For example, the autoimmune reaction is directed against the brain in multiple sclerosis and the gut in Crohn's disease. One person with lupus may have affected skin and joints whereas another may have affected skin, kidney, and lungs. Ultimately, damage to certain tissues by the immune system may be permanent, as with destruction of insulin-producing cells of the pancreas in Type 1 diabetes mellitus. Many of the autoimmune diseases are rare. As a group, however, autoimmune diseases afflict millions of Americans.
Some autoimmune diseases occur more frequently in certain minority populations.
For example, lupus is more common in African-American and Hispanic women than in Caucasian women of European ancestry. Rheumatoid arthritis and scleroderma affect a higher percentage of residents in some Native American communities than in the general U.S. population. Autoimmune diseases are often chronic, requiring lifelong care and monitoring, even when the person may look or feel well. However, many people with these diseases can live normal lives when they receive appropriate medical care. Physicians most often help patients manage the consequences of inflammation caused by the autoimmune disease.