What is an autoimmune disorder?
An autoimmune disease is a disorder where the immune system turns against one own body instead of fighting an external infection. In Multiple Sclerosis for example, the immune system attacks the surface of the nerves that facilitates nerve conduction. The nerves then don’t function very well, resulting in symptoms such as muscle weakness. Most autoimmune disorders are associated with specific HLA subtypes. About 70% of the patients with multiple sclerosis have HLA-DR2 for example.
