Autoinflammatory and autoimmune diseases are both chronic conditions that cause inflammation in the body. While these two diseases have similarities, they are distinct conditions, and the differences between them are important to understand.
Autoinflammatory diseases are caused by a malfunction in the innate immune system. This leads to the body’s own immune cells mistakenly attacking healthy tissue, resulting in inflammation. Autoinflammatory conditions are usually genetic, and they can affect any part of the body. Some examples of autoinflammatory diseases include Familial Mediterranean Fever, Cryopyrin-Associated Periodic Syndrome, and Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor-Associated Periodic Syndrome.
Autoimmune diseases, on the other hand, are caused by an overactive adaptive immune system. The adaptive immune system is activated when the body is exposed to a foreign antigen, such as a virus or bacteria. In autoimmune diseases, the immune system mistakes healthy body tissue for foreign antigens and begins to attack it. This leads to the production of antibodies that attack healthy cells, resulting in inflammation. Examples of autoimmune diseases include lupus, type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis.
The primary difference between autoinflammatory and autoimmune diseases is in the cause of the inflammation. Autoinflammatory diseases are caused by a malfunction in the innate immune system, while autoimmune diseases are caused by an overactive adaptive immune system. Additionally, autoinflammatory diseases are usually genetic, whereas autoimmune diseases can be triggered by environmental factors, such as exposure to certain toxins.
