Other autoimmune diseases

Myasthenia gravis

ACh receptors do not function because anti-acetylcholine antibodies bind to them ≫ inhibiting them. Faulty neuromuscular transmission ≫ paralysis of skeletal muscle.

Bulbous disease (Notes)

Skin erosion caused by antibody and complement deposition

Sjogrens syndrome (Robbins pp 225)

Characterised by dry eyes (keratoconjunctivitis sicca) and dry mouth (xerostomia). This is due to autoimmune mediate destruction of the salivary and lacrimal glands.

Goodpasture’s syndrome (Robbins pp 739)

Affects the kidneys and lung basement membranes, causing progressive glomerulonephritis and necrotising haemorrhagic interstitial pneumonitis.

Pernicious anaemia (Robbins pp 623)

Pernicious anaemia causes malabsorption of vitamin B12 due to lack of intrinsic factor (gastric parietal cells), in turn due to atrophic gastritis.

Category: Pathology Notes