Autoimmunes

Autoimmunes refer to autoimmune diseases, a broad group of conditions in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own tissues. The term is used to describe both the underlying process of autoimmunity and the diseases that arise from it.

Most autoimmune diseases result from a combination of genetic susceptibility and environmental triggers. In susceptible individuals, immune tolerance fails, leading to autoreactive B and T cells that produce autoantibodies or inflammatory responses against organs or tissues.

Common mechanisms include molecular mimicry, whereby foreign antigens resemble self-antigens, and epitope spreading, bystander activation, and impaired regulatory T cell function. These processes cause chronic inflammation and tissue damage that manifest as organ-specific or systemic symptoms.

Autoimmune disorders affect diverse organs. Organ-specific examples include type 1 diabetes, autoimmune thyroid disease, and Addison's disease. Systemic diseases include systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren's syndrome, scleroderma, and vasculitis.

Diagnosis combines clinical assessment with laboratory testing for autoantibodies (for example ANA, anti-dsDNA, rheumatoid factor, anti-CCP), organ function tests, imaging, and sometimes biopsy to confirm tissue involvement.

Management aims to reduce immune activity and control symptoms. Treatments include corticosteroids, conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, and newer biologic agents targeting specific immune pathways, such as TNF inhibitors, IL-6 blockers, and B cell–depleting therapies.

Autoimmune diseases affect millions worldwide and are more common in women. Onset can occur at any age, with varying courses from episodic flares to chronic progression.

Research areas include early detection, antigen-specific tolerance induction, microbiome influences, and personalized approaches to therapy.