Autoimmune rheumatic diseases: One or many diseases?

• Published in: Journal of translational autoimmunity (Online) Vol. 4; p. 100129
• Main Author: Moutsopoulos, Haralampos M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.01.2021; Elsevier
• Subjects: Autoimmune rheumatic disease; Common humoral auto-reactivity; Genetics; Overlapping clinical syndrome; Therapeutics; VSI: Autoimmune disorder; Systemic lupus erythematosus; Common humoral auto-reactivity; Sjögren's syndrome; Rheumatoid arthritis; Therapeutics; Small nuclear ribonucleoprotein; Genetics; Overlapping clinical syndrome; Autoimmune rheumatic diseases; Scleroderma; Mixed connective tissue disease; Autoimmune rheumatic disease; Rheumatoid arthritis, RA; Systemic lupus erythematosus, SLE; Autoimmune rheumatic diseases, ARDs; Small nuclear ribonucleoprotein, sn RNP; Scleroderma, SScl; Sjögren's syndrome, SS; Mixed connective tissue disease, MCTD
• ISSN: 2589-9090; 2589-9090
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jtauto.2021.100129

Until the etiopathogenic factor(s) of autoimmune and autoinflammatory rheumatic disorders will be identified, their classification into entities will continue. However, their similar clinical manifestations, overlapping syndromes, evolution from one entity into another, as well as common autoantibody responses, suggest that autoimmune and autoinflammatory disorders may constitute distinct pathophysiologic processes on the basis of a different genetic background. Prognosis and effective therapeutic regimens are mostly based on the clinico-pathologic severity of the involved tissues or organs and not on the disease label. •Autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARDs) can evolve from one into another disease.•Different ARDs can appear in the same individual.•Common humoral auto-reactivities appear in different ARDs.•Therapy is based on the severity of ARDs expression.