Autoimmune diseases include about 80 known diseases that are characterized by an inappropriate response of the immune system to the patient’s own body. The number of patients affected by this type of disease represents about 10% of the population of industrialized countries, constantly increasing in recent years, and statistically concerns more women than men. Autoimmune diseases are considered rare because they have, according to the European definition, a prevalence of less than 50/100.000. The 10 most common autoimmune diseases in the French population are:
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis: a chronic inflammation of the thyroid. The prevalence is approximately 1,000 to 1,500/100,000
Graves’ disease: a disease affecting the thyroid with secondary hyperthyroidism. The prevalence is approximately 500 to 1,500/100,000.
Celiac disease: an inflammation of the intestine in response to the ingestion of gluten. The prevalence is approximately 500 to 1,000/100,000
Rheumatoid arthritis: a disease of the immune system that attacks the lining of joints and other tissues. The prevalence is approximately 300 to 800/100,000
Type 1 diabetes: a complete lack of insulin production that causes high blood sugar levels. The prevalence is approximately 200 to 300/100,000.
Multiple sclerosis: a disease of the central nervous system that causes degradation of myelin, the sheath of nerve fibers, and disrupts communication between the brain and the rest of the body. The prevalence is approximately 50 to 120/100,000
Systemic lupus: chronic inflammation of the tissue supporting the organs, the connective tissue, which can affect several organs or in some cases only the skin. The prevalence is approximately 50 to 50/100,000
Systemic scleroderma: a disease of the connective tissue and small arteries, the arterioles, which causes a hardening of the skin. The prevalence is approximately 15 to 25/100,000
Giant cell arteritis: chronic inflammation of the large and medium arteries of the head, neck and trunk. The prevalence is approximately 10 to 50/100,000
Sjögren’s syndrome: a chronic, systemic disease characterized by dryness of the mouth, eyes and other mucous membranes. The prevalence is approximately 10 to 15/100,000
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