The List Goes On

Posted by Elaine Moore Aug 7, 2007

Within the last few years a number of new conditions have been added to the autoimmune disease roster, including narcolepsy, which causes people to fall asleep at inopportune times and allergic rhinitis, which is more commonly known as hay fever. Flares of allergic rhinitis have long been known to worsen symptoms of Graves’ disease. This is especially true in Japan where allergies to cedar pollen are considered the primary trigger for Graves’ disease. Today, allergic rhinitis is considered a primary autoimmune disorder as well as a feature of many other autoimmune conditions.

Other new additions to the list of autoimmune related diseases published by the American Autoimmune and Related Diseases Association include amyloidosis, and autoimmune dysautonomia, a condition widely known as chronic fatigue syndrome, and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, a disorder resembling multiple sclerosis that often occurs after vaccinations or infections. Several multiple sclerosis variants have also been identified including Devic disease and Balo’s disease.

Other Neurologic Disorders

Other neurologic disorders new to the list include POEMS syndrome, paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration, restless legs syndrome, axonal and neuronal neuropathies, and the demyelinating neuropathies.

Metabolic Disorders

Autoimmune conditions can be responsible for elevated lipid levels and other signs of metabolic syndrome. In autoimmune hyperlipidemia elevated lipid levels are under the control of the immune system rather than a side effect of poor diet or obesity. Other autoimmune metabolic disorders include celiac disease, hypogammaglobulinemia, autoimmune immune deficiency syndrome, and the kidney disorders IgA nephropathy, Goodpasture’s sndrome, and anti-GM/Anti-TBM nephritis.

Heart Diseases

In autoimmune heart diseases patients may have autoimmune myocarditis, Coxsackie myocarditis, cardiomyopathy, postmyocardial infarction syndrome, postpericardiotomy syndrome, or congenital heart block.

Blood Disorders

Long considered a mysterious potentially fatal form of anemia with several suspected causes, aplastic anemia is now considered to have an autoimmune as well as a drug/chemical related origin. Aplastic anemia is also known to occur as a feature of other autoimmune diseases including Graves’ disease. Other blood disorders on the updated list include leukocytoclastic vasculitis,

Fertility Disorders

Autoimmune causes of infertility include endometriosis, antiphospholipid syndrome, and other hypercoagulation disorders, herpes gestationis, sperm and testicular autoimmunity, and low endorphin levels.

Resources:

American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association Research Report, accessed July 1, 2007.