LIVER DISEASE

B Y: HECTOR RAMIREZ
PUBLISHED ON JANUARY 29,2013

There are many diseases and disorders that can cause the liver to stop
functioning properly. Some of the different causes of liver disease include
viral infection, alcohol or other environmental toxins, autoimmune disease
and genetics. These contributing factors can lead to a variety of types of
liver disorders, such as hepatitis, fatty liver disease, alcoholic hepatitis,
cancer or cirrhosis.
The symptoms of liver disease can greatly decrease the quality of life for
those afflicted and can even lead to death. Common symptoms can include
abdominal pain, jaundice, digestive and metabolism problems, and
abnormal absorption of fats as well as nervous system disorders.
In the United States, there are approximately 30,000 deaths each year
attributed to chronic liver disease or cirrhosis. Liver disease is generally
managed by slowing down disease progression, for some types with
lifestyle changes such as eliminating alcohol, improving diet and exercising
regularly and in other cases with anti-viral or immunosuppressive
medications.

HEART DISEASE
BY: MARS VERTURO
PUBLISHED ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2012

Heart disease encompasses many diseases of the heart and blood

vessels, such as high blood pressure, heart attacks, angina pectoris (chest
pain or discomfort caused by a reduced blood supply to the heart muscle),
stroke and heart failure. Coronary artery disease (heart attack and angina
pectoris) is usually caused by atherosclerosis, the narrowing of the
coronary arteries due to fatty build ups of plaque.
Heart disease (cardiovascular disease) is the single leading cause of death
in America today. It affects approximately 81 million people in the United
States. In addition, more than 6 million Americans are now living with heart
failure, a number that is expected to double within the next decade. Current
interventions to prevent and treat heart disease focus on improving the
blood supply to the heart muscle, but there is no available treatment, short
of a heart transplant, to replace the heart muscle cells that have been lost
during a heart attack.

TYPE 1 DIABETES
BY: ROBIN SAN ROQUE
PUBLISHED ON FEBRUARY 12, 2011

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune

system attacks and destroys the beta cells in the pancreas that make
insulin. People with this disease must inject themselves with insulin in order
to stay alive. They must carefully monitor their blood sugar, and also
balance their food intake and exercise. Long-term complications of type 1
diabetes include disabling or even life-threatening organ damage, including
heart disease, kidney disease, blindness and nerve damage.

Nearly one million Americans have type 1 diabetes, and the worldwide
incidence of the disease is growing with the greatest increase in children
under five-years-old. The disease accounts for 5 to 10 percent of all
diagnosed diabetes in the United States.

Type 1 diabetes, also called juvenile diabetes, usually occurs in children or

young adults and is especially prevalent among people of Northern
European heritage. Additionally, family members of somebody who has
been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes are 15 times more likely to develop
the disease themselves.

LUPUS
BY: THOMAS UY
PUBLISHED ON OCTOBER 26,2001

Systemic Lupus Erythematous is a chronic, systemic autoimmune disease

which can affect the joints, skin, kidney and other organs of the body. It
may affect as many as 1 in 1,000 people, and typically affects women of
child-bearing age, although men as well as children and older persons may
be affected.
Lupus flares can range from mild to severe, often resulting in periods in
which the disease is relatively quiescent. However, in intense and complex
forms, it may cause significant disability or even death.
Currently, no cures or remission-inducing therapies truly exist for lupus, and
treatment often involves corticosteroids or other immunosuppressants. At
BRI, research programs study the cells which regulate lupus in an effort to
further understanding of disease pathogenesis, translating these findings
into therapeutic targets. In addition, clinical trials are ongoing to evaluate
novel therapies in this disease.

INFECTIOUS DISEASES
BY: EDWARD ROQUE
PUBLISHED ON DECEMBER 2, 1999

Infectious diseases are caused by pathogens (germs) including viruses,

bacteria, fungi and parasites, and are ranked as the second leading cause
of death worldwide by the World Health Organization. These infections can
lead to temporary discomfort, serious tissue damage or even result in
death.
The severity of an infection is in part dependent on the strength of a
persons immune system, since most people mount an immune response
to the infection which kills or inactivates the pathogen. In this regard, the
character of the immune response helps determine the consequences of a
particular infection. And for some infections, an excessive immune
response is actually bad, as it can cause symptoms such as high fever and
inflammation, which have the potential to be more devastating than direct
damage caused by a pathogen.
An additional important element of immune responses to pathogens is that
the diagnosis of infectious disease with traditional culture methods is often
quite slow, whereas new diagnostic methods that rely on interpreting the
immune response can be much quicker, facilitating earlier appropriate
treatment.

MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
BY : JESSA DECEDRO
PUBLISHED ON MAY 6, 2001

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease in which the bodys

immune system mistakenly attacks myelin, the fatty substance that
surrounds and protects the nerve fibers in the central nervous system.
When the myelin is damaged, the nerve impulses are not transmitted as
quickly or efficiently, resulting in symptoms such as numbness in the limbs,
fatigue, dizziness, paralysis and/or loss of vision.
Symptoms of MS will often improve and relapse with time and vary from
one person to another. In progressive forms of multiple sclerosis, they
gradually worsen.

MS affects approximately 400,000 Americans (1 in 1,000) but is much more

common in the Northwest where approximately 12,000 (2 in 1,000) people
have MS. Some likely factors that contribute to this may be vitamin D
deficiency, genetic predisposition and environmental triggers. Other factors
are still unknown. Additionally, women are twice as likely than men to be
affected by MS.

ALLERGIES & ASTHMA

BY: JASS THOMSON
PUBLISHED ON APRIL 9, 2002

Allergies and asthma are immune mediated diseases that occur when the
bodys immune system overreacts to a foreign substance (an
allergen), such as pollen or animal dander, that in most people is generally
harmless.

People react to the proteins in these allergens with an antibody made by

specialized immune cells that release chemicals which cause sneezing,
itching in the nose, eyes and ears, and in rare cases the life-threatening
reaction anaphylaxis. Asthma is often triggered by these types of allergic
reactions. Allergies can range from mild to severe. For some people they
can compromise quality of life and even be life-threatening.
More than 25 percent of Americans suffer from allergies and asthma, with
allergies affecting more than 50 million and asthma affecting approximately
25 million.
Allergen specific immunotherapy (allergy vaccine therapy) remains the
primary treatment for certain types of allergies. In this therapy, patients are
vaccinated with increasing doses of allergens with the goal of improving the
bodys immune tolerance to the substance. However, these current
therapies require months to years of treatment and in some cases may also

RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
BY: JHONN ARGOH

PUBLISHED ON MAY 30, 2001

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease in which the bodys

immune system mistakenly begins to attack its own tissues, primarily the
synovium, the membrane that lines the joints. As a result of this
autoimmune response, fluid builds up in the joints, causing joint pain and
systemic inflammation.
RA is a chronic disease in which most people experience intermittent
periods of intense disease activity punctuated by periods of reduced
symptoms or even remission. In the long term, RA can cause damage to
cartilage, tendons, ligaments and bones which can lead to substantial loss
of mobility.
An estimated 1.3 million people in the United States have RAalmost 1
percent of the nations adult population. There are nearly three times as
many women as men with the disease. In women, RA most commonly
begins between the ages of 30 and 60. In addition, as many as 300,000
children are diagnosed with a distinct but related form of inflammatory
arthritis called juvenile arthritis.

SCLERODERMA
BY: RANDY SY

Scleroderma is a rheumatic autoimmune disease of the connective tissue

which causes skin thickening, spontaneous scarring, blood vessel disease
and varying degrees of inflammation. As there is currently no cure for
scleroderma, treatments generally focus on minimizing particular
symptoms.
In the United States, approximately, 300,000 people (1 in 1000) are
affected by scleroderma. Although it is a rare disease, it can be
devastating, and finding new treatments is vital. Women are four times
more likely to be diagnosed. While the disease appears to run in families,
as of yet, no gene associated with the disease has been identified.

Cancer

By: JEFF EY

Cancer represents more than 200 different types of malignancies

diseases caused by the uncontrolled and destructive growth of cells. When
cancer cells grow unregulated, they can develop into tumors, invade
nearby parts of the body and spread throughout the body. Treatment
generally involves some combination of chemotherapy, radiation therapy
and surgery.
Nearly 1.7 million Americans will discover that they have cancer this year.
This devastating disease is the second leading cause of death in the United
States. But breakthroughs in medical science are gaining ground in the
battle with cancer.