Autoimmune disease (autoimmunity) occurs when the immune system fails to show self-tolerance and attacks the person's tissues. Self-tolerance weakens and self-reactive clones of T and B cells are activated as a result of unknown environmental triggers and specific genes that predispose some individuals to certain reactions. Afterward, these cells produce immune responses against self-antigens through cell- or antibody-mediated mechanisms.
For instance, millions of individuals worldwide, including Filipinos, suffer from Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), a chronic autoimmune, inflammatory disease that affects numerous systems in the body. The symptoms of lupus can range from mild to fatal, with periods of active disease and remission. Notwithstanding its widespread occurrence, lupus continues to be a misinterpreted and frequently misdiagnosed disease, resulting in treatment setbacks and elevated rates of morbidity and mortality. Our understanding of how autoimmune diseases like lupus affect the body must be improved, and as future healthcare professionals, we must also lead the charge in raising awareness of these conditions so that no one's life will be in danger due to ignorance or false information.