There is a connection of immune function with just about all nervous system disorders. The immune system is important not just for the nervous system, but for basically any disease in the body. Many diseases are due to chronic inflammation or the fact that the immune system attacks our own tissue. Any disease that results from such an aberrant immune response is termed an autoimmune disease.
The main component in nervous system disease is really “autoimmunity”. Such neuropathies as chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), and multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) are caused by autoimmune mechanisms. Neurological autoimmunity can target virtually any structure within the central or peripheral nervous system and often in a highly specific way, targeting a very specific cell population.
CIDP is the most common chronic inflammatory disease …
The cause of chronic inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease) is unknown. However, exposure of the bowel immune system to infections is believed to play a role in the development of these chronic diseases that are very common among young people.
Some people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may experience various extra-intestinal symptoms along with their gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. These can include skin irritation (erythema nodosum), eye problems (episcleritis), and joint pains (arthritis). Some people with IBD also develop mouth sores (oral aphthous ulcers).
Behçet’s syndrome, an inflammatory disease affecting many organs, including the eyes, genitals, skin, joints, blood vessels, brain, and gastrointestinal, can cause recurring, painful mouth sores. Although the gastrointestinal and systemic features of Behcet’s syndrome and IBD overlap to a considerable extent, they are generally viewed as two …
