autoimmune disorder

autoimmune disorder

A condition in which a person’s immune system begins to attack the healthy organs and cells of his or her own body. Autoimmune disorders can cause a variety of diseases.

Dictionary of Unfamiliar Words by Diagram Group Copyright © 2008 by Diagram Visual Information Limited

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

autoimmune disorder - any of a large group of diseases characterized by abnormal functioning of the immune system that causes your immune system to produce antibodies against your own tissues autoimmune disease myasthenia, myasthenia gravis - a chronic progressive disease characterized by chronic fatigue and muscular weakness (especially in the face and neck); caused by a deficiency of acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junctions disseminated multiple sclerosis, disseminated sclerosis, MS, multiple sclerosis - a chronic progressive nervous disorder involving loss of myelin sheath around certain nerve fibers autoimmune diabetes, growth-onset diabetes, IDDM, insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, juvenile diabetes, juvenile-onset diabetes, ketoacidosis-prone diabetes, ketosis-prone diabetes, type I diabetes - severe diabetes mellitus with an early onset; characterized by polyuria and excessive thirst and increased appetite and weight loss and episodic ketoacidosis; diet and insulin injections are required to control the disease exophthalmic goiter, Graves' disease - exophthalmos occurring in association with goiter; hyperthyroidism with protrusion of the eyeballs atrophic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatism - a chronic autoimmune disease with inflammation of the joints and marked deformities; something (possibly a virus) triggers an attack on the synovium by the immune system, which releases cytokines that stimulate an inflammatory reaction that can lead to the destruction of all components of the joint ankylosing spondylitis, Marie-Strumpell disease, rheumatoid spondylitis - a chronic form of spondylitis primarily in males and marked by impaired mobility of the spine; sometimes leads to ankylosis discoid lupus erythematosus, DLE - a chronic skin disease occurring primarily in women between the ages of 20 and 40; characterized by an eruption of red lesions over the cheeks and bridge of the nose Hashimoto's disease - autoimmune disorder of the thyroid gland; most common in middle-aged women LE, lupus erythematosus - a chronic inflammatory collagen disease affecting connective tissue (skin or joints) pemphigus - a skin disease characterized by large thin-walled blisters (bullae) arising from normal skin or mucous membrane autoimmunity - production of antibodies against the tissues of your own body; produces autoimmune disease or hypersensitivity reactions dermatosclerosis, scleroderma - an autoimmune disease that affects the blood vessels and connective tissue; fibrous connective tissue is deposited in the skin idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, thrombocytopenic purpura, Werlhof's disease - purpura associated with a reduction in circulating blood platelets which can result from a variety of factors

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