The term "primary immunodeficiency diseases" (synonym: immunodeficiency syndromes) covers various diseases of the immune system that are characterized by a temporary or irreversible disturbance of the immune function. Congenital or primary immunodeficiencies (PID) are diseases in which the immunodeficiency is congenital, familial and/or inherited. The PID group is contrasted with diseases in which the immunodeficiency is acquired, which are referred to by the generic term "secondary immunodeficiencies". The best known example of this is AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome).
Recently, due to widespread molecular genetic diagnostics, new monogenetic autoinflammatory diseases are increasingly being elucidated. Their phenotypes show overlaps with the classical primary immunodeficiencies listed so far. Leading symptoms of severe autoinflammatory diseases include periodic or persistent fever of unclear cause, polyserositis, exanthema, and also severe or early-onset (<1 year of age) colitis or the various forms of FACS (Familial Immunodeficiency Syndrome). Forms of FACS (Familial forms of cold urticaria) or chronic hidradenitis suppurativa. Therapeutically, a broad immunosuppressive therapy or cytokine-specific inhibition of autoinflammation may be indicated.
When clinically assigning a clinical picture, the following procedure is recommended (N.Wagner et al. 2022):
- Initial clinical evidence of autoinflammatory disease.
- Recognition of a disease-specific pattern (e.g., recurrent fever episodes).
- When did the first symptoms of disease occur?
- How long do the fever episodes last?
- What is the time interval between episodes (duration, variability, periodicity)?
- Can trigger factors of the attacks be determined?
- How does the disease develop over time?
- What is the therapeutic response?
- Family history, consanguinity and ethnicity?
- Can signs of immune deficiency be elicited?
- Organ involvement as an indication of autoinflammatory diseases
- Laboratory diagnostics in autoinflammatory diseases
- Classification/diagnosis criteria
- Genetic diagnostics
- Management of autoinflammatory diseases