In cases of immune system over activity, the body attacks and damages its own tissues (autoimmune diseases). Immune deficiency diseases decrease the body's ability to fight invaders, causing vulnerability to infections.
Conditions
In response to an unknown trigger, the immune system may begin producing antibodies that instead of fighting infections, attack the body’s own tissues. Treatment for autoimmune diseases generally focuses on reducing immune system activity. Examples of autoimmune diseases not covered elsewhere include:
Lupus nephritis – Lupus nephritis is a type of kidney disease caused by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE or lupus). Kidney disease caused by lupus may get worse over time and lead to kidney failure. If your kidneys fail, you will need dialysis or a kidney transplant to maintain your health.
Guillain-Barre syndrome – The immune system attacks the nerves controlling muscles in the legs and sometimes the arms and upper body. Weakness results, which can sometimes be severe. Filtering the blood with a procedure called plasmapheresis is the main treatment for Guillain-Barre syndrome.
Infantile Spasms – These specific types of seizures are sudden, uncontrolled movements of a child’s neck, body, arms, and legs. They last only for a few seconds. Spasms are most common during the early morning or when a child wakes up from a nap.
Spasms can look different in each child. But you may notice any of the following symptoms:
- Repetitive forward head nodding or bobbing
- Bowing from the waist when sitting
- Drawing up of knees when lying down
- Extending or stiffening of the neck, trunk, arms, and legs
- Crossing arms across body as if self-hugging
- Thrusting arms to the side, elbows bent
Nephrotic syndrome – A condition marked by very high levels of protein in the urine; low levels of protein in the blood; swelling, especially around the eyes, feet, and hands; and high cholesterol. Nephrotic syndrome results from damage to the kidneys’ glomeruli (the singular form is glomerulus). Glomeruli are a network of capillaries that filter waste and excess water from the blood and send them to the bladder as urine.
