, the hair loss is permanent.

Agammaglobulinemia

Agammaglobulinemia is an immune disorder related to antibody deficiency (hypogammaglobulinemia) and is manifested in a variety of immune deficiency disorders in which the immune system is compromised. This group of immune deficiencies may be the consequence of an inherited condition, an impaired immune system from known or unknown cause, a relation to autoimmune diseases, or a malignancy.

Immunoglobulin deficiencies may be referred to by many different names, as there are several variables within the separate but related immune disorders; and there are also many subgroups. Antibody deficiency, immunoglobulin deficiency, and gamma globulin deficiency are all synonyms for hypogammaglobulinemia.