Autoimmune disease

A condition arising from an abnormal immune response to a normal body part. Such a response results from the inability of the immune system to distinguish self from non-self. Diseases such as arthritis, scleroderma, systemic lupus erythematosus, various forms of thyroiditis, and perhaps diabetes are considered to be autoimmune diseases. (Adapted from ICRP Publication 118, 2012)

ICRP Glossary entry - May 2019