Answer :
Final answer:
Giant cell arteritis, also known as temporal arteritis, is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation of the blood vessels. It is not genetic, infectious, or degenerative in origin, but rather involves the immune system mistakenly attacking the body's tissues. Examples of other autoimmune diseases include Hashimoto thyroiditis and systemic lupus erythematosus.
Explanation:
Giant Cell (Temporal) Arteritis
Giant cell arteritis, also known as temporal arteritis, is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation of the blood vessels. This can result in symptoms such as headaches, vision problems, jaw pain, and scalp tenderness. Given the options provided, the correct answer is A. Autoimmune disease. In contrast to infectious diseases which are caused by pathogens, genetic diseases that are inherited from parents, and degenerative diseases that result from the deterioration of body functions, autoimmune diseases are characterized by the body's immune system mistakenly attacking its tissues.
Autoimmune diseases can be either organ-specific or systemic. Hashimoto thyroiditis is an example of an organ-specific autoimmune disease affecting the thyroid, while systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) affects multiple organs. Agammaglobulinemia and severe combined immunodeficiency are genetic diseases that affect the immune system but are not autoimmune. Similarly, HIV/AIDS is caused by a virus and does not result from autoimmunity.
Autoimmune diseases like giant cell arteritis often involve genetic factors, and multiple genes, including the MHC genes, can influence susceptibility. However, the exact triggers of autoimmune responses are not fully understood.
