Question

Which autoimmune disease is associated with an inflammatory response that can damage the heart muscle and valves?

1) Lupus
2) Rheumatoid arthritis
3) Multiple sclerosis
4) Type 1 diabetes

Answer 1

Rheumatic fever is the autoimmune disease that can damage the heart muscle and valves, resulting from a reaction to a Streptococcus pyogenes infection.

Step-by-step explanation:

The autoimmune disease associated with an inflammatory response that can damage the heart muscle and valves is rheumatic fever. Rheumatic fever is an autoimmune response to an infection with Streptococcus pyogenes, the bacterium that causes strep throat. Molecular mimicry happens when antibodies produced to fight the infection cross-react with the heart muscle's antigens because they have a similar structure to the bacterium. This leads to inflammation of the heart muscle, known as carditis, and can cause damage to the heart valves. Rheumatic fever is different from other autoimmune conditions such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and Type 1 diabetes mellitus, which have different target tissues and mechanisms of harm.