Editing Autoimmunity (section)

== Classification ==
{{See also|List of autoimmune diseases}}

Autoimmune diseases can be broadly divided into systemic and organ-specific or localised autoimmune disorders, depending on the principal clinico-pathologic features of each disease.
* '''[[Systemic autoimmune diseases]]''' include [[coeliac disease]], [[lupus erythematosus]], [[Sjögren syndrome]], [[scleroderma]], [[rheumatoid arthritis]], [[cryoglobulinemic vasculitis]], and [[dermatomyositis]]. These conditions tend to be associated with autoantibodies to antigens which are not tissue specific. Thus although [[polymyositis]] is more or less tissue specific in presentation, it may be included in this group because the [[Self-protein|autoantigens]] are often ubiquitous t-RNA synthetases.
* '''Local''' syndromes which affect a specific organ or tissue:
** Endocrinologic: [[diabetes mellitus type 1]], [[Hashimoto's thyroiditis]], [[Addison's disease]]
** Gastrointestinal:[[Pernicious anaemia]]
** Dermatologic: [[pemphigus vulgaris]], [[vitiligo]]
** Haematologic: [[autoimmune haemolytic anaemia]], [[idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura]]
** Neurological: [[multiple sclerosis]], [[myasthenia gravis]], [[autoimmune encephalitis]], [[ataxia#Gluten ataxia|gluten ataxia]]

Using the traditional "organ specific" and "non-organ specific" classification scheme, many diseases have been lumped together under the autoimmune disease umbrella.  However, many chronic inflammatory human disorders lack the telltale associations of B and T cell driven immunopathology.   In the last decade{{clarify|date=December 2019}} it has been firmly established that tissue "inflammation against [[Self-protein|self]]" does not necessarily rely on abnormal T and B cell responses.<ref name=McGonagle2006/><!-- TBC -->

This has led to the recent proposal that the spectrum of autoimmunity should be viewed along an "immunological disease continuum", with classical autoimmune diseases at one extreme and diseases driven by the innate immune system at the other extreme.  Within this scheme, the full spectrum of autoimmunity can be included.   Many common human autoimmune diseases can be seen to have a substantial innate immune mediated immunopathology using this new scheme.  This new classification scheme has implications{{clarify|date=December 2019}} for understanding disease mechanisms and for therapy development.<ref name=McGonagle2006>{{cite journal | vauthors = McGonagle D, McDermott MF | title = A proposed classification of the immunological diseases | journal = PLOS Medicine | volume = 3 | issue = 8 | pages = e297 | date = August 2006 | pmid = 16942393 | pmc = 1564298 | doi = 10.1371/journal.pmed.0030297 | doi-access = free }}</ref>