Immune tolerance, autoimmune diseases Immune tolerance •Central: –negative selection during thymic education –deletion of autoreactive B-lymphocytes in bone marrow • • Pozitivní selekce v thymu Positive selection in the thymus Negativní selekce v Thymu Negative selection in the thymus Tolerance ‘Central’ Immune tolerance •Peripheral: –Clonal deletion - elimination of autoreactive cells by apoptosis –Clonal anergy - costimulatory signals are lacking –Clonal ignorance - to low concentration of antigen does not stimulate immune response –Suppression - autoreactivity is blocked by regulatory cells • Tolerance ‘Peripheral’ Regulatory T cells •Treg cells – naturally occurring regulatory cells causing tolerance of autoantinegens. They cause active tolerance of autoantigens. Development in the thymus. Involved in inborn tolerance. Also the induction of these cells in periphery by foreign antigens seems to be possible. •TH3 (Tr1) cells: induced in periphery. They cause acquired tolerance. Acquired immune tolerance •Low-zone tolerance: repeated injections of very low doses of antigen. Suppressor cells are stimulated. •High-zone tolerance: induced by high-doses of antigen. Clonal deletion is induced. •Oral tolerance Mechanisms of breakage of immune tolerance •Visualization of „hidden antigens“ •Alteration of body antigens by chemical substances, burns, necrosis •Cross reactivity of antigens •Excessive stimulation of the immune system, abnormal expression of HLA-II antigens. •Defect in suppressor function of lymphocytes • • Systemic lupus erythematosus Rheumatoid arthritis Sjogren’s syndrome Polymyositis Dermatomyositis Scleroderma (progressive systemic sclerosis) Systemic autoimmune diseases SLE •A prototypic multi-system autoimmune and immune complex disease •Involvement of skin, kidneys, lungs, heart blood vessels •Immunoregulatory abnormalities •Many autoantibodies –ANA •ds DNA •ENA –Phospholipids – Systemic lupus etythematodes (SLE) •Systemic autoimmune disease affecting various tissues and organs •Many symptoms are caused by deposition of immune complexes (type-III immunopathological reaction) •Female : male ratio is 10:1 •Usually begins in early adulthood Systemic lupus erythematodes Clinical presentation •General: fever, malaise, loss on weight •Artralgia •Skin: butterfly rash, urticaria •Vascular: Raynaud´s phenomenon •Neurological: vasculitis, seisures, neuritis •Glomerulonephritis •Haematological: leukopenia, thrombocytopenia anemia •Recurrent serositis • Systemic lupus etythematodes SLE •Butterfly rash Systemic lupus etythematodes • discoidlup ecg1 gn malarash pleffusion raynauds sle1 Autoantibodies in SLE - 1 •Anti-nuclear anibody (anti-nuclear factor) • Indirect immunofluorescence on Hep2 cells • Staining pattern may be clinically useful • •Interpretation depends on clinical story, titre and age • Sensitive but not specific • Good screening test for lupus (prevalence ~ 100%) • • ana Positivity of antinuclear antibodies (ANA, ANF) •SLE: 95 - 100 % •Rheumatoid arthritis: 15 - 30 % •Systemic scleroderma: 75 -80 % •Autoimmune hepatitis: 20 -60 % •Healthy persons: 0 - 4 % •Seniors: 10 - 20 % IMM006 ANA - homogenous type IMM008 ANA – granular type 15 Systemic lupus erythematosus Livedo2 Livedo reticularis SLE Systemic lupus etythematodes Endocrine system Autoimmune (Hasimoto’s) thyroiditis Hyperthyroidism (Graves’ disease; thyrotoxicosis) Type I diabetes mellitus (insulin-dependent or juvenile diabetes) Autoimmune adrenal insufficiency (Addison’s disease) Autoimmune oophritis Hermatopoietic system Autoimmune hemolytic anemia autoimmune thrombocytopenia Autoimmune neutropenia Neuromuscular system Myasthenia gravis Autoimmune polyneuritis Multiple sclerosis Skin Pemphigus and other bullous diseases Cardiopulmonary System Rheumatic carditis Postcardiotomy syndrome (Dressler’s syndrome) Gastrointestina tract Atrophic gastritis Crohn´s disease Ulcerous colitis Autoimmune hepatitis Organ-specific autoimmune diseases Anti- parietal cells antibodies Pernicious anemia •Antibodies against gastric parietal cells cause atrophic gastritis. •Decreased production of gastric juice results in dyspeptic problems. •Also production of intrinsic factor is decreased causing disturbed resorption of vitamin B12. •Low serum levels of vitamin B12 result in megaloblastic anemia. • • Anti-receptor antibodies •Stimulatory – –Graves disease. Antibodies against TSH-receptors stimulate function of thyroid gland causing hypertyreosis. •Inhibitory –Myastenia gravis. Antibodies against acetylcholine receptor block activation of muscle in neuromuslular junction. Treatment of autoimmune diseases •Substitution of function of the affected organ (insulin treatment, parenteral treatment by vitamin B12….) •Anti-inflammatory drugs •Immunosuppressive treatment •Tolerance induction Systemic Immunosuppression •High-dose steroids •Purine antagonists: Azathioprin •Alkylating agents: Cyclophosphamide •Anti-pholates: Methotrexate •Calcineurin antagonists: Cyclosporine A, Rapamycin, Tacrolymus •Block of purins synthesis: Mycophemolate •Antilymphocytic serum •Monoclonal antobodies: anti CD3, anti CD20, anti CD54... Imunostimulatory drugs •Synthetic immunostimulators: inosiplex •Cytokines: IL-2, interferons •Thymic hormones •Bacterial immunomodulators: Ribomunyl, Broncho-vaxom, Luivac, Imudon, Biostim... •