Immunodeficiency-autoimmunity syndromes

Immunodeficiencies can be grouped into genetically inherited (primary immunodeficiencies), somatic mutation-acquired (secondary genetic immunodeficiencies) and environmentally acquired (secondary immunosuppressions). Such immunodeficiencies and immunosuppressions result in increased infection susceptibility but are also associated with autoimmune diseases to varying degrees. A systematic qualitative analysis of these relationships reveals that primary and secondary immunodeficiencies influencing T and B cell numbers and functions highly predispose to autoimmunity, in close agreement with the defining feature of autoimmune diseases - the presence of autoantibodies and/or autoreactive T cells. Environmentally induced Immunosuppressions have a secondary promoting effect in genetically predisposed individuals. Chronic viral infections, especially with Epstein-Barr virus, appear to play a prominent role together with factors influencing immunity. Due to the interplay of individual immunoprofiles (inherited immune system genes and epigenetic modifications) and individual immunosuppression histories (infections and other environmental exposures), diseases with autoimmune manifestations have the appearance of immunodeficiency-autoimmunity syndromes or auto-immunodeficiency syndromes, which represent a continuum of diseases with overlapping clinical features. Remaining outstanding questions are the molecular details of self-tolerance and the relative contributions of epitope spreading, molecular mimicry and bystander activation.