List of autoimmune diseases

Autoimmune diseases arise from an overactive immune response of the body against substances and tissues normally present in the body. In other words, the body attacks its own cells. Today there are more than 40 human diseases classified as either definite or probable autoimmune diseases, and they affect 5% to 7% of the population. Almost all autoimmune diseases appear without warning or apparent cause, and most patients suffer from fatigue.

The causes of autoimmune diseases are still obscure: Some are thought to be either examples of or precipitated by diseases of affluence. For example, arthritis and obesity are acknowledged to be related, and the World Health Organisation states that arthritis is most common in developed countries. Most autoimmune diseases are probably the result of multiple circumstances, for example, a genetic predisposition triggered by an infection.

Women tend to be affected more often by autoimmune disorders; nearly 79% of autoimmune disease patients in the USA are women. Also they tend to appear during or shortly after puberty. It is not known why this is the case, although hormone levels have been shown to affect the severity of some autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis. Other causes may include the presence of fetal cells in the maternal bloodstream. 

Autoimmune diseases
Diseases with a complete or partial autoimmune etiology:

Accepted
The "Mesh" column lists those conditions that are classified as autoimmune by the MeSH system.

Suspected
Diseases suspected to be linked to autoimmunity are: Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected blacklegged ticks. After several months, approximately 60% of patients with untreated infection will begin to have intermittent bouts of arthritis, with severe joint pain and swelling. Large joints are most often effected, particularly the knees. In addition, up to 5% of untreated patients may develop chronic neurological complaints months to years after infection. These include shooting pains, numbness or tingling in the hands or feet, and problems with concentration and short term memory.   
 * Alopecia universalis is a suspected autoimmune disease in which the body's white blood cells attack hair and result in total baldness.
 * Behçet's disease exact cause is unknown in this multi-system condition, where the immune system, predominantly overactive, produces inflammation in bodily tissues, primarily causing vasculitis
 * Chagas' disease in the chronic phase is believed to result from homology of a T. cruzi antigen to body tissue, resulting in a delayed autoimmune reaction leading to Chagasic cardiopathy (cardiomegaly), volvulus or constipation, and ultimately death.
 * Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disorder whose primary symptom is usually intense fatigue. Though the syndrome likely has multiple causes, some maintain that autoimmune damage to the brain stem is the principal mechanism in a significant subset of cases.
 * Dysautonomia is a malfunction of the autonomic nervous system, including such disorders as postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). Though dysautonomia appears to have multiple causes, post-viral autoimmune damage appears to be a frequent cause.
 * Endometriosis is a common medical condition wherein the tissue lining the uterus (endometrium) is found outside of the uterus, typically affecting other organs in the pelvis. The condition can lead to serious health problems, primarily pain and infertility.
 * Hidradenitis suppurativa is a rare skin disease in which apocrine sweat glands become severely inflamed. Researches have found an improvement in case studies with Remicade and other biologics.
 * Interstitial cystitis is a urinary bladder disease characterised by any of the following symptoms, though symptoms vary greatly from patient to patient: pelvic pain, urinary frequency (as often as every 30 minutes, or even fewer), urgency, pain with sexual intercourse, and pain with urination.
 * Lyme Disease
 * Neuromyotonia is spontaneous muscular activity resulting from repetitive motor unit action potentials of peripheral origin. It develops as a result of both acquired and hereditary diseases. The acquired form is more frequent and is usually caused by antibodies against neuromuscular junction.
 * Psoriasis is a skin disorder in which rapidly-multiplying skin cells produce itchy, scaly inflamed patches on the skin.
 * Sarcoidosis is a disease wherein granulomas can form anywhere in the body but particularly in the lungs.
 * Schizophrenia is a mental disease characterized by impairments in the perception or expression of reality and by significant social or occupational dysfunction.
 * Scleroderma is a chronic disease characterized by excessive deposits of collagen. Progressive systemic scleroderma, the serious type of the disease, can be fatal.  The local type of the disease is not serious.
 * Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory disease of the bowel that usually affects the distal end of the large intestine and rectum. It has no known cause, although there is a genetic component to susceptibility. Some medical authorities (such as the UK's National Blood Donation Service which refuses donations from Colitis sufferers) class Colitis as an Autoimmune disease.
 * Vitiligo is the spontaneous loss of pigment from areas of skin. The pigment-free areas have few or no melanocytes. Researchers have detected anti-melanocyte antibodies in some cases of vitiligo, so it seems likely that at least some instances of this condition are the result of autoimmune problems.
 * Vulvodynia is used to describe pain in the vulva, often severe, of unknown cause. "Vulvar vestibulitis" is a related term.