FAQs
1. Are autoimmune diseases contagious?
Autoimmune diseases are not contagious. They are caused by a malfunction in a person’s own immune system, not by external pathogens like viruses or bacteria. Therefore, they cannot be spread from person to person through contact or any other means.
2. Can autoimmune diseases go into remission?
Yes, many autoimmune diseases can go into remission, a period where symptoms lessen or disappear and disease activity is minimal. Remission can occur spontaneously or as a result of treatment, but the disease is not cured and can return or “flare up” at any time.
3. What is the difference between an autoimmune disease and an allergy?
An autoimmune disease occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own tissues. In contrast, an allergy is an overreaction to a harmless foreign substance. While both are abnormal immune responses, their targets differ: self-tissues for autoimmune diseases versus external triggers for allergies.
Reference
1. Pisetsky, D. S. (2023). Pathogenesis of autoimmune disease. Nature Reviews Nephrology, 19(8), 509-524.
2. Angum, F., Khan, T., Kaler, J., et al. (2020). The Prevalence of Autoimmune Disorders in Women: A Narrative Review. Cureus, 12(5), e8094.
3. Zielinski, M. R., Systrom, D. M., & Rose, N. R. (2019). Fatigue, sleep, and autoimmune and related disorders. Frontiers in immunology, 10, 1827.
4. Miller, F. W. (2022). The Increasing Prevalence of Autoimmunity and Autoimmune Diseases: An Urgent Call to Action for Improved Understanding, Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention. Current opinion in immunology, 80, 102266.
5. Powers, A. C. (2021). Type 1 diabetes mellitus: much progress, many opportunities. The Journal of Clinical Investigation, 131(8), e142242.
6. Zaletel, K., & Gaberscek, S. (2011). Hashimoto’s thyroiditis: from genes to the disease. Current genomics, 12(8), 576-588.
7. Kuhn, A., Bonsmann, G., Anders, H. J., et al. (2015). The diagnosis and treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus. Deutsches Ärzteblatt International, 112(25), 423.
8. Alivernini, S., Firestein, G. S., & McInnes, I. B. (2022). The pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. Immunity, 55(12), 2255-2270.
9. Rosendahl, A. H., Schönborn, K., & Krieg, T. (2022). Pathophysiology of systemic sclerosis (scleroderma). The Kaohsiung journal of medical sciences, 38(3), 187-195.
10. Bolon, B. (2012). Cellular and molecular mechanisms of autoimmune disease. Toxicologic pathology, 40(2), 216-229.
11. Meng, X., Layhadi, J. A., Keane, S. T., et al. (2023). Immunological mechanisms of tolerance: Central, peripheral and the role of T and B cells. Asia Pacific Allergy, 13(4), 175.
12. Yasmeen, F., Pirzada, R. H., Ahmad, B., et al. (2024). Understanding Autoimmunity: Mechanisms, Predisposing Factors, and Cytokine Therapies. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 25(14), 7666.
13. Aydemir, Ö., Noble, J. A., Bailey, J. A., et al. (2019). Genetic variation within the HLA-DRA1 gene modulates susceptibility to type 1 diabetes in HLA-DR3 homozygotes. Diabetes, 68(7), 1523-1527.
14. Scholz, E., Mestre‐Ferrer, A., Daura, X., et al. (2016). A Comparative Analysis of the Peptide Repertoires of HLA–DR Molecules Differentially Associated With Rheumatoid Arthritis. Arthritis & rheumatology, 68(10), 2412-2421.
15. Suliman, B. A. (2024). Potential clinical implications of molecular mimicry‐induced autoimmunity. Immunity, Inflammation and Disease, 12(2), e1178.
16. Kosarek, N. N., & Preston, E. V. (2024). Contributions of synthetic chemicals to autoimmune disease development and occurrence. Current environmental health reports, 11(2), 128-144.
17. Castiella, A., Zapata, E., Lucena, M. I., et al. (2014). Drug-induced autoimmune liver disease: a diagnostic dilemma of an increasingly reported disease. World journal of hepatology, 6(4), 160.
18. Kim, A., & Chong, B. F. (2013). Photosensitivity in cutaneous lupus erythematosus. Photodermatology, photoimmunology & photomedicine, 29(1), 4-11.
19. Baka, Z., Buzás, E., & Nagy, G. (2009). Rheumatoid arthritis and smoking: putting the pieces together. Arthritis research & therapy, 11(4), 238.
20. Angum, F., Khan, T., Kaler, J., et al. (2020). The Prevalence of Autoimmune Disorders in Women: A Narrative Review. Cureus, 12(5), e8094.
21. Moulton, V. R. (2018). Sex hormones in acquired immunity and autoimmune disease. Frontiers in immunology, 9, 2279.
22. Piccinni, M. P., Lombardelli, L., Logiodice, F., et al. (2016). How pregnancy can affect autoimmune diseases progression?. Clinical and Molecular Allergy, 14(1), 11.
23. Buckner, J. H. (2010). Mechanisms of impaired regulation by CD4+ CD25+ FOXP3+ regulatory T cells in human autoimmune diseases. Nature Reviews Immunology, 10(12), 849-859.
24. Crow, M. K. (2010). Type I interferon in organ-targeted autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Arthritis research & therapy, 12(Suppl 1), S5.
25. Meffre, E., & O’Connor, K. C. (2019). Impaired B‐cell tolerance checkpoints promote the development of autoimmune diseases and pathogenic autoantibodies. Immunological reviews, 292(1), 90-101.
26. Crincoli, V., Anelli, M. G., Quercia, E., et al. (2019). Temporomandibular disorders and oral features in early rheumatoid arthritis patients: an observational study. International journal of medical sciences, 16(2), 253.
27. Zaletel, K., & Gaberscek, S. (2011). Hashimoto’s thyroiditis: from genes to the disease. Current genomics, 12(8), 576-588.
28. Grixti, L., Lane, L. C., & Pearce, S. H. (2024). The genetics of Graves’ disease. Reviews in endocrine and metabolic disorders, 25(1), 203-214.
29. Michels, A., & Michels, N. (2014). Addison disease: early detection and treatment principles. American family physician, 89(7), 563-568.
30. Hill, A., & Hill, Q. A. (2018). Autoimmune hemolytic anemia. Hematology 2014, the American Society of Hematology Education Program Book, 2018(1), 382-389.
31. Suwantarat, N., Tice, A. D., Khawcharoenporn, T., et al. (2010). Weight loss, leukopenia and thrombocytopenia associated with sustained virologic response to Hepatitis C treatment. International journal of medical sciences, 7(1), 36.
32. Pan, S. Y., Tian, H. M., Zhu, Y., et al. (2022). Cardiac damage in autoimmune diseases: Target organ involvement that cannot be ignored. Frontiers in Immunology, 13, 1056400.
33. Shanmugam, V. K., Angra, D., Rahimi, H., et al. (2017). Vasculitic and autoimmune wounds. Journal of Vascular Surgery: Venous and Lymphatic Disorders, 5(2), 280-292.
34. Uva, L., Miguel, D., Pinheiro, C., et al. (2012). Cutaneous manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus. Autoimmune diseases, 2012(1), 834291.
35. Dobson, R., & Giovannoni, G. (2019). Multiple sclerosis–a review. European journal of neurology, 26(1), 27-40.
36. Andrade, L. E. C., Damoiseaux, J., Vergani, D., et al. (2022). Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) as a criterion for classification and diagnosis of systemic autoimmune diseases. Journal of translational autoimmunity, 5, 100145.
37. Motta, F., Bizzaro, N., Giavarina, D., et al. (2023). Rheumatoid factor isotypes in rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis and prognosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. RMD Open, 9(3), e002817.
38. Fröhlich, E., & Wahl, R. (2017). Thyroid autoimmunity: role of anti-thyroid antibodies in thyroid and extra-thyroidal diseases. Frontiers in immunology, 8, 521.
39. Haasnoot, A. J., van Tent-Hoeve, M., Wulffraat, N. M., et al. (2015). Erythrocyte sedimentation rate as baseline predictor for the development of uveitis in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. American journal of ophthalmology, 159(2), 372-377.
40. Abolhassani, A. R., Schuler, G., Kirchberger, M. C., et al. (2019). C-reactive protein as an early marker of immune-related adverse events. Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology, 145(10), 2625-2631.
41. Sargsyan, S. A., & Thurman, J. M. (2012). Molecular imaging of autoimmune diseases and inflammation. Molecular imaging, 11(3), 7290-2011.
42. Li, P., Zheng, Y., & Chen, X. (2017). Drugs for autoimmune inflammatory diseases: from small molecule compounds to anti-TNF biologics. Frontiers in pharmacology, 8, 460.
43. Kanatoula, D. D., Bodner, E., Ghoreschi, K., et al. (2024). Non‐biologic immunosuppressive drugs for inflammatory and autoimmune skin diseases. JDDG: Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft, 22(3), 400-421.
44. Barnas, J. L., Looney, R. J., & Anolik, J. H. (2019). B cell targeted therapies in autoimmune disease. Current opinion in immunology, 61, 92-99.
45. Pardali, E. C., Gkouvi, A., Gkouskou, K. K., et al. (2025). Autoimmune protocol diet: A personalized elimination diet for patients with autoimmune diseases. Metabolism Open, 25, 100342.
46. Gavin, J. P., Rossiter, L., Fenerty, V., et al. (2024). The Impact of Occupational Therapy on the Self‐Management of Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Mixed Methods Systematic Review. ACR Open Rheumatology, 6(4), 214-249.
47. Falasinnu, T., Lu, D., & Baker, M. C. (2024). Annual trends in pain management modalities in patients with newly diagnosed autoimmune rheumatic diseases in the USA from 2007 to 2021: an administrative claims-based study. The Lancet Rheumatology, 6(8), e518-e527.
48. Akyirem, S., Forbes, A., Wad, J. L., et al. (2022). Psychosocial interventions for adults with newly diagnosed chronic disease: a systematic review. Journal of Health Psychology, 27(7), 1753-1782.
49. Prendergast, G. C., Metz, R., Muller, A. J., et al. (2014). IDO2 in immunomodulation and autoimmune disease. Frontiers in immunology, 5, 585.
50. Tavakolpour, S., Darvishi, M., & Ghasemiadl, M. (2018). Pharmacogenetics: a strategy for personalized medicine for autoimmune diseases. Clinical genetics, 93(3), 481-497.
51. Li, S., Song, G., Bai, Y., et al. (2021). Applications of protein microarrays in biomarker discovery for autoimmune diseases. Frontiers in immunology, 12, 645632.
52. Balogh, L., Oláh, K., Sánta, S., et al. (2024). Novel and potential future therapeutic options in systemic autoimmune diseases. Frontiers in immunology, 15, 1249500.