ABSTRACT
Antigens, by definition, are “foreign,” but as people learn more about the immune system, it has become apparent that “foreign” may not be entirely synonymous with “non-self.” The causes of autoimmune diseases remain unknown, but research has strongly suggested a pathogenesis of the disease progression over time and the damage it produces. Abnormalities in the patient’s genome can make it susceptible to dysregulation. A person’s genes are what “predispose” them or provides the genetic susceptibility to dysregulate the immune system, which in turn yields chronic inflammation and, in effect, creates the pathological damage to cells, tissues, and organ systems synonymous with autoimmune diseases. As the immune system fights off foreign antigens, it is continually releasing inflammatory proteins called “pro-inflammatory cytokines.” The environmental factors mentioned previously along with the inherited alleles that an individual possesses for a specific gene, combine to produce the “phenotype trigger” and the clinical manifestations of the disease state.
