Autoimmune Diseases: Common Types | What If It’s Left Untreated?

10 Mar Autoimmune Diseases: Common Types | What If It’s Left Untreated?

Autoimmune diseases are characterized by a malfunctioning immune system that fails to differentiate between foreign bodies and internal cells.

Usually, the immune system works by:

• Recognizing foreign agents
• Activating the defense cells
• Attacking the foreign cells

Since the first step is always differentiation, when our immune system fails to differentiate the foreign cells from body cells, the entire system collapses.

It starts attacking healthy cells, tissues, and organs, inviting opportunistic infections and increasing the risk of life-threatening conditions.

Although there are more than 80 autoimmune diseases known to date, all autoimmune diseases are primarily classified based on site.

We will use this classification system today to list down some common types of autoimmune disorders.

Types of Autoimmune Diseases – Causes and Symptoms

As a matter of fact, there can be a lot of criteria to broadly classify autoimmune disorders. But the most useful one is based on the location.

According to the site of attack of the immune system in our body, we classify the types of autoimmune disorders as:

1. Systemic Autoimmune Disorders
2. Organ-Specific Autoimmune Disorders

Systemic Autoimmune Disorders

Systemic autoimmune disorders are among the common types of autoimmune diseases. It affects multiple organs at one time as autoantigens are present in all types of cells.

One such example is the DNA complex.

With that said, the most typical types of systemic autoimmune disorders are:

#1. Autoimmune Arthritis

In cases of autoimmune arthritis, our immune system attacks joints, causing inflammation.

There are many types of autoimmune arthritis but the type of arthritis that is an immune disorder affecting the majority of the population are:

• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Psoriatic arthritis

1. Rheumatoid Arthritis

A major portion of the population in the USA is currently suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. Though prevalent among women, it can also affect men.

The common sites of attack from the immune system are wrists, hands, and knees. But it can also affect other organs of the body like the heart, lungs, and even eyes.

Since this immune attack causes inflammation around these areas, it can lead to postural abnormalities, joint abnormalities, and severe pain.

Rheumatoid arthritis is further classified into two types based on the test conducted for rheumatic factor:

• Positive test – seropositive
• Negative results – seronegative

Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Common signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include:

• Severe chronic pain around joints
• Palpating the joints show tender and swollen area
• Unexplained weight loss
• A higher temperature than normal
• Weakness
• Stiff joints

2. Psoriatic Arthritis

Unlike rheumatoid arthritis, this condition affects just 30% of the population and is characterized by an attack of the immune system on tendons and ligaments present in the joint.

Though it affects all age groups, it is more common among older people above 50 years of age.

Initially, the disease starts with excess production of collagen that causes scaly skin above joints in patches. Later, it develops into arthritis post any traumatic blow.

Genetics can also be responsible for the condition.

Psoriatic Arthritis Symptoms

Symptoms are almost similar to rheumatoid arthritis but differ in:

• Edema around fingers and toes causing swelling
• One or more joints can be tender on palpation
• Reduced range of motion
• Symptoms around the nails like nails can separate from the bed
• Uveitis or redness of the eyes

Causes of Autoimmune Arthritis

Usually, the causes of autoimmune disease are not known as there could be any factor that triggers the killing activity of the immune system.

In the case of arthritis, the immune system sends antibodies to the lining of the joints, attacking the tissues.

This damages the synovium that lines the joints, causing inflammation and the release of chemicals that can further damage nearby bones, cartilage, and even tendons.

Common risk factors for this type of autoimmune disorder are:

• Chronic smoking
• Genetics
• Hormones like estrogen raise the risk for women

#2. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)

The SLE is the most common type of lupus and is a systemic autoimmune disorder characterized by an attack from the immune system on tissues causing a wider range of inflammation.

The most common sites of inflammation in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus are:

• Joints
• Skin
• Brain
• Lungs
• Kidney
• Blood vessels

Though in initial stages it is mild, the complexity can become severe and even life-threatening. Hence, people suffering from lupus should always look out for good treatment care.

Causes of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

There could be multiple factors responsible for the development of lupus including:

1. Genetics – People with genetically predeposited lupus can develop the disease on stimulation from any environmental factor.
2. Environmental factors – Pre-deposited lupus can send internal signals on exposure to excess sunlight.
3. Medications – Common medications like blood pressure medications, anti-seizure medications, and antibiotics can trigger lupus formation.
4. Infections –   Infections can give rise to lupus when left untreated and this could further lead to autoimmune SLE.

Symptoms of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

There could be various signs and symptoms of SLE, which can, in fact, also resemble the symptoms of arthritis.

However, the common symptoms of SLE that almost every patient experiences are:

• Skin flares which are periodic and recurring
• Ulcers in the oral cavity
• Respiratory abnormalities
• Cardiac abnormalities
• Allergic reactions on exposure to the sun
• Seizures

#3. Scleroderma (Crest Syndrome)

As the name suggests, the condition is characterized by inflammation of the dermis layer of the skin.

The immune system causes inflammation and other abnormalities in the tissues and skin, causing the hardening and tightening of the skin.

Usually, it results in the excess deposition of collagen leading to the formation of scar tissue.

Furthermore, it can also affect other organs of the body like the heart and lungs.

Scleroderma can be mild and easy to manage, but, when left untreated, can also take a severe life-threatening form.

With that said, this does also depend on the spread of the disease and the organs it affects. It can be localized and affect just one site and also be systemic, affecting multiple organs.

Causes of Scleroderma

There isn’t much research that establishes the exact causes of scleroderma, but two factors that experts suggest are:

• Genetic composition – The genetic composition of people often decides the type of scleroderma they develop. However, it’s not a genetic disease and cannot be passed from parent to child.
• Environment – Some viruses and chemicals can be responsible for triggering scleroderma.

Symptoms of Scleroderma Autoimmune Disease

Symptoms can vary from person to person according to the type.

• Localized Scleroderma – This type of scleroderma causes two types of patches of hard and thick skin which could be either oval or linear in shape.
• Systemic scleroderma – The systemic type can show up the following symptoms gradually or at random:
• Deposition of calcium under connective tissues.
• Changes in the color of your fingers and toes because of contraction and relaxation of arteries below the skin.
• Can affect the smooth muscles of your esophagus, causing impaired bowel movements.
• Formation of thick skin on your fingers and toes.

Next, we talk about the other type of autoimmune diseases, which are organ-specific disorders.

Organ-Specific Autoimmune Disorders

Just like systemic autoimmune disorders, organ-specific autoimmune disease is also common among the types of autoimmune diseases.

However, contrary to systemic autoimmune disorders, organ-specific autoimmune diseases usually are concentrated on a specific organ or tissue. 

This means that the immune system targets a specific organ in patients with organ-specific autoimmune disorders.

The most predominant types are explained as follows. 

#1. Autoimmune Diabetes

It is an organ-specific autoimmune disorder that affects the pancreatic cells and inhibits insulin release, mainly causing insulin deficiency.

During diagnostic tests, only 10% to 20% of beta cells of the pancreas are alive which shows how severe the disorder is.

The characteristic feature of the disease is the specific destruction of the beta cells of the pancreas along with insulitis.

Moreover, clinical analysis proves that autoimmune diabetes is mostly associated with the genetic composition of children, which leads to the future development of the condition.

Causes of Autoimmune Diabetes

In the case of autoimmune diabetes, 90% of the patients show positive for at least one autoantibody against the pancreatic islets.

These autoantibodies are mostly specific for pancreatic beta cells or insulin-releasing cells.

For example, the diagnostic tests show the presence of GAD antibodies in the early stages. But many other antibodies develop as the condition moves towards advanced stages.

Other than this, two other main factors contributing to the disorder are:

• Environmental factors – Infectious agents like viruses along with your diet are the leading environmental factors linked with autoimmune diabetes.
• Genetics – There are many genetic variations involved in autoimmune diabetes. For example, a sibling of the patient of autoimmune diabetes has a 15 times higher risk of developing the condition as compared to a normal individual.

Symptoms of Autoimmune Diabetes

The common symptoms of autoimmune diabetes are similar to diabetes mellitus:

• Hyperglycemia – High levels of glucose in the bloodstream
• Polyuria – Higher frequency of urination
• Polydipsia – Higher thirst rate than a healthy individual
• Polyphagia – Urge to eat more
• Unexplained weight loss

#2. Autoimmune Polyendocrine Syndrome

It is a broad term for many clinical conditions with the common pathway of dysfunctioning of multiple endocrine glands because of low immune tolerance.

Some common diseases that come under this syndrome are:

• Alopecia
• Vitiligo
• Celiac disease
• Autoimmune gastritis

Moreover, these are the main characteristic features of the autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome:

• Autoantibodies in the circulatory system
• Lymphocytic infiltration of affected tissues and organs

We can classify the syndrome broadly into two categories.

1. Autoimmune Polyendocrine Syndrome Type I

It is a rare autosomal recessive disease caused by mutations in the autoimmune controlling genes. The failure of these genes results in an autoimmune disorder.

Autoimmune Polyendocrine Syndrome Type I – Symptoms

The condition usually shows major symptoms like:

• Candidiasis in the oral mucosa
• Enamel hypoplasia – Increase in the number of cells around the enamel causing growth in size
• Chronic diarrhea
• Constipation
• Fever and rashes
• Pneumonitis
• Allergy to light

2. Autoimmune Polyendocrine Syndrome Type II

This is the most common type of autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome, characterized by:

1. Type I diabetes
2. Autoimmune thyroiditis
3. Addison’s disease

Compared to type I, this disease develops at later stages but shows similar symptoms as type I.

Causes of Autoimmune Polyendocrine Syndrome

The only known causes of the autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome include:

• Genetic factors – Mutation in the genes that regulate immunity of the body. Mutations lead to dysfunctions, causing failure in the identification of foreign bodies.
• Autoantibodies – Organ-specific antibodies can appear as a biomarker for the syndrome as the T cell-mediated loss of immune tolerance first initiates the attack by activating antibodies.

#3. Autoimmune Thyroid Diseases

This type of autoimmune disorder arises because of an attack of the immune system on the thyroid. 

Though the pathways that trigger the attack are still being studied, experts find interactions of genetic composition and environmental factors responsible for the same.

The two main types of autoimmune thyroid disorders are:

1. Graves’ Disease: The disease is caused by excess activity of the thyroid glands causing over-secretion of the thyroid hormone that can impact other organs too.

It is characterized by the following symptoms.

Symptoms of Graves’ Disease:

• Arrhythmia
• Unexplained weight loss
• Anxiety and depression
• Diarrhea
• Episodes of hot flashes
• Muscle weakness

2. Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis: Unlike Graves’ disease, this disorder is characterized by poor functioning of the thyroid gland leading to hypothyroidism.

There is less secretion of thyroid hormones leading to symptoms given below:

• Muscular cramps
• Constipation
• Hair loss
• Irregular periods
• Fatigue

Overall, both these autoimmune thyroid diseases are caused by the following pathway.

Causes of Autoimmune Thyroid Disorder

According to studies, interactions between genetic composition and environmental factors can lead to stimulation of T helper cells.

These cells release more IFN gamma and TNF alpha that further stimulate the thyroid cells. Hence, a loop is formed that continues to provide room for autoimmune activity.

However, the factors that trigger this pathway are still not known.

Other than these typical autoimmune disorders, some rare autoimmune diseases are not found in the majority of the population.

Based on demographic data, if you ask us what is the most common autoimmune disease, we would say, it’s arthritis.

And hence, mostly doctors suspect arthritis when your medical history matches that of an autoimmune disorder case.

Let us have a closer glance at what diagnostic patterns can confirm this suspicion and help recognize different types of autoimmune diseases.

Autoimmune Diseases – Medical Diagnosis

Usually, the symptoms of autoimmune diseases don’t specifically point towards the disorder. And, hence, it is challenging for anyone to confirm the disease without tests.

The diagnostic process starts with the doctor taking your genetic history and other physical examinations.

Post suspicion, the doctor conducts a series of tests including:

1. Antinuclear Antibody Tests – The test shows positive for any antinuclear antibody that the immune system sends while attacking the healthy cells.
2. Rheumatoid Factor Test – Tests for the rheumatoid factor, which is an antibody sent by the immune system during arthritis. However, there can be false-positive and negative results too.
3. A Complete Blood Count Test – Also called CBC, it is the first test conducted for any disease to find any abnormalities in the count of blood cells. White blood cells count is a popular test.
4. Complement Blood Test – Your complement system is the first defense system that gets activated during any disease. Any abnormalities here show the possibility of diseases. Low levels of complement proteins in the blood show autoimmune diseases.
5. ESR – Checks for inflammatory reactions in your body by collecting the blood sample in a test tube. If the blood cells sediment too quickly in the test tube, it shows positive inflammation. 

Treating Autoimmune Diseases – The Treatment Plan

There isn’t a specific treatment for autoimmune diseases that can cure it completely.

The treatment plan usually aims at managing the symptoms and improving the quality of life by restoring daily movements hindered by any such disorders.

However, the major focus remains on reducing inflammation and preventing the condition from worsening.

Doctors mostly prescribe two types of medications:

• Anti-inflammatory medications.
• Medications that suppress the immune system to prevent it from damaging your cells further.

Sometimes, corticosteroids and immunoglobulins can be administered too to prevent any complications.

The last treatment option again comes out to be a surgery in cases of arthritis where the focus remains on increasing the range of motion.

Treatment becomes important in cases of autoimmune diseases to prevent them from worsening and giving rise to complications.

What Happens If Autoimmune Disorder is Left Untreated?

Autoimmune diseases have symptoms that hinder your daily life. For example, in arthritis, the inflammation reduces your range of motion.

In other cases, there could be contraction and relaxation of blood vessels altering the blood volume, leading to swellings.

All these symptoms when left untreated can pave way for serious complications. And that can cause permanent tissue damage and abnormal shape of organs.

Some other symptoms like the autoimmune atrophic gastritis symptoms can complicate your life even more with improper digestion leading to lack of nourishment.

These symptoms can also lead to a change in how your organs work, making life more complicated and sometimes even leading to death.

In summary, common complications of untreated autoimmune diseases include:

• Heart diseases – Inflammation in the arteries for the long term can cause blockage, leading to fatal heart disease.
• Nerve Damage – The neurological autoimmune disease list is quite long as many autoimmune diseases can cause nerve damage, causing numbness in certain parts of your body.
• Thrombosis – It is a condition where blood forms clotting in distant parts of vessels, leading to less blood supply in various parts of the body.
• Damaged tissues and organs

What’s The Outlook?

Autoimmune diseases tend to be more severe than any other form of the disease as it paves way for many fatal infections.

Moreover, since your immune system is down and the defense system is weak, any mild form of disease too can develop into complex forms.

Also, the disorder doesn’t have any specific cure, people can opt for a treatment plan for preventing it from getting worse.

While the list of fatal autoimmune diseases tends to be long, getting the right diagnosis and treatment at the right time can prevent the consequences.

Also, it becomes important to take special precautions to stay away from any more infections.

We hope this blog was informative for you. Do leave your response in the comments section right below or drop any more of your queries.

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