Autoimmune rheumatic diseases: One or many diseases?

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.
Highlights • 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.