Tel. +34 913303000 (Ext. 482452)
Tel. +34 913303000 (Ext. 482453)
Diseases mediated by the immune system have an aetiology that is currently not perfectly understood. A very important group of them are autoimmune diseases: multiple sclerosis, coeliac disease, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, etc., which result from the interaction of environmental factors that trigger the disease in genetically susceptible individuals. The environmental factors considered vary depending on the pathology: infections by highly prevalent viruses, vitamin D deficiency and sun exposure, gluten intake, microbiota, tobacco… although the causal link is unknown in many cases. Likewise, the genetic risk profile described to date includes factors specific to each disease and others common to all of them. The genomic studies developed in recent years have contributed to expand the knowledge of the genetic basis of these complex and multifactorial diseases. However, they have only accounted for part of the heritability estimated by epidemiological studies and, therefore, it is necessary to reveal where the rest of the genetic variability lies. In addition, it is necessary to further study the role played by the products of these associated genetic factors.
On the other hand, scientific advances in recent years have increased our knowledge of the immunopathology of many of these diseases, which in some cases has led to improvements in diagnosis and the application of new treatments. However, it is interesting to know how these improvements affect specific groups of patients.
