An official website of the United States government
          Here’s how you know
        Here’s how you know**Official websites use .gov**A
              **.gov** website belongs to an official government
              organization in the United States.
        **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**A
              **lock** (
              Locked padlock icon) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
 Top Utility Nav
        
        
        Asian-Language Resources
        
        Portal en español


Site search Mega Menu
  

        

        Home
                  Health Topics
                                      
    
  Health Topics

    Arthritis and Rheumatic Diseases
          
    Muscle and Bone Diseases
          
    Skin Diseases
          
    All Diseases and Conditions
          
    Publication Catalog
                  Grants & Funding
                                      
    
  Grants & Funding

    Current Funding Opportunities
          
    Supported Scientific Programs
          
    NIAMS-Supported Programs
          
    Applying for a Grant
          
    NIH Policies and Guidance
          
    Peer Review and Grants Administration Resources
          
    Types of Funding Mechanisms (Activity Codes)
                  Labs @ NIAMS
                                      
    
  Labs @ NIAMS

    NIAMS Labs and Core Facilities
          
    Research Faculty
          
    Research Areas
          
    NIAMS Scientific Advances
          
    Training and Career Development
                  Clinical Trials
                                      
    
  Clinical Trials
      
            For Principal Investigators

    Clinical Trial Policies, Guidelines, and Templates
          
    Conducting Clinical Trials
          
    Register with ClinicalTrials.gov

For Patients

What is a Clinical Trial?
	Clinical Trials at NIAMS
	Clinical Trials in the Spotlight
                  News & Events
                                      
    
  Newsroom

    All NIAMS News
          
    NIAMS Newsletters
          
    Meetings & Events
                  About NIAMS
                                      
    
  About NIAMS

    Director's Page
          
    NIAMS Organization
          
    Strategic Plan Fiscal Years 2020-2024
          
    Staff Directory
          
    NIAMS Budget
          
    Partnerships
          
    Contact NIAMS
                  Community Outreach
                                      
    
  Community Outreach

    Bone Health
          
    Joint Health
          
    Muscle, Tendon, and Ligament Health
          
    Skin Health
          
    Health Information For Kids And Young Adults
          
    Health Information For Older Adults/Seniors
          
    Printable Materials for Community Events
          
    Resources in Other Languages
          
    Annual Health Observances
          
    Social Media Resources Breadcrumb
    Home
          Health Topics
          Autoimmune Diseases


EnglishEspañol





Autoimmune Diseases FacebookEmailPrintFacebookEmail
              Download PDF
      
            Image
              Doctor and patient.

            Overview of Autoimmune Diseases

Your immune system is the network of cells and tissues in your body that work together to defend you from viruses, bacteria, and infection. It tries to identify and destroy the invaders that might hurt you.

In autoimmune diseases, proteins known as autoantibodies target the body’s own healthy tissues by mistake, signaling the body to attack them.

                        
                                    Types of Autoimmune Diseases

There are several types of autoimmune diseases. These include the following.

Alopecia areata happens when the immune system attacks hair follicles and causes hair loss.
	Pemphigus causes blistering of the skin and the inside of the mouth, nose, throat, eyes, and genitals.
	Psoriasis happens when skin cells multiply too quickly, causing scaly and inflamed skin.
	Rheumatoid arthritis is a type of arthritis that affects the lining of the joints and may cause medical problems outside of the joints.
	Scleroderma leads to patches of tight, hard skin, and inflammation in other areas of the body.
	Sjogren’s syndrome happens when the immune system attacks the glands that make moisture in the eyes, mouth, and other parts of the body.
	Systemic lupus erythematosus can affect many parts of the body, including the skin, joints, heart, lungs, kidneys, circulating blood cells, and brain.
	Vitiligo happens when skin cells that make pigment are destroyed causing patches of skin to lose pigment or color.

      View all Diseases and Conditions

                  Learn About Research
                Read Journal Articles  
            

News Related to This Health Topic
    
      New Awardees Aim to Develop National Research Network That Will Explore the Role of the Exposome in Autoimmune Diseases
Announcement | Mar 5, 2024
    NIAMS-funded Study Offers Clues to Why Women Are Disproportionately Affected by Autoimmune Diseases
Announcement | Feb 15, 2024
    Exercise Energizes Patients With Autoimmune Disease
NIAMS-Related Article | Feb 8, 2023
    Understanding Autoimmune Diseases
NIH News in Health | Jun 6, 2022
    Discussing Bone, Muscle, Skin, & Autoimmune Diseases: Info for American Indians, Alaska Natives - audio
Spotlight on Research | May 25, 2022
    What Our Proteins Can Tell Us About Autoimmune Diseases
NIAMS-Related Article | Mar 4, 2022
    Autoimmune response found in many with COVID-19
NIH Research Matters | Sep 30, 2021
    NIH Offers Web-Based Tool to Study Gene Expression in Human Neutrophils
Announcement | Aug 19, 2020
    Close to home: NIH researcher and alopecia patient seeks a cure
NIH MedlinePlus | Sep 4, 2019


      
      FacebookEmailPrintFacebookEmail
          Last Reviewed: 
            March 2023
 About NIAMS
                    Clinical Trials
                    Grants & Funding
                    Health Topics
                    Labs @ NIAMS
              News Room
                    NIAMS Multimedia Library
                    Disclaimer
                    FOIA
                    Contact us
              Privacy Statement
                    Accessibility
                    HHS Vulnerability Disclosure
                    Social Media Moderation Policy
                    NIAMS Archives
        Subscribe to Our E-Newsletters
            Click the button to see different options to sign up for newsletters.
            Click Here to Subscribe
          Follow us on
  
  About NIH
                  Accessibility Support
            FOIA requests
                  No FEAR Act data
            Office of the Inspector General
                  Performance reports
            Privacy Policy Back to Top