PubMed Health⌕ Search

PubMed · 15794909

Polyendocrine autoimmunity.

Abstract

Autoimmune polyendocrine disorders are characterized by the presence of more than one autoimmune endocrine disease. Study of such disorders has provided unique insight into the pathogenesis of autoimmunity and the development of tolerance in the normal individual. Autoimmune polyendocrine syndromes I and II have distinctive inheritance patterns, genetic causes, component diseases, and implications for follow-up. Care for individuals with these diseases requires monitoring for additional autoimmune disorders and aggressive treatment of identified diseases to prevent morbidity and mortality in affected individuals.

Explore related subjects

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Jennifer M Barker. 2005. Polyendocrine autoimmunity.. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11892-005-0033-0

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related citations

New reagents on the horizon for immune tolerance.

Recent advances in immunology and a growing arsenal of new drugs are bringing the focus of tolerance research from animal models into the clinical setting. The conceptual framework for therapeutic tolerance induction has shifted from a "sledgehammer" approach that relies solely on cellular depletion and cytokine targeting, to a strategy directed toward restoring a functional balance across the immune system, namely the different populations of naive cells, effector and memory cells, and regulatory cells. Unlocking the key to tolerance induction in the future will likely depend on our ability to harness the functions of T regulatory cells. Also, dendritic cells are strategically positioned at the interface between innate and adaptive immunity and may be subject to deliberate medical intervention in a way that can control a chronic inflammatory response. Many reagents with tolerance-inducing potential are currently undergoing clinical testing in transplantation, autoimmune diseases, and allergic diseases, and even more that are on the horizon promise to offer enormous benefits to human health.

Autoimmune Diseases↗

Development and research in idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura: an inflammatory and autoimmune disorder.

Bleeding and isolated thrombocytopenia in idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) are phenomena of a transient or long-term disturbed immune response. Since 1980, ITP has become a model for targeted therapeutic immunomodulation with still unclear mechanisms of action. The systematic analysis of ITP aims to determine more clearly defined patient subgroups for targeted therapy and to explore the complex immune disturbances in this autoimmune disorder.

Autoimmune Diseases↗

Autoimmune pancreatitis associated with a large pancreatic pseudocyst.

Pancreatic cystic lesions comprise various entities with different histopathological characteristics and their differential diagnosis is often a challenge for clinicians. Autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) is usually not considered in the differential diagnosis of cystic lesions, but often mimics the morphological aspects of pancreatic neoplasm. We report the case of a 64-year-old male patient with a cystic pancreatic head lesion (diameter 5 cm) and stenosis of the distal bile duct requiring repeated stenting. Because of the clinical presentation together with moderate elevation of serum CA19-9 and massive elevation of cyst fluid CA19-9 (122.695 U/L; normal range: <37.0 U/L), the patient underwent explorative laparotomy and pylorus preserving partial pancreaticoduodenectomy. Histology revealed surprisingly AIP with an inflammatory pseudocyst. In conclusion, cyst fluid analysis of tumor markers and cyst fluid cytology lack high accuracy to clearly differentiate cystic pancreatic lesions. Although AIP is rarely associated with pseudocysts, the disease has to be considered in the differential diagnosis of cystic pancreatic lesions. Early examination of serum IgG, IgG4 and auto-antibodies might save these patients from unnecessary endoscopical and surgical procedures.

Autoimmune Diseases↗