Type V Hypersensitivity

454 Words1 Page

Type V hypersensitivities are known as autoimmunity; defined as a state where the immune system reacts to the body's own cells, and can cause the stimulation, inhibition, or destruction of body tissues. It is sometimes presented as a subclass of type II hypersensitivity due to their similarities and type V being a later addition to the traditional classifications made by Coombs and Gell; though it is usually shown as its own class since it does not directly destroy cells but instead causes organ/tissue dysfunction. This is generally caused by lymphocytes whose job it is to recognize foreign substances, or antigens, and either destroy them or produce a protein known as an antibody which will recognize and either disable the target or flag it for destruction/removal.In the case of autoimmune diseases some lymphocytes recognize certain cells in the body as foreign and either attack them directly or produce antibodies which react to the body's own cells or cell components, and are known as autoantibodies. How the auto-antibodies react to the body’s cells varies between different conditions. Some well known autoimmune diseases are Graves disease, multiple sclerosis(MS), and rheumatic heart disease. …show more content…

It would appear that the lack of suppression in some certain individuals can cause an autoimmune disease to occur. This lack of suppression and therefore production of autoantibodies can in some diseases be caused by an infection(often in childhood): bacterial or viral. In most cases however the cause of these autoantibodies is unknown or thought to have a genealogical cause. There is a higher rate of autoimmune disease in women which indicates that it is potentially sex-linked(caused by genes on the sex chromosomes: X or Y) or that hormones hold some influence over the development of autoimmune

More about Type V Hypersensitivity

Open Document