Our bodies have an immune system that protects us from disease and infection. But if you have an autoimmune disease, your immune system attacks itself by mistake, and you can get sick. Autoimmune diseases can affect connective tissue in your body (the tissue which binds together body tissues and organs). Autoimmune disease can affect many parts of your body, like your nerves, muscles, endocrine system (system that directs your body’s hormones and other chemicals), and digestive system. Examples: Diseases with a complete or partial autoimmune etiology: Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is a form of encephalitis caused by an autoimmune reaction and typically occurring a few days or weeks after a viral infection or a vaccination. Addison's disease is often caused by autoimmune destruction of the adrenal cortex. Ankylosing spondylitisis a chronic, painful, progressive inflammatory arthritis primarily affecting spine and sacroiliac joints, causing eventual fusion of the spine. Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS) affects the blood-clotting process. It causes blood clots to form in veins and/or arteries. Aplastic anemia is often caused by an autoimmune attack on the bone marrow. Autoimmune hepatitis is a disorder wherein the liver is the target of the body's own immune system. Coeliac disease is a disease characterised by chronic inflammation of the proximal portion of the small intestine caused by exposure to certain dietary gluten proteins. Crohn's disease is a form of inflammatory bowel disease characterized by chronic inflammation of the intestinal tract. Major symptoms include abdominal pain and diarrhea. Dermatomyositis: A disease of the collagen that affects the connective tissues and the muscles also. Lumped generally in with the RA and other arthritic types of AI diseases. Diabetes mellitus (type 1) is the result of an autoimmune attack on the islet cells of the pancreas. Goodpasture's syndrome is a disease characterised by rapid destruction of the kidneys and haemorrhaging of the lungs through autoimmune reaction against an antigen found in both organs. Graves' disease is the most common form of hyperthyroidism, and is caused by anti-thyroid antibodies that have the effect of stimulating (agonist) the thyroid into overproduction of thyroid hormone. Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an acquired immune-mediated inflammatory disorder of the peripheral nervous system (i.e., not the brain and spinal column). It is also called acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, acute idiopathic polyradiculoneuritis, acute idiopathic polyneuritis and Landry's ascending paralysis. Hashimoto's disease is a common form of hypothyroidism, characterised by initial inflammation of the thyroid, and, later, dysfunction and goiter. There are several characteristic antibodies (e.g., anti-thyroglobulin). Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura is an autoimmune disease where the body produces anti-platelet antibodies resulting in a low platelet count Lupus erythematosus is a chronic (long-lasting) autoimmune disease wherein the immune system, for unknown reasons, becomes hyperactive and attacks normal tissue. This attack results in inflammation and brings about symptoms. This is a "Non-organ-specific" type of autoimmune disease. Multiple sclerosis is a disorder of the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) characterised by decreased nerve function due to myelin loss and secondary axonal damage. Myasthenia gravis is a disorder of neuromuscular transmission leading to fluctuating weakness and fatigue. Weakness is caused by circulating antibodies that block (Receptor_antagonist) acetylcholine receptors at the neuromuscular junction. Opsoclonus myoclonus syndrome (OMS) is a neurological disorder that appears to the result of an autoimmune attack on the nervous system. Symptoms include opsoclonus, myoclonus, ataxia, intention tremor, dysphasia, dysarthria, mutism, hypotonia, lethargy, irritability or malaise. About half of all OMS cases occur in association with neuroblastoma. Optic neuritis is an inflammation of the optic nerve that may cause a complete or partial loss of vision. Ord's thyroiditis is a thyroiditis similar to Hashimoto's disease, except that the thyroid is reduced in size. In Europe, this form of thyroid inflammation is more common than Hashimoto's disease. Pemphigus is an autoimmune disorder that causes blistering and raw sores on skin and mucous membranes. Pernicious Anaemia is an autoimmune disorder characterised by anaemia due to malabsorption of vitamin B12 Polyarthritis in dogs is an immune reaction severely affecting the joints of dogs. Although rare and of unknown cause it can render a dog immobile even at a very young age. Treatment includes cortisone-type drugs. Primary biliary cirrhosis appears to be an autoimmune disease that affects the biliary epithelial cells (BECs) of the small bile duct in the liver. Although the cause is yet to be determined, most of the patients (>90%) appear to have auto-mitochondrial antibodies (AMAs) against pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC), an enzyme that is found in the mitochondria. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder that causes the body's immune system to attack the bone joints. Reiter's syndrome seems to be an autoimmune attack on various body systems in response to a bacterial infection and the body's confusion over the HLA-B27 marker Scleroderma : In same family as Lupus Sjögren's syndrome is an autoimmune disorder in which immune cells attack and destroy the exocrine glands that produce tears and saliva. Takayasu's arteritis is a disorder that results in the narrowing of the lumen of arteries. Temporal arteritis (also known as "giant cell arteritis") is an inflammation of blood vessels, most commonly the large and medium arteries of the head. Untreated, the disorder can lead to significant vision loss. Warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia is a disorder characterized by IgM attack against red blood cells Wegener's granulomatosis is a form of vasculitis that affects the lungs, kidneys and other organs. And MANY more.